The Gist Healthcare Podcast

Health officials now say everyone needs COVID vaccine boosters. Clinical staffing shortages are leading hospitals to pay as much as 20 percent more than previous surges for travel nurses. And Verily Life Sciences gets deeper into clinical trials with a new acquisition. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Biden Administration is set to roll out a plan to give most Americans COVID vaccine booster shots. National Medicare Advantage spending continues to rise. And UnitedHealth launches its direct-to-consumer play. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Immunocompromised Americans can now get COVID vaccine boosters. More insurers decline to cover the Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm. And a new study challenges our long-held assumptions about metabolism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This latest Delta surge is putting public health officials and hospitals on their heels as beds fill up and hospitals struggle to find enough staff. Gist Healthcare co-founders Chas Roades and Lisa Bielamowicz discuss how hospitals are dealing with the fourth wave. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Biden throws his support behind giving Medicare the power to negotiate drug prices. Costly health system cyberattacks are at an all-time high. And as the Delta variant surges across the US, consumers' confidence in traveling and other public activities is falling. According to a Jarrard Phillips Cate & Hancock survey, nearly a third of consumers said they are less likely to seek non-emergent in-person care. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some employers are considering charging unvaccinated employees higher premiums or the cost of testing. CVS Health launches its virtual first primary care offering to companies. And patients in Western North Carolina sue HCA Healthcare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As more companies mandate COVID vaccines, a law prevents hospitals from doing so in Montana. While ICUs fill up in Texas, the governor asks hospitals to postpone elective care. And with the infrastructure bill behind them, Democratic Senators move onto their $3.5 trillion budget resolution. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As kids make up a larger share of covid cases, pediatricians implore the FDA to move quickly to approve the shots for young kids. Morgan Health makes its first investment. And rising COVID cases combined with patients returning for delayed care dampen health insurer profitability. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eric Passon, CEO of data strategy consulting firm Ancore Health discusses recent trends his firm has been watching in physician compensation. He outlines the need to update physician pay approaches to keep pace with the changing economics of health system medical groups. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vaccinated Americans are most concerned about the Delta variant while many unvaccinated think the shot is riskier than the disease. Enhanced federal subsidies caused individual insurance premiums to drop by 40 percent. And nursing homes start to mandate vaccines. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The WHO says hold off on booster shots, but some Americans are already finding ways to get them. Medical boards start cracking down on physicians spreading vaccine misinformation. And the FTC says it can’t keep up with merger filings. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A growing number of hospitals, companies, and even local governments announced more COVID vaccine requirements. Hospitals in the states with surging COVID cases are overwhelmed and can’t give adequate care. And CMS nixes a transparency requirement for hospitals and Medicare Advantage plans. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Missouri Supreme Court rules the state needs to provide coverage to the Medicaid expansion population. Leaders of some of the country's biggest health systems are calling on Congress to support gun violence prevention funding. And spas are popping up to treat long COVID patients. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

States reach a $26 billion settlement with three opioid distributors and Johnson and Johnson. As new daily COVID cases rise, the pace of vaccinations slows. And patients have been coming back for care they delayed because of the pandemic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

CMS scales back plans to move more procedures to outpatient settings. As the Delta variant spreads and more breakthrough cases are reported, Nephron Research shares an outlook for the COVID testing market heading into the fall and winter. And a new study finds nearly a fifth of Americans have medical debt. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Calls for vaccine mandates for healthcare workers intensify. Microsoft is integrating Teladoc’s virtual visit platform into its Teams software. And fines for hospitals not publishing prices could go up to $2 million per year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To explore the impact of a “Medicare at 60” policy on health systems, Gist Healthcare Analyst Patrick Grant discusses how he modeled the revenue implications for health systems if a large portion of their commercially insured patients aged 60 to 64 switched to Medicare coverage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Medicare plans to keep paying for telehealth services through next year. Two large health systems announce they won’t offer Biogen’s new Alzheimer’s drug. And in attempts to drive down prescription drug prices, states target the industry middlemen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Expanding Medicare benefits and Medicaid to holdout states are all part of Democrats' $3.5 trillion-dollar budget package. Tennessee’s top vaccine official was fired and outreach efforts halted amid rising COVID cases. And hospitals sue Intuitive Surgical alleging it’s abusing its monopoly power. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Medicare starts the process of deciding how to cover Aduhelm. As insurers and employers sign on, teletherapy gains momentum. And two states with similar COVID case rates took different paths - one resulted in a lot more deaths. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pfizer meets with top health officials about a booster shot. Missouri’s Medicaid expansion case goes before the state’s highest court. And President Biden supports price transparency but still many hospitals aren’t complying. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President Biden signed a sweeping executive order aimed at increasing competition. Funding for digital health companies continues to break records. And the FDA chief calls for an investigation of the agency's approval of Alzheimer's drug Aduhelm. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pfizer plans to seek approval for a COVID booster shot. 15 states have come to a settlement agreement with Purdue Pharma. And Biogen updates prescribing recommendations for its new Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dollar General makes a play at healthcare. A health system executive is tapped to lead Medicare. And researchers used birthday parties as a proxy for the role small gatherings played in spreading COVID. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Delta variant fuels COVID surges in poorly vaccinated parts of the US. New rules prohibit most surprise medical bills when patients get care from out-of-network providers. And healthcare, much like other industries, is struggling to find workers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Missouri finds itself in the grip of another COVID surge as the state struggles with low vaccination uptake. Dr. Davin Turner, Chief Medical Officer of St. Joseph, MO-based Mosaic Life Care says if vaccinations don’t increase, he expects ongoing surges to become the new normal. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oklahoma becomes the 37th state to implement Medicaid expansion. There’s more consolidation in the home health space. And an independent analysis finds Biogen’s Alzheimer's drug would be cost-effective if priced seven times less than the company’s list price. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Walmart will start selling its own brand of analog insulin. With the Supreme Court declining to hear the case, Medicare’s site-neutral payment rule in place. And e-cigarette maker Juul agrees to pay North Carolina 40 million dollars to settle a lawsuit. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Biden Administration is taking steps to bolster the ACA marketplaces. Nearly 7 in 10 physicians are employed by insurers, private equity firms, or other companies. And hospitals are dealing with more cyberattacks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After being berated, harassed, and bullied throughout the pandemic - public health experts report feeling anxious and depressed. Vaccines are the key to beating the Delta variant, yet convincing holdouts is challenging. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has tapped Daniel Tsai to lead the agency’s Medicaid division. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dean Sanpei, Chief Strategy Officer at Centennial, Colorado-based Centura Health discusses the new 'Colorado Option' and lessons learned from other states. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A judge rules Missouri’s ballot measure to expand Medicaid is unconstitutional. Eli Lilly plans to test the FDA’s new standard and apply for approval of its Alzheimer’s drug. And the latest health tech insurer startup, Bright Health, goes public. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

COVID cases are surging in parts of the Midwest where few are vaccinated. DuPage Medical Group expands into Indiana. And a Wall Street Journal article details the entangled relationship between Steward Health Care and its landlord. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Despite big-ticket incentives vaccinations are still slow in young adults. Medicaid enrollment hit record highs during 2020. And could the plethora of remote monitoring lead us to a world where doctors are always watching us but never at the bedside? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nashville-based health system LifePoint Health announced plans to acquire Louisville-based Kindred Healthcare. The VA says it will now cover gender-affirming surgeries. And Democratic Senators are considering expanding Medicare benefits. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In May, the Lown Institute published a ranking of which hospitals deliver the greatest amount of “low value” care. In this episode president of the nonpartisan think tank, Dr. Vikas Saini discusses the methodology used in constructing that measure. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Affordable Care Act has survived its latest legal Supreme Court challenge. Michigan’s Beaumont Health is hoping a third merger attempt is a charm. And vaccinated immunocompromised patients may get more benefit from a third dose. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anthem joins CivicaRx’s division to bring lower-cost generic drugs to pharmacies. The first patient receives the controversial newly approved Alzheimer's medicine. And some research finds vaccine mixing holds promise. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some states lift nearly all pandemic restrictions as vaccination rates reach the 70 percent threshold. Humana deepens its push into home care with another acquisition. And a charity buys up nearly $300M in medical debt. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A judge tosses out the case challenging Houston Methodist’s vaccine mandate. HCA Healthcare trauma centers are charging patients up to 10 times more than other trauma centers. And more than 1M individuals bought coverage on Healthcare.gov since February. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr. Farzad Mostashari, CEO and co-founder of Aledade, discusses how quality reporting for physicians has become time-intensive and no longer commensurate with incentives. He tells us the whole system is in need of “radical surgery”. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After blowback, UnitedHealthcare delays its policy of not covering emergency department visits it deems unnecessary. Datavant and Ciox Health announce plans to merge. And Biogen’s newly approved Alzheimers has a huge price tag. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The heart rate, sleep and exercise data Apple devices capture can now be sent to your electronic health record. Hospitals start enforcing vaccine mandates and penalties for non compliance. And the pandemic has changed how we use the emergency department. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Retail giants Amazon and Walmart go head to head with competing pharmacy offerings. UnitedHealthcare will start denying emergency department claims if it deems a past visit to the ER nonemergent. One for-profit and one nonprofit medical school look to expand in Montana. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One Medical is acquiring senior-focused primary care company Iora Health. The FDA approves the first Alzheimers drug in 18 years. And Colorado Children's Hospital is so overwhelmed with pediatric mental health patients, last month it declared a state of emergency. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Now that vaccinated Americans are out and about, get ready for those seasonal viruses to make a comeback. Physician Assistants vote to change their title. And Dr. B promised to match leftover vaccine doses to recipients, but it's unclear the service actually helped any patients get shots. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Companies are offering free baseball tickets, beer, flights with vaccines. Democrats are trying to find a federal work-around to expand Medicaid in holdout states. And a UK telemedicine company is buying up large numbers of doctors in the US. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the debate around employers requiring workers to get the COVID-19 vaccination continues, another system announced a mandate. Greensboro, NC-based Cone Health and Norfolk, VA-based Sentara Healthcare call off merger plans. And Nevada legislators send a public option bill to the governor. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr. Bryan Kibbe, a clinical ethicist at Marietta, GA-based Wellstar Health System discusses factors systems are considering as they decide whether to make the COVID vaccine mandatory for employees. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Houston Methodist CEO Dr. Marc Boom discusses how the health system decided to become the first in the nation to require its workforce to receive the COVID vaccine. Boom says the requirement was intended to get to the “last mile” of full vaccination, and now more than 98 percent of the system’s staff are immunized. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.