The Gist Healthcare Podcast

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.

Lowering the Medicare eligibility age to 60 is getting a surprising amount of support from centrist Democrats. Many employers are encouraging employees to get vaccinated but stopping short of mandates. And Colorado is offering to pay hospitals to close free-standing emergency rooms. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

JPMorgan launches its own health business unit. Chiquita Brooks-LaSure is confirmed as the head of CMS. And Google partners with Nashville-based HCA Healthcare to develop algorithms using millions of patient records. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The pandemic is causing women to leave the workforce at higher rates than men, leading some to call this economic downturn the 'shecession'. Dr. Neelum Aggarwal, a cognitive neurologist at Rush University Medical Center and the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at the American Medical Women's Association discusses how this pullback is impacting female physicians. This episode was originally published in January 2021. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two former competitors, a rural North Dakota critical access hospital and community health center, joined forces to rationalize care and better serve their community. We explore this unique collaboration and whether it can be replicated in other underserved communities. This episode was originally published in March 2021. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Co-founder and CEO of DispatchHealth Dr. Mark Prather discusses how the Denver-based company is expanding from its roots in on-demand urgent care home visits to provide home-based services across the full continuum of care, including hospital-level care through a new partnership with Humana. This episode was originally published in February 2021. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bremerton, Washington-based Peninsula Community Health Services is working with church and other community leaders to connect with individuals who are hesitant to get the shot. This episode was originally published in March 2021. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nevada lawmakers are debating a public option-style health plan. Google unveils another AI tool, this time for skin conditions. And now that patients have more access to their medical records as part of new federal rules, doctors are navigating how to handle it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over a standard course of treatment, cancer patients often spend hundreds of dollars, if not more than a thousand, on parking. Amid structural changes within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, two top female scientists are leaving the agency. Advocates push for COVID survivor registries modeled after registries created after 9/11. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

States and retailers are navigating the new mask guidance, leading to a patchwork of rules. The Department of Health and Human Services is asking the Supreme Court to keep the site-neutral payment policy in place. And two hospital giants make a big investment in hospital-at-home care. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gist healthcare co-founders Chas Roades and Dr. Lisa Bielamowicz talk about recent investment activity in primary care startups, which are trying to revamp the traditional practice model by putting consumers at the center. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The CDC now says fully vaccinated people don't need masks in most places. Missouri Governor withdraws plans to expand Medicaid. The COVID crisis inspired a ton of research but exposed flaws in the evidence pipeline. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Five lucky vaccinated Ohio adults stand to win a million dollars. A cyberattack is still crippling San Diego-based Scripps Health more than a week later. And as we approach the end of the public health emergency physicians, insurers and telehealth companies are pushing lawmakers to take permanent steps to expand telehealth flexibilities. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Close to one million people have bought health insurance during the special enrollment period. Hospitals and physicians are awaiting the last disbursement of relief dollars. And drugmakers are testing a medication for obesity. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The FDA expands the emergency use of the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine for adolescents. Walmart buys telehealth company MeMD. And Cigna sees preventive care return to pre-pandemic levels. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Concert Health CEO Spencer Hutchins discusses how the San Diego-based behavioral health medical group works in tandem with primary care providers to treat patients with behavioral health needs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The US is supporting the effort to waive patent protections for COVID vaccines. Almost all hospitals are still doing unnecessary procedures according to a Lown Institute study. And the story of a mental health hack in Finland should serve as a warning as the popularity of virtual mental apps grows. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The next step in the vaccine rollout is the hardest, convincing vaccine-hesitant people to get shots. Hospitals inTexas are concerned about the Medicaid funding showdown. And The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine joins calls to reinvest in primary care. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President Biden wants 70 percent of American adults to get at least one vaccine dose by July 4. CVS Health is continuing to expand its care delivery business. And regulators are starting to fleshing out the details of the surprise billing protections. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There’s doubt that the US will reach herd immunity, because of vaccine hesitancy and more contagious variants. Insurers were more profitable in 2020 despite paying for COVID-19 testing and treatment. And companies are overwhelmed by all the digital health options Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Virginia-based Privia Health, one of a growing number of high-profile “physician enablement” firms that helps practices improve operations and transition to value-based care delivery, held its initial public offering this week. CEO Shawn Morris discusses how the company plans to grow. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New York is planning to fully reopen on July 1. The FDA announced a ban on menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars. And employers say it’s time the government helps control healthcare costs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President Biden's American Families Plan doesn’t include drug pricing legislation, a priority of many Congressional Democrats. CMS is proposing an inpatient rate bump for hospitals next year. And the American Medical Association calls for states to stop banning gender-affirming care for transgender kids. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Colorado lawmakers are bringing back a public option proposal. In West Virginia, young adults can get a COVID vaccine and a savings bond. And a new study in mice provides evidence that an old drug might help people heal from surgeries without a scar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The US is sharing millions of AstraZeneca vaccine doses with other countries. Private equity firms are rolling up veterinary practices in the United Kingdom. And Accolade announces plans to acquire telehealth company PlushCare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sean Lane, CEO of healthcare software company Olive, discusses how the company uses artificial intelligence to automate repetitive processes for hospital systems. The technology has been deployed in more than 600 hospitals across the country. This episode is a rerun and was initially published in November. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A CDC committee will decide whether to resume the Johnson & Johnson vaccine rollout. A KFF and Washington Post poll finds 3 in 10 healthcare workers are considering leaving the profession because of the pandemic. And Democrats plan to add more healthcare provisions to the upcoming infrastructure bill. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.