The Gist Healthcare Podcast

Harvard economists estimate the coronavirus will cost the US economy $16 trillion. Laboratories are having a hard time finding enough technologists. And seniors may not get those discount prescription cards President Trump promised, until after election day. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trials for a coronavirus treatment and vaccine were halted for safety concerns. Children are still delaying medical care, and Children's hospitals are hurting. With adults and kids delaying care, insurers are making healthy profits. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Democrats focused on healthcare during Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s first confirmation hearing for the Supreme Court. The NBA’s bubble is a coronavirus success story. And new data is showing K-12 schools may not be the superspreader environments some thought they could be. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the cost of job-based health insurance has increased over the past decade, many employers are continuing to shift those costs to employees. Centivo CEO Ashok Subramanian discusses how the recession caused by COVID is already pushing some companies to seek out new and lower-cost health insurance options. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Steve Lefar, Executive Director of Strata Decision Technology, says health systems need to get used to the new normal of lower patient volumes. The company’s recent analysis of hospital data shows patients' behavior has changed, and hospitals can’t count on volumes returning to pre-pandemic levels. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vice presidential candidates talked about two different coronavirus realities during the debate. Despite years of warnings, an AP and PBS Frontline investigation found the US didn’t take adequate steps to secure a domestic medical supply chain. And for the first time, two women win the Nobel Prize in chemistry. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senator Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence are set to debate tonight in Utah. Insurance startup Clover Health is going public. And the FDA publishes stricter COVID vaccine approval guidelines. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After four days in the hospital for COVID-19, President Trump returns to the White House. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention acknowledges that COVID can be spread through the air. And insurers are expanding Medicare Advantage offerings for the 2021 plan year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Supreme Court is set to hear a case about states' power to regulate pharmacy middlemen. Leslie Walker with the health policy podcast Tradeoffs says a ruling could end up impacting states' ability to regulate healthcare. To listen to the full Tradeoffs episode, which goes into more detail about the case, go to Tradeoffs.org or download it wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hospitals will now get the COVID treatment remdesivir from the drugmaker and distributor rather than the government. The stop-gap government funding measure relaxes Medicare loan repayment terms. And a Lousiana-based Ochsner Health is merging with another Louisiana hospital system. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The federal government is sending millions of COVID test to states. Insurers are reducing telehealth benefits. And we dig into the details of Biden’s healthcare proposal. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We learned little about either presidential candidate's healthcare plans during the first debate. The world reaches a grim milestone, more than one million people have died from COVID-19. And as federal business aid runs out, many more could lose health insurance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A social media site has emerged as an unlikely hero in the fight against vaccine misinformation. Concerns grow over conflicts of interest at a panel overseeing vaccine safety. And some psychologists say that when it comes to the COVID-19 death toll, Americans have an empathy problem. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gist Healthcare co-founders Chas Roades and Dr. Lisa Bielamowicz discuss how health systems and providers are building on telehealth gains made during the pandemic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New York sets up its own COVID-19 vaccine safety review committee. Walmart is delivering COVID-19 tests with drones. And President Trump says he’s sending seniors discount cards for prescription drugs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Inside hospitals, there’s a debate about whether the coronavirus is airborne. The head of the FDA says science will dictate any COVID-19 vaccine approval. And Indiana opens restaurants, bars, and allows sporting events to resume. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The House passed a bill that would keep the government funded and relax medicare loan repayment terms. The CDC walks back guidance saying the coronavirus is airborne. Nurses at an HCA Healthcare hospital North Carolina vote to unionize. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death leaves the fate of the Affordable Care Act uncertain. Black physicians create a panel to review a COVID vaccine. And advances in ICU care are helping COVID patients survive. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr. Rushika Fernandopulle, co-founder and CEO of the value-based primary care organization Iora Health discusses how COVID led practices to reorganize around the patient, instead of the physical office. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the West Coast, the smoke is everywhere, even inside hospitals. COVID affects men and women differently but yet few studies breaking down outcomes by sex. And Cigna has become much more than a payer, and it’s rebranding. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The head of the CDC says politics are not compromising scientific reports. More research reveals troubling racial disparities in COVID outcomes. And Medicare Advantage is revamping how it calculates payments for enrollees. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A new Wall Street Journal report sheds light on hospital-acquired COVID infections. Apple unveils its new watch that can read blood oxygen levels. And the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services pulls back a controversial Medicaid financing rule. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lawmakers are investigating allegations that political appointees interfered with CDC reports. The head of a large vaccine manufacturer warns that it will be years before there’s enough for everyone to get inoculated. And the president signs another executive order to try and lower drug prices. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We have data at our fingertips to figure out the best restaurant or when our takeout will be delivered, but as Dr. Daniel Stein says we don’t have nearly as much information about where to get surgery. Stein founded Embold Health to fix that and he discusses how the company uses data to help big companies send their employees to the best local providers. To take the 5 question podcast survey go to GistHealthcare.com/survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Senate failed to pass a fifth coronavirus relief package. Some hospitals and nursing homes are under fire for not isolating COVID patients. And hard hit by the pandemic, physician staffing firm Mednax is selling its radiology practice. To take the anonymous Gist Healthcare Daily podcast survey go to Gisthealthcare.com/survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many in America’s largest cities haven’t been able to get healthcare during the pandemic. The fight between hospitals and drugmakers over discounts is heating up. And AstraZeneca had to stop it’s COVID-19 vaccine trial while it investigates an adverse outcome. To take take the podcast survey go to Gisthealthcare.com/survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pharmaceutical companies are pledging their commitment to safety amid fears about politics interfering with the approval of a COVID-19 vaccine. As schools and daycares resume, it’s hard for young kids to get a coronavirus test. And the Sturgis Motorcycle rally turned out to be a super spreader event. To take take the podcast survey go to Gisthealthcare.com/survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David Jarrard, CEO of strategic communications firm Jarrard Phillips Cate & Hancock, discusses new survey results about trust in the medical community and patients willingness to get a coronavirus vaccine or return to care. To take the Gist Healthcare Daily podcast survey go to gisthealthcare.com/survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

States are told to get ready for a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as next month. Hospitals will be required to reveal the rates they negotiate with Medicare Advantage insurers. And Georgia has a plan to leave Healthcare.gov. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The US will not participate in the global vaccine effort. Multiple studies show low-cost steroids are a good treatment for critically ill COVID-19 patients. And the Wall Street Journal reports the government is going to start calling out hospitals for not reporting COVID metrics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A National Institutes of Health panel says there’s not enough evidence for convalescent plasma as a COVID-19 treatment. The government is speeding up Medicare’s coverage of new medical devices. And Apple and Google take a more active role in contact tracing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Despite the Trump Administration’s plan to cover COVID-19 care for the uninsured, some are still getting bills. Coronavirus is disrupting all kinds of medical education. And CVS expands its health plan offerings in concert with HealthHubs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We are airing an episode from the health policy podcast Tradeoffs titled "Core to Who I Am" The Tradeoffs team dug into the history of how healthcare organizations discriminated against transgender patients prior to the landmark protections included in the Affordable Care Act—which are now being fought over in the courts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amid criticism for the CDC's new coronavirus testing guidance, the president announces the country will buy 150 million new rapid antigen tests from Abbott Laboratories. A new study gives clues as to why men are harder hit by COVID. And Amazon launches a new fitness tracker. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The CDC quietly changed it’s guidance on COVID testing. Hospitals backed by private equity firms make more than non-PE owned hospitals. And the pharmaceutical industry has its own plan to lower drug prices. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At the Republican National Convention, speakers president praise for expanding telehealth and fast-tracking experimental COVID-19 treatments. Nursing homes, hospitals, and laboratories will need to start reporting metrics to Medicare or face fines. and Amwell gets a big investment from Google. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President Trump announced temporary approval of convalescent plasma as a COVID treatment. Hospitals have continued to sue patients for unpaid medical bills even during the pandemic. And the first documented case of someone getting coronavirus for a second time comes from Hong Kong. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gist Healthcare co-founders Chas Roades and Dr. Lisa Bielamowicz talk about how COVID-19 is accelerating consolidation, payer-provider integration and digital health innovation. They’ll also share their thoughts on how demand for healthcare is likely to change in the wake of the pandemic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The government is making more changes to the hospital data reporting system. Pharmacists are now able to vaccinate kids. And some healthcare workers still having trouble getting masks and other personal protective gear. Are you or your organization having trouble getting masks, face shields, or other PPE? We’d like to hear from you. Leave Gist Healthcare Daily a voicemail about your experience at 202-810-2843. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Supreme Court will hear the case challenging the Affordable Care Act one week after the November election. The World Health Organization says the pandemic is in a new stage primarily driven by young adults. And some people are reporting being severely ill with COVID-19 for several months. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Democratic and Republican governors join together to get COVID tests. Post office changes were causing delays in prescription home deliveries. And employers are expecting healthcare costs to rise next year - driven partially by virtual care growth. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In part two of our conversation with Travis Messina, CEO of hospital-at-home company Contessa, he says the biggest challenge to scale is a lack of reimbursement. Messina is confident traditional Medicare is close to paying health systems for treating patients with the model. Read more of Gist Healthcare's insight into the hospital-at-home model. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Travis Messina, CEO of hospital-at-home company Contessa, talks about the growing popularity of the model, the challenges of building a program, and the culture shift it requires. He compares the hospital-at-home model’s potential to that of early ambulatory surgery centers, which performed only a handful of procedures until Medicare expanded coverage and reimbursement. Read more of Gist Healthcare's insight into the hospital-at-home model. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Russia approves a COVID-19 vaccine before finishing clinical trials. Daily coronavirus deaths climb following outbreaks in the Sun Belt state. And telemedicine visits may have plateaued. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Norfolk, VA-based Sentara Healthcare and Greensboro, NC-based Cone Health announced plans to merge. And two news organizations are tracking healthcare workers dying from COVID-19 and finding some troubling trends. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Researchers found some commonly worn masks are actually counterproductive. Joint replacements were some of the most profitable procedures for hospitals - but how fast will they come back after COVID? And The details of Medicare's rural healthcare pilot program are out. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The lack of a coronavirus relief package leaves a lot of healthcare policies up in the air. Companies are hiring healthcare experts to deal with COVID safety. And during the pandemic doctors found themselves asking where are all the premature babies? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In his new book The Riches of This Land, New York Times Economics Reporter Jim Tankersley talks about how minorities have been disadvantaged by American economic policy and are being harder hit by the COVID-19 induced recession. Tankersley says women and men of color are key to rebuilding the country's middle class. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The president is now ordering federal agencies to buy certain medicines and supplies from American factories. A study sparked a social media firestorm raising questions about professionalism in healthcare. And experts warn global shutdowns have put millions of lives at risk due to other infectious diseases. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Missouri voters decide to expand Medicaid. Medicare announces plans to eliminate inpatient-only lists. And a big virtual healthcare merger is announced between Livongo and Teladoc Health. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.