The Gist Healthcare Podcast

A new Health Affairs study finds racial bias in patient notes. There are drugs being developed to treat Obesity, but a big hurdle getting providers to recognize it as a disease. And in some places, COVID appears to be receding as quickly as it surged. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How much progress has President Biden made on his efforts to defeat the pandemic in his first year? A few weeks into 2022, digital health company Babylon Health already announced two acquisitions. And even though the US has two highly effective COVID antiviral medications, supplies are scarce and incredibly challenging to get. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Americans can now get free rapid covid tests sent right to their homes. Now that the Supreme Court has allowed the vaccine mandate for healthcare workers to proceed, hospitals have to reinstate requirements. And new research finds a link between the Epstein-Barr virus and multiple sclerosis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the first conversation of the year Gist Healthcare co-founders, Chas Roades and Lisa Bielamowicz discuss the healthcare trends they're watching for 2022, including the next phase of the COVID pandemic, the challenge of rising labor costs, surging investment in digital health, and the shifting demographics of Medicare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Supreme Court rules the vaccine requirement for healthcare workers can go forward in facilities that receive Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement. This Omicron wave is particularly hard for parents of kids 5 and under who can’t get vaccinated. And primary care enablement company Aledade acquires advanced care planning company Irish Healthcare.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Insurers lower Medicare Advantage projections amid a hyper-competitive market. More people are turning to at-home tests as backlogs for care grow. And it’s time to ditch the cloth masks and don an N95 or KN95. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you’re lucky enough to find an at-home COVID test, private insurers will soon be required to pay for it. Medicare decides to only cover Biogen’s controversial Alzheimer’s drug for a subset of patients in clinical trials. And Omicron is forcing millions to call out sick.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After Biogen halved the price of its Alzheimers drug Medicare reevaluates its Part B premium hike. Omicron’s deluge on hospitals could be even worse than what’s being reported. And six former White House COVID advisors call for a new covid strategy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Janelle Lee, VP of Talent Services at St. Joseph, MO-based Mosaic Life Care, discusses strategies to bolster nurse retention during the COVID crisis. In addition to financial incentives, Mosaic is allowing shift flexibility and increasing training and support for first-year nurses.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on vaccine mandates today. The American Medical Association blasts the CDC’s COVID isolation guidance. With the new year, pharmaceutical companies have raised list prices on drugs an average of 5 percent, according to industry reports.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.