The Gist Healthcare Podcast

Nursing home staff shortages are having cascading impacts on hospitals. Seattle-based Primary care company Vera Whole Health and San Francisco-based health navigation company Castlight Health announce plans to merge. And UnitedHealthcare confirms it’s not implementing a controversial ER coverage policy.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A jury finds the founder of Theranos guilty on four counts of fraud. Biden’s plans to increase testing and antiviral drugs will come too late for the current surge. And large for-profit hospital chains’ expansion strategies shift to outpatient sites. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we enter the third year of the COVID pandemic, hospitals are again struggling to deal with an influx of patients. Oracle announces plans to buy Cerner. And the surprise billing ban went into effect on January 1. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As COVID cases climb, companies return to remote work and schools go online. Physician practice acquisitions fuel the big surge in healthcare deals this year. And there are big regional variations in child covid vaccine uptake. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A third of Americans say they’re skipping at least some healthcare because it’s too expensive. The $35 monthly cap on insulin faces a challenge in the Senate. And the US passes another grim threshold, 800,000 COVID deaths. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Employer health benefits costs rose faster this year than in any year since 2010. A record 19 rural hospitals closed in 2020, but more are joining forces with larger systems. And signs from Europe and Africa spell trouble for Omicron’s spread in the US.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Companies are overwhelmed by all the new healthcare startups targeting specific conditions. Elizabeth Mitchell, CEO and President of the Purchaser Business Group on Health, which represents large employers buying health benefits, says companies are looking for an integrated solution and independent information about efficacy.  Today's episode is a rerun and was first published in August.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As health plans look to lower the cost of care for growing Medicare Advantage populations, they’re investing in for profit primary care companies that are also addressing social needs. On this episode Dean Emeritus of the Jefferson College of Population Health Dr. David Nash says amid a flood of investor capital, it’s important to evaluate the social return. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The American Hospital and Medical Associations challenge the arbitration provision of the surprise billing ban. And we go to France where vaccine passports, which will soon require 3 shots, are necessary to do almost anything in public. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

LA area cancer organization City of Hope announces plans to buy Cancer Treatment Centers of America. Cigna invests in insurtech startup BrightHealth. And the House passes legislation to avert Medicare cuts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.