The Gist Healthcare Podcast

Pharmaceutical executives tell Congress vaccine supply will increase in March. Confirmation hearings are underway for Xavier Becerra, the nominee to lead HHS. And some telehealth companies aren’t just focused on direct patient care, but also partnering with health systems. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

500,000 Americans have died from COVID-19. IBM is reportedly considering selling its Watson Health business. And as Match Day approaches, there are still thousands of medical school graduates who struggle to find a program. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr. Bela Patel, the division director of critical care medicine at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth in Houston, discusses lessons learned from the pandemic. Providers quickly adapted to emerging science because of local and international collaborations and Patel wants to carry that forward as hospitals move past this crisis and prepare for future ones.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two Democratic senators are reviving their public option bill. Google is opening an office 10 minutes away from Mayo Clinic. And during the pandemic, medical research has moved into patient's homes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President Biden has reportedly picked Chiquita Brooks-LaSure to lead CMS. The CDC is working to pick up the pace of sequencing COVID-19 tests to track variants. And about a third of people delayed or skipped care during the pandemic - will they come back?  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Daily COVID-19 cases are down from record highs, but experts it's important to continue public health measures as more contagious variants spread. CVS Health’s insurance arm Aetna will start selling insurance on the marketplace next year. And the Biden Administration started unwinding Medicaid work requirements.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The pandemic has hit struggling rural hospitals hard. Michael Topchik, national leader for rural health at healthcare consulting firm The Chartis Group discusses how although more hospitals are vulnerable, he's optimistic the Biden Administration’s focus on health equity could lead to new payment models that allow rural hospitals to focus more on emergency and outpatient care. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

14 of the country’s largest health systems are joining together to create a company to capitalize on their valuable troves of health data. Starting Monday, millions of Americans will have another chance to buy health insurance plans on the individual marketplace. And an Ohio-based emergency medicine practice is buying out its minority partner, a private equity firm. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a rare showing of unity, associations representing hospitals, physicians, insurers as well as business groups are backing President Biden’s plans to expand health coverage. The CDC is emphasizing how important mask fit is for protection. And pharmacies are hiring thousands to help administer vaccines. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Democrats propose bigger tax credits to make individual health coverage more affordable as part of the COVID relief package. Since COVID-19 vaccines have been so effective, some scientists are pushing for a pancoronavirus vaccine. And providers raise concerns about virtual care post-pandemic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.