Health:Further

Marcus Whitney & Vic Gatto
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Apr 4, 2026 • 1h 1min

184 - How AI Created a Billion-Dollar Company With Just 2 People

Vic and Marcus recap the Jumpstart Health Summit, including a workshop where non-technical founders built full AI-driven products and an agentic investment bank in under 48 hours, followed by key discussions from the summit on healthcare transformation, AI infrastructure, venture capital evolution, and leadership changes at Jumpstart Health. They break down major economic signals including declining job openings, stock market performance, and rising risks in private credit markets, then analyze healthcare policy shifts targeting hospital pricing practices and UnitedHealthcare’s push into AI-driven member tools. The episode also covers major pharma momentum led by Eli Lilly across acquisitions, GLP-1 advancements, and AI-powered drug discovery, alongside emerging trends in crypto-backed mortgages, agentic commerce, and Coinbase’s expanding role in financial infrastructure. They close with a deep dive into AI disruption, highlighting a two-person billion-dollar company, open-source model acceleration, security risks, and breakthroughs that could reshape hardware demand and the future of work.LinksStory 1 Jobs and Equity market11:37 - U.S. Job Openings and Hiring Fell in February WSJ18:10 - Here’s What Worked During a Rough Quarter for Markets WSJStory 2 Private credit watch19:17 - What Banks Stand to Lose From the Private-Credit Mess WSJStory 3 VC rundown23:14 - WHOOP Secures $575M, Reaches $10B Valuation MedCityStory 4  DOJ v NY Pres25:21 - Justice Department Files Antitrust Lawsuit Against NewYork-Presbyterian WSJStory 6 UHG launches AI Companion30:12 - UnitedHealthcare launches Avery, a generative AI companion for members Fierce HealthcareStory 7 1st Reimbursement for Robot Companion32:22 - Intuition Robotics secures Medicaid coverage for social AI robot ElliQ in Washington State Fierce HealthcareStory 8 Eli Lilly moves37:21 - Eli Lilly to Buy Centessa Pharmaceuticals for Initial $6.3 Billion WSJ37:55 - Eli Lilly Gets Speedy FDA Nod for Oral GLP-1 Drug, a Competitor to New Novo Nordisk Pill MedCity38:52 - Eli Lilly reaches $2.75 billion deal with Insilico to bring AI-developed drugs to the global market CNBCStory 9 Web3 rundown39:54 - Fannie Mae to Accept Crypto-Backed Mortgages for the First Time WSJ41:54 - Coinbase’s AI payments system joins Linux Foundation, gathers support from Google, Stripe, AWS and others Coindesk45:57 - Coinbase clears key regulatory hurdle in bid to bolster its stablecoin business CNBC Story 10 1st $B - 2 person AI startup is healthcare47:24 - How A.I. Helped One Man (and His Brother) Build a $1.8 Billion Company NYTStory 11 Antropic50:27 - Anthropic Races to Contain Leak of Code Behind Claude AI Agent WSJ51:19 - Claw Code Launches Open-Source AI Coding Agent Framework With 72,000 GitHub Stars in First Days 24-7Story 12 Google54:00 - Google announces Gemma 4 open AI models, switches to Apache 2.0 license ArsTechnica56:30 - Google now lets you direct avatars through prompts in its Vids app TechCrunch57:00 - Google’s TurboQuant Breakthrough Just Rewrote the AI Playbook Yahoo 
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Mar 28, 2026 • 1h

183 - AI Agents Are Coming for Your Job Faster Than Anyone Expected

Vic and Marcus discuss rising energy costs and their ripple effects across the economy, declining tourism, and ongoing financial pressure tied to global instability. They break down major healthcare funding deals including telehealth weight loss platforms and AI governance in health systems, along with payer struggles and pharmaceutical acquisitions. The episode explores legal shifts around social media liability and Section 230, contrasting platform responsibility with internet infrastructure. They cover policy updates in Medicaid and rural hospital funding, trends in tokenized financial markets, and AI developments across healthcare, enterprise, and consumer platforms. The conversation closes with a deep dive into the evolution of AI agents, digital workers, and the shift toward autonomous systems that could redefine how individuals and companies operate. LinksStory 1 - Energy prices2:34 - How Americans Are Navigating Higher Energy Costs on Every Front WSJStory 2 - VC Rundown5:42 - GLP-1 unicorn raises $200 million from Tom Brady, others Axios7:48 - Qualified Health locks in $125M in fresh funding to scale enterprise AI at health systems Fierce HealthcareStory 3 - Section 230 Challenged9:16 - Meta and YouTube Lose Landmark Social-Media Addiction Trial WSJ16:24 - Supreme Court Limits Liability for Internet Service Providers WSJStory 4 - Peds Wrap-around payment modelStory 5 - Cash available for Rural Health systems23:27 -  Rural hospitals could apply for temporary interest-free construction, renovation loans under new bipartisan bill Fierce HealthcareStory 6 - Higmark results24:45 - Highmark reports $175M net loss for 2025 as financial headwinds batter health plan Fierce HealthcareStory 7 - 2 Pharma Deals25:10 - Merck Reaches Nearly $6 Billion Deal for Cancer Biotech Terns WSJ26:03 - Gilead Sciences gains opportunity for immune system reset with $1.7B Ouro acquisition MedCity  Story 8 - Dance therapy27:33 - Tango Therapy: How the Dance of Passion Is Helping Parkinson's Patients NYTStory 9 - Tokenized Stocksl29:04 - NYSE Partners With Securitize to Develop 24/7 Tokenized Securities Platform WSJStory 10 - OpenEvidence expands product offereing29:53 - OpenEvidence rolls out AI medical coding feature Fierce HealthcareStory 11 - Optum using AI to reduce Fraud32:05 - A look at how Optum Rx is using AI to address pharmacy fraud, waste and abuse Fierce HealthcareStory 12 - OpenAI moving to enterprise33:56 - OpenAI Scraps Sora Video Platform Months After Launch WSJ35:23 - OpenAI abandons yet another side quest: ChatGPT’s erotic mode TechCrunch37:46 - OpenAI sweetens private equity pitch amid enterprise turf war with Anthropic, sources say ReutersStory 13 - Google’s Gemini coming to Siri41:59 - New details on Apple-Google AI deal revealed, including Gemini changes: 9to5 macStory 14 - Google releases Figma Competitor44:52 - I 'Vibe Designed' a Website in Minutes Using Google Labs' Stitch Tool CNet
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Mar 21, 2026 • 1h 9min

182 - Why Healthcare Costs Are About to Flip Everything You Know

Vic and Emily Evans discuss the Fed holding rates and the declining influence of monetary policy, Turquoise Health’s $40M raise and the shift toward payment infrastructure, and the broader slowdown in healthcare spending growth. They explore consumer-driven healthcare models, political tensions around insurance and affordability, and upcoming policy shifts. The episode also covers vaccine policy changes, cancer immunotherapy efforts, CMS’s new wearable-driven care model, the rise of ketamine prescriptions, crypto regulation clarity, tokenized markets, AI’s expanding role in healthcare and business, and the growing challenge of trust in an era of synthetic media.LinksStory # 1 Fed Meeting00:59 - Fed Holds Rates Steady as Iran War Clouds Outlook WSJStory # 2: Price transparency deals 6:05 - Turquoise Health raises $40M to power healthcare contracts, payments Fierce HealthcareStory # 3 Payers still in Crosshairs19:56 - Democratic senators detail plans to take on 'Big Insurance' Fierce HealthcareStory # 4 Vaccine Drama27:18 - Federal court blocks RFK Jr.’s moves to upend US vaccine policy, Healthcare Dive27:29 - Health Groups Hailed a Vaccine Ruling, but Their Relief May Be Short-Lived NYT29:34 - HHS Has a Potential Solution for Cancers That Keep Coming Back: Vaccines WSJStory # 5 ACCESS program31:24 - Discussion of the ACCESS program CMS websiteStory # 6 Sutter’s expansion37:01 - Sutter, Allina Health to form $26B nonprofit system Story # 7 Ketamine risks38:56 - She Hoped Ketamine Would Rewire Her Brain. She Didn’t Live to See It Work. WSJStory # 8 Tokenizing Equities42:24 - SEC and CFTC unveil new crypto guidance declaring most digital assets are not securities The Block46:26 -  Story # 9 Maven Intelligence49:39 - Maven Clinic expands AI capabilities with genAI agent built on OpenAI, Google LLMs Fierce HealthcareStory # 10 MS v. OpenAI52:53 - Microsoft Looking To Sue OpenAI Over New Amazon Deal: Here's Why Free PressStory # 11 1st AI Actor1:02:45 - Val Kilmer Resurrected by AI to Star in ‘As Deep as the Grave’ Movie Variety
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Mar 14, 2026 • 45min

181 - AI, Tokenized Markets, and Why Healthcare Is Carrying the U.S. Job Market

Vic and Marcus discuss the latest macro forces shaping healthcare and technology, starting with inflation trends, rising oil prices, and how geopolitical tensions involving Iran could impact global markets and supply chains. They examine how healthcare has become the primary driver of U.S. job growth while questioning whether the industry can sustain the broader labor market long term. The conversation covers venture funding activity including AI healthcare startups, maternal health investments, and the growing debate over massive venture rounds in the AI era. They also analyze major industry developments such as CVS and Aetna resolving Medicare Advantage investigations, the acquisition of Talkspace by UHS to expand behavioral health services, and Novo Nordisk’s ongoing struggles in the GLP-1 market. The episode closes with a wide-ranging discussion on tokenized financial markets, the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure, big tech’s increasing control over healthcare through platforms like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon, and how AI may become the new front door to healthcare access.Story # 1 CPI, War & Healthcare jobs1:50 - Inflation Holds Steady, but Iran War Threatens to Boost Prices WSJ4:33 - Escalating Hormuz Crisis Raises Specter of Prolonged Closure WSJ6:05 - Health Care Has Become the Lifeblood of the Labor Market NYTStory # 2 VC deals10:17 - New Medicaid-focused doula provider Malama launches with $9.2M Fierce Healthcare12:17 - Amigo AI Raises $11M to Close the Gap Between Healthcare Demand and Clinical Capacity AlleyWatch12:59 - Nitra Rakes In $187M to Simplify the Business of Running a Healthcare Practice MedCityStory # 3 Changes (again) at FDA21:07 - Vinay Prasad, controversial FDA leader, to again depart agency Healthcare DiveStory # 4 Aetna settlement22:52 - Aetna to pay $117.7M to settle Medicare Advantage upcoding allegations: DOJ Fierce HealthcareStory # 5 Health Systems Bullish23:59 - Despite insurers' expense pains, Tenet Healthcare is securing healthy commercial rates through 2027 Fierce Healthcare25:29 - Why UHS Is Acquiring Talkspace for $835M MedCityStory # 6 Novo27:48 - Novo Nordisk to Sell Weight-Loss Drugs Through Hims & Hers WSJ29:07 - FDA Warns Novo Nordisk of Unreported Side Effects Tied to GLP-1 Patients WSJStory # 7  Tokenizing Wall Street29:47 - Nasdaq Partners With Kraken in Plan for 24/7 Tokenized Stock Trading WSJ31:31 - Tokenized Stocks Are Coming to a Market Near You: Five Things to Know WSJStory # 8  Big Tech AI in Healthcare33:18 - Oracle Shares Jump as AI Demand Outpaces Supply WSJ35:17 - Microsoft unveils Copilot Health as an AI health companion for consumers Fierce Healthcare37:32 - CVS, Humana & More Are Turning to Google’s AI Models MedCity40:15 - Amazon One Medical CMO: AI Is the Front Door to Healthcare MedCity
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Mar 7, 2026 • 59min

180 - AI Is Restructuring the Global Economy Faster Than Anyone Expected

Marcus and Vic break down a turbulent week across geopolitics, markets, technology, and healthcare, starting with escalating conflict involving Iran and the economic volatility rippling through global markets. They examine rising uncertainty in the economy, the growing push for European tech independence from U.S. platforms, and how reliability concerns are driving companies toward self-hosted AI models. The conversation moves into financial risk as private credit giants like Blackstone face redemption pressure, the legal chaos surrounding $130B in tariff refunds, and several major healthcare venture deals including Sage, Third Way Health, KeyCare, and Grow Therapy. They also explore policy shifts such as RFK Jr.’s push to add nutrition to medical education, payer industry developments including potential sanctions against Elevance, leadership changes at Cigna, CVS partnering with Google for a new consumer health platform, and Eli Lilly going direct to employers with obesity drugs. The episode closes with a deep dive into crypto’s accelerating integration with traditional finance, OpenAI’s Pentagon controversy and the lukewarm reception to GPT-5.4, and a broader look at how companies from Oracle to Morgan Stanley to Colgate are restructuring their workforces around AI.LInksStory # 1 Economy Volatility5:59 - Stock Market Today: Dow Drops 1.6%, Oil Pushes Above $80 WSJ11:37 - Blackstone Played Down Private-Credit Risks. Now It’s Been Hit. WSJ17:02 - Judge Orders Government to Begin Refunding More Than $130 Billion in Tariffs WSJStory # 2 VC deals19:56 - Sage: $65 Million Raised For AI-Powered Senior Care Platform Pulse 2.020:24 - Third Way Health Secures $15M to Streamline Front-Office Operations for Medical Practices MedCity21:07 - KeyCare raises $27.4M to scale Epic-integrated virtual care platform Mobi Health22:28 -  Grow Therapy Raises $150M to Expand Employer, Health System Partnerships MedCityStory #3  Medical Shools add Nutrition 23:59 - How Kennedy Is Trying to Revamp Medical School NYT26:21 - Dozens of medical schools meet RFK Jr.'s call for greater nutrition education Fierce HealthcareStory # 4 Payor Rundown31:10 CMS threatens Elevance with Medicare Advantage sanctions Healthcare Dive30:07 - Cigna Names Brian Evanko CEO as David Cordani Retires WSJ31:10 - CVS unveils Health 100, its new Google-powered consumer engagement platform Fierce Healthcare Story # 4 Lilly Extends Advantage 33:36 - Eli Lilly launches its direct-to-employer platform for obesity drugs Fierce HealthcareStory #5  Web3 migrating into Traditional Finance34:53 - Kraken Becomes First Crypto Firm to Win Access to Fed’s Core Payments System WSJ39:01 - NYSE owner invests in crypto exchange OKX at $25bn valuation X40:04 - Trump sides with crypto firms in trillion-dollar battle with banks over stablecoin yield CNBCStory #6 Open AI47:09 - OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Defends Pentagon Work to Staff, Calls Backlash ‘Really Painful’ WSJ49:05 - OpenAI introduces GPT-5.4 with more knowledge-work capability ArsTechnicaStory #7 AI Corp Reorgs53:26 - Oracle Reportedly Plans Thousands Of Layoffs Amid Growing AI Spend Stockwits54:56 - Morgan Stanley Lays Off 2,500 Employees Across All Divisions WSJ56:09 - The AI Evangelist Shaking Up a 220-Year-Old Toothpaste Maker WSJ
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Feb 28, 2026 • 52min

179 - Anthropic vs The Pentagon | The AI Showdown That Could Reshape Government Technology

Vic and Marcus unpack a chaotic week across AI, markets, healthcare, and crypto. They begin with a viral Substack post outlining a “2028 Global Intelligence Crisis” that triggered market volatility and reignited debate over mass white-collar job displacement. They examine Block’s decision to cut more than 40% of its workforce amid AI-driven efficiency gains and debate whether entrepreneurship will replace traditional employment. The conversation moves through new AI startups transforming medtech sales and credentialing, automation in healthcare front offices and pathology, and escalating Medicaid and ACA policy shifts that could impact deductibles and medical debt. They discuss ongoing GLP-1 coverage battles, pharma competition between Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, and enforcement actions against payer ghost networks. The episode also covers stablecoin growth, Coinbase’s expansion into U.S. stock trading, and the rise of agent-to-agent AI payments. They close with a high-stakes clash between the Trump administration and Anthropic over military AI use, exploring brand integrity, national security, and the future relationship between AI companies and the federal government.LinksStory #1 AI Fears Shake Market1:25 - THE 2028 GLOBAL INTELLIGENCE CRISIS Substack7:32 - Jack’s announcement XStory #2 VC Deals13:57 - MedScout Raises $10M and Launches AI Agents for MedTech Commercial Teams Healthcare Dive 15:24 - Altman-backed startup Verifiable rolls out AI agent to automate credentialing Fierce Healthca17:24 - Third Way Health raises $15M for front-office AI Axios18:12 - Coral Care Raises $13M to Scale In-Home Pediatric Therapy MedCityStory #3 Feds Pause $ for MN18:49 - Vance Announces Pause of Nearly $260 Million in Minnesota Medicaid Funding WSJ22:54 - CMS unveils new initiatives aimed at cracking down on healthcare fraud Fierce Healthcare Story #4 Health costs Rise & State Law Changes24:27 - New A.C.A. Plans Could Increase Family Deductibles to $31,000 NYT25:26 - State lawmakers seek restraints on wage garnishment for medical debt Fierce HealthcareStory #5 Payer Legal Fights28:00 - Worker did not plausibly argue obesity was a disability, 1st Circuit finds Healthcare Dive30:44 - New York secures more than $2.5 million from EmblemHealth over ghost networks Healthcare FinanceStory #6 Novo Turn aournd or not?31:29 - Novo Nordisk Shares Plunge After Obesity Drug Fails to Beat Zepbound WSJ32:32 - Eli Lilly’s Zepbound Gets FDA OK for Multi-Dose Pen WSJStory #7  Web3 Wakes up33:51 -   Circle Internet’s Quarterly Profit Surges on Stablecoin Demand WSJ36:50 -   Coinbase Pursues ‘Everything Exchange’ Concept With US Stock Trading Debut PYMNTSStory #8  Health AI expansions40:20 - OpenEvidence releases AI-integrated dialer feature to expand its reach with clinicians, Fierce Healthcare41:21 - Labcorp expands PathAI pact to roll out digital pathology platform in US Healthcare DiveStory #9  Anthroopic42:20 - Hegseth gives Anthropic until Friday to back down on AI safeguards, Axios44:19 - Statement from Dario Amodei on our discussions with the Department of War Website
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Feb 21, 2026 • 43min

178 - No Humans Required | The Race Toward Fully Autonomous Clinical AI

In this episode of Health Further, hosts Vic and Marcus discuss the latest healthcare VC activity including Daffodil Health’s $16.3M raise for AI claims automation and Anterior’s $40M round accelerating AI adoption in health plans, followed by a deep dive into leadership shakeups at HHS, the resignation of a top FDA scientist amid concerns about political influence, and RFK Jr.’s continued restructuring at the CDC. They examine the rollout of the CMMI Access Model and what it signals about AI-first and tech-enabled care in rural America, review financial turnarounds at Community Health Systems, CommonSpirit, and Ascension, unpack conflicting diagnostic standards in Alzheimer’s disease and emerging drug repurposing research, and close with a discussion on NYU Langone’s prediction of fully autonomous clinical AI within five years and OpenAI’s acquisition of OpenClaw, exploring both the productivity upside and significant security risks of autonomous AI agents. Story #1   2 AI for Payors VC Deals1:25 - Daffodil Health raises $16.3M for AI claims automation  MobiHealth2:18 - Anterior Closes $40 Million to Accelerate Health Plan AI Adoption, Bringing Total Funding to $64 Million Healthcare ITStory #2   HHS Leadership Changes4:12 -   Top FDA Scientist Explains Why He Quit After Getting a Promotion From RFK Jr. WSJ9:33 - RFK Jr. Continues Leadership Shake-Up, Placing Top Lieutenant in Charge of CDC WSJStory #3   ACCESS gains Payor Commits13:25 - Payers sign pledge to join CMMI ACCESS Model Fierce HealthcareStory #4   Health System Results17:17 - Community Health Systems wraps 2025 with narrow gains, flagging same-store volumes Fierce Healthcare19:46 - CommonSpirit's volume gains, efficiency initiatives fuel 'noticeable' quarterly performance  bump Fierce Healthcare21:02 - Ascension posts net profit as it looks to outpatient growth Healthcare DiveStory #5   Alzheimer’s22:15 - Why Doctors Can’t Agree on How to Diagnose Alzheimer’s WSJ26:02 - Viagra and shingles vaccine show surprising promise against Alzheimer’s  Science DailyStory #6   No HITL?28:03 - NYU Langone Health: We’re Close to Clinical AI with No Human in the Loop MedCityStory #7   OpenClaw Acquhire31:32 - This Viral AI Project Went From Side Hustle to Coveted Prize in Three Months WSJ
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Feb 14, 2026 • 56min

177 - When AI Fights Back: Anthropic, Alignment, and the Future of Human Control

Vic and Marcus break down January’s unexpected jobs uptick and why healthcare continues to dominate employment growth while capital outpaces labor across the broader economy. They analyze record market caps for major tech companies, the widening gap between corporate earnings and wages, and what that means for the future workforce. The episode explores two unicorn care navigation startups taking opposite approaches, new ACA policy shifts expanding non-standard plan options, and accelerating interoperability through TEFCA. They unpack the 340B rebate battle, mounting rural hospital closures, robotics in maternity care, Humana’s aggressive Medicare Advantage growth strategy, payer layoffs and restructuring, Novo Nordisk’s escalating fight with Hims & Hers, and a major Anthropic funding surge alongside revelations that its AI model exhibited blackmail behavior during testing—leading to a broader discussion about alignment, control, and whether AI is still just a tool. LinksStory #1 Jobs, Hiring and share of Profits1:10 - U.S. Hiring Starts the Year at a Strong Pace NYT3:44 - The Big Money in Today’s Economy Is Going to Capital, Not Labor WSJStory #2 Two Approaches to Care Navigation 7:57 - Solace Health Reaches Unicorn Status by Taking the ‘Homework’ Out of Care Navigation MedCity9:27 - Care navigation startup Garner Health scores $118M series D at $1.35B valuation Fierce HealthcareStory #3 Policy Continues to Move Fast11:32 - CMS plans to roll back limits on nonstandard ACA plan options Fierce Healthcare15:20 - 500M records exchanged through TEFCA, federal health IT office boasts Fierce Healthcare17:59 - HHS drops controversial 340B rebate pilot Healthcare Finance19:49 - Senate Questions Health Care Firm for Profiting Off Program Meant for Poor NYTStory #4 Humana22:16 - Humana Reports Wider Quarterly Loss, Expects 2026 Earnings Decline WSJ24:07 - Humana CEO hints at upcoming primary care deal Beckers25:47 - Humana could end 2026 as the largest Medicare Advantage insurer Healthcare DiveStory #5 Signs of Recovery in Payors26:45 - CVS Profit, Revenue Climb as Turmoil Continues in Health-Insurance Sector WSJ27:32 - Oscar posts $443M loss in 2025, but CEO says company is poised for 2026 profitability Fierce Healthcare28:41 - Cigna to lay off 2,000 workers worldwide Healthcare Dive Story #6 Rural Healthcare30:17 - 2026 rural health state of the state Chartis33:24 - Alabama’s ‘Pretty Cool’ Plan for Robots in Maternity Care Sparks Debate KFFStory #7 IP Wars Escalating38:22 - Novo Nordisk Escalates Fight Against Hims & Hers WSJ38:56 - Hims cancels plans to sell compounded GLP-1 pill after FDA backlash Helthcare DiveStory #8 Anthropic40:49 - Anthropic Superbowl Ad https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQRu7DdTTVA 41:36 - Anthropic Raises $30B At $380B Valuation In Second-Largest Venture Funding Deal Of All Time Crunchbase41:46 - Anthropic subscription surge cuts into OpenAI's lead Axios45:18 - Mrinank Sharma Resigns X46:30 - Daisy McGregor Safety Coments
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Feb 7, 2026 • 1h 4min

176 - How AI Is Quietly Rewriting the Healthcare Economy

In this episode, Vic and Marcus break down a sharp tech stock selloff driven by AI disruption, examine how AI is reshaping software, venture capital, and healthcare operations, and discuss major funding rounds in cardiology and women’s health. They analyze sweeping healthcare policy moves from the Trump administration, including drug pricing, PBM reform, telehealth expansion, and changes to addiction recovery funding. The conversation also covers payer performance with a focus on Cigna, winners and losers in pharma earnings, ongoing nursing workforce strain, Epic and Optum’s expanding AI tools, and the risks and realities of autonomous AI agents as new platforms rapidly emerge. Links3:42 - Intensifying Tech Slide Sends Nasdaq to Worst Two-Day Drop Since April WSJ5:38 - AI Won’t Kill the Software Business, Just Its Growth Story WSJ11:44 - Chamber gets a $60M jolt to power value-based care for cardiology practices Firece Healthcare13:46 - Women's health clinic Midi Health closes $100M series D as it aims to scale a national healthcare company Firece Healthcare 16:29 - TrumpRx Is Set to Go Live on Thursday NYT17:06 - Trump signs $1.2T spending package that funds HHS, enacts PBM reforms, telehealth and hospital-at-home measures Firece Healthcare18:01 - One-quarter of Medicaid doctors don’t actually treat Medicaid patients Healthcare Dive18:22 - HHS plans to invest $100M to support addiction recovery and address homelessness Firece Healthcare25:32 -  Cigna reports better-than-expected Q4 financial results Healthcare Finance27:25 - FTC reaches 'landmark settlement' with Cigna's Express Scripts Healthcare Finance28:31 - Eli Lilly Profit Rises as Weight-Loss Drug Demand Surges WSJ28:39 - AbbVie Revenue Rises on Immunology Growth WSJ28:53 - GSK’s Specialty Medicines Drive Solid Results WSJ29:43 - Wegovy Maker Novo Nordisk Forecasts Steep Sales Drop in 2026 WSJ30:22 - Merck Expects Slower Earnings Growth As It Spends on Acquisitions WSJ30:53 - Pfizer Sales Fall on Continued Lower Covid-19 Drug Demand WSJ34:05 - Nurses Get Bitten, Spat on, Thrown. That’s Why We’re on Strike. NYT-op35:18 - Tethered to Tech, Nurses Suffer Digital Compassion Fatigue Medscape36:05 - The evidence based ROI of wellness starts with building a culture that heals the healers Wolters Kluwer website41:25 - Epic rolls out AI charting tool as scribe market heats up Healthcare Dive43:52 - Optum unveils 2 new AI-powered tools for digital prior authorization Firece Healthcare45:38 - Moltbook: Maybe this isn't a good idea YouTube53:44 - The Moltbook Experiment Failed YouTube
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Jan 31, 2026 • 1h 1min

175 - Why Health Insurance Is Becoming Unaffordable for the Middle Class

Vic and Marcus break down the ripple effects of a major winter storm in Nashville before covering a wide range of healthcare and tech developments, including rising ACA premiums as subsidies expire, corporate layoffs and their impact on insurance markets, venture funding for virtual autism therapy, Medicare Advantage rate pressure, insurer earnings declines, strong performance from major health systems, the growth of direct-to-consumer healthcare brands, Amazon and One Medical’s expansion into at-home diagnostics, consolidation in employer-sponsored primary care, the long-term realities of GLP-1 weight loss drugs, new FDA-approved treatments for presbyopia, Tether’s aggressive gold accumulation strategy, rapid advances in AI agents, open-source frontier models, and the economic and societal implications of accelerating artificial intelligence.Links00:00 - Intro4:23 - Health Insurance Is Now More Expensive Than the Mortgage for These Americans WSJ9:09 - Amazon to Lay Off Around 16,000 Corporate Employees WSJ10:50 - AnswersNow Raises $40M to Expand Access to Autism Therapy MedCity16:50 - Trump Administration Proposes Keeping Steady the Rates Medicare Pays Insurers WSJ18:02 - Investors Assumed Medicare Advantage Was Safe Under the GOP. They Were Wrong. WSJ22:39 - UnitedHealth revenue climbs in 2025, though profit continues to fall Healthcare Dive23:33 - Elevance Health sets 'prudent' 2026 guidance as it navigates ongoing cost, utilization pressures Fierce Healthcare25:06 - HCA Healthcare unveils bullish 2026 guidance despite $600M-$900M ACA exchanges hit Fierce Healthcare26:16 - Cleveland Clinic CEO: Budget overperformance in 2025 paves way for growth Fierce Healthcare28:02 - Hims & Hers uses another Super Bowl ad to tackle healthcare affordability Fierce Healthcare33:13 -At-home testing company Reperio teams up with Amazon One Medical on preventive care Fierce Healthcare34:34 - Employer-focused primary care companies Premise Health, Crossover Health announce merger plans Fierce Healthcare37:10 - Here’s What Happens when you stop taking Ozempic and Wegovy (Wall Street)39:28 - Presbyopia Eye Drop From Startup Tenpoint Gets FDA Approval (Medcity News)41:29 - Tether is buying up to $1 billion of gold per month and storing it in a 'James Bond' bunker CoinDesk45:26 - The Adolescence of Technology Dario Amodei 51:51 - Clawdbot sheds skin to become Moltbot, can't slough off security issues Register56:00 - Moonshot AI releases open-source Kimi K2.5 model with 1T parameters Silicon Angle

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