Health:Further

Vic hosts solo as Marcus steps away after losing a pet, then runs a tight roundup: stronger corporate earnings and Fed minutes ahead of Jackson Hole; likely September rate‑cut odds; venture moves including Molecular You’s $5M biomarkers raise, Eight Sleep’s $100M and retail push plus FDA plans; AI in revenue cycle with Develop Health’s $14.3M; Chamath’s new SPAC with tougher sponsor terms; AAP guidance diverging from CDC on pediatric COVID shots; Medicare Advantage star‑ratings loss for a plan and a $289M whistleblower hit for CVS; UnitedHealth’s new governance committee; Emory layoffs and WARN‑act suit, Mass General Brigham’s layoff costs; FDA expanding Wegovy to liver disease; rising survival and uncertainty with metastatic cancers; Circle insider selling after its IPO; Texas AG probing Meta and Character.AI mental‑health claims; EHR AI escalation from Epic (160 projects) and Athenahealth, plus Google’s on‑device Magic Queue and Fitbit coaching; deepfake risks from politics to CEO scams, with a NYT quiz that fools viewers; and a Loom “lamp” robot that folds laundry.Links0:48 Strong Crop of Earnings Eases Investors’ Economic Concerns WSJ1:38 Fed Minutes Reveal Broad Support for Holding Rates Steady Last Month WSJ2:34 Behind Powell’s Big Gamble in Final Jackson Hole Speech NYT3:40 B.C. healthy longevity company Molecular You raises $5M to expand biomarker testing Geek Wire4:05 Eight Sleep raises $100 million, preps retail stores Axios=5:18 Develop Health garners $14.3M for AI prior authorization platform Mobi Health5:59 ‘Spac King’ Chamath Palihapitiya returns with a new blank-cheque vehicle https://www.axios.com/2025/08/20/chamath-palihapitiya-spac7:58 Leading Pediatrics Group Recommends Covid-19 Shots for Young Children, Differing From CDC WSJ9:01 Elevance Health loses Medicare Advantage star ratings suit to CMS Fierce Healhcare10:00 Pennsylvania judge hits CVS with $289M fine in whistleblower suit Fierce Healthcare10:34 UnitedHealth forms board committee focused on enhanced governance Fierce Healthcare11:07 Former Emory Healthcare employee files class action lawsuit after wave of layoffs  Atlanta News First12:28  Despite stronger Q3, Mass General Brigham's operations down $44M across 9 months due to layoff expenses Fierce Healthcare12:54 FDA Approves Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy for Liver Disease WSJ13:26 A New Reality for Terminal Cancer: Longer Lives, With Chronic Uncertainty WSJ15:33 CEO Jeremy Allaire Is Selling Circle Stock Yahoo16:59 Texas attorney general accuses Meta, Character.AI of misleading kids with mental health claims TechCrunch18:11 How athenahealth is approaching AI for physician practices as tech innovation accelerates Fierce Healthcare18:45HF SiteYOUTUBEINSTAGRAMTWITTERFACEBOOKLINKEDINTIKTOK

Vic and Marcus talk with Carlos A. Rodriguez, MBA, CEO and Co-Founder of Humanate Inc., about his career from Bain and health system leadership to building a $40M SaaS startup and now launching Humanate, a company focused on agentic AI for healthcare. The discussion covers the origin of “Cassie,” a multilingual AI clinical concierge with ASL support, how staffing shortages and labor inflation shaped the product, case studies reducing record turnaround from 15 days to 48 hours and redeploying staff, a pricing model at half the cost of a human role with higher productivity, capturing patient-experience data at checkout, strict data privacy practices with no data storage and EMR-only transfer, NVIDIA’s partnership and vision for AI agents replacing apps, and the 60-day trial approach accelerating adoption across clinics and health systems. LinkedIn LinkHF SiteYOUTUBEINSTAGRAMTWITTERFACEBOOKLINKEDINTIKTOK

Vic and Marcus recap Marcus’s keynote covering two years of show themes, then dig into Trump’s pace of change, Newsom’s X strategy, July inflation and market reactions, major healthcare deals, Nvidia’s China workaround, U.S. R&D tax incentives, FDA moves, antitrust pushback, and payvider results. They also hit Omada’s growth, Lilly’s weight-loss pill troubles, crypto’s surge, Oracle Health’s EHR push, state AI rules, OpenAI’s rocky rollout, and close with caregiving, healthspan, and their new studio.Links8:30 Inflation Held Steady at 2.7% in July WSJ9:33 U.S. Stocks Amble to Fresh Records on Optimism for a September Rate Cut WSJ10:26 Isaac Health secures $10.5M to advance technology for brain health and dementia care Fierce Healthcare11:07Citizen Health Inks $30m Sereis A VC Journal14:53 Reprieve Cardiovascular raises $61M for heart failure treatment system Mass Device15:26 Conformal Medical nets $32M to complete trial of foam-based heart occluder Fierce Healthcare15:57  Tony Robbins and Peter Diamandis’ longevity company Fountain Life raises $18M TechCrunch16:56 Gameto Secures $44M to Advance Stem Cell Therapy for Infertility and Menopause HIT  Consultant17:41 Arintra Raises $21M to Help Providers Win the Reimbursement Fight MedCity18:03 SetPoint Medical nabs $140M to commercialize neuromod device Modern Healthcare18:36 With Billions at Risk, Nvidia CEO Buys His Way Out of the Trade Battle WSJ23:14 No More Offshore. Startups Look to Spend and Hire in U.S. Due to Trump Tax Change. WSJ25:03 Vinay Prasad, in surprise reversal, to rejoin FDA after abrupt departure Biopharma Dive28:10 Nearly 6,500 providers reject Blue Cross antitrust deal Modern Healthcare29:04 Cardinal Health Posts Mixed Results, Strikes $1.9 Billion Solaris Health Deal WSJ30:14 Providence narrows operating losses in Q2 on volume, commercial rate gains Fierce Healthcare30:36 Kaiser Permanente ahead of last year on revenue and profit Healthcare Finance36:47 Omada grows revenue, membership in public earnings debut Healthcare Dive37:59 Eli Lilly Shares Slide as Weight-Loss Pill Results Dent Enthusiasm WSJ40:20 Bayer, Kumquat Biosciences Team Up on New Potential Cancer Drug WSJ40:57 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pi3A4443HDo41:52 Crypto Firm Circle Posts Loss in First Earnings Report After IPO WSJ47:22 Bullish’s Stock Soars in Latest Test for IPO Market WSJ48:56 Coinbase App X50:56 Oracle Health debuts HF SiteYOUTUBEINSTAGRAMTWITTERFACEBOOKLINKEDINTIKTOK

In this episode of Health Further, Vic is joined by guest host Emily Evans to cover the rise in long-term unemployment, Trump’s criticism of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the struggles of working-class Americans in a K-shaped economy. They discuss potential Fed leadership changes, a housing supply push in New York, Apple’s $100 billion U.S. investment, and tax law changes spurring corporate spending. The conversation covers venture funding in autism care, cardiac imaging AI, IPO news, and AI-driven drug discovery, along with cuts to mRNA COVID-19 vaccine funding, legal challenges to Trump’s tariff powers, and opening 401(k)s to private assets. Payer updates include Blue Shield’s price tool, Oscar Health’s losses, Hy-Vee’s ICHRA plan, and UnitedHealth’s acquisition of Amedisys. They also explore Hinge Health’s earnings, Hims & Hers’ expansion, major pharma moves, fall prevention, AI in heart failure care, consulting disruption, OpenAI announcements, AI market manipulation, and the threat of AI-driven propaganda.Links0:57 Unemployed Americans Endure Longer Job Searches in a Cooling Market WSJ6:43 Trump Seeks Bigger Overhaul at Labor Statistics Bureau, Adviser Says WSJ7:48 Why the B.L.S. Regularly Revises Jobs Data NYT12:35 Earning More but in Worse Shape: Hardship Overwhelms Many American Families WSJ17:41 Trump Just Got a Fresh Shot at Bending the Fed to His Will WSJ21:35 How an NYC Suburb Is Actually Managing to Bring Rents Down WSJ25:10 Trump Announces Additional $100 Billion Apple Investment in U.S. NYT27:53 Cash Windfall From Trump’s Tax Law Is Starting to Show Up at Big Companies WSJ31:15 Positive Development Rakes In $51.5M To Grow Developmental Therapy Model for Autism MedCity News32:50 Ultromics nets $55M to boost its AI ultrasound software for detecting hidden heart failure Fierce Healthcare35:28 Heartflow pumps up IPO plans to $300M Fierce Healthcare36:08 OpenAI-backed Chai raises $70mn for AI-driven drug discovery FT38:22 Kennedy Cancels Nearly $500 Million in mRNA Vaccine Contracts NYT42:57 Trump’s Tariffs Questioned by Appeals Court WSJ48:06 Trump to Sign Order Easing Path for Private Assets in 401(k)s Bloomberg51:19 Blue Shield of California launches new prescription price transparency tool for members Fierce Healthcare52:27 Oscar Health misses estimates in Q2, plans layoffs and inks Hy-Vee-branded ICHRA plan Fierce Healthcare56:15 UnitedHealth, Amedisys to sell off facilities in settlement with DOJ Fierce Healthcare58:46 Hinge Health beats Wall Street expectations on revenue in first public earnings Healthcare Dive59:06 Hims & Hers stock falls 12% on revenue miss as company plots expansion into lab testing, longevity Fierce HHF SiteYOUTUBEINSTAGRAMTWITTERFACEBOOKLINKEDINTIKTOK

Vic and Marcus are joined by Dr. Eric Stecker, cardiologist, professor of medicine at Oregon Health and Science University, and co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of Insight Health. They explore the origin story of Insight Health, how generative AI inspired its creation, and what sets their AI apart from typical ambient note-taking tools. The episode covers AI-driven patient intake, EHR integration, improving efficiency in clinical care, reducing physician burnout, and how AI assistants can gather nuanced medical histories and support post-visit follow-ups. Dr. Stecker explains how the platform is being used in real-world clinics, its quality assurance safeguards, and what’s next as AI expands into pediatric care and diagnostic support. They also discuss Insight’s business model, physician satisfaction metrics, and the broader vision of transforming population health through scalable clinical automation.LinkedIn - http://bit.ly/3Hdbq1XHF SiteYOUTUBEINSTAGRAMTWITTERFACEBOOKLINKEDINTIKTOK

In this episode, Vic and Marcus unpack a week of major policy and economic shifts, focusing on Trump’s healthcare tech and crypto rollouts. They discuss his revamped cabinet strategy, GDP swings, tariff deals with the EU and Japan, and dissent at the Fed over rate cuts. Topics include nearly $1B in AI scribe funding, a new federal health tech initiative, and a value-based care infrastructure platform. They cover Trump’s pressure on drug pricing, the compounding threat to pharma, and several AI/VC trends. Other topics include organ donation ethics, FDA leadership changes, corporate earnings, humanoid robots, and SEC crypto policy reversals.Links 4:24 U.S. Economy Rebounds in Second Quarter WSJ7:32 Trump and EU Reach Tariff Deal, Avoiding Trade War WSJ8:04 - Fed Holds Rates Steady, but Two Officials Back a Cut WSJ11:02 With Ambience’s new mega-round, AI scribes have announced nearly $1 billion in funding this year Stat16:56 Arbital Health lands $31M to build out infrastructure layer for value-based risk contracting Fierce Healthcare17:49 Charta Health picks up $22M to revamp manual chart review with AI Fierce Healthcare18:29 White House and CMS to launch Health Tech Ecosystem Initiative to expand use of digital health with a focus on consumers Fierce Healthcare25:32 Trump Administration Weighs Patent System Overhaul to Raise Revenue WSJ31:50 Medicare Part D Drug Plan Premiums Set to Rise WSJ35:25 White House Letter to Pfizer X38:42 Vinay Prasad departs FDA amid conservative criticism, controversy over Sarepta gene therapy Fierce Healthcare40:40 The Rural Health Transformation Fund: What States and Providers Need to Know (and Do) Now. 80 Million-Substack43:12 On Eve of Tariff Deadline, Trump’s Trade War Faces Key Court Test NYT45:45 Humana Raises 2025 Outlook as Revenue Tops Estimates WSJ46:42 UnitedHealth Continues to Struggle as Rising Medical Costs, Shortfalls Affect Business WSJ48:59 CVS Health hikes 2025 profit outlook as Aetna insurance business improves Fierce Healthcare49:35 Cigna affirms outlooks as Evernorth Health Services drives growth Modern Healthcare50:22 Federal judge blocks Arkansas law barring pharmacy benefit managers from owning pharmacies in state AP52:09 HCA raises 2025 guidance despite softening volumes Healthcare Dive52:28 UHS posts softer-than-expected volumes for second consecutive quarter Healthcare Dive52:52 Teladoc Health Q2 revenue declines 2%, slightly beating Wall Street estimates Fierce Healthcare53:35 U.S. Opens Antitrust Investigation Into NewYork-Presbyterian NYT55:06 Novo Nordisk SharesHF SiteYOUTUBEINSTAGRAMTWITTERFACEBOOKLINKEDINTIKTOK

Vic and Marcus open with updates on their personal healthcare experiences and transition into breaking news on Trump’s 15% tariff deals with Japan and likely Europe. They analyze economic indicators suggesting a possible recession and unpack the national security fallout from a zero-day SharePoint cyberattack linked to Chinese actors. The hosts cover major AI investments in healthcare, including Aidoc’s $150M raise and AbsoluteCare’s $135M value-based care expansion. They discuss policy shifts, including Trump’s AI action plan, a bipartisan push to equalize Medicare reimbursement, and proposed legislation requiring hospitals to disclose NICU capabilities. Earnings hits from Molina, Oscar, and UnitedHealth are examined, alongside leadership changes at CHS amid Medicaid reimbursement cuts. They explore growing investments in Ethereum, Trump’s $2B Bitcoin buy-in, and the crypto-ification of corporate treasuries. AI safety risks are highlighted with OpenAI's role in a user's delusions, while Google’s Gemini AI integrates with G Suite. The episode wraps with a powerful essay from primary care doctors urging inclusion in Maha healthcare reform and Amazon’s controversial acquisition of a wearable that listens to your entire day.Links2:34 Trump’s New Trade Standard Takes Shape With 15% Tariff Deal WSJ3:54 Japan Trade Deal and European Talks Send U.S. Stocks Higher WSJ4:43 U.S. Leading Indicators Show Economic Clouds Gathering WSJ6:11 Microsoft Alerts Firms to Server-Software Attack WSJ8:29 Microsoft links Sharepoint ToolShell attacks to Chinese hackers Bleeping Computer9:49 Clinical AI company Aidoc lands $150M backed by General Catalyst, Nvidia's venture arm Fierce Healthcare10:42 Robotics Startup Dash Bio Sprints to New Financing WSJ11:47 Value-Based Provider AbsoluteCare Raises $135M for Market Expansion BH Business14:11 AI Talent Frenzy Is a Mixed Bag for VCs WSJ16:32 White House releases AI Action Plan, looks to speed adoption in healthcare Fierce Healthcare23:55 Bill Would Force Hospitals to Warn If They Aren’t Equipped to Save Premature Babies WSJ26:43 Bipartisan bill aims to ensure parity between reimbursement in MA, traditional Medicare Fierce Healthcare35:00 MAHA group makes hefty pitch backing Trump and RFK Jr.’s health agenda The Hill37:12 Cost pressures limit Molina Healthcare during Q2 earnings, stock dips 4% Fierce Healthcare37:32 Oscar Health cuts full-year guidance, estimates 2025 loss as ACA marketplace stumbles Fierce Healthcare39:22 UnitedHealth confirms it’s under investigation by DOJ Healthcare Dive42:43 Community Health Systems beats Q2 revenue, earnings estimates; CEO to retire Fierce Healthcare47:52 Tenet raises 2025 expectations, but dodges questions about policy impacts Healthcare Dive49:15HF SiteYOUTUBEINSTAGRAMTWITTERFACEBOOKLINKEDINTIKTOK

In this episode, Vic and Marcus cover a wide range of developments shaping the healthcare, economic, and tech landscapes. They begin with inflation concerns, interest rate policies, and Powell’s positioning, then dive into Starbucks' return-to-office mandate as a signal for white-collar layoffs and broader workforce trends. The conversation shifts to AI’s impact on productivity, rare earth material independence in the U.S., and startup funding in nurse scheduling and medical AI tools. They dissect the CMS’s proposed rule eliminating the inpatient-only list and its ripple effects across SaaS reimbursement, telehealth, and digital therapeutics. The pair also examine policy shifts affecting Medicare, Medicaid, and cell and gene therapy pilots. Payer market turmoil, hospital M&A dynamics, and pharma’s contrasting success round out the business update. They close with reflections on U.S.-China AI competition, regulatory loopholes in talent acquisitions, and how stablecoin and voice AI advances could transform healthcare.Links:3:57 - Inflation Picks Up to 2.7% as Tariffs Start to Seep Into Prices WSJ5:15 - Starbucks Tells White-Collar Workers to Come to the Office More—Or Take a Buyout WSJ15:36 - America’s Biggest Rare-Earth Producer Makes a Play to End China’s Dominance WSJ18:15 - M7 Health nabs $10M to modernize nurse staffing and scheduling Fierce Healthcare20:17 - OpenEvidence raises $210M, unveils AI agents built for advanced medical research Fierce Healthcare23:33 - Fellow Health: $24 Million Series B Raised For Expanding Male Reproductive Test Offerings Pulse 2.024:32 - CMS Eliminating the Inpatient Only (IPO) List CMS website29:04 - Trump 2.0 backs digital health in proposed CY2026 physician fee schedule rule Fierce Healthcare34:11 - CMS officially names participants in Cell and Gene Therapy Access Model Fierce Healthcare36:18 - F.D.A. Panel to Reassess Hormone Therapy Warnings NYT40:08 - Elevance Health lowers 2025 guidance amid cost pressures in ACA, Medicaid markets Fierce Healthcare41:17 - Centene, Elevance, Molina squeezed as exchanges deteriorate Modern Healthcare43:57 - Geisinger layoffs hit insurance division Modern Healthcare44:43 - Nonprofits ChristianaCare, Virtua Health explore merger Health Care Dive46:00 - M&A Quarterly Activity Report: Q2 2025 KaufmanHall47:46 - Private-Equity Firms Bain and Kohlberg Make Another Big Bet on Biopharma Industry WSJ48:35 - Trump Says 200% Pharma Tariffs Are Coming. Wall Street Shrugs. WSJ50:03 - J&J Raises Full-Year Outlook After Beating Profit Expectations WSJ53:17 - Upended by Meth, Some Communities Are Paying Users to Quit NYT57:32 - Crypto rises on renewed optimism House will pass key stablecoin leHF SiteYOUTUBEINSTAGRAMTWITTERFACEBOOKLINKEDINTIKTOK

Vic and Marcus return to break down the implications of the massive bill just passed by the Trump administration. They examine its sweeping impact on Medicaid, hospitals, and insurers, discuss how the new QSBS 2.0 changes benefit VCs, and question the future of nonprofit healthcare. The episode also covers market trends including meme stock speculation, private equity distributions, a surprising acquisition by Samsung, and Robinhood’s push to tokenize private equity. Finally, they warn about the growing financial risks in senior care communities.Links5:00 - Stock Funds Rose 10.1% in Second Quarter WSJ6:17 - 8:17Meme Stocks and YOLO Bets Are Back and Fueling the Market’s Rally WSJ8:17 - 8:57Steady Hiring Added 147,000 Jobs to U.S. Economy in June WSJ8:59 - Trump Delayed Reciprocal Tariffs After Bessent Wanted More Time on Deals WSJ10:51 VC Fund Performance Q1 2025 Carta14:43 H1 2025 market overview: Proof in the pudding Rock Health15:47 QSBS 2.0 is Here LinkedIn22:11 - How the reconciliation bill will shake out for hospitals and the healthcare industry HFMA32:54 - New taxes to hit hospitals as a result of the budget reconciliation bill HFMA39:56  - We’re Leaving Delaware, And We Think You Should Consider Leaving Too A16Z website43:43 - More Pressure Mounts on Health Insurers as Costs Continue to Rise WSJ44:30 - HCSC launches rebrand for its Medicare unit as 'HealthSpring' Fierce Healthcare45:31 - CVS Omnicare ordered to pay $949 million in government fraud case Healthcare Dive47:36 - Samsung to acquire digital health firm Xealth Healthcare Dive49:40 - Symplr acquires AMN Healthcare's staff scheduling software for $75M Fierce Healthcare50:38 - Merck to Buy Verona Pharma in $10 Billion Deal WSJ51:20 - She Paid $1 Million to Join a Senior Facility. Its Bankruptcy Wiped Her Out. WSJ57:18 - Robinhood Wants to Redo Wall Street on the Blockchain Gizmodo1:02:03 - SEC Chairman Paul Atkins on public vs. private markets CNBC1:03:36 - Making America the Crypto Capital of the World  X1:06:01 -  As an M.D, here's my 100% honest opinion and observations/advices about using ChatGPT Reddit1:09:01 - Elon Musk’s xAI launches Grok 4 alongside a $300 monthly subscription TechCrunch1:14:28 - Microsoft Touts $500 Million AI Savings While Slashing Jobs Bloomberg1:15:32- Meta Hires Top Apple AI Expert, Continuing Zuckerberg’s Recruitment Push WSJ1:17:23 - Zuck's Eleven Spyglass1:18:03 - How Nvidia Became the World’sHF SiteYOUTUBEINSTAGRAMTWITTERFACEBOOKLINKEDINTIKTOK

In this episode, Vic and Marcus cover a packed week of developments across AI, healthcare, finance, and policy. They break down Eric Cass’s keynote at HFMA on AI risks and optimism, discuss GenAI’s real-world implications on labor and politics, and explore the financial market's response to Middle East ceasefires and Federal Reserve positioning. They examine major investments like Abridge’s $300M raise and new startups automating clinical and insurance workflows, while unpacking RFK Jr.’s wearable health proposal and CMS’s drug pricing transparency push. They also introduce a new Web3 segment, highlighting stablecoin regulation, Fiserv’s partnership with Circle, and tokenized SpaceX shares through Republic. Finally, they review healthcare job cuts, upcoming legislation turmoil, and Walgreens’ operational shifts.Links8:50 - Stocks Hover Near Records, Oil Prices Recover Some Ground WSJ10:09 - Powell Reaffirms Wait-and-See Posture on Rate Cuts WSJ12:57 - U.S. Regulators Move to Ease Financial Crisis-Era Bank Capital Rules WSJ13:45 - Abridge, Whose AI App Takes Notes for Doctors, Valued at $5.3 Billion at Funding WSJ15:06 - Voice AI company SuperDial picks up $15M series A to automate insurance calls  Fierce Healthcare15:58 - Introducing Mandolin: AI Teammates for Healthcare Greylock website16:49 - Juniper Genomics Raises $4.6M for Whole-Genome Embryo Screening Platform Fem Tech17:42 - ForSight Robotics raises $125M to trial cataract eye surgery platform Fierce Healthcare18:27 - Precision Medicine Firm Caris Breaks Bio IPO Drought, Raising $494M for Cancer Analysis Tools MedCity News19:24 - Medicaid changes don't meet Senate rules in 'big, beautiful bill' says parliamentarian NPR22:42 - HHS Secretary Kennedy, CMS Administrator Oz Secure Industry Pledge to Fix Broken Prior Authorization System HHS website25:40 - RFK Jr.'s Public Health Plan? Get Every American to Buy a Wearable Device PC Mag30:21 -33:28 Oz hints at impending CMS rule to force drug price transparency Healthcare Dive33:28 - Executive insight from Aetna, Anterior, Ascendium and more37:16 - HFMA’s Ann Jordan announces new tools to quantify the performance of healthcare 41:55 - Vanderbilt University Medical Center announces up to 650 layoffs Axios42:37 - American Hospital Association launches 'seven-figure' ad campaign against Medicaid cuts Fierce Healthcare45:23 - Walgreens Sales Rise on Healthcare and Costs Cuts Ahead of Going Private WSJ HFMA Annual Recap: HFMA46:13b - New Data Shows Just How Powerful the Next Weight-Loss Drugs May Be NYT47:09 - Hims & Hers Stock Drops More Than 30% After Novo Nordisk Breakup WSJ48:08 - Novo Nordisk inks partnership with WeightWatchers to broaden WeHF SiteYOUTUBEINSTAGRAMTWITTERFACEBOOKLINKEDINTIKTOK