Inside Healthcare from Fulcrum Strategies

Last week, the US hit the debt ceiling and now Democrats and Republicans are pointing fingers and arguing about what might happen next. The debt ceiling affects the US government’s ability to pay its bills; one of those big bills is Medicare. So, what happens next? Should providers expect to get paid for Medicare services? What about Medicare Advantage reimbursement? Matthew and Ron break it down...

Have these podcasts delivered to your email inbox each week by subscribing. This week on the FLATLINING Podcast, Ron and Matthew discuss the 2023 Medicare fee schedule. Congress, in the omnibus spending bill last year, averted a 4.5% cut by giving providers a 2.4% increase thus bringing the total cut to 2.1%. (-4.5+2.4=2.1). Ron explains how the math is done and what Medicare looks like for 2024....

This week on the FLATLINING Podcast, Ron and Matthew spend the whole show breaking down the saga of Dale Folwell and the North Carolina State Health Plan. Since 2019, State Treasurer Folwell has sought to see and set the provider reimbursement rates for the self-funded health plan for state employees. The plan uses the BlueCross and BlueShield of North Carolina network. Last week, Treasurer Folwel...

This week on the FLATLINING Podcast, Matthew and Ron take on the money-related topics of medical debt and orphan drugs. Who does medical debt hurt more: patients or providers? Is Medicare for All or single payor healthcare the solution to medical debt? Drug companies make billions on orphan drugs, meant for a small number of people with very serious illnesses. Is this ethical? What was the purpose...

As we wrap up our best of 2022 programs, we want to thank you again for listening to the FLATLINING Podcast this year. Please remember to like and share it so that more people can find it and we can grow this podcast into something spectacular! If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts, be sure to give us five stars! Our second most listened to segment of 2022 was our first episode where Ron and I dis...

This week on the FLATLINING Podcast, we begin our retrospective on the most listened-to segments from the year. This episode features our bonus episode on Dr. Joseph Mercola and our discussion on healthcare being a “fact-free zone.” Thank you for your listenership throughout this first year of the FLATLINING Podcast. We are very excited for what Year Two will bring and we’ll have more details afte...

This week on the podcast, Ron and Matthew take an in-depth look at the proposed cuts to Medicare reimbursement in 2023. How will it affect physician practices? How will it affect patients? Can it be avoided? Is this the end of Medicare as we know it? All of that on this special episode of the FLATLINING Podcast. Let us know what you think in the comments below, email us at flatlining@substack.com...

On this edition of the FLATLINING Podcast, Matthew and Ron discuss three analysis pieces about the future of healthcare. They take a look at whether the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) needs to be reformed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, if America is on a slippery slope towards socialized medicine, and whether the direct primary care model works. Let us know what you think...

This week on the FLATLINING Podcast, Matthew and Ron discuss some healthcare money news. The State of New York now has a law that prohibits home liens and wage garnishing to recoup medical debt. What does that mean for providers and hospitals? And some conservatives are frustrated about $55 million being spent to reduce smoking. Ron thinks this is actually a good investment and will explain why. M...

Former Cigna ($CI ) executive Wendell Potter and Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL09) wrote in NEWSWEEK that Medicare Advantage plans scam seniors. Ron and Matthew discuss this and you may be surprised by the answer. Plus, what does a divided government mean for healthcare policy? Is there any bipartisan thing that can get done? Also, you won’t want to miss the discussion on the 340B program and how hospi...

In this bonus episode, Matthew and Ron discuss the internet-famous Dr. Joseph Mercola and a recent article of his in the Epoch Times. In this article, he claims the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration are covering up data about the COVID-19 vaccines. He’s cried wolf before about things as crazy as bed springs, so is there any veracity to his claims now?...

This week, Matthew and Ron talk share their analysis on the 2022 midterms and what it means for healthcare. Will Medicare reimbursement be cut in 2023? Then they discuss Amazon.com ’s ($AMZN ) new Amazon Clinic; it is their answer to telehealth. Plus, the Cleveland Clinic is going to start charging for MyChart messages. Let us know what you think in the comments below, email us at flatlining@subst...

This week’s episode focuses on cybersecurity, healthcare business headlines, and hot takes on daylight savings time. Are hospitals doing everything they can to protect our personal health information? Should HIPPA be reformed? What does Walgreens Boots Alliance’s purchase of VillageMD mean for quality, access, and affordability? And are there health effects from Christmas music and daylight saving...

This week on the FLATLINING Podcast, Matthew and Ron take a look at what open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act plans looks like for 2022. Should providers and patients be aware of any changes? Then, virtually all states saw their Medicaid enrollment numbers jump during the COVID-19 pandemic but also saw it drop in 2022. What does 2023 have in store for Medicaid? Plus, should we declare amnes...

This week on the FLATLINING Podcast, Matthew and Ron discuss why health insurance premiums are going up. One study from the Willis Towers Watson organization, which surveyed health insurers, claims that costs are going up because of patients’ bad habits and providers recommending too many services. Matthew and Ron break down that claim and discuss the true reason behind premium hikes. Plus, HHS is...

This week on the FLATLINING Podcast, Matthew and Ron discuss the recent news that Bright Health Group ( $BHG ) is pulling out of their exchange plans in most states, except for Florida and California. What does this mean for Bright Health patients? What about providers who are contracted with Bright Health or its products? Is this a referendum on private equity money in healthcare? Plus, over-the-...

This week on the FLATLINING Podcast, Ron and Matthew venture down the COVID-19 vaccine conspiracy theory rabbit hole. When Matthew reported about the Department of Health and Human Services’ purchase of an acute radiation sickness drug last week, some jumped to say that “really the Nplate drug is used to treat thrombotic thrombocytopenia syndrome caused by COVID-19 vaccines.” Ron and Matthew dive...

This week, Ron and Matthew discuss new results from the Kaiser Family Foundation’s COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor. This time, some people aren’t sure about booster shots. Then they discuss why the FDA is approving drugs like Aduhelm and Relyvrio. These new drugs are very expensive but not very effective. What is the point of approving drugs that don’t do much? * Where can I find more information on the...

Greetings to all of you who met us in Portland, Oregon at the ASCENT 2022 conference last week and welcome to the FLATLINING Podcast. This week Ron and Matthew discuss one of the foundational principles of American medicine: physician independence. Plus, they’ll look at why it is so difficult to do political polling in 2022 and big news about America’s neighbor to the north. They’ll take a look at...

This week on the FLATLINING Podcast, Matthew and Ron take a look at some new COVID-19 predictions from the Mayo Clinic and President Joe Biden’s 60 Minutes interview from Sunday night. Plus, they discuss why some doctors accused of over-prescribing opioids are relying on the Supreme Court. They’ll take a look at these questions: * Is the COVID-19 pandemic over? * What will happen with COVID-19 in...

This week on the FLATLINING Podcast, Ron and Matthew discuss long COVID and its potential effect on the US labor force and a new ruling on the Affordable Care Act. They answer these questions: * Will long COVID have an effect on the US workforce? * Should long COVID be classified as a disability? * Why is some preventative care free and who decides? * Can religious employers object to preventative...

As Paul Keckley, Ph. D. explains in his newsletter, healthcare is a “fact-free zone” politics. Listen on to learn more. This week on the FLATLINING Podcast, Matthew and Ron discuss a number of healthcare-related headlines, including: * The FTC probes Amazon.com ’s ($AMZN ) bid to buy One Medical ($ONEM ) * North Carolina debates Medicaid expansion * Where do Democrats and Republicans stand on heal...

This week on the FLATLINING Podcast, Matthew and Ron discuss and answer the following questions: * Should medical debt be forgiven instead of student debt? * Why can’t healthcare respond quickly to inflation and other rising costs? * How can hospitals prepare for economic downturns in the future? * What is the state of US healthcare in the current economy? Plus hear about robot delivery system in...

On this week’s FLATLINING Podcast Short, Ron explains why we shouldn’t demonize the insurance companies, despite the fact they make record profits. Right or wrong, this is the way our healthcare system is set up and the insurance companies are doing what is best for them. Though this is not an apology for insurance companies, Ron explains why we shouldn’t hate the player, but instead, hate the gam...

As most of the nation’s primary elections draw to a close, Ron and Matthew take a look at what issues are on voters’ minds as to they go to cast their ballot. It is no surprise that healthcare costs are near the top of that list. As the Democrats continue their marketing campaign based on the Inflation Reduction Act, Republicans seem to be scrambling to be unified. Unlike in 2010 when Republicans...