Podnosis

Artificial intelligence is here to stay, and physicians should be learning how to use it thoughtfully. That’s the argument Shawn Martin, CEO of the American Academy of Family Physicians, makes in a conversation with Senior Writer Anastassia Gliadkovskaya. Martin discusses the findings of a recent AAFP survey on clinician AI use, why primary care is especially ripe for tech disruption and wha...

A new value-based care program for chronic condition management begins July 5. The Advancing Chronic Care with Effective Scalable Solutions Model, or ACCESS, offers vendors outcome-aligned payments for managing qualifying chronic conditions. In total, 150 digital health companies are participating, including some in the behavioral health track. How does behavioral health fit into ACCESS, and what...

Cybersecurity has long been a priority for hospitals, but the risks are shifting as AI, biometrics and digital identity tools become more deeply embedded in care delivery. For health systems, the challenge is not just keeping hackers out. It is making sure clinicians can quickly access the tools they need while guarding against new threats, including AI agents that can move through systems at mach...

Life insurance may not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about healthcare. But some life insurers are increasingly interested in incentivizing healthy habits. John Hancock has invested in its health and wellness program for more than a decade. The program’s goal is to reward policyholders for things like exercise and preventive health screenings. There’s actually a si...

As healthcare costs rise and access challenges persist, health plans face growing pressure to engage members more effectively. Employers and plan sponsors expect their plans to play a critical role in that effort. In this episode of “Podnosis,” Senior Writer Paige Minemyer talks with Dan Kueter, CEO of UnitedHealthcare Employer & Individual, about what employers are asking for in t...

What does the Department of Health & Human Services’ Office of Inspector General do ? Today, Senior Writer Anastassia Gliadkovskaya sits down with Assistant Regional Inspector General Scott Perry to find out. They dive into the agency’s work, the findings of a few recent audits and what providers can do to ensure they are in compliance. The latest inpatient rehab facilities report...

It’s been more than two years since Eli Lilly announced LillyDirect, a platform that combines telehealth and pharmacy services to provide access to Lilly’s portfolio of diabetes, migraine and obesity medications. The goal is to offer a more transparent and affordable way to access certain drugs. The platform has quickly drawn attention from both consumers and lawmakers. To understand L...

Is AI in health care overhyped — or underutilized? In this sponsored episode of Podnosis, host Irena speaks with Sanjay Subramanian, SVP & Head of Healthcare Payer Business at Cognizant at Cognizant, about where artificial intelligence is delivering measurable ROI today and why many organizations struggle to scale adoption. Sanjay explains that back‑office functions such as claims proces...

As almost 1 in 4 American teens identify as LGBTQ, affirming therapy can be life-saving. Yet availability is shrinking. Access to mental healthcare for LGBTQ youth dropped from 80% to 60% from late 2023 to late 2024, according to The Trevor Project . In 2025, though 84% of LGBTQ youth wanted mental healthcare, 44% could not get it.   In a recent collaboration between Fierce Healthcare and Unc...

Payers and providers felt the upheaval and instability on the Affordable Care Act exchanges in the first quarter of this year. Marketplace plans saw significant enrollment declines alongside tier shifts, while providers felt the impact in both volumes and payer mix. Fierce Healthcare's Dave Muoio and Paige Minemyer sit down this week on “Podnosis” to break down those trends and other f...

Fertility services—and conversations about them—are expanding across the U.S. But the sector remains underregulated, expensive and, in some cases, outdated. These factors are reshaping how Americans seek care, sometimes in ways that may put quality and safety at risk. Where are the biggest gaps? And what would make the system safer? Senior Writer Anastassia Gliadkovskaya breaks it down...

In this sponsored episode of Podnosis, experts examine how molecular residual disease testing is transforming how clinicians assess recurrence risk in triple-negative breast cancer. Drawing on new data from the NSABP B-59 substudy presented at SABCS and AACR, the discussion highlights how circulating tumor DNA is providing earlier and more precise insight into patient outcomes. Dr. Priya Rastogi,...

Condoms can be purchased almost anywhere, from big retailers to small convenience stores. The same can’t be said for female birth control. One company is trying to change that. Cadence OTC sells the morning-after pill, a cheaper alternative to Plan B. Recognizing that many communities in the U.S. are pharmacy deserts, the company is pursuing atypical distribution channels such as convenience...

Maternal and infant health remains a significant challenge across the country. To support better outcomes for both pregnant women and their babies, industry giant UnitedHealth Group is investing in doulas. Its insurance arm recently expanded a doula support program nationwide in its employer plans.  In this episode, Fierce Senior Writer Paige Minemyer sits down with Catherine Anderson, senior...

Mike Sciandra grew up around gamblers. It wasn’t long before he became one. He gambled for more than 20 years, declaring bankruptcy twice. He knew he had a problem, but it wasn’t until he entered treatment that he realized it was a gambling addiction. In today’s episode, you’ll hear Sciandra tell his story to Senior Writer Anastassia Gliadkovskaya. The interview was recorde...

Prior authorization is often cited as a major pain point in healthcare—but it doesn’t have to be. In this conversation, Dr. Michelle Gourdine, Chief Medical Officer at CVS Caremark, shares how Caremark is transforming the prior authorization experience through automation, clinical rigor and responsible use of artificial intelligence. Dr. Gourdine explains why prior authorization remain...

How many doctors are using AI tools in a healthcare setting? It’s a question everyone wants answered, and one that’s impossible to pin down exactly. But recent data may offer a clue. Wolters Kluwer, which creates evidence-based clinical decision support tools for physicians, conducted a survey of more than 500 health professionals, finding that 40% have encountered unauthorized AI tool...

The COVID-19 pandemic spotlighted burnout in healthcare. While not new, the challenge was compounded by the toll of caring for patients on the frontlines. Burnout rates have swelled since then, and addressing them is not simple. A recent Johnson & Johnson survey of more than 1,500 surgeons across five countries found that half experience burnout, and 43% have seriously considered leaving surge...

Rare diseases, defined in the U.S. as conditions affecting fewer than 200,000 people, can take years, if not decades, to diagnose. About 10,000 rare diseases affect 30 million Americans, and half of those patients are children. What if rare diseases could be identified early and treated proactively before they progress? That is becoming more possible thanks to advances in genetic testing. One comp...

In this sponsored episode of Podnosis , CVS Caremark Senior Vice President and Chief Growth Client Success Officer James Margiotta joins host Chris Hayden for an in‑depth look at the rapidly changing pharmacy benefits landscape. Drawing on more than 35 years across payer, PBM, pharmacy and healthcare delivery roles, Margiotta shares what employers and plan sponsors need most in 2026 and beyond: st...

Emergency departments are required by law to treat anyone who comes through the door. But the financial model behind that guarantee is under strain.  In this episode of "Podnosis," Fierce Healthcare and Life Sciences Editor-in-Chief Ayla Ellison talks with Tony Cirillo, M.D., president of the American College of Emergency Physicians, about the business of emergency medicine—who pays, ho...

Fierce Healthcare's Fierce 15 is one of our favorite projects each year. Now in its eighth year, the list highlights companies bringing new ideas and innovation to some of healthcare’s most persistent challenges. In this episode, members of the Fierce Healthcare editorial team discuss the Fierce 15 of 2026 and the trends shaping this year’s honorees—from AI-powered clinical tools...

Healthcare earnings season is offering a mixed picture of the industry.  In the latest episode of "Podnosis," Fierce Healthcare's Dave Muoio and Paige Minemyer break down the highlights from fourth-quarter earnings, where providers signaled growth while payers warned of financial headwinds amid a shifting policy landscape. The episode also features an interview from the Lake Nona Impact Forum...

In five to 10 years, a hospital room could look very different. Advocate Health is beginning to build that room of the future today. The concept integrates advanced artificial intelligence capabilities, virtual nursing and audio, video and sensor data for intelligent patient monitoring, creating an extra set of eyes and ears for care teams. Nurses and clinicians can respond more quickly and proact...

Measurement-based care is increasingly referenced in conversations across the behavioral health industry. Providers recognize the value of patient-reported outcomes as a way to track progress. Yet there are important considerations in doing measurement-based care well. To understand what those are, Senior Writer Anastassia Gliadkovskaya speaks with Two Chairs’ Chief Clinical Officer Colleen...