Radio Advisory

After years of uncertainty, many healthcare executives say they’ve experienced more change in the past five years than in their entire careers. Policy shifts, evolving patient expectations, and rapid advances in AI are all colliding at once — forcing leaders to rethink how they operate and where they invest. But here’s the surprising part: the overwhelming sentiment isn’t panic. It’s clarity. In t...

Digital health funding is heating up—but where are the dollars going? And what does it mean for health systems’ digital health strategies? In this live episode, recorded at Advisory Board’s Research Summit, host Abby Burns sits down with Megan Zweig, President and CEO of Rock Health Advisory, for an update on what’s going on in the world of digital health funding. Together, they unpack what invest...

As health systems anticipate greater downward pressures on margins in the months and years to come, they’re homing their growth strategies accordingly. As we’ve been saying in our research the past couple of years, “sustainability” is now the name of the game. Here’s the conundrum: our research also shows that 90% of systems are betting on the same growth plays as their competition. And more and m...

CMS continues to pull on the levers it has at its disposal to rein in national healthcare spend, including rulemaking around Medicare Advantage. In April, CMS announced the final rate for MA plans for CY2027, after a controversial proposed rule generated animated pushback — and a fair bit of panic — among payers. In this episode, host Abby Burns speaks with Alex Balmes, Vice President of Actuarial...

Maternity care touches nearly every corner of the U.S. health system. About 25% of all hospitalizations involve a mother or newborn, and maternity spending accounts for roughly 0.8% of U.S. GDP — making it one of the most economically significant service lines in health care. Against that backdrop, a little noticed decision to unbundle maternity billing codes represents a generational shift in how...

Health care leaders are navigating one of the most volatile policy environments in decades. The next major reform fight hasn’t arrived yet — but in its place, a steady wave of rulemaking, regulatory shifts, and enforcement actions is driving real change. Policies are evolving faster, reversing more often, and creating a level of uncertainty that makes even the most seasoned strategists question wh...

After a decidedly difficult few years in the world of nursing, things have seemingly gotten better — at least, on paper. And that’s reflective of a lot of hard work on the part of nursing leaders. But when we look at how long nurses plan to stay in the profession, we see a different story taking shape. In this episode of Radio Advisory, host Abby Burns is joined by Advisory Board nursing expert Al...

Across the industry, leaders are talking about a “battle of the bots”—with payers and providers racing to deploy AI across the revenue cycle. But that narrative may be more hype than reality. In this episode, Rae Woods is joined by Advisory Board experts Isis Monteiro and Elysia Culver to separate fact from fiction. They break down where AI is actually delivering value today—and why it’s showing u...

After more than a decade of effort, healthcare still struggles with the same consumer pain points: affordability, access, and trust. Despite investments in price transparency, virtual care, and navigation tools, the patient experience remains fragmented, leaving leaders to wonder whether healthcare consumerism ever truly delivered on its promise. In this episode, host Rae Woods invites Advisory Bo...

What has price transparency data taught us about healthcare prices? Price transparency laws were originally put in place to make it possible for patients to act like consumers. We’re not there yet. But as federal requirements and enforcement tighten, health plans and providers are sharing more and better data, giving us a clearer picture of the price of care across services, organizations, and mar...

The U.S. healthcare system is approaching a major inflection point. Nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts are set to take effect in January 2027, driven by new work requirements, more frequent eligibility checks, and tighter limits on state financing. While the policy changes are months away, their consequences are already clear: millions of Americans are at risk of losing coverage, and provider org...

In this bonus episode of Radio Advisory, managing producer Chris Phelps and host and executive producer Rae Woods compare notes from the 2026 ViVE digital health conference. They break down what stood out on the main stage and the show floor—from where AI is over and under hyped, to why point solutions keep falling short, to what it actually takes to scale technology in healthcare. They also surfa...

Payers are operating at the center of converging pressures: rising costs, accelerating utilization, heightened public scrutiny, and a wave of CMS reforms that are reshaping expectations around transparency, interoperability, prior authorization, and accountability. Medicare Advantage has become the front line for these shifts—exposing tensions between regulatory oversight, margin compression, and...

Academic medical centers (AMCs) sit at the heart of U.S. healthcare, driving scientific discovery, providing crucial clinical care, and training the next generation of clinicians. They also face mounting financial pressures and a shifting policy landscape that threatens their ability to sustainably deliver on this tripartite mission. And their complex structures make rapid business model transform...

Employer-sponsored insurance is reaching a tipping point. What was once a predictable 2–4% annual increase in employer health spending has given way to double digit growth, driven by surging drug costs, rising utilization across all age groups, and escalating provider rates. For many employers—especially smaller organizations with less margin for error—absorbing these costs is no longer viable. As...

For life sciences companies, access and adoption of clinical products is no longer as simple as demonstrating strong outcomes at a fair price. As payers and providers face mounting financial pressure and operational complexity, they are scrutinizing their partners more closely — expecting clearer evidence, more relevant value narratives, and support that reflects real world constraints. In this ep...

As health systems pursue growth beyond traditional avenues, the role of the strategic planner is becoming increasingly complex. High level directional data is no longer enough — achieving meaningful, differentiated growth now requires leveraging granular, sophisticated data to inform investment decisions. In this episode, host Rachel Woods sits down with Advisory Board experts Sebastian Beckman an...

How did health systems perform in 2025, and which strategic growth priorities are top-of-mind for 2026? Health systems have entered the year with both momentum from buoyed volumes, and mounting pressure as those volumes don’t necessarily translate to healthy margin. This week, host Abby Burns sits down with Advisory Board expert Marisa Nives and Optum consulting expert Alex Kist to unpack results...

After a turbulent 2025, the early months of 2026 are proving that the policy landscape isn’t quieting down. Federal agencies are rolling out new payment models, lawmakers are revisiting long debated rules, and courts continue to shape what policies move forward and which stall. From value based payment to drug pricing and site of care policy, leaders are navigating a fast shifting environment with...

Infusion services make up a roughly $150 billion market in the U.S., and underpin the financial stability of major service lines, especially oncology. Historically, health systems have enjoyed strong volumes, favorable reimbursement, and access to 340B discounts that keep their infusion business profitable. But rising competition, payer and employer driven site of care shifts, and looming policy c...

Once a high growth, high margin line of business for health plans, Medicare Advantage (MA) is now in the middle of a financial reset. Growth has slowed, margins have turned negative, and federal financial support is eroding — with CMS proposing a near flat reimbursement increase for 2027. As a result, plans are exiting markets, tightening benefit designs, and shifting their focus toward Special Ne...

As financial pressure mounts and the healthcare safety net continues to strain, academic medical centers are drawing on their culture of innovation to pursue better outcomes — and narrow life expectancy gaps in the communities they serve. In this episode of Radio Advisory, host Rae Woods sits down with leaders from Rush University Medical Center to explore how health systems can stay focused on re...

Pediatric hospitals are one of the most important segments in the industry to watch right now. Although children’s hospitals make up only 5% of total hospital market share, more than 40% of U.S. children rely on Medicaid, leaving pediatric organizations disproportionately exposed as the Medicaid-related provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act take effect. The pressures inside pediatric care w...

GLP-1s have quickly become a cornerstone of obesity and metabolic care — but the real challenge isn’t whether they work, it’s how the healthcare system uses them. Leaders are grappling with tough questions around hype, access, safety, cost, and long-term sustainability. In this episode, recorded live at the 2025 HLTH conference, Rae Woods moderates a candid conversation with four physician leaders...

In Part 1 of Radio Advisory’s What CEOs need to know in 2026 series, we explored how responsibility for protecting access is diffusing as the safety net continues to fray. But that’s only one way control over healthcare delivery is shifting. In Part 2, we turn to other subtle — but significant — ways power is moving away from traditional centers of influence. As utilization and costs rise, purchas...