The Gist Healthcare Podcast

As COVID cases climb, companies return to remote work and schools go online. Physician practice acquisitions fuel the big surge in healthcare deals this year. And there are big regional variations in child covid vaccine uptake. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A third of Americans say they’re skipping at least some healthcare because it’s too expensive. The $35 monthly cap on insulin faces a challenge in the Senate. And the US passes another grim threshold, 800,000 COVID deaths. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Employer health benefits costs rose faster this year than in any year since 2010. A record 19 rural hospitals closed in 2020, but more are joining forces with larger systems. And signs from Europe and Africa spell trouble for Omicron’s spread in the US.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Companies are overwhelmed by all the new healthcare startups targeting specific conditions. Elizabeth Mitchell, CEO and President of the Purchaser Business Group on Health, which represents large employers buying health benefits, says companies are looking for an integrated solution and independent information about efficacy.  Today's episode is a rerun and was first published in August.  Hosted o...

As health plans look to lower the cost of care for growing Medicare Advantage populations, they’re investing in for profit primary care companies that are also addressing social needs. On this episode Dean Emeritus of the Jefferson College of Population Health Dr. David Nash says amid a flood of investor capital, it’s important to evaluate the social return. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy...

The American Hospital and Medical Associations challenge the arbitration provision of the surprise billing ban. And we go to France where vaccine passports, which will soon require 3 shots, are necessary to do almost anything in public. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

LA area cancer organization City of Hope announces plans to buy Cancer Treatment Centers of America. Cigna invests in insurtech startup BrightHealth. And the House passes legislation to avert Medicare cuts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A new study in Health Affairs shows nonprofit Wisconsin hospital lawsuits against patients increased 37 percent between 2001 and 2018. There's more mandate mania, as New York City announces a COVID vaccine requirement for private companies. And Uber is bringing healthcare to consumers on demand. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Medicare beneficiaries used 6000% more telehealth in 2020 than pre-pandemic. While the attention is on Omicron, Delta is what hospitals are still worried about right now. And Physicians Assistants’ recent title change to Physician Associates isn’t sitting well with doctors. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President Biden will require private insurers to pay for at-home covid tests. CVS and Microsoft expand their partnership to digitize and personalize care. And a tale of two states that expanded Medicaid with dramatically different outcomes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As omicron cases are identified across the globe, countries are scrambling to prevent a surge in cases. Germany, Greece, and Austria are imposing restrictions on the unvaccinated. The US and UK are turning to booster shots. Earlier this week British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he plans to make boosters available to all adults by the end of January. In this episode, Maya Kroth reports from Lo...

A new ruling extends the pause on healthcare worker vaccine mandates nationwide. The first case of the omicron variant is found in California. And we recap the Supreme Court arguments in the case challenging whether Medicare can cut drug payments to some hospitals. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A Las Vegas jury finds UnitedHealthcare has been underpaying TeamHealth physicians in Nevada. The CDC is searching for cases of the omicron variant in the US. And HCA Healthcare expands its Florida footprint. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President Biden says the omicron variant is a cause for concern but not panic. A judge temporarily blocks the vaccine mandate for healthcare workers. And an experimental treatment appears to have cured a man of Type 1 diabetes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A jury rules finds CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart pharmacies recklessly distributed opioids. The Biden administration releases $7.5 billion in relief funding for rural providers. And consumers are dealing with a patchwork of telehealth coverage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

All the single-use PPE is creating a huge medical waste problem. Two private equity firms buy AthenaHealth. And there’s a small window for patients to get the benefits from the new coronavirus antiviral pills. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The CDC clears booster shots for all adults. The House passes the $1.75 trillion spending plan which includes several healthcare reforms. And physicians accuse a large Lasik eye surgery chain of pressure to boost volumes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As CVS Health repositions itself to provide more primary care, the company announces plans to close 900 stores. About a third of healthcare workers aren’t vaccinated. And doctors have had enough with their peers spreading covid disinformation.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The former Sanford Health CEO left the system with a $49 million golden parachute. Lawmakers say the new surprise billing dispute resolution rule isn’t what they intended. And the partisan divide about vaccines seems to go beyond the coronavirus. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Austria introduces a lockdown for the unvaccinated. Dealing with hostile patients and feeling unsupported by employers are just a few of the factors driving doctors and nurses to leave healthcare. And a STAT News investigation looks into Ascension private equity operation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kaiser Permanente reached a deal with unions to avoid massive strikes. Medicare hasn’t even decided to cover an expensive new Alzheimer's drug yet, and it’s already driving premium increases. And finally, President Biden has chosen a nominee to lead the FDA.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This fall payers like UnitedHealthcare, Cigna, and Aetna all launched virtual first primary care plans this fall. In this March 2021 conversation, Gist Healthcare co-founders, Chas Roades and Lisa Bielamowicz discuss how insurers are integrating their new care offerings to capture more of consumers' healthcare spend. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr. Farzad Mostashari, CEO and co-founder of Aledade, discusses how quality reporting for physicians has become time-intensive and no longer commensurate with incentives. He tells us the whole system is in need of “radical surgery”.    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the final episode of our series exploring investor acquisitions of physician practices, we’ll look at the hospital-based physician market, including emergency physicians, hospitalists, and anesthesiologists, which private equity firms started rolling up in the early 2000s.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some have warned that the rapid growth of PE-backed practices is reminiscent of the rise and fall of physician practice management companies of the 1990s. In the second part of our series about the impact of private equity investment in physician practice on the healthcare market, we’ll hear from Peter Kindrachuk, a former PhyCor executive, on how today’s trend compares to what happened back then....