The healthcare check-in: HES, tariffs, AI and more

In this episode of Second Opinion, hosts Christina Farr, Ash Zenooz, and Luba Greenwood discuss the latest trends in healthcare, including conferences, the economic impact on health tech and biotech sectors, the potential for AI to reduce administrative burdens, and the dynamics of the IPO market.

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LINKS:

Health Evolution Summit (HES): https://www.healthevolution.com/summit/ 

Adoption of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare Delivery Systems: Early Applications and Impacts (PHTI research): https://phti.org/ai-adoption-early-applications-impacts/

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FOLLOW:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinafarr/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lubagreenwood/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashzenooz/

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HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE EPISODE:

• The economy is currently experiencing significant turbulence, with biotech stocks particularly affected by recent market conditions.
• Tariffs are causing severe economic uncertainty, especially impacting pharmaceuticals since India and China make up more than half of the US generic drug supply.
• The pharmaceutical industry relies heavily on global sourcing, making it particularly vulnerable to tariff impacts that will likely increase costs for consumers.
• The hosts expressed frustration that healthcare organizations weren't better prepared for tariffs given that they were a central policy point for the Trump administration.
• A recent report on AI scribing technologies in healthcare revealed mixed results regarding cost savings, with many health systems seeing no actual cost reduction despite improvements in physician satisfaction.
• Luba argued that hospitals' resistance to reducing administrative bloat is a key reason why AI hasn't led to cost savings in US healthcare.
• Countries like Singapore and Korea have successfully implemented AI in hospitals to reduce administrative staff while maintaining focus on clinical care.
• CMS recently announced a significant five percent payment increase for Medicare Advantage plans for 2026, injecting approximately $25 billion into insurers.
• The hosts expressed concern about potential reduced federal spending on Medicaid under the current administration.
• Hinge Health, poised to be the first major digital health IPO in years, is now reportedly reconsidering due to economic uncertainty.
• The success or failure of Hinge Health's IPO could have significant implications for funding across the entire digital health sector.
• Peter Marks, the FDA's vaccine chief, recently left, sending shockwaves through the biotech industry.
• China is gaining dominance in biotech development largely due to lower regulatory hurdles that allow much faster clinical trial progression compared to the US.
• Ash emphasized the need for better FDA-CMS coordination, noting that it typically takes 17 years from innovation to patient access partly because CMS coding delays follow FDA approvals.