The Gist Healthcare Podcast Friday, August 15, 2025
Aug 15, 2025
President Trump unveils a plan for a six-month stockpile of critical drug ingredients, emphasizing national security. Highmark Health partners with Abridge to integrate AI for faster prior authorizations in healthcare. AbbVie announces a hefty $195 million investment to boost domestic API manufacturing in North Chicago. Plus, the podcast discusses the rise of the Stratus variant and a new law in New Hampshire that bans surprise ambulance billing, aiming to protect consumers from unexpected medical costs.
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Push To Secure Critical Drug Ingredients
- The administration ordered a six-month stockpile of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) to protect the U.S. drug supply.
- Only ~10% of APIs are made domestically, leaving supply chains vulnerable to disruption.
Targeted API Reserve Planning
- The order directs ASPR to list roughly 23–26 crucial drugs and expand a reserve of APIs for essential medicines.
- Regulators plan to update a 2022 list of 86 essential medicines and obtain six-month API supplies.
AI To Shrink Prior Authorization Delays
- Highmark Health and Abridge will deploy ambient AI documentation across Allegheny Health Network to reduce clinician after-hours admin work.
- Their goal is an AI-driven prior authorization flow that approves requests at the point of care.