The Gist Healthcare Podcast

The healthcare industry remains the most targeted sector for cyberattacks in the United States. Last year had the dubious distinction of having the most patient records exposed in a year at more than 276 million. It also had the largest healthcare cyberattack on record, when UnitedHealth Group’s Change Healthcare was hacked in February. Though we know that hospitals, vendors, and related organizations are particularly vulnerable to attacks, it’s been difficult to fully secure them.   Christian Dameff, MD, emergency physician and Co-Director of the University of California-San Diego’s Center for Healthcare Cybersecurity, joins host J. Carlisle Larsen to talk more about challenges facing the industry and some common misconceptions about the motivations behind these attacks.   This is a two-part episode. The second half of their conversation will air on Monday, April 7.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Department of Health and Human Services will lay off more than 10-thousand employees in the Trump Administration’s latest push to streamline federal agencies. The Senate confirms President Trump’s nominees to lead the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration. And, the FBI says it has not found a credible terrorist threat against the nation’s hospitals. We’ll get those stories—and more—coming up on today’s episode of the Gist Healthcare podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President Trump nominates acting Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Susan Monarez for the permanent role. Cigna finalizes the sale of its Medicare Advantage business in a multibillion dollar deal. And, a new survey finds that a sizeable number of healthcare leaders plan to leave their organizations within the year. We’ll get those stories—and more—coming up on today’s episode of the Gist Healthcare podcast.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The White House has pulled its pick to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hours before he was to appear for his confirmation hearing in front of the Senate HELP committee. UnitedHealth Group is the first major insurer to add a new non-opioid painkiller to its formulary. And, a new study finds that women paid nearly $9 billion more for prescription drugs than men last year. We’ll get those stories—and more—coming up on today’s episode of the Gist Healthcare podcast.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Trump Administration proposes a new rule that would roll back certain Biden-era flexibilities that allowed more people to enroll in Affordable Care Act plans on the exchanges. Nearly 750 rural hospitals face closure nationwide due to financial problems, according to new data. And, Americans borrowed an estimated $74 billion for medical bills last year. We’ll get those stories—and more—coming up on today’s episode of the Gist Healthcare podcast.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Walgreens officially will go private in a $10 billion deal with private equity firm Sycamore Partners after months of speculation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is on the ground in Texas as the measles outbreak continues to grow.  And, Novo Nordisk drops the price of its popular weight loss drug after a similar move from rival drugmaker Eli Lilly. We’ll get those stories—and more—coming up on today’s episode of the Gist Healthcare podcast.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President Trump’s pick to lead the National Institutes of Health faced his first Senate Committee hearing this week. UnitedHealthcare announces it will cut its prior authorizations by 10 percent for certain services.  And, the nonprofit Coalition for Health AI has released details of its long-awaited AI model card registry. We’ll get those stories—and more—coming up on today’s episode of the Gist Healthcare podcast.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The US Department of Health and Human Services scales back a decades-old policy that allows for public comment on healthcare regulations. President Trump issues an executive order on hospital price transparency. And, a new study finds that Black and Hispanic mothers bear the brunt of high maternity care costs. We’ll get those stories—and more—coming up on today’s episode of the Gist Healthcare podcast.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

House Republicans passed a budget blueprint last Tuesday that includes around $2 trillion in federal spending cuts. That plan includes $880 billion in spending cuts from programs that are overseen by the House Energy and Commerce Committee, a majority of which are anticipated to come from the Medicaid program. Bruce Siegel, MD, MPH, President and CEO of America’s Essential Hospitals, joins host J. Carlisle Larsen to talk about how those expected cuts could impact safety net hospitals nationwide. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lawmakers call on the Department of Veterans Affairs to clarify the expected budget for its large-scale electronic health record modernization project.  A Texas child dies from a measles infection – the first death from the virus in the United States in a decade.  And, Eli Lilly announces plans to invest billions in new United States-based manufacturing plants. We’ll get those stories—and more—coming up on today’s episode of the Gist Healthcare podcast.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.