The Gist Healthcare Podcast

BJC and St. Luke’s finalize their merger, creating a 28-hospital system across three Midwestern states. More Americans will pay less in out-of-pocket costs for insulin this year. And, a new study finds an increase in adverse events at hospitals acquired by private equity firms. That’s coming up on today’s episode of Gist Healthcare Daily. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hospitals and health systems have long grappled with high contingent labor costs, and that issue was put into stark relief during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this encore episode, Jeff Niles, Executive Vice President of Healthcare Workforce Logistics, joins the podcast to talk more about how the company works with systems to establish private label, vendor-neutral contingent workforce solutions to bring down costs and increase fill rates. This episode originally aired on May 22, 2023 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Federal antitrust regulators finalize new merger guidelines that will have a significant impact on healthcare dealmaking. An independent Iowa pharmacy files a lawsuit against UnitedHealth and OptumRx alleging high back-end fees. And, we’re seeing a rise in respiratory illnesses–and a new COVID variant–ahead of the holidays. That’s coming up on today’s episode of Gist Healthcare Daily. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two Pennsylvania-based health systems announce their plan to merge in the new year. New data shows that a majority of children who have lost Medicaid coverage this year came from just nine states. And, preliminary numbers show nearly 19 million people have enrolled in coverage through the ACA exchanges for the 2024 plan year. That’s coming up on today’s episode of Gist Healthcare Daily. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Elevance Health’s proposed $2.5 billion acquisition of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is back in play. CMS reopens the No Surprises Act dispute portal. And, a new poll shows that Americans are growing more dissatisfied with healthcare. That’s coming up on today’s episode of Gist Healthcare Daily. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s episode of Gist Healthcare Daily, we hear the second part of JC’s conversation with Micky Tripathi, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, about proposed penalties for healthcare providers that engage in information blocking and how they fit into the federal government’s overall interoperability goals.  You can find the first part of our conversation here. You can read HHS’ proposed rule here.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Department of Health and Human Services released a set of three proposed monetary penalties for healthcare providers–both organizations and physicians–that engage in so-called information blocking. That practice interferes with, prevents, or discourages access, exchange, or use of electronic health information. It was banned in 2016’s 21st Century Cures Act. Today, Micky Tripathi, head of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC), joins the podcast to talk more about what information blocking looks like among healthcare providers and what the proposed penalties aim to do. You can read HHS’ proposed rule here. Be sure to tune in for the second part of our conversation tomorrow. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Healthcare spending reached $4.5 trillion in the United States in 2022. A new class action lawsuit alleges Humana used an algorithm to deny care to Medicare Advantage patients. And, WW–formerly known as Weight Watchers–unveils its new telehealth service to prescribe blockbuster weight loss drugs. That’s coming up on today’s episode of Gist Healthcare Daily. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Supreme Court agrees to review a lower federal court ruling that could curtail access to mifepristone…a key drug used in medication abortions. Massachusetts will remove stigmatizing mental health and prior drug use questions from its physician credentialing process. And, Nemours will launch a pediatric hospital-at-home program in 2024. That’s coming up on today’s episode of Gist Healthcare Daily. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The House passes a broad healthcare bill targeting site neutral payments, price transparency, and pharmacy benefit managers. A congressional inquiry finds that the nation’s largest pharmacy chains share medical data with law enforcement without a warrant. And, Moody’s downgrades Walgreens rating to ‘junk’ amid the pharmacy company's recent healthcare strategy push. That’s coming up on today’s episode of Gist Healthcare Daily. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.