Health:Further

Marcus and Vic break down the U.S. government shutdown, its political fallout, and how shifting power in Washington could reshape healthcare and the economy. They celebrate Nashville SC’s first major championship, examine the credit market’s warning signs, and analyze the growing divide between workforce readiness and AI acceleration. The hosts also discuss major healthcare investments, policy moves like “Trump RX,” and the record-breaking valuation of OpenAI amid rising ethical concerns about AI-generated content.Links8:45 - Government Shutdown Begins as Funding Lapses WSJ12:06 -These 6 Charts Explain Why Democrats Shut Down the Government NYT-Op16:40 - The Credit Market Is Humming—and That Has Wall Street On Edge WSJ19:01 - In a Sea of Tech Talent, Companies Can’t Find the Workers They Want WSJ21:19 - The Jobs Report That Wasn’t Leaves Economists Guessing NYT24:27 - Folia Health Secures $10.5M Series A to Scale Patient-Driven RWE Platform HIT25:15 - Visana Health Secures $24M for Women’s Health Clinic MedCity25:51 -  Midi Health Raises $50M Series C for Menopause Care Platform FemTech28:29 - BeSound Raises $6.8M to Expand Breast Cancer Screening for Dense Tissue FemTech28;59 - ICHRA Administrator SureCo Secures $23 Million in Funding Healthcare Innovation30:05 - Assort Health brings in $102M in 4 months to build out voice AI platform Fierce Healthcare31:05 - White House Unveils ‘TrumpRx’ Drug-Buying Site and a Pfizer Pricing Deal WSJ32:51 - Texas Stock Exchange Could Start Listing Shares Next Year WSJ35:32 - U.S. to Take Equity Stake in Lithium Americas and Its Nevada Mining Project WSJ38:50 - FDA Approves New Generic Version of the Abortion Pill Mifepristone WSJ40:57 -  Inside Nashville Healthcare Sessions 2025: Strategies shaping the future Modern Healthcare45:53 - CommonSpirit announces initiative to address mounting headwinds, lagging finances Healthcare Dive48:02 - Hospitals' administrative burden under 340B pilot far outstrips government's estimates, AHA says Fierce Healthcare49:38 - General Catalyst’s HATCo finalizes Summa Health acquisition Healthcare Dive52:33 - GoodRx stock climbs on potential TrumpRx partnership, expanded Kroger tie-up Fierce Healthcare55:34 - Cardinal Health to Build Indianapolis Pharma Plant to Supply Growing Distribution WSJ56:38 - Genmab to Buy Cancer-Treatment Developer Merus For $8 Billion in Cash WSJ57:39 - GSK CEO Emma Walmsley to Step Down WSJ58:26 - Recovery Is a Journey. Readers Share Their Advice After Blood Clots. WSJ59:51 -HF SiteYOUTUBEINSTAGRAMTWITTERFACEBOOKLINKEDINTIKTOK

In this episode, Marcus and Vic discuss Trump’s rejection of a meeting with Democrats as a government shutdown looms, small business optimism data, Fed comments on rates, a series of major venture capital deals in virtual care, neurology, oncology, PBMs, maternal health, and organ preservation, policy shifts around Tylenol and autism claims, the $100,000 H1B visa fee, the creation of an independent vaccine advisory agency, challenges for regional nonprofit insurers, Humana’s Medicare Advantage commission changes, Ascension’s return to profitability, Privia’s acquisition of Evolent’s primary care unit, Kaiser strike threats, new interoperability moves from Epic, big pharma acquisitions in obesity and liver treatments, Eli Lilly’s Texas expansion, Bitcoin treasury consolidation, the VA adopting AI note-taking tech, Unity AI’s scheduling agents, Nvidia’s $100B OpenAI investment, Citi’s AI agent pilot, a controversial social app selling voice data to AI firms, and PwC’s trillion-dollar healthcare report that highlights the innovation divideLinks2:08 - Trump Rejects Meeting With Democrats as Shutdown Approaches WSJ5:45 - Small Business Index -Hits All Time High US Chamber9:36 - Powell Describes Rates as ‘Modestly Restrictive,’ Keeping Door Open to Cuts WSJ10:22 - Sevaro Health Secures $39M for AI Powered Virtual Neurology & Workflow Augmentation HIT11:30 - Caregility Raises $25M in Funding FinSMES11:51 - Thyme Care lands $97M series D backed by CVS Health, Humana, Morgan Health and Memorial Hermann Fierce Healthcare14:00 - PBM Capital Rx rebrands as Judi Health, banks $400M funding round Modern Healthcare15:17 - Seven Starling Raises $8M to Expand Access to Maternal Mental Health Support MedCity16:46 - Until Labs Raises $58M to Pioneer Organ Cryopreservation and Medical Hibernation HIT18:50 - AmplifyMD Snags $20M to Help Hospitals Scale Virtual Specialty Care MedCity21:05 - Trump Issues Warning Based on Unproven Link Between Tylenol and Autism NYT24:29 - Trump’s $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee Sets Off Scramble Across Corporate America WSJ27:25 - The Doctors Building a Public-Health Universe Outside the Government WSJ31:50 - Regional nonprofit health insurers falling behind competitors Modern Healthcare32:44 - UnitedHealthcare unveils direct-to-consumer tool to shop for health and wellness programs Fierce Healthcare33:42 - Humana ending commissions for some Medicare Advantage plans Modern Healthcare36:10 - Ascension returned to profitability in 2025 Healthcare Dive37:33 - Privia acquires Evolent’s value-based primary care unit for $100M Healthcare Dive38:42 - More than 46,000 Kaiser Permanente workers have authorized strikes as contract expirations loom Fierce Healthcare40:12 - EpicHF SiteYOUTUBEINSTAGRAMTWITTERFACEBOOKLINKEDINTIKTOK

Vic and Marcus cover the Fed’s first rate cut, stagflation risks, and fiscal dominance; Oracle’s surprise wins with TikTok, Paramount, and OpenAI; robo-taxis arriving in Nashville; venture deals in pediatrics, maternal health, AI doctors, and genomics; policy turmoil at the CDC, telehealth’s temporary extensions, and a $50B rural health fund; scrutiny of nonprofit hospitals; Apple Watch’s hypertension approval; Amazon boosting worker benefits; Hopkins vs UnitedHealthcare; Lilly’s GLP-1 lead and pharma’s $350B U.S. expansion; plus crypto ETFs, tokenization, Gemini’s IPO, and hospital AI rollouts at SutterLinks3:07 Fed Lowers Rates by Quarter-Point, Signals More Cuts Are Likely WSJ9:08 U.S. Investors, Trump Close In on TikTok Deal With China WSJ15:50 Lyft, Waymo Partner to Launch Robotaxi Service in Nashville WSJ17:49 Imagine Pediatrics lands $67M to expand hybrid care for kids with special needs Mobi Health19:15 Dualitas Therapeutics launches with a focus on bispecific antibodies C&EN19:43 Synthesize Bio Launches with $10M Seed Round to Accelerate Generative Genomics BioSpace20:56 Startup Assured picks up $6M to slash the time it takes to credential providers Fierce Healthcare22:34 Inbox Health secures $20M, bringing total raise to $55M Mobi Health23:07Lōvu Health Rakes In $8M for Maternal Health Platform MedCity24:20 Doctronic secures $20M to scale AI doctor platform Mobi Health25:38 Former CDC Director Details Her Firing in Senate Hearing: Key Takeaways WSJ33:45 I Run the F.D.A. Pharma Ads Are Hurting Americans. NYT-Op34:13 CMS opens state applications for $50B Rural Health Transformation Program Fierce Healthcare36:33 Western States Issue Their Own Vaccine Recommendations to Counter Kennedy NYT37:51 New York and Other States Form Health Bloc as Answer to Trump’s Policies NTY39.28 GOP bill extends telehealth flexibilities, sidesteps ACA subsidies Healthcare Dive43:10 America First Global Health Strategy US State Dept46:59 Nonprofit hospitals' community benefit spending faces lawmaker scrutiny Fierce Healthcare50:21 Apple receives FDA nod for hypertension notification feature Mobi Health51:50 Amazon bumps pay, lowers health insurance costs for warehouse workers Spokesman Review53:06 Johns Hopkins, UnitedHealthcare officially end talks after failing to come to terms on new contract Fierce Healthcare54:51 Eli Lilly’s Diabetes Drug Tops Novo Nordisk’s Oral Pill in Trial WSJ55:18 Drugmakers Have Pledged to Invest $350 Billion in U.S. After Tariff Threat WSJ56:42 SEC paves way for crypto spot ETFs withHF SiteYOUTUBEINSTAGRAMTWITTERFACEBOOKLINKEDINTIKTOK

Vic and Marcus mark 9/11, condemn political violence after the Charlie Kirk assassination, and review economic shifts including inflation at 2.9%, job revisions, rising unemployment, record markets, and healthcare’s outsized role in job growth. They cover major healthcare and policy moves (Strive’s $550M raise, AI voice agents, Epic antitrust case, drug ad limits, California PE scrutiny, CMS pressure on Medicaid payments), rising employer costs and PBM battles, payvider and consumer health updates (Kaiser in Nevada, Hims & Hers testosterone, Instacart tackling food insecurity), pharma news (Novo layoffs, Novartis acquisition, J&J bladder-cancer treatment, GLP-1 weight-loss challenges), and tech/AI shifts from billionaire longevity pushes to tokenized securities, Robinhood’s social trading, Oracle’s AI-first EHR and $300B OpenAI deal, and the first AI-made feature filmLinks4:52 - Charlie Kirk Assassination Raises Fear of Surging Political Violence NYT6:31 - In Public and in Private, New York Prepares to Mark 9/11 Anniversary NYT6:36 - Inflation Rose to 2.9% in August WSJ10:42 -  U.S. Added 911,000 Fewer Jobs in the Year Ended in March WSJ11:03 -  US Initial Jobless Claims Jump to Highest in Almost Four Years Bloomberg12:12 - Hiring Stalled in August, With 22,000 New Jobs WSJ12:32 - Healthcare Jobs Are a Rare Bright Spot in the Stalling Labor Market WSJ14:30 - All Three Major Stock-Market Indexes Close at Records on Hopes for Deeper Rate Cuts WSJ15:57 - Inflation Erased U.S. Income Gains Last Year WSJ20:09 - Strive Health Secures $550M to Advance Value-Based Kidney Care Model MedCity21:42 - Hello Patient secures $22.5M as investors bet on AI voice agent growth Fierce Healthcare22:16 - MAHA Commission's 128 recommendations on kids' health include more research on vaccines, antidepressants Fierce Healthcare24: 54 - Healthcare software giant Epic must face rival’s antitrust lawsuit, US judge rules Reuters26:49 - Trump Moves to Crack Down on Drug Advertising NYT28:52 - California Bill Would Put Private-Equity Healthcare Deals Under Scrutiny WSJ30:11 - CMS issues guidance on limits for state-directed payments in Medicaid Fierce Healthcare30:45 - Supreme Court Agrees to Fast-Track Trump’s Tariff Appeal WSJ33:33 - Health Insurance Costs for Businesses to Rise by Most in 15 Years WSJ35:34 - New survey finds more employers are weighing the switch to a transparent PBM Fierce Healthcare36:23 -  CVS Caremark hit with class-action lawsuit over decision to drop Zepbound from formulary Fierce Healthcare39:02 - Kaiser Permanente, Renown Health unveil insurance, outpatient joint venture Fierce Healthcare39:36 - HF SiteYOUTUBEINSTAGRAMTWITTERFACEBOOKLINKEDINTIKTOK

Marcus and Vic welcome Kevin Holloran, Senior Director and head of the US Public Finance Healthcare Team at Fitch Ratings, to break down how credit ratings work in healthcare, why balance sheet strength outweighs short-term operating swings, and how margins shifted from steady pre-COVID levels through pandemic collapse, the 2021 rebound, and the post-2022 labor and inflation crunch. They cover Fitch’s focus on hospitals and life plan communities, the sector’s “trifurcation” between winners, rural strugglers, and those stuck in the middle, and the impact of July’s policy shifts—including Medicaid pressures, site-neutral payments, supplemental payment changes, tariffs, and 340B tensions. Kevin also outlines system strategy around scale and outpatient migration, risks for life plan residents, and why the sector’s near-term stability masks growing uncertainty for 2025–26.Kevin Holloran LinkedInHF SiteYOUTUBEINSTAGRAMTWITTERFACEBOOKLINKEDINTIKTOK

In this weekly rollup, Vic welcomes guest host Jinesh Patel, CEO of Uptime Health, to unpack a packed week across the health and tech economy: a stronger Q2 GDP print alongside rising jobless claims and pricier equities, the AI-driven efficiency wave and large-company layoffs, venture updates from workflow and dementia-care AI to immigrant-care platforms, policy turmoil around the CDC and HHS budgets, a Google antitrust outcome that stops short of a Chrome spinoff, payer and provider shifts (Cigna’s specialty-pharmacy bet, SCAN’s MA expansion, UPMC’s rebound, HonorHealth’s clinic pickup), the aging-alone crisis and home-care labor headwinds, the Web3 through-line from a high-profile Bitcoin listing to Polymarket’s U.S. push, and new AI moves like Epic’s model trained on massive EHR data and OpenAI’s product-testing acquisition—plus how all of it hits frontline operations and revenue in care settings. Links14:29 U.S. Economy Grew Faster in Second Quarter, New Estimate Shows WSJ17:25 US Initial Jobless Claims Rise to Highest Level Since June Bloomberg20:50 U.S. Stocks Are Now Pricier Than They Were in the Dot-Com Era WSJ23:31There's new evidence the job market is softening Axios25:27 Oracle lays off thousands—or more—globally amid rapid AI shifts Fast Company27:49 Predoc raises $30M to scale AI health information management platform Silicon Angle29:34 NewDays Secures $7M To Expand Treatment for Cognitive Impairment, Dementia MedCity32:01 Welcome Tech raises $7.5M to expand AI immigrant services Mobi Health32:39 VCs Had No Time Off This Summer. Blame AI. WSJ36:59 We Ran the C.D.C.: Kennedy Is Endangering Every American’s Health NYT-Op37:58 Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: We’re Restoring Public Trust in the CDC WSJ-OpEnough is Enough Letter: website43:47 House Republicans propose 6% budget cut to HHS for 2026 fiscal year Fierce Healthcare45:35 Google Dodges Worst Penalties in U.S. Antitrust Case WSJ48:30 Cigna’s Evernorth invests $3.5B in ex-Walgreens specialty pharmacy Healthcare Dive50:23 SCAN Health Plan to expand MA footprint into Washington for 2026 Fierce Healthcare51:26 UPMC is flipping 2024's operating losses halfway through the new year Fierce Healthcare52:14 HonorHealth to pick up Evernorth primary care clinics in Phoenix Fierce Healthcare 53:41 More Older Americans Are Aging Alone. Who Will Take Care of Them? WSJ56:47 Trump Brothers-Backed Bitcoin Mining Company Surges After Nasdaq Listing WSJ58:27 Polymarket cleared for US users X59:39 Comet: A New Medical Intelligence for Clinical and Operational Insights Epic Website1:02:58 Banner and AntHF SiteYOUTUBEINSTAGRAMTWITTERFACEBOOKLINKEDINTIKTOK

Vic is joined by guest host Mitch Mudra, founder of Ladder Health, to discuss the Minneapolis mass shooting, his background at UnitedHealth, and building Ladder to address developmental delays in children. They cover Walmart’s gains during inflation, job market risks, Nashville’s tunnel project, and major healthcare VC deals including LS AI and CAR T therapy. Other topics include AI in back-office operations, sleep and vision tech startups, CMS pre-authorization, CDC leadership turmoil, 340B rebate changes, UnitedHealth’s DOJ probe, Johns Hopkins’ contract fight, no-surprise billing costs, children’s hospital layoffs, Quest’s lab joint venture, and Walgreens’ breakup. They also review pharma updates from Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, Web3 payment innovations, Nvidia’s growth slowdown, Apple’s potential deal with Google Gemini, perplexity’s publisher model, and the dangers of AI misuse highlighted by a teen suicide linked to ChatGPT.Guest Host Mitch Mudra - LinkedIn - http://bit.ly/4p7wxnJLinks00:45 How the Minneapolis Catholic School Shooting Unfolded WSJ17:15Walmart Wins Over More Shoppers as Tariffs Push Prices Higher WSJ18:12 Stagnant Job Market Is a Rising Risk for the U.S. Economy WSJ19:15 Dow Loses About 350 Points After Record-Breaking Run WSJ20:05 Boring Co. faces $1.7M annual fee for airport tunnel access in Nashville's ambitious transit plan Nash Business Journal20:33 EliseAI banks $250M to fire up healthcare automation business Fierce Healthcare22:37 Wugen woos VCs, landing $115M to bring fratricide-resistant CAR-T cell therapy to market 25:10 Assort Health nabs $50M to automate patient phone calls TechCrunch25:38 Sleep.ai raises $5.5M to aid in rest with data-backed sleeping insights Silicon Angle27:34 Eyebot gets $20M Series A to expand eye care access TechCrunch29:04 Medicare Will Require Prior Approval for Certain Procedures NYT31:08 CDC Director Susan Monarez ousted one month after confirmation Fierce Healthcare31:53 White House Says New C.D.C. Director Is Fired, but She Refuses to Leave NYT35:06 ‘Solution in search of a problem:’ AHA slams 340B rebates pilot Modern Healthcare37:04 UnitedHealth Ongoing Criminal Probe Is Broader Than Medicare Bloomberg40:35 Johns Hopkins hospitals, clinicians leave UnitedHealthcare's network amid contract dispute Fierce Healthcare41:52 No Surprises dispute resolution is creating billions of dollars in extra costs, could raise premiums: analysis Healthcare Dive43:25 Hundreds of L.A. children’s hospital employees just had positions eliminated44:54 Corewell Health, Quest Diagnostics unveil lab testing joint venture Fierce Healthcare45:37 Walgreens going Private Process????46:38 Novo Nordisk Freezes Hiring in NonHF SiteYOUTUBEINSTAGRAMTWITTERFACEBOOKLINKEDINTIKTOK

Vic hosts solo as Marcus steps away after losing a pet, then runs a tight roundup: stronger corporate earnings and Fed minutes ahead of Jackson Hole; likely September rate‑cut odds; venture moves including Molecular You’s $5M biomarkers raise, Eight Sleep’s $100M and retail push plus FDA plans; AI in revenue cycle with Develop Health’s $14.3M; Chamath’s new SPAC with tougher sponsor terms; AAP guidance diverging from CDC on pediatric COVID shots; Medicare Advantage star‑ratings loss for a plan and a $289M whistleblower hit for CVS; UnitedHealth’s new governance committee; Emory layoffs and WARN‑act suit, Mass General Brigham’s layoff costs; FDA expanding Wegovy to liver disease; rising survival and uncertainty with metastatic cancers; Circle insider selling after its IPO; Texas AG probing Meta and Character.AI mental‑health claims; EHR AI escalation from Epic (160 projects) and Athenahealth, plus Google’s on‑device Magic Queue and Fitbit coaching; deepfake risks from politics to CEO scams, with a NYT quiz that fools viewers; and a Loom “lamp” robot that folds laundry.Links0:48 Strong Crop of Earnings Eases Investors’ Economic Concerns WSJ1:38 Fed Minutes Reveal Broad Support for Holding Rates Steady Last Month WSJ2:34 Behind Powell’s Big Gamble in Final Jackson Hole Speech NYT3:40 B.C. healthy longevity company Molecular You raises $5M to expand biomarker testing Geek Wire4:05 Eight Sleep raises $100 million, preps retail stores Axios=5:18 Develop Health garners $14.3M for AI prior authorization platform Mobi Health5:59 ‘Spac King’ Chamath Palihapitiya returns with a new blank-cheque vehicle https://www.axios.com/2025/08/20/chamath-palihapitiya-spac7:58 Leading Pediatrics Group Recommends Covid-19 Shots for Young Children, Differing From CDC WSJ9:01 Elevance Health loses Medicare Advantage star ratings suit to CMS Fierce Healhcare10:00 Pennsylvania judge hits CVS with $289M fine in whistleblower suit Fierce Healthcare10:34 UnitedHealth forms board committee focused on enhanced governance Fierce Healthcare11:07 Former Emory Healthcare employee files class action lawsuit after wave of layoffs  Atlanta News First12:28  Despite stronger Q3, Mass General Brigham's operations down $44M across 9 months due to layoff expenses Fierce Healthcare12:54 FDA Approves Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy for Liver Disease WSJ13:26 A New Reality for Terminal Cancer: Longer Lives, With Chronic Uncertainty WSJ15:33 CEO Jeremy Allaire Is Selling Circle Stock Yahoo16:59 Texas attorney general accuses Meta, Character.AI of misleading kids with mental health claims TechCrunch18:11 How athenahealth is approaching AI for physician practices as tech innovation accelerates Fierce Healthcare18:45HF SiteYOUTUBEINSTAGRAMTWITTERFACEBOOKLINKEDINTIKTOK

Vic and Marcus talk with Carlos A. Rodriguez, MBA, CEO and Co-Founder of Humanate Inc., about his career from Bain and health system leadership to building a $40M SaaS startup and now launching Humanate, a company focused on agentic AI for healthcare. The discussion covers the origin of “Cassie,” a multilingual AI clinical concierge with ASL support, how staffing shortages and labor inflation shaped the product, case studies reducing record turnaround from 15 days to 48 hours and redeploying staff, a pricing model at half the cost of a human role with higher productivity, capturing patient-experience data at checkout, strict data privacy practices with no data storage and EMR-only transfer, NVIDIA’s partnership and vision for AI agents replacing apps, and the 60-day trial approach accelerating adoption across clinics and health systems. LinkedIn LinkHF SiteYOUTUBEINSTAGRAMTWITTERFACEBOOKLINKEDINTIKTOK

Vic and Marcus recap Marcus’s keynote covering two years of show themes, then dig into Trump’s pace of change, Newsom’s X strategy, July inflation and market reactions, major healthcare deals, Nvidia’s China workaround, U.S. R&D tax incentives, FDA moves, antitrust pushback, and payvider results. They also hit Omada’s growth, Lilly’s weight-loss pill troubles, crypto’s surge, Oracle Health’s EHR push, state AI rules, OpenAI’s rocky rollout, and close with caregiving, healthspan, and their new studio.Links8:30 Inflation Held Steady at 2.7% in July WSJ9:33 U.S. Stocks Amble to Fresh Records on Optimism for a September Rate Cut WSJ10:26 Isaac Health secures $10.5M to advance technology for brain health and dementia care Fierce Healthcare11:07Citizen Health Inks $30m Sereis A VC Journal14:53 Reprieve Cardiovascular raises $61M for heart failure treatment system Mass Device15:26 Conformal Medical nets $32M to complete trial of foam-based heart occluder Fierce Healthcare15:57  Tony Robbins and Peter Diamandis’ longevity company Fountain Life raises $18M TechCrunch16:56 Gameto Secures $44M to Advance Stem Cell Therapy for Infertility and Menopause HIT  Consultant17:41 Arintra Raises $21M to Help Providers Win the Reimbursement Fight MedCity18:03 SetPoint Medical nabs $140M to commercialize neuromod device Modern Healthcare18:36 With Billions at Risk, Nvidia CEO Buys His Way Out of the Trade Battle WSJ23:14 No More Offshore. Startups Look to Spend and Hire in U.S. Due to Trump Tax Change. WSJ25:03 Vinay Prasad, in surprise reversal, to rejoin FDA after abrupt departure Biopharma Dive28:10 Nearly 6,500 providers reject Blue Cross antitrust deal Modern Healthcare29:04 Cardinal Health Posts Mixed Results, Strikes $1.9 Billion Solaris Health Deal WSJ30:14 Providence narrows operating losses in Q2 on volume, commercial rate gains Fierce Healthcare30:36 Kaiser Permanente ahead of last year on revenue and profit Healthcare Finance36:47 Omada grows revenue, membership in public earnings debut Healthcare Dive37:59 Eli Lilly Shares Slide as Weight-Loss Pill Results Dent Enthusiasm WSJ40:20 Bayer, Kumquat Biosciences Team Up on New Potential Cancer Drug WSJ40:57 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pi3A4443HDo41:52 Crypto Firm Circle Posts Loss in First Earnings Report After IPO WSJ47:22 Bullish’s Stock Soars in Latest Test for IPO Market WSJ48:56 Coinbase App X50:56 Oracle Health debuts HF SiteYOUTUBEINSTAGRAMTWITTERFACEBOOKLINKEDINTIKTOK