The Gist Healthcare Podcast

The Food and Drug Administration approves the first mRNA influenza vaccine. More than 20 Democratic attorneys general sue the federal government over Affordable Care Act marketplace changes. And HCA Healthcare expands its Texas footprint with a major urgent care acquisition. Listen to the latest episode of The Gist Healthcare Podcast.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services finalizes Medicare hospital inpatient payment rates for fiscal year 2027. Two deaths in Michigan have been linked to the nationwide cyclospora outbreak. And a major pharmaceutical merger could be on the horizon. Listen to the latest episode of The Gist Healthcare Podcast.

Improving patient access requires more than new processes. It also requires clinicians, administrators, and healthcare leaders to work toward a shared goal. In Part 2 of our conversation, Victor Hassid, MD,  Associate Vice President of Access Strategic Operations at MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses how organizations can align teams, overcome operational challenges and begin putting a patient safety approach to access into practice.  You can listen to the first half of the conversation here.   You can find Dr. Hassid's article in JAMA here. (paywall) 

Humana will reduce its Medicare Advantage footprint again in 2027. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will end a Medicare Part D premium stabilization program. And the American Red Cross has declared a national blood supply crisis. Listen to the latest episode of The Gist Healthcare Podcast.

No Surprises Act payment disputes continue to rise. Centene raises its full-year financial outlook after a strong second quarter. And the FDA selects the first participant in its digital health pilot program. Listen to these stories and more on today's episode of The Gist Healthcare Podcast.

Healthcare organizations have spent decades working to improve patient safety, but those efforts have traditionally focused on what happens after a patient enters the healthcare system. Dr. Victor Hassid, Associate Vice President of Access Strategic Operations at MD Anderson Cancer Center, joins the podcast to discuss why he believes patient safety begins much earlier and why delays and breakdowns in access should be viewed through the lens of patient safety.  You can find Dr. Hassid's article here. (paywall) 

The Trump administration limits most student visa stays to four years, potentially affecting foreign medical students. New data show clinics and physician practices drove healthcare bankruptcies in the first half of the year. And confirmed U.S. measles cases have reached a new milestone. Listen to the latest episode of The Gist Healthcare Podcast.

The Trump administration freezes $1 billion in Medicaid funding to California and Minnesota. The Senate blocks an effort to halt Medicare's AI prior authorization pilot. And Eli Lilly expands into the psychedelic drug market. Listen to these stories and more on today's episode of The Gist Healthcare Podcast.

As healthcare affordability remains a top concern for voters, political messaging is taking shape ahead of the 2026 midterms. Michael McAuliff, politics and policy reporter for Modern Healthcare, joins host J. Carlisle Larsen to discuss how candidates are talking about Medicaid, Medicare for All, and other healthcare issues—and what to watch as the campaign season continues.