The Gist Healthcare Podcast

From rapidly expiring Affordable Care Act enhanced tax credits a fast-evolving federal public health agenda, today’s episode of the Gist Healthcare Podcast delves into some of the biggest healthcare policy news of 2025. Michael McAuliff, Modern Healthcare’s policy and politics reporter, joins host J. Carlisle Larsen to break down the news and provide a lookahead to 2026.  

On today’s Gist Healthcare Podcast, the Senate fails to pass legislation meant to address expiring enhanced ACA tax credits, a new study finds that federal relief after the Change Healthcare cyberattack was distributed unevenly, and a record number of medical students now entering the pipeline.

In this episode of The Gist Healthcare Podcast, we cover Senate Republican plans for the potential expiration of enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits, a CDC advisory committee proposal that would shift vaccine recommendations for newborns, and new survey findings that connect clinician turnover to negative EHR experiences.

Burnout continues to challenge physicians, and new data from The Permanente Medical Group shows ambient AI scribes may help ease the burden. On today’s episode, Kristine Lee, MD, Associate Executive Director of Virtual Medicine, Technology, and Innovation at The Permanente Medical Group, returns to share what TPMG learned from its year-long evaluation of the technology, including major time savings, improved workflows, and better patient interactions. 

Senate Democrats introduced legislation that would extend Affordable Care Act tax credits, a proposal that could affect coverage affordability. The Trump Administration issued a revised definition of which professions qualify for higher cap federal student loans. New research also links early adolescent smartphone use to increased risks of depression, obesity, and poor sleep. Hear the full update on The Gist Healthcare Podcast.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is considering updates to how it calculates Medicare Advantage star ratings. The United States and the United Kingdom have agreed to a zero percent pharmaceutical tariff. The House passes legislation to extend the hospital-at-home waiver. Hear more on today’s episode of The Gist Healthcare Podcast.

On today’s Gist Healthcare Podcast: Medicare Part B premiums rise 10 percent next year, the White House is in talks about extending ACA enhanced tax credits, and a federal judge signs off on Purdue Pharma’s bankruptcy plan tied to the opioid crisis.

Following recent improvements in surgical outcomes, hospitals are now confronting new challenges tied to patient complexity, post-acute care access, and workforce capacity.   In this episode, Chris DeRienzo, MD, Senior Vice President and Chief Physician Executive for the American Hospital Association, discusses findings from the latest Vizient and AHA analysis, including how delayed discharges and administrative demands affect care delivery. The conversation also looks at what hospitals are doing to sustain safety gains amid increasing acuity and staffing pressures.  You can listen to the first half of the conversation here.  

On today’s Gist Healthcare Podcast: The government shutdown ends without an agreement to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits. Canada loses its measles elimination status, signaling renewed public health risks. And the Trump Administration seems likely to extend telehealth flexibilities that allow clinicians to prescribe controlled substances without an in-person visit.