The Gist Healthcare Podcast

A second child has died of a measles-related medical complication in Texas, as the number of cases continues to grow nationwide. The Trump Administration reverses a Biden-era proposal that would have allowed Medicare to cover blockbuster GLP-1 drugs for weight loss.  And, a federal judge temporarily blocks $11 billion in public health funding cuts to states. We’ll get those stories—and more—coming up on today’s episode of the Gist Healthcare podcast. 

Cybersecurity remains a top concern for many healthcare organizations as attacks continue to increase. On today’s Monday episode of the Gist Healthcare podcast, we hear the second part of host J. Carlisle Larsen’s conversation with Christian Dameff, MD, emergency physician and Co-Director of the University of California-San Diego’s Center for Healthcare Cybersecurity, about takeaways from last year’s cyberattack on the Change Healthcare clearinghouse and how proposed federal legislation regarding healthcare cybersecurity could impact hospitals, especially in rural areas.   You can listen to the first half of the conversation here.  

The Federal Trade Commission has paused its suit against the nation’s biggest pharmacy benefit managers. States sue the Trump Administration after it abruptly cuts $11 billion in funding for public health initiatives.  And, Eli Lilly says it is not affiliated with Hims & Hers after the telehealth company announces it will sell the drugmaker’s popular weight loss drug Zepbound. We’ll get those stories—and more—coming up on today’s episode of the Gist Healthcare podcast. 

Layoffs at the Department of Health and Human Services begin. The Food and Drug Administration’s top vaccine official resigns, causing share prices of biotech companies to falter. And, Utah becomes the first state to ban fluoride in drinking water. We’ll get those stories—and more—coming up on today’s episode of 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.  

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.

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. 

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. 

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.