Podcasts about fierce healthcare

Maria Artunduaga is the founder & CEO of Samay, the winner of the 2024 MedTech Innovator accelerator, as well as a groundbreaking physician, scientist, and inventor. Maria discusses her inspiring journey from a small town in Columbia to leading a top MedTech company in the US. After pivoting away from plastic surgery training, she channeled her efforts into creating Sylvee, an AI wearable sensor for COPD patients. Maria shares her relentless determination, innovative problem-solving strategies, and the creation of a company culture that emphasizes learning and diversity.    Guest links: https://www.samayhealth.com/home | https://www.linkedin.com/in/drartunduaga/  Charity supported: ASPCA Interested in being a guest on the show or have feedback to share? Email us at theleadingdifference@velentium.com.  PRODUCTION CREDITS Host: Lindsey Dinneen Editing: Marketing Wise Producer: Velentium   EPISODE TRANSCRIPT Episode 057 - Maria Artunduaga [00:00:00] Lindsey Dinneen: Hi, I'm Lindsey and I'm talking with MedTech industry leaders on how they change lives for a better world. [00:00:09] Diane Bouis: The inventions and technologies are fascinating and so are the people who work with them. [00:00:15] Frank Jaskulke: There was a period of time where I realized, fundamentally, my job was to go hang out with really smart people that are saving lives and then do work that would help them save more lives. [00:00:28] Diane Bouis: I got into the business to save lives and it is incredibly motivating to work with people who are in that same business, saving or improving lives. [00:00:38] Duane Mancini: What better industry than where I get to wake up every day and just save people's lives. [00:00:42] Lindsey Dinneen: These are extraordinary people doing extraordinary work, and this is The Leading Difference. Hello, and welcome back to another episode of The Leading Difference podcast. I'm your host Lindsey, and I am delighted to welcome as my guest today, Maria Artunduaga. Maria is a physician, scientist, and inventor with 60 plus prizes, including becoming the first woman to lead a US LATAM company to win MedTech Innovator, the world's most competitive accelerator for medical technology surpassing over 1300 global companies. A top 1% student in Columbia, her country of birth, she relocated to the US to pursue plastic surgery training, but abandoned it to dedicate herself to solve the problem that killed her grandmother-- a lack of home technologies that can detect COPD exasperations early. Maria has raised 5.2 million, almost 60% in non-dilutive capital from NSF and NIH to build Sylvee, an AI wearable sensor that can provide COPD patients with continuous data on pulmonary functions similar to what continuous glucose monitoring sensors do for diabetic patients. Her invention has been featured by a hundred plus media outlets, including Forbes, TechCrunch, Bloomberg, Fierce Healthcare, and more. Before Samay, Maria completed postdoctoral studies in human genetics at Harvard Medical School, started a plastic surgery residency at the University of Chicago, and completed two master's degrees, one in global public health at the University of Washington, and another in translational medicine at the University of California at Berkeley and San Francisco. She lives in Mountain View, California with her husband, 2-year-old daughter, and four pets. In her free time, she enjoys flamenco dancing, bolero singing, traveling the world, and fostering diversity in and outside the workplace by mentoring underrepresented scientists and entrepreneurs. All right. Well, thank you so much for being here, Maria. I'm so excited to finally get a chance to speak with you. I'd love if you would share a little bit about your background and your career trajectory. What led you to MedTech? [00:02:40] Maria Artunduaga: Sure. So it's gonna be a little long and I'm gonna tell you everything about my life because the personal history is very important to me and for my company too. So, as you have noticed, I have an accent. So, I grew up in Columbia in a very small town in the southern part of the country. My parents were both doctors and I'm the oldest of four kids and two of us followed their lead. So my life in my city was pretty chill. Everyone knew everyone. I spent most of my days at a Catholic school studying very hard on weekends where I usually spent tagging along my parents to doctor events. One of the things that I really like to tell, it's how my parents work as entrepreneurs really shaped my life. They were real pioneers. They built in my hometown the first big clinic back in the eighties and the nineties. And my mom was the only woman in that group, and she actually was the CEO for a while, which was a big deal. She was the only woman in a partnership of 10 people. And watching them build that clinic, that hospital really taught me a lot about dealing with uncertainty and finding solutions. Every day we'll have supper or lunch and I'll just hear all of these challenges and stories, their struggles and how they solve things. Something that was, that is definitely super helpful in what I do now, right? So, and then I was 16 and after high school I moved to Bogota, the capital, which is up in the mountains, it's very cold. I got a scholarship 'cause I was always a very good student. You know, career I spent my last year, I spent nine months in the US. Honestly, coming to the US blew my mind. The technology that I got to see, the speed, effects on science, it was nothing like I've ever seen before, and that was true inspiration for me. So I knew that I had to come to the US. I needed to come back to learn from the best, of course. And it's interesting because my parents didn't want me to relocate to the US. I was the oldest. I was supposed to follow into their footsteps and obviously, like inherited that clinic, right? That hospital, we call it clinic, it's actually a hospital. And I was a very contrarian. I didn't listen to them. I told them, you know, I really wanna be where the best people are. And what I did was that I, it took me three years to save the money to come to the US, to get Harvard to actually sponsor me my visa because they wouldn't pay me for the first year. So I remember I had to save $30,000, which in pesos is significant. So back in 2007, so many years ago, I made it to Boston, and the original idea was that I wanted to become a pediatric plastic surgeon and bring that level of care back to Columbia. I spent four years of researching a genetic ear condition that's called microtia. And with that work, I was able to land a plastic surgery residency spot or position at the University of Chicago. And I shared this with a lot of people. I actually had a really negative experience. Things didn't go as planned. I actually faced discrimination. I eventually, you know, had to leave and I made the top choice to never ever go back into clinical practice. And I changed paths. I was 32 years old and yeah I decided to switch gears. I retrained into public health and tech. And then in 2016, I moved to the Bay Area where I am right now. And I got another scholarship to finish master's in translational medicine at UC Berkeley and UCSF. And during the courses that I took, some of them with business class etc., etc., I decided to found Samay in 2018. I really wanted to build something that would really make a difference in respiratory medicine. And this is where my grandmother comes. So my, the grandmother, my abuela, her name was Sylvia and she had Chronic Obstruct Pulmonary Disease or COPD and she's the reason behind my company. So, she often couldn't tell when her symptoms were getting worse. That's a huge problem. Catching the respiratory attacks, exacerbations is definitely key to keeping people outside of the hospitals, and obviously feeling their best to have a better quality of life. So, that's what we are trying to solve with a company, right? If we are able to catch those exacerbations even with a day or two notice in advance, right, that we can all make a difference. And so by missing these exacerbations, we are having really high expenses in hospitalizations and ER visits and the problem we trying to solve is that today technologies that are adequate enough to be used outside of the hospital because the ones that are considered to be the gold standard, they are very expensive. They are confined to their hospitals and they are very difficult to complete for the patient, especially when they're exacerbating. They need to blow out forcefully for about 10 seconds, 21 times. So what we are doing is, we are developing a sensor that makes it super simple for people to use it at home to track their lung function without doing those forceful maneuvers and ideally in the future to warm them, right? Like to let them know when things are starting to go south or obviously, you know, not going very well, and that's what it's all about. I mean, that's what we do with Sylvee right here. And it's wearable sensor and we have done significantly well over the past couple of years. We actually just won MedTech Innovator. [00:08:04] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Significantly well over the last few years. Yes. So congratulations on that, and I want to dive into all of those exciting milestones in just a second. But I am, first of all, so inspired by your story. Thank you for just sharing that your resilience and your grit and your determination are really admirable. So thank you for sticking with something that was not easy, not an easy path. [00:08:29] Maria Artunduaga: I know. I know. [00:08:31] Lindsey Dinneen: It continues not to be, ironically, as we've kind of touched on before, but just going backward a little bit in your story. So I, it sounds to me like getting the opportunity to watch your parents have this incredible impact on their community and the healthcare and the opportunity is just so valuable for you. And even just learning about how your mom was the CEO and those kinds of things, did that help shape the idea for you that not only is entrepreneurship possible, is innovation and healthcare possible, but you can also be this in incredible leader as a woman in whatever capacity? I would just love to dive into that. [00:09:13] Maria Artunduaga: Yeah, it's super interesting, right? My mom really taught me a lot about leadership. She's a surgeon, so you can imagine how good of a leader she is in the operating room at home, everywhere, right? I mean, she's definitely the general, that's how I call her. And I honestly, I try to replicate, so my leadership and styles pretty much shaped by her. So I always call her my best role model whenever somebody asks me about the question, right? So I'm just like her. I lead from the front. I like setting the pace by working the hardest. So I really like to lead by example and I also, just like she did, and obviously because of her surgical training, I hold myself to a really high standard, and I expect everyone on my team to do the same. So people in my company know that I'm very strict, I'm very disciplined, and they know that from the beginning. It's so funny because when I interview all of them, at the final interviews with me, and I actually do the anti sale to join Samay. It's like, this is, these are all the reasons why you shouldn't join. I start describing myself as a very intense, obsessed CEO with insomnia, which I still have, because I really wanna make this work, right? So, yeah, I, ask them, and most of them say yes. I really like, I attract people that like challenges, especially intellectual challenges. So, yeah, to this point, most of them say yes. Some of them have obviously, you know, because probably too much. But at the same time, I tell them, "Look, this is going to be very hard in terms of the deliverables, the things that we're expecting from you." But at the same time, my goal is to not only help people with respiratory problems, I try to sell the company as a company where everyone that gets hired can be themselves and thrive. So, so for example, I tell them," Look, I'm trying to be the boss that I never had." And this goes obviously very tied to the very negative experience that I had during my surgical residency and even before, right? So, I never had a boss that really supported me, who recognize my true self and those characteristics as good things, right? So they always try to tone me down. I'm very energetic, as you can notice, and I'm also super ambitious. I'm really ambitious. I wanna do all of these great things. And they always thought that I was aiming for too much, especially for a woman. It's like, " You need to lean in, Maria. You need to behave." So I remember my residency, they were criticizing like, "Why are you behaving like this, Maria? Why are you asking so many questions? You're asking too many questions. You look more as an internal medicine doctor. Why are you always smiling, Maria? Why are you so happy?" So now, with everyone that I hire, what I try to do is that I focus on understanding their dreams and I try to figure out how this job is gonna help them get there. So if they wanna become a top engineer, maybe they wanna learn managerial skills, or they wanna run operations, or they eventually wanna become a founder themselves. So I try to create a partnership with them where they obviously help me succeed with the company, build Samay, but at the same time they get to do this personal growth. So it's extremely important that they get to place where they wanna be. [00:12:32] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, that's wonderful. And such a gift to your employees. And I also honestly, that sort of anti interview or whatever technique is brilliant because you do want it to be a fit for everyone, and it's so much better to have aligned expectations from the start. So, oh my goodness, that's so interesting. So, okay, so then. Speaking into that, how do you develop a company culture for yourself? You've learned from some pretty negative experiences, so obviously that's what not to do, but you know, as you're crafting your own company culture now, what kinds of things are sort of your core values, other than of course, your hard work and your excellence and holding yourself and others to high standards, but what kinds of things do have you developed that make it special to be where you are? [00:13:19] Maria Artunduaga: Yeah, I mean, that's a really good question. I'm very true to myself, and one of the things that I wanna do with Samay, it's I wanna create legacy. If you go to my WhatsApp, that's exactly the little logo or the slogan that's below my name: I'm creating or building my life's legacy. That's how I pitch myself. So I really wanna be remembered as someone that made healthcare more accessible, especially for the people that get left behind. So growing up in Columbia, I saw firsthand how unfair things will be and I wanted to change that. So that's how the values of Samay go, people first. I think legacy, it's extremely important, right? It's about getting those life changing tools and opportunities into the hands of people who really need them. And again, it's not necessarily, the group that we're building. It's the own experience of building a company with me, learning from the company, from the people that are working with. I really wanna make it accessible for people. And I wanna also be obviously a source of inspiration. You don't necessarily need to be this perfect person to be a CEO. You know, life is a struggle and that's totally fine. Just be very passionate about building legacy, right, your work and how you're impacting other people. And especially for me, I do a lot of work with women and minorities. I really wanna empower them to chase their dreams in science and technology. I really care about people. I don't know, I'm selfless about me. It's all about the others and creating legacy and being remembered. So, yeah, that's how I, that's how I roll. [00:14:59] Lindsey Dinneen: I love that. I love that. So speaking of you embracing the CEO role, when you first started your company, did you feel ready to step into this kind of position? Or was it something where you just were like, "You know what? I see the need. I know I can make a difference in this field. I'm gonna do it and I'll learn along the way." [00:15:19] Maria Artunduaga: No, not at all. And let, so there's a very good anecdote that I'm sharing. Again, back to all of these life changing experiences. I got into medtech because of, I don't know, somehow the planets got aligned, right? So I was doing a master's in public health because I thought that was going to be my real call, working for Gates in Seattle, because that's where I actually lived for about two years. Then I came to realize that it was very bureaucratic. It's very, was very slow. I have a type A personality. I really like to fix things very quick. I like to implement stuff. So I decided to do a second master's degree, and as I mentioned, here in Berkeley, I decided to join one of Atma METs minority programs for students, right? It's called SMDP. And I remember that was back in 2016, and they sent me to Minneapolis for the big conference. And that's where I got my first real taste of MedTech. And I remember watching the MedTech Innovator finals with Paul Grand. He was introducing the program, the finalist. I remember clearly seeing all of his pitches and how Green Sun Medical CEO won, and it was a game changer to me because when I saw them pitch, it was very exciting. You know, all these technologies, the many millions of people they could definitely impact, I saw that, and it clicked. I could turn the scientific ideas into something that helps millions in a way, the way how I would practice medicine, but in a more impactful way. So interesting story though. So the other thing that was very inspiring or at least that motivated me, I was the only person in the room who looked like me and spoke with an accent from South America, from Latin America. So it was like two reasons behind it. For me, it was I wanna be a medtech entrepreneur, but at the same time I wanna be able to break the glass ceiling, right? The first Latina physician CEO building a company that has hardware, software, and AI, this is what we actually do. And yeah, so it, it's mainly that. I really like challenges and I'm very motivated to show people that I can do things that might seem impossible or too difficult. So I really like showing people that anything is possible with a lot of hard work and determination. So yeah, that's mainly it. [00:17:47] Lindsey Dinneen: I love that. Embracing those challenges, running full steam at them and having that, I don't know, that gumption is fantastic too. And the desire, like... [00:17:57] Maria Artunduaga: Thank you. [00:17:57] Lindsey Dinneen: ...you said, to break through those ceilings and to represent and say, "No, it is possible." It is, and I love that. So, excellent. Okay, so can you share a little bit about the journey that the company has gone under recently and some of the really exciting milestones? I know there have been bumps and whatnot, but maybe some of the exciting things that have been developing and what you're looking forward to as you continue down the road. [00:18:24] Maria Artunduaga: Sure. I mean, whew. There are so many things that have been happening for the last couple of months. So it's been a long journey. It's been six years so far. Initially, you know, I wanted to build a company with an idea that was inspired, obviously, by the fact that I lost my grandmother to exacerbation and also because, at the time, I didn't know what I wanted to build. When I was doing an interview with a pulmonologist, what I realized was that I could actually build a technology that could be inspired by consumer devices, so hearing aids for example. And funny story is that my husband who is also Columbian, and went to MIT, he's been working at Google for over a decade and he's an auto engineer. He does a lot of things. He's very smart and he's one of the main architects. What I decided to do back then was, let's repurpose hearing aid technology by sending signals through the chest, and let's use the physical principle of acoustic resonance to understand what's going on inside of the lungs. And that's exactly what we are doing. We have 10 granted patents so far. We have 20 more pending on pulmonary so far. So we've done a lot of things. So we've tested that device on 450 people almost. All of our numbers of accuracy are over 90. Sensitivities and specificities are also between 82 to 98. Right now we are starting to see changes a few days before an exacerbation is actually diagnosed by a physician, which is extremely exciting. We have data from two people. Obviously it's a small sample size. We are following eight of them, and we're aiming to finish at 60 to hundred people in the next year or so. So that's our main goal. We've raised 5.2 million, 60% of that money is coming from grants, federal grants, and we just submitted a breakthrough designation to the FDA about a week ago, so fingers crossed, though, we get it right? There are a lot of things in the pipeline, things that are very exciting. Right now I'm super excited 'cause those six years were very hard. I was running a science project with my nails, getting money from grants, help from people who have known me forever. It was very hard for me to recruit a full-time CTO. So my husband has been helping me with some hours here and there. And we have right now 12 people in Columbia. So for developers, designers, clinical researchers, we are running most of our operations in Latin America because it's extremely, well, obviously cost efficient, and more importantly, we have access to people that are patients especially that are, that exacerbate more often. So we are to leverage all the different angles that we can get. [00:21:04] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Wow. So lots of exciting things in the works and in the future, and oh my goodness, I'm so excited, can't wait to continue to celebrate all those wonderful accomplishments. So I'm curious, as you've taken this journey and even before with your other health experiences and finding this path, are there any moments all along the journey that really stand out to you as affirming, "Yes, I am in the right place at the right time, in the right industry." [00:21:31] Maria Artunduaga: Yeah, beyond the MedTech Innovator, the experience eight years ago, I mean, every day I find that this is the perfect fit for me. I always tell people, "Look, entrepreneurship is not for everyone. It really needs to be a fit of personality." So when I talked to my parents, because at the beginning they weren't very agreeable with the idea of me becoming an entrepreneur 'cause physicians don't do this, right? I was sort of like a black sheep of a family, 'cause my sister, she's successful and she's a pediatric radiologist as she's working for an academic center in, in Dallas. So, my personality, I'm Type A. I'm very anxious. I really like doing things super fast. I really like to get things done, right? So, I dunno if I picked the wrong career, probably could have done a better job as an engineer, as a scientist myself. So at heart, I'm a true scientist. That's what I really enjoy. I like practicing medicine, sort of miss it a little bit, but I'm more in the quest of solving questions and discovering, right? That's what really excites me. And then, every day is a new day when you're building a company. And the challenges that I have every day, all of the problems I have to solve, I really enjoy the process of solving them. And this is a little crazy. Who gets excited with problems, right? So, I don't know, that's probably me. So I guess every day, the moment I go home or that I go to sleep, I say, "This is perfect. I don't think I'll be as happy as I am right now if I had stayed medicine. I don't think so." [00:23:10] Lindsey Dinneen: Wow. And that says a lot. And that just affirms to you on a daily basis, "Yeah. I am doing what I'm supposed to be doing. That's wonderful. [00:23:17] Maria Artunduaga: Exactly. Right. It's like, yeah, I'm good at this thing. You know? I like solving problems. I got, I really enjoy the fires. I really like them. I's like, I don't know. I'm, yeah. I'm addicted to them. [00:23:30] Lindsey Dinneen: I love that. Well, and that is unusual, and I'm curious, do you? But it's a great thing. No, it's a wonderful thing. Yeah, no, absolutely. I love that. So, so when you're at finding yourself up against a problem, do you start with any particular kind of established framework? Do you like to just brainstorm solutions? How do you approach problem solving? [00:23:53] Maria Artunduaga: Gosh, this is a really good question. It's like, you know, if I had to teach something, right? So I'm very good at solving problems, at connecting different disciplines, right, to solve those issues. So for example, the way how I go about them, first of all, I don't get frustrated or too anxious about it. I always try to think first, right? And then, yeah, I start brainstorming. I'm very quick at thinking, my mind goes super quick. I have a whiteboard right behind me. I do a lot brainstorming on my own. I ask a lot of questions too. So I rely on a lot of people, and I get a lot of feedback on the way, how I think a problem needs to be solved. And obviously with time and experience, the older that you get, the better you become, right? So yeah, honestly, every problem is different. I just like seeing it from different angles, right? I'm very good with social stuff. I'm very good with arts too. I really like doing science, learning a about engineering. I really like different ways of solving problems. For example, I remember that I we had this NIH grant and we were working collaboration with a big, famous academic center right here. And things weren't working very well. That was through during a pandemic and I was getting charged things that we actually didn't approve. So things were getting a little awkward. I decided to finalize that agreement. But then I got through this situation that I had no access to patients here in the States, and at the time, I didn't have my clinical site in Columbia opened up. So what I did was the craziest thing, which is what I did, was that I bought an $80,000 machine and I came into an agreement with a friend from medical school who has a pulmonary practice in South Florida, one of the largest pulmonary practices. He's a partner with nine other guys, and they see probably a hundred patients every day. Can you imagine that? So respiratory patients, and I told him, "Look, I don't have any money to pay your rent, but I'm gonna give you equity for that rent, and you're gonna use this machine from Monday through Thursday, and I'm going to test your patients from Friday to Saturday. And I'm going to bring people, I'm going to become my own CRO, right? So I'm gonna bring people, doctors, from Columbia on a J1 visa as a research scholar visa. I'm gonna train them and I'm gonna get them to do the recruitment, review everything, test the patients. We are going to become our own CROs, and we are going to do as many people as we can every single week." So we were able to do 430 people in a span of a probably a year and a half. Something that usually would cost us thousands of dollars. I dunno how much money I spend, probably just 300,000 to do everything. Can you imagine? I mean, that's significantly cheap compared to any other quote that I've been getting from an academic center. So, I sometimes go for the crazy idea, right? Like, what's the craziest thing that I could think of? I literally, I write it down, right? And then I just try to double check with my lawyer. "Am I doing something illegal here?" And I, yeah, I cross reference with other founders. " I'm thinking of doing this, how that's that sound?" And they're like, "This is pretty non-traditional, Maria, but I mean, if you can get it done..." I'm like, "Yeah, of course I can get it done." And I just get it done. I just don't take a no for an answer. I'm very good at also finding, convincing people to jump on board with the vision, the mission. This excitement, this energy, people really get very engaged with Samay and with me as a founder, and they love it. Most of these people either have invested in the company, they are helping me many more hours, pro bono, literally free, and we are building together. [00:27:43] Lindsey Dinneen: Wow, that is so cool. And what a fantastic story. Thank you for sharing that one as well. Oh my word. [00:27:50] Maria Artunduaga: I have way too many stories to share. This is the one I really like to, to tell people. [00:27:55] Lindsey Dinneen: I love that, and I love the willingness to come up with those crazy ideas. And it might be just so crazy that it works. So, hey, you never know until you try, and that's fantastic. Oh my gosh, I love that approach. Alright, so pivoting the conversation a little bit just for fun. Imagine you are to be offered a million dollars to teach a masterclass... I know! ...to teach a masterclass on anything you want. What would you choose to teach? [00:28:22] Maria Artunduaga: Yeah. So, good question. So, gosh, I, I tackle problem. So my, my brain again is very good at figuring stuff out. That plus the fact that I'm very stubborn. So if I'm into something, I don't give up easily. And now I'm gonna tell the story about our winning MedTech Innovator. We beat 65 companies globally, right? And I still like, sort of, I cannot process that we won. So the story goes like this, but a year ago, I tried to raise five millions, my very first institutional round, and I totally flopped. [00:28:55] Lindsey Dinneen: Oh. [00:28:56] Maria Artunduaga: I only got $200,000 because multiple funds that I was talking to, they wanted me to feel half of the round before weighing any money or signing anything. So you can imagine. So do I got, you know, chicken or the egg problem? I failed. And instead of crying or mopping, I thought, "Okay, wait. I got into Medtech Innovator. You know what? I'm just gonna win that competition, still $350,000." And why not? So obviously people, my advisors, my best friend, "Like, you're crazy. It's the most competitive thing ever. You're not established in the field. People know who you are, but it's not like you have exited a company or anything, right? You're not even an engineer, Maria." So what I did was, again I went back to my whiteboard. Again, I probably should have become an engineer before, I dunno. I'm really good at solving problems. So I was like, "You know, this is a problem. These are the different ways how I can tackle this." And more importantly, I'm very good at the studying stuff. I really like, again, knowing, wisdom, information. I just love that. I really love that. So what I did was, I treat it like a big project, and I talked to the past winners, anyone who had done or won any sort of like prize with MedTech Innovator, and I figure out their secret sauce. So I either talk to them, I studied every single video, every single pitch. I spend many hours studying everyone who had one or had done significantly well throughout the accelerator. So what I discovered was the accelerator was kind of a school, like a school. So the harder you work, the better you do. And one of the things that I realized was that mentors and reviewers were key players. So I focused on building those connections. I met with many of them. I probably spent about, I don't know, probably four to five hours meeting with mentors, anyone who I thought could help me somehow, obviously, for free, because a lot of the help that they give used for free. And I also spent a lot of time doing homework, the webinars, et cetera, et cetera. I ask a lot of people for advice. I really got people excited about Samay. I recruited my mentors and they got on board from day one. Because of that, I started building those relationships and it was authentic. I mean, don't get me wrong, this wasn't like, you know, I'm trying to play anybody. I really care about what they had to say, and I incorporate all that feedback into my company to this day. So the other thing is, I make sure to go to everywhere, every webinar, every event, everything. My camera was always on, because most people, when they do their webinars, they don't even turn on their cameras, right? So I was very engaged. I was asking questions, I was getting involved with everything. Same thing with the Slack channel that we have for MedTech Innovator. I was helping people, I was sharing stuff. I was even offering to make introductions. I really made sure that people knew who I was. And I obviously also asked the MedTech Innovator people, the staff, for help, feedback, right? Am I doing this right? What do you think I should do? Anything that you can share with me that you think. I was very clear with them. I wanna go to the, I wanna get to the finals. I told them, and I remember they telling me, "Oh, Maria, about getting to the finals, it's so hard. It depends on the strategics and the sponsors." And I was like, " I'm gonna get there. What do you think I should do?" So I literally ask a lot of people how I needed to get there. And with the finals, the way how they pick the finalist, it's actually the mentors who go in front of the strategics, and they sort of champion your company. And they really went to bat for us. They told them how committed I was, the many people that from my team were actually going for participating to the winner because I brought people from my team... [00:32:45] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. [00:32:46] Maria Artunduaga: You know, very few founders did that. I brought people from Colombia, obviously online, people who barely could understand English. But, I made them prepare questions. "You need to do this and that we need to be super engaged. We need to help other people." And they saw it was hard work. And at the end, we got into the finals and what I realized was, okay, so after the finals, I understood that the game was, obviously it changed. The way how the winner is chosen is that the audience votes, right, during The MedTech Conference. So what I did was, I went all in on social media. We made an awesome video for the best video competition. I remember that that was the first thing that I did back in June. I scheduled two weeks. I flew to Columbia. I hired right people. I made sure that I was perfect, so I was part of the creative team. I designed everything. Again, I really like arts, right? That's why, one of the reasons why I didn't, I was in pleasantry and that's why I really like dancing too, right? So I'm obsessive with everything that we do. I really am into the details and I supervise everything. And we also got into the finals for the best video competition. So I was going to this problem from every single angle. I didn't let anything up to chance. I, yeah, I'm a freak. I'm a control freak. That's what I did. I remember that even for the pitch, the four and a half minute pitch, I practiced, I don't know how many hours, but every single thing that I say that was obviously memorized, needed to be perfect. The way how I, let's go back to dancing since you're a dancer yourself, the way how I moved my hands, right? The way, how I walked on that stage, everything was rehearsed. So, yeah, I mean, I just I worked my ass off. I mean, everything was the way it needed to be and that's how we won. [00:34:39] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Wow. That's great. What a fantastic story. Yeah. Amazing. Yes. I love how it's so choreographed. Yeah, that's [00:34:48] Maria Artunduaga: great. It was choreographed, [00:34:50] Lindsey Dinneen: I love that. Excellent. Well, I know you have touched on the importance of legacy and how much that means to you, but how do you wish to be remembered after you leave this world? [00:35:03] Maria Artunduaga: Oh gosh. Yeah. I mean, so I have a little daughter, I want to some somehow replicate the same experience that I had with my mom. Maybe she doesn't even realize how much of the inspiration and the impact that she had on me. And again, leading by example, I don't spend a lot of hours with my daughter, right? I have a nanny for 12 hours. So my salary goes to her payment, right? Yeah, I wanna be remembered as somebody who tried very hard, who literally, instead of saying things, I walked the talk. The things that I said I was going to say. For example, I'm very opinionated with anything diversity and inclusion because, as I've said, I've experienced discrimination myself. So I walk the talk, I build a product, I build the change. I worked really hard. I impacted a lot of people. And more importantly, the world has changed somehow because I existed. So that's that. It's as simple as that. I wanna help other people get to fulfillment of their lives and their dreams. And yeah, and I obviously wanna be happy while I do all of these things. And more importantly, I wanna feel that I learned a lot. I really like learning. The process of learning every single day, learning a new thing makes me super happy. So if I don't learn something new, I consider day as, you know, as like a flop or something. So yeah, it's very simple. I'm actually a very simple person, I'm not that complicated. [00:36:30] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Okay. And then final question. What is one thing that makes you smile every time you see or think about it? [00:36:39] Maria Artunduaga: Oh, cute. I mean, obviously my daughter. So I'm a mom. I'm 44, well, almost 45, and I had her at 42. So just thinking about her makes me smile every single time. She's a miracle baby. She's, you know, after four years of IVF, eight retrievals, it finally happened. I finally had her, and having her in my life has turned my world upside down in the best way. She's determined, and she's only three. She's diving into doing all sorts of things. She's doing gymnastics, she's building Legos, she's doing engineering stuff. I really like that "I can do anything attitude" and obviously I'm sort of like reinforcing her to do anything she wants to try. So seeing her try all these new things, all this confidence that I, that she has. It's like, I don't know. I mean, that inspires me. That motivates me to be a better mom, a better CEO, and to do exactly the same thing with the people that I work with. So everyone in my company, I I tell them I'm a mom, right? So, remember that, and I try to do the same with them. It's like I tell them, what do you wanna do? What do you wanna learn this month? What do you need? Right? My work as a CEO is getting the resources and put out the fires. Just tell me, and this is your playground, so I'm trying to do exactly the same with my daughter too. But yeah, I'm very happy with her. [00:38:07] Lindsey Dinneen: Aw, that's wonderful. I'm so glad. Well, oh my goodness, this conversation has been amazing. I kind of wish it didn't have to end, but I also wanna respect your time 'cause obviously you have so much going on. But thank you so much for sharing about your story, your advice. You're so inspiring, and I know this is gonna inspire so many people to go for it, and not to have the fear, to have that problem solving mentality, and growth mindset and learning and, hey, look where curiosity got you. [00:38:37] Maria Artunduaga: Yeah, exactly. That's a perfect slogan. It's all about that curiosity and it gets you places. Look at me. [00:38:43] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, exactly. Yeah. And this is just the start. [00:38:47] Maria Artunduaga: Yes, of course. [00:38:48] Lindsey Dinneen: Indeed. So I just wanna say thank you again for your time today, and we just wish you the most continued success as you work to change lives for a better world. [00:38:58] Maria Artunduaga: Thank you so much and thank you again for invitation. I really enjoyed it. [00:39:02] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, absolutely. Me too. And we are honored to be making a donation on your behalf as a thank you for your time today to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which is dedicated to preventing animal cruelty in the United States. We really appreciate you choosing that organization to support and thank you just again, so very much for your time here today. Yeah, and holy cannoli, thank you so much to our listeners for tuning in, and if you're feeling as inspired as I am right now, I'd love it if you'd share this episode with a colleague or two, and we'll catch you next time. [00:39:44] Ben Trombold: The Leading Difference is brought to you by Velentium. Velentium is a full-service CDMO with 100% in-house capability to design, develop, and manufacture medical devices from class two wearables to class three active implantable medical devices. Velentium specializes in active implantables, leads, programmers, and accessories across a wide range of indications, such as neuromodulation, deep brain stimulation, cardiac management, and diabetes management. Velentium's core competencies include electrical, firmware, and mechanical design, mobile apps, embedded cybersecurity, human factors and usability, automated test systems, systems engineering, and contract manufacturing. Velentium works with clients worldwide, from startups seeking funding to established Fortune 100 companies. Visit velentium.com to explore your next step in medical device development.

The Friday Five for May 16th, 2025: Dunkin' and Starbucks Summer 2025 Menus Viral Music Charts for Content Creation Potential Heart Benefit in Shingles Vaccine Possible Hints at ACA Subsidy Direction for 2026 AHIP 2026 Certification Dates   Dunkin' and Starbucks Summer 2025 Menus: “Dunkin' Summer Menu.” Dunkindonuts.Com, Dunkin', www.dunkindonuts.com/en/summer-menu. Accessed 13 May 2025. Fink, Bailey. “Starbucks Is Bringing Back Customers' ‘Favorite Drink Ever' This Summer.” Allrecipes.Com, Allrecipes, 17 Apr. 2025, www.allrecipes.com/starbucks-summer-menu-2025-11717043. Baker, Nicolette. “Starbucks' Summer Menu Just Dropped — Including a Brand-New Iced Beverage.” Foodandwine.Com, Food & Wine, 15 Apr. 2025, www.foodandwine.com/starbucks-summer-menu-2025-11715175.   Viral Music Charts for Content Creation: “100 Top Trending Songs on TikTok.” Tokchart.Com, Tokchart, tokchart.com/. Accessed 14 May 2025. Bowe, Tucker. “Apple Quietly Gave Your Iphone a Simple yet Fun New Feature.” Gearpatrol.Com, Gear Patrol, 12 May 2025, www.gearpatrol.com/tech/apple-music-shazam-viral-chart/.   “Shazam Viral Global Chart .” Shazam.Com, Shazam, www.shazam.com/charts/viral/world. Accessed 14 May 2025. “Spotify Viral 50 - Global.” Spotify.Com, Spotify, open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZEVXbLiRSasKsNU9?si=4zvmJR7bQnajf6_StIGfuw. Accessed 14 May 2025. “Viral Chart on Apple Music.” Music.Apple.Com, Apple Music, music.apple.com/us/playlist/viral-chart/pl.b127c05305ad413fb742e8585599ec84. Accessed 14 May 2025.   Potential Heart Health Benefit in Shingles Vaccine: McLendon, Russell. “Shingles Vaccine Can Reduce Risk of Stroke And Heart Attack, Study Finds.” Sciencealert.Com, ScienceAlert, 12 May 2025, www.sciencealert.com/shingles-vaccine-can-reduce-risk-of-stroke-and-heart-attack-study-finds. Rudy, Melissa. “Shingles Vaccine Has Unexpected Effect on Heart Health.” Foxnews.Com, FOX News Network, 9 May 2025, www.foxnews.com/health/shingles-vaccine-has-unexpected-effect-heart-health. “Shingles Vaccine Lowers the Risk of Heart Disease for up to Eight Years.” Escardio.Org, European Society of Cardiology, 6 May 2025, www.escardio.org/The-ESC/Press-Office/Press-releases/shingles-vaccine-lowers-the-risk-of-heart-disease-for-up-to-eight-years. Griesser, Kameryn. “Shingles Vaccine Reduces Risk of Heart Disease by 23%, Study of One Million People Finds.” Cnn.Com, Cable News Network, 12 May 2025, www.cnn.com/2025/05/09/health/shingles-heart-disease-vaccine-shots-wellness.   Possible Hints at ACA Subsidy Direction for 2026: Tong, Noah. “CMS Hints at Possible Cost-Sharing Reduction Payments for Insurers, Impacting ACA Enrollment.” Fiercehealthcare.Com, Fierce Healthcare, 7 May 2025, www.fiercehealthcare.com/payers/cms-hints-possible-cost-sharing-reduction-payments-insurers-impacting-aca-enrollment. “Explaining Health Care Reform: Questions About Health Insurance Subsidies.” Kff.Org, KFF, 25 Oct. 2024, www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/issue-brief/explaining-health-care-reform-questions-about-health-insurance-subsidies/. “Offering of Off-Exchange-Only Plans without ‘CSR Loading.'” Cms.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2 May 2025, www.cms.gov/files/document/offering-exchange-only-plans-without-csr-loading.pdf. “Plan Year 2026 Individual Market Rate Filing Instructions.” Cms.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2 May 2025, www.cms.gov/files/document/py-26-individual-market-rate-filing-instructions.pdf.   AHIP 2026 Certification Dates: “AHIP Medicare + Fraud, Waste, and Abuse Online Course.” Ahipmedicaretraining.Com, AHIP, www.ahipmedicaretraining.com/page/login. Accessed 13 May 2025.   Resources:   Follow Us on Social! Ritter on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/RitterIM Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/ritter.insurance.marketing/ LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/company/ritter-insurance-marketing TikTok, https://www.tiktok.com/@ritterim X, https://x.com/RitterIM and YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/user/RitterInsurance     Sarah on LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/sjrueppel/ Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/thesarahjrueppel/ and Threads, https://www.threads.net/@thesarahjrueppel  Tina on LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/tina-lamoreux-6384b7199/   Not affiliated with or endorsed by Medicare or any government agency. Contact the Agent Survival Guide Podcast! Email us ASGPodcast@Ritterim.com or call 1-717-562-7211 and leave a voicemail.

The Friday Five for May 9, 2025: Rite Aid Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Again Apple WWDC 2025 Dates & Rumors Discount Medicare Insurance Scam Alert Rueppel Recommends Books & Streaming Picks May 2025 Aetna Health Plans to Exit ACA Marketplace for CY 2026   Rite Aid Files for 2nd Chapter 11 Bankruptcy: Download the “Rite Aid Letter to Customers - May 5, 2025.” Restructuring.Ra.Kroll.Com, Kroll Restructuring Administration, restructuring.ra.kroll.com/RiteAid/Home-DownloadPDF?id1=MzM0MTA2Mg%3D%3D&id2=0. Accessed 6 May 2025. Grothaus, Michael. “Rite Aid Bankruptcy: What to Know about Store Closings, Prescription Transfers, Layoffs, Gift Cards, and More.” Fastcompany.Com, Fast Company, 6 May 2025, www.fastcompany.com/91329223/rite-aid-bankruptcy-2025-stores-closing-prescription-transfers-gift-cards. Arias, Pilar. “Rite Aid Files for Bankruptcy for Second Time in Less than 2 Years.” Foxbusiness.Com, Fox Business, 6 May 2025, www.foxbusiness.com/economy/rite-aid-files-bankruptcy-second-time-less-than-2-years. Powel, James. “Rite Aid Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, Promises ‘smooth Transfer' of Prescriptions.” Usatoday.Com, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 6 May 2025, www.usatoday.com/story/money/retail/2025/05/05/rite-aid-chapter-11-bankruptcy/83467189007/. “Rite Aid Store Locater.” Riteaid.Com, Rite Aid, www.riteaid.com/locations/. Accessed 6 May 2025. Urie, Daniel. “Rite Aid Tells Vendors It ‘Has Generally Stopped Purchasing Goods and Services.'” Pennlive.Com, PennLive, 5 May 2025, www.pennlive.com/business/2025/05/rite-aid-tells-vendors-it-has-generally-stopped-purchasing-goods-and-services.html. Mills, Sean I. “What to Do with Your Prescriptions Now That Rite Aid Is Closing All Stores.” Romesentinel.Com, Daily Sentinel, 6 May 2025, www.romesentinel.com/news/rome-new-hartford-rite-aid-store-closings/article_98f2300b-600c-4937-b8d0-686ece8d36e9.html.   Apple WWDC 2025 Dates & Rumors: Lovejoy, Ben. “90% of People Shouldn't Buy the iPhone 17 Air, per Apple.” 9to5mac.Com, 9to5Mac, 6 May 2025, 9to5mac.com/2025/05/06/90-of-people-shouldnt-buy-the-iphone-17-air-per-apple/. Schroeder, Stan. “Apple Is Planning a New iPhone Launch Schedule, Report Claims.” Mashable, Mashable, 5 May 2025, mashable.com/article/apple-iphone-launch-schedule. “iOS 7 vs iOS 6 Side-by-Side Visual Comparisons.” Osxdaily.Com, OS X Daily, osxdaily.com/2013/06/11/ios-7-vs-ios-6-visual-comparison/. Accessed 6 May 2025. Christoffel, Ryan. “iOS 19: Three New Features Are Being Announced next Month.” 9to5mac.Com, 9to5Mac, 5 May 2025, 9to5mac.com/2025/05/05/ios-19-three-new-features-are-being-announced-next-month/. Clover, Juli. “iOS 19: Everything We Know.” Macrumors.Com, MacRumors, 5 May 2025, www.macrumors.com/roundup/ios-19/.   Discount Medicare Insurance Scam Alert: “Emerging Discount Medical Insurance Scams.” Ic3.Gov, Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), 30 Apr. 2025, www.ic3.gov/PSA/2025/PSA250430. Dimuro, Claudia. “FBI Alerts Public in Pa., beyond to Emerging Scam: Here's What to Know.” Pennlive.Com, PennLive, 5 May 2025, www.pennlive.com/life/2025/05/fbi-alerts-public-in-pa-beyond-to-emerging-scam-heres-what-to-know.html. Burman, Theo. “FBI Issues New Warning Over Health Insurance Scams.” Newsweek.Com, Newsweek, 6 May 2025, www.newsweek.com/fbi-issues-new-warning-over-health-insurance-scams-2068626.   Rueppel Recommends: Wynn-Williams, Sarah. “Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism.” Spotify, Flatiron Books, open.spotify.com/show/279JRLPYDjvmsS81C7SOzg?si=215e5504c3ea4510. Accessed 6 May 2025. Ridgely, Charlie. “Everything Coming to Netflix, Max, Disney+ & Other Streaming Services in May 2025.” ComicBook.Com, ComicBook, 30 Apr. 2025, comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/new-streaming-movies-tv-shows-may-2025-netflix-disney-max/. Bet-David, Patrick. “Your Next Five Moves: Master the Art of Business Strategy.” Spotify, Gallery Books, https://open.spotify.com/show/1mCTkhoZxUOH6iA9b8Dx2y?si=b11263c88e3a43ff. Accessed 6 May 2025. Bet-David, Patrick. Your Next Five Moves, Gallery Books, www.yournextfivemoves.com/. Accessed 6 May 2025.   Aetna Health Plans to Exit ACA Marketplace for CY 2026: Minemyer, Paige. “Aetna to Exit the ACA Exchanges in 2026.” Fiercehealthcare.Com, Fierce Healthcare, 1 May 2025, www.fiercehealthcare.com/payers/aetna-exit-aca-exchanges-2026. Pifer, Rebecca. “CVS Plans to Exit ACA Individual Exchanges, Strikes Wegovy Deal with Novo Nordisk.” Healthcaredive.Com, Healthcare Dive, 1 May 2025, www.healthcaredive.com/news/cvs-aetna-exit-aca-novo-nordisk-wegovy-deal/746833/. Japsen, Bruce. “CVS Plans To Exit Obamacare In 2026, Affecting 1 Million Aetna Members.” Forbes.Com, Forbes Magazine, 1 May 2025, www.forbes.com/sites/brucejapsen/2025/05/01/cvs-plans-to-exit-obamacare-in-2026-impacting-1-million-aetna-members/. How Plan Crosswalks Work in the ACA Marketplace: https://lnk.to/ASG664   Resources: 5 Myths About Selling ACA Health Insurance Plans: https://lnk.to/asg660  5 Things from the CMS 2026 MA and Part D Final Rule: https://lnk.to/asgf20250502  Agent Requirements for ACA Sales: https://lnk.to/ASG662 Learn How to Sell ACA Products During the Off-Season ft. Danica Stover: https://lnk.to/asg661  Leveling Up: From Chill Mode to Growth Mode ft. Christian Brindle: https://lnk.to/brindle2025   Follow Us on Social!  Ritter on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/RitterIM Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/ritter.insurance.marketing/ LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/company/ritter-insurance-marketing TikTok, https://www.tiktok.com/@ritterim X, https://x.com/RitterIM and YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/user/RitterInsurance     Sarah on LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/sjrueppel/ Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/thesarahjrueppel/ and Threads, https://www.threads.net/@thesarahjrueppel  Tina on LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/tina-lamoreux-6384b7199/   Not affiliated with or endorsed by Medicare or any government agency. Contact the Agent Survival Guide Podcast! Email us ASGPodcast@Ritterim.com or call 1-717-562-7211 and leave a voicemail.

Rural Health News is a weekly segment of Rural Health Today, a podcast by Hillsdale Hospital. News sources for this episode: Alex Montero et. al, “KFF Tracking Poll on Health Information and Trust: The Public's Views on Measles Outbreaks and Misinformation,” April 23, 2025, https://www.kff.org/health-information-and-trust/poll-finding/kff-tracking-poll-on-health-information-and-trust-the-publics-views-on-measles-outbreaks-and-misinformation/, KFF Health News. CDC SchoolVaxView, “Vaccination Coverage and Exemptions among Kindergartners,” October 2, 2024, https://www.cdc.gov/schoolvaxview/data/index.html.  Bram Sable-Smith et. al, “Slashed Federal Funding Cancels Vaccine Clinics Amid Measles Surge,” April 9, 2025, https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/vaccine-clinics-canceled-measles-surge-federal-funding-cuts/, KFF Health News. Madeline Ashley, “4 hospital closures in 2 weeks,” April 22, 2025, https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/finance/4-hospital-closures-in-2-weeks/?origin=BHRE&utm_source=BHRE&utm_medium=email&utm_content=newsletter&oly_enc_id=8018I7467278H7C, Becker's Hospital Review. Richard Menger, MD, MPA, “Hospital Job Cuts Leave Local Economies Struggling,” April 2, 2025, https://www.forbes.com/sites/richardmenger/2025/04/02/when-hospitals-slash-jobs-towns-suffer-economic-pain/, Forbes. Madeline Ashley, “Prime to suspend pediatric inpatient care at Illinois hospital,” April 23, 2025, https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/finance/prime-to-end-pediatric-inpatient-care-at-illinois-hospital/, Becker's Hospital Review. Kelly Gooch, “Providence freezes nonclinical hiring amid economic ‘perfect storm,'” April 21, 2025, https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/finance/providence-freezes-nonclinical-hiring-amid-economic-perfect-storm/, Becker's Hospital Review. Paige Minemyer, “Walgreens launches program to support pharmacy techs in securing a PharmD,” April 23, 2025, https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/retail/walgreens-launches-program-support-pharmacy-techs-securing-pharmd, Fierce Healthcare. Rural Health Today is a production of Hillsdale Hospital in Hillsdale, Michigan and a member of the Health Podcast Network. Our host is JJ Hodshire, our producer is Kyrsten Newlon, and our audio engineer is Kenji Ulmer. Special thanks to our special guests for sharing their expertise on the show, and also to the Hillsdale Hospital marketing team. If you want to submit a question for us to answer on the podcast or learn more about Rural Health Today, visit ruralhealthtoday.com

  The Friday Five for April 25, 2025: Dr. Oz shares MAHA vision as CMS admin CY 2026 Part D Coverage Cost Breakdown CY 2026 Selected Drug Subsidy Cost Breakdown Provisions Not Finalized in 2026 MA and Part D Final Rule Impact of Non-Finalized Provisions on Agents   Dr. Oz shares MAHA vision as CMS admin: Simmons-Duffin, Selena. “5 Things to Know as Dr. Oz Prepares to Lead Medicare and Medicaid.” NPR.Org, NPR, 3 Apr. 2025, www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/03/25/g-s1-55766/dr-mehmet-oz-medicare-medicaid-cms-trump. “Dr. Mehmet Oz Shares Vision for CMS.” CMS.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 25 Apr. 2025, www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/dr-mehmet-oz-shares-vision-cms. Olsen, Emily. “Dr. Oz Sworn in as CMS Administrator.” Healthcaredive.Com, Healthcare Dive, 21 Apr. 2025, www.healthcaredive.com/news/dr-mehmet-oz-sworn-in-cms-administrator/745880/.   CY 2026 Part D Coverage Cost Breakdown: “Final CY 2026 Part D Redesign Program Instructions.” CMS.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/final-cy-2026-part-d-redesign-program-instructions. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025. “Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Contract Year 2026 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage Program, Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program, Medicare Cost Plan Program, and Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly.” Federalregister.Gov, Federal Register, 15 Apr. 2025, www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/04/15/2025-06008/medicare-and-medicaid-programs-contract-year-2026-policy-and-technical-changes-to-the-medicare.   CY 2026 Selected Drug Subsidy Cost Breakdown: John, Stephnie A., and Abdie Santiago. “The IRA in 2025: The Future of Medicare Part D.” Mintz.Com, Mintz, 13 Feb. 2025, www.mintz.com/insights-center/viewpoints/2146/2025-02-13-ira-2025-future-medicare-part-d. “Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Manual – Chapter 5.” Cms.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, www.cms.gov/files/document/chapter-5-benefits-and-beneficiary-protection-v92011.pdf. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025. “Factsheet: Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program.” Cms.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, www.cms.gov/files/document/fact-sheet-medicare-selected-drug-negotiation-list-ipay-2026.pdf. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.   Provisions Not Finalized in 2026 MA and Part D Final Rule: “Contract Year 2026 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage Program, Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program, Medicare Cost Plan Program, and Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (CMS-4208-F).” CMS.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/contract-year-2026-policy-and-technical-changes-medicare-advantage-program-medicare-prescription-final. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025. Tong, Noah. “Medicare Advantage Final Rule Excludes Anti-Obesity Drug Coverage under Medicare, Medicaid.” Fiercehealthcare.Com, Fierce Healthcare, 4 Apr. 2025, www.fiercehealthcare.com/payers/medicare-advantage-final-rule-excludes-anti-obesity-drug-coverage-under-medicare-medicaid. “Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Contract Year 2026 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage Program, Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program, Medicare Cost Plan Program, and Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly.” Federalregister.Gov, Federal Register, www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/04/15/2025-06008/medicare-and-medicaid-programs-contract-year-2026-policy-and-technical-changes-to-the-medicare. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025. “Medicare Coverage of Anti-Obesity Medications.” Aspe.Hhs.Gov, Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, 26 Nov. 2024, aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/127bd5b3347b34be31ac5c6b5ed30e6a/medicare-coverage-anti-obesity-meds.pdf.   Resources: 2025 Maximum Broker Commissions for Medicare Advantage & Medicare Part D: https://ritterim.com/blog/2025-maximum-broker-commissions-for-medicare-advantage-and-medicare-part-d/ 3 Additional Effective Techniques for Closing Insurance Sales: https://lnk.to/asg656 4 Effective Techniques for Closing Insurance Sales: https://lnk.to/asg655 5 Things About the 2026 CMS MA and Part D Rate Announcement: https://lnk.to/asgf20250411 CMS Updates, Content Library, & More! https://lnk.to/asgf20250328 Recent ACA Coverage Changes Reversed with 2025 Marketplace Proposed Rule: https://ritterim.com/blog/recent-aca-changes-reversed-with-2026-marketplace-proposed-rule/ Subscribe to the Ritter Blog: https://ritterim.com/blog/ The Best Appointment Schedulers for Insurance Agents: https://lnk.to/asg657   Follow Us on Social! Ritter on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/RitterIM Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/ritter.insurance.marketing/ LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/company/ritter-insurance-marketing TikTok, https://www.tiktok.com/@ritterim X, https://x.com/RitterIM and YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/user/RitterInsurance     Sarah on LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/sjrueppel/ Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/thesarahjrueppel/ and Threads, https://www.threads.net/@thesarahjrueppel  Tina on LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/tina-lamoreux-6384b7199/   Not affiliated with or endorsed by Medicare or any government agency. Contact the Agent Survival Guide Podcast! Email us ASGPodcast@Ritterim.com or call 1-717-562-7211 and leave a voicemail.

CMS just released the 2026 MA and Part D Rate Announcement! Listen to learn more about what this means for the upcoming coverage year.   Resources: 3 Additional Effective Techniques for Closing Insurance Sales: https://lnk.to/asg656 4 Effective Techniques for Closing Insurance Sales: https://lnk.to/asg655 CMS Updates, Content Library, & More! https://lnk.to/asgf20250328 Introducing a Content Marketing Solution for Insurance Agents: https://lnk.to/contentlibrary  The Best Appointment Schedulers for Insurance Agents: https://lnk.to/asg657   References: “2026 Medicare Advantage and Part D Advance Notice Fact Sheet.” CMS.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 10 Jan. 2025, www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/2026-medicare-advantage-and-part-d-advance-notice-fact-sheet. “2026 Medicare Advantage and Part D Rate Announcement.” CMS.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 7 Apr. 2025, www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/2026-medicare-advantage-and-part-d-rate-announcement. “Announcement of Calendar Year (CY) 2026 Medicare Advantage (MA) Capitation Rates and Part C and Part D Payment Policies.” CMS.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 7 Apr. 2025, www.cms.gov/files/document/2026-announcement.pdf. Tong, Noah. “CMS Finalizes 5.06% Medicare Advantage Benchmark Increase.” Fiercehealthcare.Com, Fierce Healthcare, 8 Apr. 2025, www.fiercehealthcare.com/payers/cms-finalizes-506-medicare-advantage-benchmark-increase. “CMS Finalizes 2026 Payment Policy Updates for Medicare Advantage and Part D Programs.” CMS.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 7 Apr. 2025, www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cms-finalizes-2026-payment-policy-updates-medicare-advantage-and-part-d-programs. “Contract Year 2026 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage Program, Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program, Medicare Cost Plan Program, and Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (CMS-4208-F).” CMS.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 7 Apr. 2025, www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/contract-year-2026-policy-and-technical-changes-medicare-advantage-program-medicare-prescription-final. “Final CY 2026 Part D Redesign Program Instructions.” CMS.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 7 Apr. 2025, www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/final-cy-2026-part-d-redesign-program-instructions.   Follow Us on Social! Ritter on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/RitterIM Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/ritter.insurance.marketing/ LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/company/ritter-insurance-marketing TikTok, https://www.tiktok.com/@ritterim X, https://x.com/RitterIM and YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/user/RitterInsurance     Sarah on LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/sjrueppel/ Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/thesarahjrueppel/ and Threads, https://www.threads.net/@thesarahjrueppel  Tina on LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/tina-lamoreux-6384b7199/   Contact the Agent Survival Guide Podcast! Email us ASGPodcast@Ritterim.com or call 1-717-562-7211 and leave a voicemail.   Not affiliated with or endorsed by Medicare or any government agency.

  The Friday Five for March 28, 2025: CMS Medicare $2 Drug List Model Cancelled Oz Confirmed by Senate Finance Committee CMS Withdraws Changes to MA and Part D FEMA SEP Sarah Appears on The Seven Figures or Bust Podcast Content Library for Insurance Agents Launches   CMS Medicare $2 Drug List Model Cancelled: “CMS Innovation Center Announces Model Portfolio Changes to Better Protect Taxpayers and Help Americans Live Healthier Lives.” CMS.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 12 Mar. 2025, www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/cms-innovation-center-announces-model-portfolio-changes-better-protect-taxpayers-and-help-americans. Bell, Allison. “Trump Administration Ends Medicare's $2 Drug Project.” Thinkadvisor.Com, ThinkAdvisor, 14 Mar. 2025, www.thinkadvisor.com/2025/03/14/trump-administration-ends-medicares-2-drug-project/.   Dr. Oz Confirmed by Senate Finance Committee: Simmons-Duffin, Selena. “5 Things to Know as Dr. Oz Gets One Step Closer to Leading Medicare and Medicaid.” Npr.Org, NPR, 25 Mar. 2025, www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/03/25/g-s1-55766/dr-mehmet-oz-medicare-medicaid-cms-trump. Tong, Noah. “Oz Confirmation Vote Advances out of Senate Finance Committee.” Fiercehealthcare.Com, Fierce Healthcare, 25 Mar. 2025, www.fiercehealthcare.com/payers/oz-confirmation-vote-advances-out-senate-finance-committee. Hubbard, Kaia. “Senate Committee Advances Dr. Mehmet Oz's Nomination to Head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.” Cbsnews.Com, CBS News, 25 Mar. 2025, www.cbsnews.com/news/dr-oz-centers-for-medicare-and-medicaid-senate-finance-committee-vote/. Olsen, Emily. “Senate Committee Advances Dr. Oz to Lead CMS.” Healthcaredive.Com, Healthcare Dive, 26 Mar. 2025, www.healthcaredive.com/news/dr-oz-nomination-cms-clears-senate-finance-committee/743570/.   CMS Withdraws Changes to MA and Part D FEMA SEP: CMS Withdraws Changes to Disaster SEP Availability for Medicare Beneficiaries: https://ritterim.com/blog/cms-withdraws-changes-to-disaster-sep-availability-for-medicare-beneficiaries/ Medicare Advantage Emergency-Related SEPs: https://ritterim.com/blog/medicare-advantage-emergency-related-seps/    Sarah Appears on The Seven Figures or Bust Podcast: Episode 79 – What Is CMS Doing? w/ Special Guest Sarah Rueppel! https://lnk.to/qzTwIw  The Seven Figures or Bust Podcast: https://sevenfigure.com/seven-figures-podcast/ The Seven Figure Medicare Agent Summit: https://sevenfiguremedicareagentsummit.com/   Content Library for Insurance Agents Launches: Check Out the Content Library: https://library.ritterim.com/ Introducing a Content Marketing Solution for Insurance Agents: https://lnk.to/contentlibrary Register with Ritter Insurance Marketing: https://app.ritterim.com/public/registration/   Resources: 5 Insurance Marketing Tips to Help Agents Stand Out in a Crowd: https://lnk.to/asgf20250321 Apps for Content Creation: https://lnk.to/ASGA81 CMS 2025 Marketplace Integrity & Affordability Proposed Rule: https://lnk.to/asgf20250314 Get Access to Exclusive Leads When You Become a PlanEnroll Network Agent: https://lnk.to/3pKJsF   Follow Us on Social!  Ritter on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/RitterIM Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/ritter.insurance.marketing/ LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/company/ritter-insurance-marketing TikTok, https://www.tiktok.com/@ritterim X, https://x.com/RitterIM and Youtube, https://www.youtube.com/user/RitterInsurance     Sarah on LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/sjrueppel/ Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/thesarahjrueppel/ and Threads, https://www.threads.net/@thesarahjrueppel  Tina on LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/tina-lamoreux-6384b7199/   Not affiliated with or endorsed by Medicare or any government agency. Contact the Agent Survival Guide Podcast! Email us ASGPodcast@Ritterim.com or call 1-717-562-7211 and leave a voicemail.

  The Friday Five for March 7, 2025: Starbucks and Dunkin' Spring 2025 Menus Amazon Announces Alexa+ Changes to MA and Part D Disaster/Emergency SEP Effects of ACA Subsidy Expiration by Demographic Clarification on HHS Proposed Rule Comment Periods   Starbucks and Dunkin' Spring 2025 Menus: Beams, Sophia. “Dunkin' Brings Back Two Fan-Favorite Drinks Just in Time for Spring.” Bhg.Com, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Mar. 2025, www.bhg.com/dunkin-spring-menu-2025-11690288. Tyko, Kelly. “Dunkin' Spring Menu Launches, Nondairy Surcharge Removed.” Axios.Com, Axios, 5 Mar. 2025, www.axios.com/2025/03/05/dunkin-spring-menu-2025-dunkalatte-pistachio-coffee. “New Iced Cherry Chai Joins Lavender Drinks on Starbucks Spring Menu.” About.Starbucks.Com, Starbucks, 3 Mar. 2025, about.starbucks.com/stories/2025/new-iced-cherry-chai-joins-lavender-drinks-on-starbucks-spring-menu/. Palan, Michael. “We Tried Starbucks' New Spring Menu Items, and These 2 Drinks Stole the Show.” Tastingtable.Com, Tasting Table, 3 Mar. 2025, www.tastingtable.com/1801587/starbucks-reserve-new-spring-menu-2025-drinks-food/.   Amazon Announces Alexa+: “50 Things to Try with Alexa+.” Aboutamazon.Comt, Amazon, 26 Feb. 2025, www.aboutamazon.com/news/devices/new-alexa-top-features. Haselton, Todd, et al. “Amazon Alexa Event Live Blog: All the News from the Keynote.” Theverge.Com, The Verge, 26 Feb. 2025, www.theverge.com/news/618261/amazon-alexa-event-live-blog-2025. Panay, Panos. “Introducing Alexa+, the next Generation of Alexa.” Aboutamazon.Com, Amazon, 26 Feb. 2025, www.aboutamazon.com/news/devices/new-alexa-generative-artificial-intelligence. Diaz, Maria. “Not All Echo Devices Will Get Alexa+ Initially - See If Yours Made the List.” Zdnet.Com, ZDNET, 28 Feb. 2025, www.zdnet.com/article/alexa-plus-will-run-on-select-echo-devices-see-if-yours-is-on-the-list/. Ellis, Cat. “Want to Try Alexa+? Here Are the Echo Devices It'll Work On.” Techradar.Com, TechRadar, 27 Feb. 2025, www.techradar.com/home/smart-speakers/want-to-try-alexa-plus-here-are-the-echo-devices-itll-work-on. Aten, Jason. “With Its AI-Powered Alexa+, Amazon Just Put Apple on Notice.” Inc.Com, Inc, 26 Feb. 2025, www.inc.com/jason-aten/with-its-ai-powered-alexa-plus-amazon-just-put-apple-on-notice/91153371. Stanley, Alyse. “You Can Get Alexa+ Early — Here's How to Sign up.” Tomsguide.Com, Tom's Guide, 1 Mar. 2025, www.tomsguide.com/ai/you-can-get-alexa-early-heres-how-to-sign-up.   Changes to MA and Part D Disaster/Emergency SEP: Crowe, Edward. “New Medicare FEMA SEP Rules.” Pfsinsurance.Com, Pinnacle Financial Services, 29 Jan. 2025, pfsinsurance.com/blog/new-medicare-fema-sep-rules-crowe-associates. “Change to Beneficiary Use of the SEP for Individuals Affected by a Government Entity-Declared Disaster or Other Emergency.” Cms.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 3 Dec. 2024, 20178637.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/20178637/42%20ea%20-%20Product%20Profile.pdf.   Effects of ACA Subsidy Expiration by Demographic: Lambrew, Jeanne. “Enhanced ACA Marketplace Tax Credits Worked—And Shouldn't Be Eliminated.” Tcf.Org, The Century Foundation, 7 Aug. 2024, tcf.org/content/commentary/enhanced-aca-marketplace-tax-credits-worked-and-shouldnt-be-eliminated/. Richards, Carson, and Sara  R. Collins. “Enhanced Premium Tax Credits for ACA Health Plans: Who They Help, and Who Gets Hurt If They're Not Extended.” Commonwealthfund.Org, Commonwealth Fund, 18 Feb. 2025, www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/explainer/2025/feb/enhanced-premium-tax-credits-aca-health-plans. Sullivan, Jennifer. “Enhanced Tax Credits Keep ACA Marketplace Coverage Affordable for 2025.” Cbpp.Org, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 18 Nov. 2024, www.cbpp.org/blog/enhanced-tax-credits-keep-aca-marketplace-coverage-affordable-for-2025. “How Much More Would People Pay in Premiums If the ACA's Enhanced Subsidies Expired?” Kff.Org, KFF, 18 Dec. 2024, https://www.kff.org/interactive/how-much-more-would-people-pay-in-premiums-if-the-acas-enhanced-subsidies-expired/ Ortaliza, Jared, et al. “Inflation Reduction Act Health Insurance Subsidies: What Is Their Impact and What Would Happen If They Expire?” Kff.Org, KFF, 26 July 2024, www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/issue-brief/inflation-reduction-act-health-insurance-subsidies-what-is-their-impact-and-what-would-happen-if-they-expire/. Banthin, Jessica, et al. “Who Benefits from Enhanced Premium Tax Credits in the Marketplace?” Urban.Org, Urban Institute, June 2024, www.urban.org/sites/default/files/2024-06/Who_Benefits_from_Enhanced_Premium_Tax_Credits_in_the_Marketplace.pdf. Lo, Justin, and Cynthia Cox. “Who Might Lose Eligibility for Affordable Care Act Marketplace Subsidies If Enhanced Tax Credits Are Not Extended?” Kff.Com, KFF, 28 Feb. 2025, www.kff.org/policy-watch/who-might-lose-eligibility-for-affordable-care-act-marketplace-subsidies-if-enhanced-tax-credits-are-not-extended/.   Clarification on HHS Proposed Rule Comment Periods: “Compilation of the Social Security Laws.” Ssa.Gov, Social Security Administration, www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/ssact/title18/1871.htm. Accessed 5 Mar. 2025. “HHS Rescinds Policy Regarding Notice-and-Comment Rulemaking – Implications for Health Care Industry.” Www.Hoganlovells.Com, Hogan Lovells, 3 Mar. 2025, www.hoganlovells.com/en/publications/hhs-rescinds-policy-regarding-noticeandcomment-rulemaking-implications-for-health-care-industry. “Policy on Adhering to the Text of the Administrative Procedure Act.” Federalregister.Gov, Federal Register, 3 Mar. 2025, www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/03/03/2025-03300/policy-on-adhering-to-the-text-of-the-administrative-procedure-act. Goldman, Maya. “RFK Jr. Move to Kill Public Comment Roils Providers.” Axios.Com, Axios, 3 Mar. 2025, www.axios.com/2025/03/03/rfk-transparency-rule-elimination-fallout. Cueto, Isabella. “RFK Jr. Moves to Eliminate Public Comment on HHS Decisions.” Statnews.Com, STAT, 28 Feb. 2025, www.statnews.com/2025/02/28/rfk-jr-eliminating-public-comment-hhs-decisions-richardson-waiver/. Muoio, Dave. “RFK Jr. Orders HHS to End ‘extra-Statutory' Notice, Public Comment Process in Rulemaking.” Fiercehealthcare.Com, Fierce Healthcare, 3 Mar. 2025, www.fiercehealthcare.com/regulatory/rfk-jr-orders-hhs-end-notice-public-comment-process-rulemaking. Howe, Amy. “Supreme Court Strikes down Chevron, Curtailing Power of Federal Agencies.” Scotusblog.Com, SCOTUSblog, 26 July 2024, www.scotusblog.com/2024/06/supreme-court-strikes-down-chevron-curtailing-power-of-federal-agencies/.   Resources: Diversify Your Insurance Portfolio & Reap Real Rewards: https://lnk.to/asg651 FAQs About Registering with Ritter Insurance Marketing: https://ritterim.com/blog/faqs-about-registering-with-ritter-insurance-marketing/   How To Better Market Yourself: https://ritterim.com/blog/how-to-better-market-yourself/   Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Do's and Don'ts: https://lnk.to/oRft1p SNP Summit Registration is Live: https://lnk.to/asgf20250228   Follow Us on Social! Ritter on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/RitterIM Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/ritter.insurance.marketing/ LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/company/ritter-insurance-marketing TikTok, https://www.tiktok.com/@ritterim X, https://x.com/RitterIM and Youtube, https://www.youtube.com/user/RitterInsurance     Sarah on LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/sjrueppel/ Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/thesarahjrueppel/ and Threads, https://www.threads.net/@thesarahjrueppel  Tina on LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/tina-lamoreux-6384b7199/   Not affiliated with or endorsed by Medicare or any government agency. Contact the Agent Survival Guide Podcast! Email us ASGPodcast@Ritterim.com or call 1-717-562-7211 and leave a voicemail.

  The Friday Five for February 28, 2025: Budget Reconciliation & Healthcare More iPhone Silent Alarm Issues Adobe Launches Photoshop Mobile Streaming Picks for March 2025 SNP Summit Registration is Live   Register for the Ritter Insurance Marketing SNP Summit!   Budget Reconciliation & Healthcare: Tong, Noah. “House Budget Plan Advances, Paving Way for Major Medicaid Cuts.” Fiercehealthcare.Com, Fierce Healthcare, 26 Feb. 2025, www.fiercehealthcare.com/payers/house-budget-plan-advances-paving-way-major-medicaid-cuts. “Overview of Potential Medicaid Changes in 2025 Budget Reconciliation Bill.” Gih.Org, Grantmakers In Health, 25 Feb. 2025, www.gih.org/publication/issue-focus-overview-of-potential-medicaid-changes-in-2025-budget-reconciliation-bill/. Sanger-katz, Margot, and Alicia Parlapiano. “The House Wants to Pass Trump's Agenda in One Big Bill. Here's What's in It.” Nytimes.Com, The New York Times, 25 Feb. 2025, www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/02/21/upshot/house-gop-budget-blueprint.html. Wendling, Mike. “US House Narrowly Passes Trump-Backed Spending Bill.” Bbc.Com, BBC News, 26 Feb. 2025, www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp9yx7e13ryo.   More iPhone Silent Alarm Issues: Shakir, Umar. “Apple's Weird iPhone Alarm Problems Are Still Happening.” Theverge.Com, The Verge, 10 Jan. 2025, www.theverge.com/2025/1/9/24340238/apple-iphone-alarm-broken-timing-failed. Neely, Amber. “If Your iPhone Alarms Aren't Going off, You're Not Alone.” AppleInsider.Com, AppleInsider, 23 Jan. 2025, appleinsider.com/articles/25/01/23/if-your-iphone-alarms-arent-going-off-youre-not-alone. Bologna, Caroline. “Some iPhone Users Are Reporting A Major Issue With Their Alarm. Here's What's Happening.” HuffPost.Com, HuffPost, 24 Feb. 2025, www.huffpost.com/entry/iphone-alarm-silent-issue_l_67bc894be4b05645f4fee06e.   Streaming Picks for March 2025: Koc, Demet. “Coming to Streaming in March 2025.” Nexuspointnews.Com, Nexus Point News, 25 Feb. 2025, www.nexuspointnews.com/post/coming-to-streaming-in-march-2025.   Adobe Launches Photoshop Mobile: Weatherbed, Jess. “Adobe's New Photoshop App for iPhone Is More like the Real Thing.” Theverge.Com, The Verge, 25 Feb. 2025, www.theverge.com/news/618859/adobe-photoshop-mobile-iphone-android-app-availability. “Adobe Photoshop Brings World's Leading Image and Design App to Mobile to Empower Next Generation of Creators.” News.Adobe.Com, Adobe, 25 Feb. 2025, news.adobe.com/news/2025/02/photoshop-mobile-web. Wilson, Mark. “At Last, Adobe Photoshop Comes to the iPhone (and It Just Might Be Great).” Fastcompany.Com, Fast Company, 25 Feb. 2025, www.fastcompany.com/91283790/at-last-adobe-photoshop-comes-to-the-iphone-and-it-just-might-be-great.   SNP Summit Registration & Other Events for Agents: Integrity Webinars: https://learningcenter.tawebhost.com/MedicareCENTER-Webinar-Schedule.pdf Ritter Insurance Marketing Events: https://ritterim.com/events/ Registration for Ritter SNP Summit: https://summits.ritterim.com/   Resources: 4 Myths About Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans (D-SNP) Sales: https://lnk.to/asg650  Apps for Cyber Security: https://lnk.to/asga80 Guidelines for Sharing Personal Beneficiary Data with Other TPMOs: https://lnk.to/asg647 The Beginner's Guide to D-SNPs: https://lnk.to/asg648 The Postseason Game Plan for Agents: https://lnk.to/asgf20250214   Follow Us on Social! Ritter on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/RitterIM Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/ritter.insurance.marketing/ LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/company/ritter-insurance-marketing TikTok, https://www.tiktok.com/@ritterim X, https://x.com/RitterIM and Youtube, https://www.youtube.com/user/RitterInsurance     Sarah on LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/sjrueppel/ Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/thesarahjrueppel/ and Threads, https://www.threads.net/@thesarahjrueppel  Tina on LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/tina-lamoreux-6384b7199/   Contact the Agent Survival Guide Podcast! Email us ASGPodcast@Ritterim.com or call 1-717-562-7211 and leave a voicemail. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Medicare or any government agency.

  The Friday Five for February 21, 2025: Golden Birthday Cake Oreos Return Amazon Kindle Update RFK Jr. Confirmed as HHS Secretary ACA Navigator Program Funding Cut Nursing Home Demand Projections   Golden Birthday Cake Oreos Return: Fink, Bailey. “Oreo Is Releasing 2 New Flavors—and Making One Permanent.” Allrecipes.Com, Allrecipes, 18 Feb. 2025, www.allrecipes.com/oreo-new-cookies-february-2025-11680020. Bivins, Kenn. “Oreo Just Brought Back a ‘GOAT' Flavor That Has Fans ‘Beyond Excited.'” Parade.Com, Parade, 19 Feb. 2025, parade.com/food/oreo-golden-birthday-cake-returns-2025. Robledo, Anthony. “Oreo Reveals New Flavors: Double Chocolate Cakesters and Golden Birthday Cake.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 19 Feb. 2025, www.usatoday.com/story/money/food/2025/02/18/oreo-new-flavors/79126601007/.   Amazon Kindle Update: Liszewski, Andrew. “Amazon's Killing a Feature That Let You Download and Backup Kindle Books.” Theverge.Com, The Verge, 14 Feb. 2025, www.theverge.com/news/612898/amazon-removing-kindle-book-download-transfer-usb. “Download Your Kindle Books ASAP - before Amazon Kills This Feature next Week.” Zdnet.Com, ZDNET, 18 Feb. 2025, www.zdnet.com/article/download-your-kindle-books-asap-before-amazon-kills-this-feature-next-week/. Younker, Scott. “Hurry! Download Your Kindle eBooks before Amazon Won't Let You Anymore.” Tomsguide.Com, Tom's Guide, 19 Feb. 2025, www.tomsguide.com/tablets/e-readers/hurry-download-your-kindle-ebooks-before-amazon-wont-let-you-anymore. Heinzman, Andrew. “Kindle Is Making It Harder to Switch to Rival eReader Brands.” Howtogeek.Com, How-To Geek, 14 Feb. 2025, www.howtogeek.com/kindle-discontinues-download-transfer-via-usb/.   RFK Jr. Confirmed as HHS Secretary: Simmons-Duffin, Selena. “RFK Jr. Confirmed as Trump's Health Secretary, over Democrats' Loud Objections.” Npr.Org, NPR, 13 Feb. 2025, www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/02/13/nx-s1-5294591/rfk-jr-trump-health-human-services-hhs-vaccines. Weber, Lauren, and Rachel Roubein. “RFK Jr. Confirmed, Elevating Anti-Vaccine Activist to Nation's Top Health Post.” Washingtonpost.Com, Washington Post, 13 Feb. 2025, www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/02/13/robert-kennedy-hhs-secretary-confirmation-vote/. Beavins, Emma, and Dave Muoio. “RFK Jr. Sworn in as Head of HHS Following 52-48 Senate Vote.” Fiercehealthcare.Com, Fierce Healthcare, 13 Feb. 2025, www.fiercehealthcare.com/regulatory/senate-confirms-rfk-jr-head-hhs-52-48-vote. Cueto, Isabella. “Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Confirmed by Senate as U.S. Health Secretary.” Statnews.Com, STAT, 13 Feb. 2025, www.statnews.com/2025/02/13/rfk-jr-confirmed-hhs-secretary-vote-vaccine-critic-to-top-trump-health-official/.   ACA Navigator Program Funding Cut: Pestaina, Kaye. “A 90% Cut to the ACA Navigator Program.” KFF.Org, KFF, 18 Feb. 2025, www.kff.org/quick-take/a-90-cut-to-the-aca-navigator-program/. “Biden-Harris Administration Awards $100 Million to Navigators Who Will Help Millions of Americans — Especially in Underserved Communities — Sign Up for Health Coverage.” CMS.Gov, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 26 Aug. 2024, www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/biden-harris-administration-awards-100-million-navigators-who-will-help-millions-americans. “CMS Announcement on Federal Navigator Program Funding.” CMS.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 14 Feb. 2025, www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cms-announcement-federal-navigator-program-funding. Tong, Noah. “CMS Slashes ACA Navigator Program Funding 90% to $10M.” Fiercehealthcare.Com, Fierce Healthcare, 14 Feb. 2025, www.fiercehealthcare.com/payers/cms-slashes-aca-navigator-program-funding-10-million.   Nursing Home Demand Projections: “CDC WONDER Database.” Wonder.Cdc.Gov, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, https://wonder.cdc.gov/. Accessed 18 Feb. 2025. Shuman, Taylor. “How Will America's ‘Silver Tsunami' Impact Demand for Nursing Homes?” SeniorLiving.Org, SeniorLiving.org, 23 Jan. 2025, www.seniorliving.org/nursing-homes/nursing-home-demand-projections/. Berger, Chloe. “The Boomer Housing Crisis Is Pacing to Get Even Worse: ‘We've Never Had a Population Pyramid That Looks like This.'” Msn.Com, MSN, 12 Feb. 2025, www.msn.com/en-us/money/realestate/the-boomer-housing-crisis-is-pacing-to-get-even-worse-we-ve-never-had-a-population-pyramid-that-looks-like-this/ar-AA1yUKUG. “The US Population Is Aging.” Urban.Org, Urban Institute, www.urban.org/policy-centers/cross-center-initiatives/program-retirement-policy/projects/data-warehouse/what-future-holds/us-population-aging. Accessed 18 Feb. 2025. “State Health Facts: Average Number of Certified Nursing Facility Beds.” KFF.Org, KFF, 5 Dec. 2024, https://www.kff.org/other/state-indicator/average-number-of-certified-nursing-facility-beds/. “State Health Facts: Total Number of Certified Nursing Facilities.” KFF.Org, KFF, 5 Dec. 2024, https://www.kff.org/other/state-indicator/number-of-nursing-facilities/.   Resources: 5 Types of Content to Share on Social Media: https://lnk.to/asgf20250131  Best eBook & Audiobook Apps: https://lnk.to/WsIGZ5 Guidelines for Sharing Personal Beneficiary Data with Other TPMOs: https://lnk.to/asg647 MedicareCENTER FAQs: https://lnk.to/asg645 PlanEnroll FAQs: https://lnk.to/asg646  The Postseason Game Plan for Agents: https://lnk.to/asgf20250214   Follow Us on Social!  Ritter on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/RitterIM Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/ritter.insurance.marketing/ LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/company/ritter-insurance-marketing TikTok, https://www.tiktok.com/@ritterim X, https://x.com/RitterIM and Youtube, https://www.youtube.com/user/RitterInsurance     Sarah on LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/sjrueppel/ Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/thesarahjrueppel/ and Threads, https://www.threads.net/@thesarahjrueppel  Tina on LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/tina-lamoreux-6384b7199/   Contact the Agent Survival Guide Podcast! Email us ASGPodcast@Ritterim.com or call 1-717-562-7211 and leave a voicemail.   Not affiliated with or endorsed by Medicare or any government agency.

Today we’re talking about bird flu. It’s infecting flocks of chickens, causing egg prices to rise across the country, plus herds of dairy cattle and people are getting sick too. And all of this is happening amid sweeping changes at U.S. federal health agencies. The Trump administration has ordered mass firings and limits on public communications at agencies including the Centers for Disease Control, hindering its ability to keep the public informed. On the show today,  Jessica Malaty Rivera, an epidemiologist and science communicator explains the scale of the current bird flu outbreak, how the response in the United States has been disrupted by chaos in the federal government, and why state health systems may struggle to fill the gaps after years of underfunding. Plus, for one listener, doing something is better than nothing. And, another listener shares how they changed their mind about the value of government work. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Urgent CDC Data and Analyses on Influenza and Bird Flu Go Missing as Outbreaks Escalate” from KFF Health News “Mass firings at HHS: Thousands impacted across federal health agencies including CMS, FDA” from Fierce Healthcare “RFK Jr. confirmed, elevating anti-vaccine activist to nation's top health post” from The Washington Post “How Trump's Medical Research Cuts Would Hit Colleges and Hospitals in Every State” from The New York Times “The U.S. and the WHO: An Imperfect but Essential Relationship” from Johns Hopkins What’s something you thought you knew but later found out you were wrong about? Email makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Today we’re talking about bird flu. It’s infecting flocks of chickens, causing egg prices to rise across the country, plus herds of dairy cattle and people are getting sick too. And all of this is happening amid sweeping changes at U.S. federal health agencies. The Trump administration has ordered mass firings and limits on public communications at agencies including the Centers for Disease Control, hindering its ability to keep the public informed. On the show today,  Jessica Malaty Rivera, an epidemiologist and science communicator explains the scale of the current bird flu outbreak, how the response in the United States has been disrupted by chaos in the federal government, and why state health systems may struggle to fill the gaps after years of underfunding. Plus, for one listener, doing something is better than nothing. And, another listener shares how they changed their mind about the value of government work. Here’s everything we talked about today: “Urgent CDC Data and Analyses on Influenza and Bird Flu Go Missing as Outbreaks Escalate” from KFF Health News “Mass firings at HHS: Thousands impacted across federal health agencies including CMS, FDA” from Fierce Healthcare “RFK Jr. confirmed, elevating anti-vaccine activist to nation's top health post” from The Washington Post “How Trump's Medical Research Cuts Would Hit Colleges and Hospitals in Every State” from The New York Times “The U.S. and the WHO: An Imperfect but Essential Relationship” from Johns Hopkins What’s something you thought you knew but later found out you were wrong about? Email makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

  The Friday Five for February 14, 2024: Apple iOS 18.3.1 Updates Trend Alert: Smart Ankle Watch? Egg Substitutions for Baking & Protein Healthcare Regulatory Update (of sorts) The Postseason Game Plan   Download Your FREE Copy of The Postseason Game Plan Now!   Apple iOS 18.3.1 Updates: Adorno, José. “IOS 18.3.1 Now Available Ahead of Big Ios 18.4 Upgrade.” Bgr.Com, BGR, 10 Feb. 2025, bgr.com/tech/ios-18-3-1-now-available-ahead-of-big-ios-18-4-upgrade/. Disotto, John-Anthony. “iOS 18.4 Could Be the Biggest iPhone Upgrade Ever – Here's Why.” TechRadar.Com, TechRadar, 11 Feb. 2025, www.techradar.com/phones/iphone/ios-18-4-could-be-the-biggest-iphone-upgrade-ever-heres-why. Phelan, David. “Apple iOS 18.4 Release Date: The Major iPhone Update Is On Its Way.” Forbes.Com, Forbes Magazine, 8 Feb. 2025, www.forbes.com/sites/davidphelan/2025/02/08/apple-ios-184-release-date-the-major-free-iphone-update-is-on-its-way/. Rossignol, Joe. “iOS 18.4 Will Include These New Features for Your iPhone.” MacRumors.Com, MacRumors, 5 Feb. 2025, www.macrumors.com/2025/02/05/ios-18-4-expected-features/.   Trend Alert: Smart Ankle Watch? Lovejoy, Ben. “The Five Reasons Some People Wear Their Apple Watch on Their Ankle.” 9to5Mac.Com, 9to5Mac, 10 Feb. 2025, 9to5mac.com/2025/02/10/the-five-reasons-some-people-wear-their-apple-watch-on-their-ankle/. Skwarecki, Beth. “Why (and How) to Wear Your Apple Watch on Your Ankle.” Lifehacker.Com, Lifehacker, 11 Feb. 2025, lifehacker.com/health/why-and-how-to-wear-an-apple-watch-on-your-ankle. Heater, Brian. “Tiktok Influencers Are Wearing Apple Watches on Their Ankles.” Techcrunch.Com, TechCrunch, 10 Feb. 2025, techcrunch.com/2025/02/10/tiktok-influencers-are-wearing-apple-watches-on-their-ankles/.   Egg Substitutes for Baking & Protein: David, Lauren. “8 Egg Substitutes for Cooking and Baking.” Aarp.Org, AARP, 10 Feb. 2025, www.aarp.org/home-family/your-home/info-2025/egg-substitutes-cooking-baking.html. Valente, Lisa. “10 Foods with More Protein Than an Egg.” Eatingwell.Com, EatingWell, 18 Nov. 2024, www.eatingwell.com/article/291485/10-foods-with-more-protein-than-an-egg/. McDonell, Kayla. “13 Effective Substitutes for Eggs.” Healthline.Com, Healthline Media, 7 Feb. 2024, www.healthline.com/nutrition/egg-substitutes. Phaneuf, Taryn. “Egg Prices Are Rising Again. Here's Why They're So High.” Edited by Laura McMullen, Nerdwallet.Com, NerdWallet, 11 Feb. 2025, www.nerdwallet.com/article/finance/why-are-eggs-so-expensive. Lannon, KJ. “Egg Prices Got You Scrambling? Here's 3 Substitutes to Use in Your Cake Mix.” Tastingtable.Com, Tasting Table, 10 Feb. 2025, www.tastingtable.com/1780478/egg-substitutes-boxed-cake-mix/.   Healthcare Regulatory Update (of sorts) Bell, Allison. “10 House GOP Health Program and Tax Change Ideas.” Thinkadvisor.Com, ThinkAdvisor, 24 Jan. 2025, www.thinkadvisor.com/2025/01/24/10-house-gop-health-program-and-tax-change-ideas/. Muoio, Dave. “Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Shake-up Leaves Medical Debt Reform in Limbo.” Fiercehealthcare.Com, Fierce Healthcare, 6 Feb. 2025, www.fiercehealthcare.com/regulatory/consumer-financial-protection-bureau-shakeup-leaves-medical-debt-reform-limbo. Muoio, Dave, et al. “Healthcare Lobbying 2025: Here Are the Top Policy Issues for Hospitals, Payers, Docs and Tech.” Fiercehealthcare.Com, Fierce Healthcare, 12 Feb. 2025, www.fiercehealthcare.com/regulatory/healthcare-lobbying-2025-here-are-top-policy-issues-hospitals-payers-docs-and-tech.   The Postseason Game Plan: https://postseasongameplan.com/   Resources: 5 Types of Content to Share on Social Media: https://lnk.to/asgf20250131 Best Apps for Sports Fans: https://lnk.to/asga78 Guidelines for Sharing Personal Beneficiary Data with Other TPMOs: https://lnk.to/asg647 MedicareCENTER FAQs: https://lnk.to/asg645 PlanEnroll FAQs: https://lnk.to/asg646   Follow Us on Social! Ritter on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/RitterIM Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/ritter.insurance.marketing/ LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/company/ritter-insurance-marketing TikTok, https://www.tiktok.com/@ritterim X, https://twitter.com/RitterIM and Youtube, https://www.youtube.com/user/RitterInsurance     Sarah on LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/sjrueppel/ Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/thesarahjrueppel/ and Threads, https://www.threads.net/@thesarahjrueppel  Tina on LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/tina-lamoreux-6384b7199/   Contact the Agent Survival Guide Podcast! Email us ASGPodcast@Ritterim.com or call 1-717-562-7211 and leave a voicemail. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Medicare or any government agency.

    January 10, 2025: Sarah's 2025 Goals Highlights from CES 2025 First HIPAA Update Since 2013 ACA DACA Enrollment Eligibility Update 2025 ACA Enrollment Snapshot #2   Sarah's 2025 Goals: Cement City: https://www.cementcity.org/   Highlights from CES 2025: Carlson, Jeff. “CES 2025: We're Obsessed With These 28 New Products So Far.” CNET.Com, CNET, 9 Jan. 2025, www.cnet.com/pictures/ces-2025-were-obsessed-with-these-28-new-products-so-far/. Kastrenakes, Jacob. “CES 2025: All the News, Gadgets, and Surprises.” Theverge.Com, The Verge, 4 Jan. 2025, www.theverge.com/2025/1/4/24307731/ces-2025-tvs-gaming-smart-home-wearables-news. Halliday AI Glasses: https://hallidayglobal.com/products/reservation  Ortiz, Sabrina. “Halliday Just Unveiled the AI Glasses That Meta, Google and Apple Have Been Trying to Build.” ZDNET.Com, ZDNET, 8 Jan. 2025, www.zdnet.com/article/halliday-just-unveiled-the-ai-glasses-that-meta-google-and-apple-have-been-trying-to-build/. Mirumi: https://mirumi.ux-xu.com/ Segway Navimov X3 Series: https://navimow.segway.com/uk/product/navimow-x.html Stolyar, Brenda. “The 31 Best Gadgets From CES 2025 You Can Buy Right Now.” Wired.Com, Conde Nast, 9 Jan. 2025, www.wired.com/story/the-gadgets-from-ces-2025-you-can-buy-right-now/. Weatherbed, Jess. “These Smart Glasses Have a Tiny Little Screen Hidden in the Frame.” Theverge.Com, The Verge, 6 Jan. 2025, www.theverge.com/2025/1/5/24334030/halliday-smart-glasses-ai-tiny-display-frame-availability-price-ces.   First HIPAA Update Since 2013: Olsen, Emily. “HHS Proposes HIPAA Update to Boost Healthcare Cybersecurity.” Healthcaredive.Com, Healthcare Dive, 3 Jan. 2025, www.healthcaredive.com/news/hhs-hipaa-security-rule-update-cybersecurity/736451/. Beavins, Emma. “HHS Proposes New Cybersecurity Requirements as First Major HIPAA Update in 10 Years.” Fiercehealthcare.Com, Fierce Healthcare, 7 Jan. 2025, www.fiercehealthcare.com/regulatory/hhs-proposes-cybersecurity-updates-healthcare-organizations. “HIPAA Security Rule To Strengthen the Cybersecurity of Electronic Protected Health Information.” Federalregister.Gov, Federal Register, 6 Jan. 2025, www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/01/06/2024-30983/hipaa-security-rule-to-strengthen-the-cybersecurity-of-electronic-protected-health-information.   ACA DACA Enrollment Eligibility Update: “DACA Eligibility Update.” Khbe.Ky.Gov, Kynect Health Coverage, khbe.ky.gov/Agents-kynectors/Documents/kynector-FAQ.pdf. Accessed 9 Jan. 2025. “HHS Final Rule Clarifying the Eligibility of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Recipients and Certain Other Noncitizens.” CMS.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 3 May 2024, www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/hhs-final-rule-clarifying-eligibility-deferred-action-childhood-arrivals-daca-recipients-and-certain. “Immigration Status to Qualify for the Marketplace.” HealthCare.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, www.healthcare.gov/immigrants/immigration-status/. Accessed 9 Jan. 2025. “Kansas et al. v. United States of America et Al..” Litigationtracker.Law.Georgetown.Edu, Georgetown University, 2 Jan. 2025, litigationtracker.law.georgetown.edu/litigation/kansas-et-al-v-united-states-of-america-et-al/. Pillair, Drishti, and Samantha Artiga. “Overview and Implications of the ACA Marketplace Expansion to DACA Recipients.” KFF.Org, KFF, 6 Jan. 2025, www.kff.org/racial-equity-and-health-policy/issue-brief/overview-and-implications-of-the-aca-marketplace-expansion-to-daca-recipients/. “Recent Court Decisions Impacting the Marketplace.” HealthCare.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, www.healthcare.gov/court-decisions/. Accessed 9 Jan. 2025. “State-Based Marketplaces: 2025 Open Enrollment.” CMS.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 17 Oct. 2024, www.cms.gov/files/document/state-exchange-oe-chart-py-2025.pdf. “State Health Insurance Marketplace Types, 2025.” KFF.Org, KFF, 26 Oct. 2024, www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/state-indicator/state-health-insurance-marketplace-types/. “State of Kansas, et al. Appellees v. United States of America and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Appellants.” Litigationtracker.Law.Georgetown.Edu, Georgetown University, litigationtracker.law.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Kansas_2024.12.16_ORDER.pdf. Accessed 9 Jan. 2025.   2025 ACA Enrollment Snapshot #2: “Marketplace 2024 Open Enrollment Period Report: Final National Snapshot.” CMS.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 24 Jan. 2024, www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/marketplace-2024-open-enrollment-period-report-final-national-snapshot. “Marketplace 2025 Open Enrollment Period Report: National Snapshot.” CMS.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 8 Jan. 2025, www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/marketplace-2025-open-enrollment-period-report-national-snapshot-1. “Nearly 24 Million Consumers Have Selected Affordable Health Coverage in ACA Marketplace, With Time Left to Enroll.” CMS.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 8 Jan. 2025, www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/nearly-24-million-consumers-have-selected-affordable-health-coverage-aca-marketplace-time-left.   Resources: 5 Tips for Finding Supplemental Coverage for ACA Plans: https://lnk.to/xDtALf Lessons Learned in 2024: https://lnk.to/asg637 Marketing Trends for 2025: https://lnk.to/asg639 Setting SMART Goals in 2025: https://lnk.to/asgf20250103 Why Gen Z is a Good Fit for Selling Insurance: https://lnk.to/asg640   Contact the Agent Survival Guide Podcast! Email us ASGPodcast@Ritterim.com or call 1-717-562-7211 and leave a voicemail.   Follow Us on Social!  Ritter on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/RitterIM Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/ritter.insurance.marketing/ LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/company/ritter-insurance-marketing TikTok, https://www.tiktok.com/@ritterim X, https://twitter.com/RitterIM and Youtube, https://www.youtube.com/user/RitterInsurance     Sarah on LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/sjrueppel/ Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/thesarahjrueppel/ and Threads, https://www.threads.net/@thesarahjrueppel  Tina on LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/tina-lamoreux-6384b7199/   Not affiliated with or endorsed by Medicare or any government agency.

  The Friday Five for October 25, 2024: Adobe Fresco Now Completely Free for Everyone Amazon and Walmart Announce Pharmacy Delivery Expansions Stride 2025 Open Enrollment Study KFF Analysis on Med Supp Enrollment Data Medigap Deductibles and OOP Costs for 2025   Contact the Agent Survival Guide Podcast! Email us ASGPodcast@Ritterim.com or call 1-717-562-7211 and leave a voicemail.   Adobe Fresco Now Completely Free for Everyone: Foley, Joe. “Adobe Fresco Is Now Completely Free for All.” Creative Bloq, Creative Bloq, 23 Oct. 2024, www.creativebloq.com/art/digital-art/adobe-fresco-is-now-completely-free-for-all. Gan, Jeremy. “Adobe Fresco's Previously Paywalled Features Are Now Free for Everyone.” Engadget, Engadget, 23 Oct. 2024, www.engadget.com/apps/adobe-frescos-previously-paywalled-features-are-now-free-for-everyone-141956420.html. Weatherbed, Jess. “Adobe Made Its Painting App Completely Free to Take on Procreate.” The Verge, The Verge, 23 Oct. 2024, www.theverge.com/2024/10/23/24277533/adobe-fresco-painting-app-free-availablility-procreate. “Digital Painting and Drawing App | Adobe Fresco.” Adobe.Com, Adobe, www.adobe.com/products/fresco.html. Accessed 24 Oct. 2024.   Amazon and Walmart Announce Pharmacy Delivery Expansions: Accelerating Convenience: Walmart Launches Nationwide Same-Day Pharmacy Delivery, Helping Customers Live Better, 22 Oct. 2024, corporate.walmart.com/news/2024/10/22/accelerating-convenience-walmart-launches-nationwide-same-day-pharmacy-delivery-helping-customers-live-better. “Amazon Pharmacy Plans to Expand Same-Day Delivery of Medications to Nearly Half the US in 2025.” Amazon.Com, Amazon, 9 Oct. 2024, www.aboutamazon.com/news/retail/amazon-pharmacy-expands-same-day-prescription-delivery-united-states. Dr. Sai Balasubramanian, M.D. “Amazon Pharmacy's Rapid Growth Will Soon Make Instant Access to Medication the New Normal.” Forbes.Com, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024, www.forbes.com/sites/saibala/2024/10/14/amazon-pharmacys-rapid-growth-will-soon-make-instant-access-to-medication-the-new-normal/. Palmer, Annie. “Amazon Same-Day Prescription Delivery Expanding to Nearly Half of U.S. in 2025.” Cnbc.Com, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2024, www.cnbc.com/2024/10/09/amazon-same-day-prescription-delivery-expanding-to-half-of-us-in-2025.html. Tong, Noah. “Walmart Offers Same-Day Prescription Delivery with Plans to Reach 49 States.” Fiercehealthcare.Com, Fierce Healthcare, 22 Oct. 2024, www.fiercehealthcare.com/retail/hlth24-walmart-simplify-online-pharmacy-orders-49-states. Gibson, Kate. “Walmart Plans to Deliver Prescriptions Nationwide in as Little as 30 Minutes.” Edited by Alain Sherter, Cbsnews.Com, CBS, 22 Oct. 2024, www.cbsnews.com/news/walmart-prescription-delivery-amazon/.   Stride 2025 ACA Open Enrollment Study: “2025 Annual Open Enrollment Survey - A New Report from Stride.” Blog.Stridehealth.Com, Stride Health, 17 Oct. 2024, blog.stridehealth.com/open-enrollment-2025survey. Popke, Michael. “Almost 75% of ACA Buyers Will Not Compare Plans for 2025.” Benefitspro.Com, BenefitsPro, 21 Oct. 2024, www.benefitspro.com/2024/10/21/almost-75-of-aca-buyers-will-not-compare-plans-for-2025/.   KFF Analysis on Med Supp Enrollment Data: Freed, Meredith, Nancy Ochieng, et al. “Key Facts about Medigap Enrollment and Premiums for Medicare Beneficiaries.” KFF, KFF, 18 Oct. 2024, www.kff.org/medicare/issue-brief/key-facts-about-medigap-enrollment-and-premiums-for-medicare-beneficiaries/. “Medicare Supplement Enrollment Down Slightly in 2023.” Markfarrah.Com, Mark Farrah Associates, 28 May 2024, www.markfarrah.com/mfa-briefs/medicare-supplement-enrollment-down-slightly-in-2023. Freed, Meredith, Nancy Ochieng, et al. “Medigap May Be Elusive for Medicare Beneficiaries with Pre-Existing Conditions - Issue Brief - 10506.” KFF, KFF, 18 Oct. 2024, www.kff.org/report-section/medigap-may-be-elusive-for-medicare-beneficiaries-with-pre-existing-conditions-issue-brief/.   Medigap Deductibles and OOP Costs for 2025: “F, G & J Deductible Announcements.” CMS.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, www.cms.gov/medicare/health-drug-plans/medigap/f-g-j-deductible-announcements. Accessed 23 Oct. 2024. “K & L Out-of-Pocket Limits Announcements.” CMS.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, www.cms.gov/medicare/health-drug-plans/medigap/k-l-out-of-pocket-limits-announcements. Accessed 23 Oct. 2024.   Resources: ACA 101: Selling Under-65 Health Insurance: https://link.chtbl.com/ASG6248 Helping Clients with Marketplace Eligibility Appeals: https://link.chtbl.com/ASG624 How to Ask Your Current Clients for Referrals: https://link.chtbl.com/ASG623 KFF 2025 Medicare Part D Snapshot Report: https://link.chtbl.com/ASGF20241018 The 2025 COLA Increase & How It Affects Your Clients: https://link.chtbl.com/ASGN20241015 The Value of Plan N for Medicare Shoppers ft. Ted Sims: https://link.chtbl.com/ASGTedSims2024   Follow Us on Social! Ritter on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/RitterIM Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/ritter.insurance.marketing/ LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/company/ritter-insurance-marketing TikTok, https://www.tiktok.com/@ritterim X, https://twitter.com/RitterIM and Youtube, https://www.youtube.com/user/RitterInsurance     Sarah on LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/sjrueppel/ Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/thesarahjrueppel/ and Threads, https://www.threads.net/@thesarahjrueppel  Tina on LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/tina-lamoreux-6384b7199/

Send us a textIn today's episode, Annie Burky, a journalist and podcaster from Colorado, discusses her diverse career path where she began as a Peace Corps volunteer in Uganda and China, then transitioned to journalism, becoming the managing editor of Ms. Mayhem magazine. Burky later studied at NYU and worked at Fierce Healthcare, covering health tech and AI. She is now pursuing an MFA in fiction at the University of Idaho while freelancing, particularly focusing on healthcare and AI.Follow Annie's life and work here: X: https://www.x.com/annieburky   Fierce Healthcare: https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/person/annie-burky NYU Journalism and Creative Writing: https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/topics/writing-and-communications/journalism-and-creative-nonfiction.html Ms. Mayhem: https://www.msmayhem.com/ Society of Professional Journalists: https://www.spj.org/ Peace Corps: https://www. peacecorps.gov/ Let Girls Learn: https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/letgirlslearn The Met (MSU  Denver): https://www.mymetmedia.com/entity/metropolitan/ Grand Junction Daily Sentinel: https://www.gjsentinel.com/ David Foster Wallace: https://fs.blog/david-foster-wallace-this-is-water/ Madison Lauderbauch: https://www.msmayhem.com/author/madison/ Esteban Fernandez: https://www.msmayhem.com/author/esteban/ Ali Mai: https://www.msmayhem.com/author/acmwatkins/ Polina Saran: https://www.msmayhem.com/author/polinasaran/ NYU Gallatin School: https://gallatin.nyu.edu/ Mary Quigley: https://journalism.nyu.edu/faculty/full-time-faculty/ Salman Rushdie: https://www.salmanrushdie.com/ Dave King: https://gallatin.nyu.edu/people/faculty/dmk6.html Podnosis podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/podnosis/id1698542522 Radiolab: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/radiolab/id152249110 NPR: https://www.npr.org/ Queen's Daily Eagle: https://queenseagle.com/ Confluence Journal: https://www.confluence-aglsp.org/ Gallatin Review: https://gallatin.nyu.edu/academics/undergraduate/writing/gr.html Thank you for listening!  Please take a moment to rate, review and subscribe to the Media in Minutes podcast here or anywhere you get your podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/media-in-minutes/id1555710662  

  The Friday Five for October 11, 2024: CMS Final Guidance on Round 2 of Medicare Drug Price Negotiations HHS Releases ACA Marketplace 2026 Proposed Rule Apple Intelligence Features Coming October 28? Setting the Record Straight on Cigna & HCSC CMS Announces Medicare $2 Drug List Model Request for Information   Contact the Agent Survival Guide Podcast! Email us ASGPodcast@Ritterim.com or call 1-717-562-7211 and leave a voicemail.   CMS Final Guidance on Round 2 of Medicare Drug Price Negotiations: “HHS Releases Final Guidance for Second Cycle of Historic Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program.” CMS.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2 Oct. 2024, www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/hhs-releases-final-guidance-second-cycle-historic-medicare-drug-price-negotiation-program. “Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program Final Guidance ...” CMS.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, www.cms.gov/files/document/fact-sheet-medicare-drug-price-negotiation-program-ipay-2027-final-guidance-and-mfp-effectuation.pdf. Accessed 9 Oct. 2024.   HHS Releases ACA Marketplace 2026 Proposed Rule: Tong, Noah. “CMS Proposes Risk Adjustment Changes, Broker Fraud Crackdown for 2026 Plan Year.” Fierce Healthcare, Fierce Healthcare, 4 Oct. 2024, www.fiercehealthcare.com/payers/cms-proposes-risk-adjustment-changes-fraud-crackdown-and-more. “HHS Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2026 Proposed Rule.” CMS.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 4 Oct. 2024, www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/hhs-notice-benefit-and-payment-parameters-2026-proposed-rule.   Apple Intelligence Features Coming October 28? Chen, Brian X. “Apple's A.I. Is Landing Soon on iPhones. Here's What It's Like.” NYTimes.Com, The New York Times, 2 Oct. 2024, www.nytimes.com/2024/10/02/technology/personaltech/apple-intelligence-iphone.html. Clover, Juli. “Here Are All of the Apple Intelligence Features in IOS 18.1.” MacRumors, MacRumors, 8 Oct. 2024, www.macrumors.com/guide/ios-18-1-apple-intelligence/. Shakir, Umar. “Here's What Your iPhone 16 Will Do with Apple Intelligence - Eventually.” The Verge, The Verge, 10 Sept. 2024, www.theverge.com/2024/9/10/24237714/apple-intelligence-generative-ai-features-update-schedule. Davis, Wes. “Your iPhone 16 May Get Its First Apple Intelligence Features Later This Month.” The Verge, The Verge, 6 Oct. 2024, www.theverge.com/2024/10/6/24263398/ios-18-iphone-16-apple-intelligence-coming-october-update-ai-notification-summaries.   Setting the Record Straight on Cigna & HCSC: “CIGNA Healthcare Offers Medicare Customers Value, Stability and Choice with 2025 Plans.” Cigna Healthcare Newsroom, Cigna, 1 Oct. 2024, newsroom.cigna.com/cigna-healthcare-medicare-2025-plans. Minemyer, Paige. “Cigna Inks Deal to Sell Medicare Business to HCSC for $3.7B.” Fierce Healthcare, Fierce Healthcare, 31 Jan. 2024, www.fiercehealthcare.com/payers/cigna-inks-deal-sell-medicare-business-hcsc-37b-deal. “HCSC Agrees to Acquire Medicare Businesses and CareAllies from Cigna.” HCSC Agrees to Acquire Medicare Businesses and CareAllies from Cigna, Health Care Service Corporations (HCSC), 31 Jan. 2024, www.hcsc.com/newsroom/news-releases/2024/agreement-acquire-cigna-medicare-careallies-businesses.   CMS Announces Medicare $2 Drug List Model Request for Information: “Biden-Harris Administration Takes Next Step on Proposed Model to Lower Prescription Drug Costs for People with Medicare.” CMS.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 8 Oct. 2024, www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/biden-harris-administration-takes-next-step-proposed-model-lower-prescription-drug-costs-people. Fowler, Liz, and Vino Mitta. “CMS Innovation Center's One-Year Update on the Executive Order to Lower Prescription Drug Costs for Americans.” CMS.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 11 Oct. 2023, www.cms.gov/blog/cms-innovation-centers-one-year-update-executive-order-lower-prescription-drug-costs-americans. “Executive Order on Lowering Prescription Drug Costs for Americans.” The White House, The United States Government, 14 Oct. 2022, www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2022/10/14/executive-order-on-lowering-prescription-drug-costs-for-americans/. “Medicare Two Dollar Drug List Model.” CMS.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, www.cms.gov/priorities/innovation/innovation-models/medicare-two-dollar-drug-list-model. Accessed 9 Oct. 2024. “Medicare $2 Drug List Model - Request for Information (RFI) - Responses Due December 9, 2024.” Cms.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, www.cms.gov/priorities/innovation/files/x/newdirection-rfi.pdf. Accessed 9 Oct. 2024.   Resources: 2025 Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D Premiums: https://link.chtbl.com/ASGF20241004 Cigna to Sell Medicare Business to HCSC: https://ritterim.com/blog/cigna-to-sell-medicare-business-to-hcsc Key Changes for ACA Open Enrollment 2025 ft. Ross Baker from HealthSherpa: https://link.chtbl.com/ASG2024RossBaker Preparing Clients for the New Medicare Prescription Payment Plan Program: https://link.chtbl.com/ASG621 Staying Motivated Amidst Change & Disruption: https://link.chtbl.com/ASGM20240710 Webinars & Events: https://ritterim.com/events/ What to Do if Your Medicare Part D Plans Become Non-Commissionable: https://link.chtbl.com/ASGN20241005   Follow Us on Social! Ritter on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/RitterIM Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/ritter.insurance.marketing/ LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/company/ritter-insurance-marketing TikTok, https://www.tiktok.com/@ritterim X, https://twitter.com/RitterIM and Youtube, https://www.youtube.com/user/RitterInsurance     Sarah on LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/sjrueppel/ Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/thesarahjrueppel/ and Threads, https://www.threads.net/@thesarahjrueppel  Tina on LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/tina-lamoreux-6384b7199/

We kick off 'This Week in Pharmacy' with a news review starting with an interview from Pharmacy Times with Rina Shah, SVP of Walgreens about -- "Sustainable Care Models Must Expand Role of Pharmacist" Rina discussed what the future of sustainable care models in the pharmaceutical industry. We also note the article titled: "Community Pharmacists Can Impact Disparities in Care Delivery" Drug Topics interviews Jasmine Perry, PharmD, senior clinical pharmacist, professional engagement and quality at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina.  Access In some rural areas of the United States, pharmacists are the only health care providers that a community can access. Our guest, Vincent Grippi is the Founder and CEO of Grippi Media. He brings over 16 years of experience helping companies leverage digital marketing to accelerate business growth, reach new customers and build brand equity.    Vincent has designed and implemented digital marketing strategies for startups and Fortune 500 companies both agency-side and in-house. His work has been featured in AdWeek, Business Insider, Fierce Healthcare, Marketing Dive and more.   

  The Friday Five for August 2, 2024: Target Denim Take Back Event New Maps and Waze Updates from Google Disney+, Hulu, Max Bundle Now Available FOMC July 2024 Meeting CMS Changes to ACA Plan Switching Process    Contact the Agent Survival Guide Podcast! Email us ASGPodcast@Ritterim.com or call 1-717-562-7211 and leave a voicemail.   Target Denim Take Back Event: Garlin, Shannon. “Target Announces a Limited-Time Denim Trade-in Program - How to Save.” TODAY.Com, TODAY, 29 July 2024, www.today.com/shop/target-denim-take-back-event-savings-rcna164033. “Target Announces First Official Denim Take Back Event, Offering 20% off New Styles in Exchange for Previously-Worn Denim.” Target, Target, 29 July 2024, corporate.target.com/press/release/2024/07/target-announces-first-official-denim-take-back-event,-offering-20-off-new-styles-in-exchange-for-p. Bregel, Sarah. “Target Will Give You Coupons If You Swap Your Old Jeans for Its Own Denim Styles.” FastCompany.Com, Fast Company, 29 July 2024, www.fastcompany.com/91164305/target-back-to-school-shopping-coupons-discounts-sales-denim-trade-in.   New Maps and Waze Updates from Google: Shakir, Umar. “Google Maps Is Getting Even More like Waze.” The Verge, The Verge, 31 July 2024, www.theverge.com/2024/7/31/24209969/google-maps-destination-guidance-waze-camera-events. Sorrentino, Mike. “Google Maps, Waze Make It Easier to Report Crashes, Cameras and Slowdowns.” CNET, CNET, 31 July 2024, www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/google-maps-waze-make-it-easier-to-report-crashes-cameras-and-slowdowns/. Fielding, Sarah. “Google Maps Will Show You Where to Enter Your Destination.” Engadget, Engadget, 31 July 2024, www.engadget.com/google-maps-will-show-you-where-to-enter-your-destination-130021496.html. Li, Abner. “New Google Maps Incident Reporting Comes to Mobile & Android Auto, Waze Gets Lockscreen Navigation.” 9to5Google, 9to5Google, 31 July 2024, 9to5google.com/2024/07/31/google-maps-incident-reporting/.   Disney+, Hulu, Max Bundle Now Available: “Disney+, Hulu, Max Bundle.” Disney+, Disney+, www.disneyplus.com/welcome/disney-hulu-max-bundle. Accessed 31 July 2024. “Disney+, Hulu, Max Bundle.” Hulu, Hulu, www.hulu.com/disney-hulu-max-bundle. Accessed 31 July 2024. “Disney+, Hulu, Max Bundle.” Max Help Center, Max, help.max.com/us/Answer/Detail/000002578. Accessed 31 July 2024. Manfredi, Lucas. “How to Change Your Plan to the Disney+, Hulu, Max Bundle as an Existing Subscriber.” TheWrap, The Wrap, 25 July 2024, www.thewrap.com/disney-hulu-max-bundle-how-to-change-plan/. Weatherbed, Jess. “The Disney Plus, Hulu, and Max Streaming Bundle Is Now Available.” The Verge, The Verge, 25 July 2024, www.theverge.com/2024/7/25/24205865/disney-plus-hulu-max-streaming-bundle-price-availability.   FOMC July 2024 Meeting: “Consumer Price Index - June 2024.” Bls.Gov, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 11 July 2024, www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cpi.pdf. Cox, Jeff. “Fed Holds Rates Steady and Notes Progress on Inflation.” CNBC, CNBC, 31 July 2024, www.cnbc.com/2024/07/31/fed-rate-decision-july-2024.html. Curran, Enda. “Fed Meeting Today: Live Analysis on Interest Rates, Powell Speech.” Edited by Michael Arnold and Chris Anstey, Bloomberg.Com, Bloomberg, 31 July 2024, www.bloomberg.com/news/live-blog/2024-07-31/fomc-rate-decision-and-fed-chair-news-conference. Smialek, Jeanna. “Fed Opens Door to September Rates Cut If Inflation Stays Cool.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 31 July 2024, www.nytimes.com/2024/07/31/business/economy/fed-meeting-interest-rates.html. Guida, Victoria. “Fed Poised to Cut Rates, Ignoring Trump and GOP Lawmakers.” Politico, Politico, 31 July 2024, www.politico.com/news/2024/07/31/fed-interest-rate-cuts-trump-republican-backlash-00171918. “Meeting Calendars and Information.” FederalReserve.Gov, The Federal Reserve, www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/fomccalendars.htm. Accessed 31 July 2024. “Personal Income and Outlays, June 2024.” Bea.Gov, Bureau of Economic Analysis, 26 July 2024, www.bea.gov/news/2024/personal-income-and-outlays-june-2024.   CMS Changes to ACA Plan Switching Process: Appleby, Julie. “Biden Administration Tightens Broker Access to Healthcare.Gov to Thwart Rogue Sign-Ups.” Fierce Healthcare, KFF Health News, 22 July 2024, www.fiercehealthcare.com/payers/biden-administration-tightens-broker-access-healthcaregov-thwart-rogue-sign-ups. “CMS Statement on Agent and Broker Marketplace Activity.” CMS.Gov Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 12 Apr. 2024, www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cms-statement-agent-and-broker-marketplace-activity. “CMS Statement on Agent and Broker Marketplace Activity, Update.” CMS.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 6 May 2024, www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cms-statement-agent-and-broker-marketplace-activity-update. “CMS Statement on System Changes to Stop Unauthorized Agent and Broker Marketplace Activity.” CMS.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 19 July 2024, www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cms-statement-system-changes-stop-unauthorized-agent-and-broker-marketplace-activity.   Resources: 5 Things About the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan: https://link.chtbl.com/ASGF20240726 Agent's Guide to Phone Communication Resources: https://link.chtbl.com/ASG608 Agent's Guide to Social Media Communication Resources: https://link.chtbl.com/ASG606 Events & Webinars for Insurance Agents: https://ritterim.com/events/ Facebook Basics for Insurance Agents: https://link.chtbl.com/ASG607 How Agents Can Protect Clients from Unauthorized ACA Plan Switching: https://ritterim.com/blog/how-agents-can-protect-clients-from-unauthorized-aca-plan-switching/ Marketplace Call Center: 1-800-318-2596 Ritter Insurance Marketing Summits 2024: https://link.chtbl.com/ASDF20240719 Signs It's Time to Expand Your Insurance Portfolio & Make the Move! https://link.chtbl.com/ASG605   Follow Us on Social! Ritter on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, X, and YouTube Sarah on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Threads Tina on LinkedIn

How can integrated delivery systems leverage emerging technologies like data analytics, AI, and machine learning without losing the human touch in patient-provider relationships? In this groundbreaking episode, Nick Stefanizzi explores how employers can drive healthcare system change, emphasizing data analytics, AI, and maintaining human touch in patient care. He highlights employers' pivotal role in healthcare transformation through data-driven strategies and innovative partnerships with providers, reshaping health plans to enhance care access, quality, and affordability. Join us as we uncover the untapped potential of employer-led initiatives and their ability to reshape the future of healthcare delivery! Resources: Connect with and follow Nick Stefanizzi on LinkedIn.  Learn more about Northwell Health on their LinkedIn and website. Check out healthcare-specific sources of information mentioned by Nick Stefanizzi, like Modern Healthcare, Becker's Hospital Review, Fierce Healthcare, SIIA, and Dr. Eric Bricker's LinkedIn.

Dr. Asima Ahmad discusses the significant role doulas can play in pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care, highlighting the importance of clear roles and communication between healthcare professionals, doulas, and birthing individuals for optimal outcomes. Dr. Asima's personal experience with a doula demonstrates the benefits of having tailored support for physical and emotional well-being, underscoring the potential for doulas to alleviate stress and anxiety, and contribute to a more positive birthing experience. The conversation also addresses controversies surrounding doula services, emphasizing the necessity of teamwork and understanding in medical settings to prevent miscommunication and ensure the safety and health of both the mother and baby, with research supporting the positive impact of doulas on reducing medical interventions and improving mental health outcomes. To learn more -- or read the transcript -- visit the official episode page. “So I think there's a lot of different roles that doulas can play. I don't think it's just like a copy and paste for all. Personally, I've had five pregnancies, I have four children, and I'm lucky that I've always had a good support system in place. But for this last delivery, I did have a postpartum doula, and even though I had gone through it three times before, I found her insight and support to be valuable to not only myself but also to my family and friends.” ~Asima Ahmad, MD, MPH Our guest, Asima Ahmad, MD, MPH, is a co-founder and the chief medical officer (CMO) of Carrot Fertility, the leading global fertility care platform. As Carrot's CMO, Ahmad leads clinical strategy, overseeing the company's expansive network and telehealth program, which offers access to more than 10,000 reproductive endocrinologists, urologists, adoption experts, mental health experts, OB/GYNs, doulas, and midwives.   In addition to her role at Carrot, Ahmad is a practicing reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist. She is double board certified in reproductive endocrinology and infertility and obstetrics and gynecology. Ahmad earned a combined medical and public health degree from the University of Chicago's Pritzker School of Medicine and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston. She completed her residency in OB/GYN at Yale-New Haven Hospital in Connecticut and her fellowship training in reproductive endocrinology and infertility at the University of California, San Francisco. She has worked alongside and received mentorship from former ASRM presidents Dr. Hugh Taylor and Dr. Marcelle Cedars. Ahmad's work has been published extensively in academic literature and internationally on various topics related to infertility, reproductive and hormonal health, gynecologic malignancies, and patient safety.  Ahmad has been recognized by Entrepreneur magazine and Fierce Healthcare on their Women of Influence lists and named to Business Insider's 30 under 40 in Healthcare list. She has also spoken at The World Economic Forum and has been featured in The New York Times, the “Today” show, “Good Morning America,” NPR, CNN, USA Today, Women's Health, and more. Our host, Gabe Howard, is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author. Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can't imagine life without. To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

By Editor, Concierge Medicine Today   It has been a minute since my wife and I watched Mad Men.   I still remember a few quotes, though. I recall Roger Sterling's sage marketing and business advice (above) with ease.   Unrelated, my wife and our close family friends recalled just last week how we found Betty, a fun character with a few quirky phrases of her own pretty memorable as well.   Remember when her son Bobby said, "I'm bored."   She replied, "Go bang your head against a wall...Only boring people are bored."   It was not great motherly advice, but her character was entertaining, to say the least.   Back on point: According to a new report published by the American Medical Association, between 2012 and 2022, the share of physicians working in private practices decreased by 13 percentage points — from 60.1% to 46.7%.   Additionally, Slate.com wrote, 'Doctors who run practices are essentially business owners, but many have never learned to manage a staff.'   Fierce Healthcare reported that 'Medical graduate students are at a disadvantage when they don't get trained on the business elements of medical practice.'   Finally, Harvard Business Review writes, 'Most physicians have been trained to keep emotion out of the job, and are not comfortable showing vulnerability in the workplace.'   READ FULL STORY | INFOGRAPHIC ...   © Concierge Medicine Today, LLC. ("CMT") All rights reserved.   Disclaimers: All content presented here is for general information purposes only. It is NOT intended to provide medical, legal, professional, accounting or financial advice. No warranties or guarantees are assumed or implied and user(s) releases Concierge Medicine Today, LLC, its agents, representatives, affiliated brands/companies and/or guests from all damages, liability and/or claims. Be advised, some references, companies, individuals, products, services, resources and/or links may be out-of-date. Concierge Medicine Today, LLC does not update content past its release date. User(s) assume all risk and liability with any use of the content as well as third party links. Concierge Medicine Today, LLC., has no formal peer review and, therefore, cannot guarantee the validity of information and/or content contained on its web sites, podcasts, and/or all content it produces or releases. While some of our speakers may be licensed Physicians, they are not your Physician. Please consult your Physician related to anything you may have read or heard or have questions about or call 911. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker's own and do not necessarily represent the views, thoughts, and/or opinions of Concierge Medicine Today, LLC. The "Concierge Medicine Today, LLC" ("CMT") name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service. Additional disclaimers, releases, terms of use and conditions apply also to the production and/or use of this content, https://conciergemedicinetoday.org/tcpp/.

Listen as Alissa Hsu Lynch shares her learns transitioning away from a traditional executive career path, following the infamous tech layoffs of 2023, to her current role serving on multiple boards across diverse sectors.Recognized by Fierce Healthcare as one of the most influential minority healthcare executives, Alissa currently serves on the Board of Directors of The Honest Company and Pulmonx, and is a member of the Board of Trustees of American Ballet Theatre.Discussion in the episode:The value of waiting for the right opportunityHow to avoid tokenism in the boardroomThe power of networkingHow CEOs can attract top board talentClick here to reach out to Peter Rabey direct Like this show? Please leave us a review. Every review helps. 

While it's a known fact that women, on average, live longer than men, a recent report unveils a nuanced reality—women also spend more of their lives grappling with poor health.  This week on “The Top Line,” Ayla Ellison, editor-in-chief of Fierce Healthcare and Life Sciences, explores the root causes behind this disparity and the multifacted nature of the women's health gap. She's joined by one of the lead authors of the report, Valentina Sartori, Ph.D., and a contributor to the report, Kelle Moley, M.D.   The report highlights that addressing the women's health gap and investing in women's health could inject $1 trillion into the economy annually by 2040, and Dr. Sartori explains why that number could be a significant underestimation.  While the report provides a clear understanding of the challenges, it also sheds light on viable pathways to close the women's health gap and create a future where women not only live longer but lead healthier lives.  To learn more about the topics in this episode:   Closing the women's health gap: A $1 trillion opportunity to improve lives and economies White House launches new initiative aimed at investing in women's health research Organon finally offers a larger pharma model for women's health. But 'one company can't do it by itself' CMS unveils new model to support Medicaid agencies in offering whole-person maternal health Menopause care is still a largely untapped market. Here's why investors and startups should dive in  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rural America is facing a healthcare crisis. Home to 60 million people, rural areas face a 23% higher mortality rate compared to urban locations due to lack of infrastructure, lower socio-economic status and provider shortages. Indeed, rural areas have half as many primary care providers and an eighth as many specialists as urban locales.In this episode, Homeward's CEO, Jennifer Schneider discusses how her company uses remote monitoring, telehealth and a novel staffing model to re-architect care delivery in rural America with the goals of improving access and health outcomes.We discuss:Why Jennifer and her co-founder decided to make Homeward a B Corp.How Homeward uses technology and non-physician providers to expand access to care in rural America.Lessons from Homeward's early rollout in Minnesota.Jennifer says we often underestimate how large the rural healthcare market is:“I jokingly say [to] people when we started Livongo... we initially started in diabetes care. And people said, “That's amazing, it's going to be a huge business. There's 30 million people living with diabetes, so great that you did this nice little niche company for your next company”. And so well, how many people do you think live in a rural health care markets? [I] kind of get a blank stare. And the answer is – double the size [of] the population of people with diabetes… 60 million people live in… [a] rural market.“Relevant LinksHomeward websiteLack Of Access To Specialists Associated With Mortality And Preventable Hospitalizations Of Rural Medicare Beneficiaries [Article]U.S. Government Accountability Office: “ACCESSING HEALTH CARE IN RURAL AMERICA” [PDF]Forbes: “Healthcare In Rural America Isn't A Little Broken, It's A Lot Broken: A Conversation With Dr. Jennifer Schneider, Founder And CEO, Homeward Health”About Our GuestDr. Jennifer Schneider is the co-founder and chief executive officer of Homeward, a company focused on rearchitecting the delivery of health and care in partnership with communities everywhere, starting in rural America. Previously, Dr. Schneider served as the chief medical officer and president of Livongo. She also served as chief medical officer of Castlight Health. Dr. Schneider has been honored by Modern Healthcare as one of the “100 Most Influential People in Healthcare” and by Fierce Healthcare as a “Woman of Influence” for her work empowering women and modeling diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Dr. Schneider is also on the boards of Maven and Jasper. Dr. Schneider completed her bachelor's degree in biology at the College of the Holy Cross. She went on to get her MD at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and her master's degree in Health Services Research at Stanford University.Connect With UsFor more information on The Other 80 please visit our website - www.theother80.com. To connect with our team, please email claudia@theother80.com and follow us on twitter @claudiawilliams and

Earlier this year, Fierce Healthcare, Fierce Pharma and Fierce Biotech recognized 50 individuals and companies that are pushing the industry forward. The Fierce 50 honorees range from tech innovators to researchers developing novel therapies to providers on the frontlines of changing care. This week on "The Top Line," senior editor Paige Minemyer sat down with staff writers Dave Muoio and Anastassia Gliadkovskaya as well as senior editor Heather Landi to discuss a few of the honorees in more detail.  To learn more about the topics in this episode:  The Fierce 50 of 2023  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The impact of a particular work arrangement on health can vary among individuals. For example, remote work might offer more flexibility, potentially reducing commuting stress and providing a better work-life balance for some. On the other hand, it could lead to challenges like social isolation and difficulty in separating work from personal life. In this podcast, David talks about the various factors that come into play and influence employee wellbeing. Dr. David Lenihan is the CEO of Ponce Health Sciences University (a medical school with campuses in Ponce, Puerto Rico and St. Louis, MO) and the co-founder of Tiber Health. His POVs on a variety of leadership, business strategy, and medical education topics have been featured in The HR Director, STAT, CPO Magazine, OZY, Fierce Healthcare, Forbes, Fast Company, the Washington Post, Entrepreneur, and many more.

In this episode of the Leadership Team Show, I speak to Anton Gunn, former senior advisor to President Barack Obama and a national expert on Socially Conscious Leadership. Fierce Healthcare recently named him as one of the Ten Most Influential Minority Executives in Healthcare. He is a graduate of the University of South Carolina, where he played SEC football for the Gamecocks and earned a master's degree in Social Work. He was also a Resident Fellow at Harvard. He is the bestselling author of The Presidential Principles and Just Lead and has been featured in TIME magazine, the Wall St Journal, Inc Magazine, and on Good Morning America.As an international keynote speaker and management consultant, some of his clients include renowned organizations like Mercedes-Benz, Vans, KPMG, T-Mobile, Aetna, Emory Healthcare, and The Boeing Company. His presentations challenge people to think differently, act differently, and turn their workplace culture from worrisome – to world-class!When he's not speaking to audiences like ours, he can be found listening to hip hop music or cheering for his daughter's softball team, but never at the same time.My Just Lead Toolkit https://antongunn.com/toolkithttps://antongunn.comhttps://www.instagram.com/antonjgunn/https://www.linkedin.com/in/antonjgunn/https://www.facebook.com/AntonJGunn/Get Free GiftThe limitless organization short video coursemike-goldman.com/limitlessThanks for listening! Connect with us at mike-goldman.com/blog and on Instagram@mikegoldmancoach and on YouTube @Mikegoldmancoach

After months of delay, the proposed merger between South Dakota-based Sanford Health and Minnesota-based Fairview Health will not happen.  This week's announcement comes with a lot of questions about the future of the two organizations. Fierce Healthcare staff writer Dave Muoio has followed the progress of this story, and he discusses some of the impacts from the failed deal.

Elementary school Spanish teacher Allyson Wolff provides some tips for parents trying to get their children ready for the upcoming school year. Fierce Healthcare staff writer Dave Muoio explains what went wrong with the now-failed merger between Sanford Health and Fairview Health.

Healthcare leaders from Health Net, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey and Socially Determined shared successful Medicaid Redetermination strategies and best practices to help ensure your plans' most vulnerable populations do not lose essential health coverage.   With the end of the Public Health Emergency and the Medicaid continuous coverage provision in April, Redetermination could cause 18M Americans to lose health coverage, creating care gaps for the most vulnerable & widening health disparities. Our expert panel provides you with important information about navigating the disenrollment storms ahead.   Mildred Menos, Director, Medicaid Product Administration, Horizon Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Jersey Darrel Ng, Vice President, Communications & Marketing, Health Net Trenor Williams, MD, Co-Founder & CEO, Socially Determined Bios: https://www.brightspotsinhealthcare.com/events/the-disenrollment-tsunami-how-to-fix-your-medicaid-redetermination-strategy/   This episode is sponsored by Socially Determined Socially Determined is leading the transformation of health care delivery and payment through social risk analytics and solutions. Our SocialScapeⓇ SaaS platform, data and industry-leading expertise empower health systems, plans and other risk-bearing organizations to better manage risk, improve outcomes and advance equity at scale. Recently named by Fierce Healthcare as one of the 15 most promising healthcare companies, Socially Determined is headquartered in Washington, DC. Visit: www.sociallydetermined.com

Episode 38: Using AI, Data, and Telepharmacy To Drive Medication Optimization with Jason Rose, CEO of AdhereHealthWhat you'll get out of this episodeJoin host Tim Fitzpatrick as he chats with Jason Rose, CEO of AdhereHealth. In this voyage we learn more about AdhereHealth's mission to deliver data-driven technology that improves medication optimization and quality measures to achieve value-based outcomes. We also hear how Jason's 30 years of experience in this space shaped the company's rebrand and transformation since he took over its helm in 2018. Today, AdhereHealth is the market leader using telepharmacy to overcome social determinants of health (SDOH) and improve the patient experience.Disclaimer: In this video Jason incorrectly states Dr. John Halamka left Beth Israel and is now at Johns Hopkins but he is actually at Mayo Clinic.In this episode you'll discover: How AdhereHealth delivers purpose-built, innovative technology solutions to improve the quality of care, medication adherence , and cost outcomes. Why AdhereHealth is still the only national telepharmacy solution operating at scale in the United States today, touching more than 30 million people through its technologies and at-risk engagement services. How their unique combination of analytics, clinical workflow software, and proactive telepharmacy outreach addresses an estimated half a trillion dollars of unnecessary annual medical costs attributed to medication adherence issues. Why AdhereHealth developed the first-of-its-kind PRM (patient relationship management) software to further their understanding of patients' Social Determinants of Health (SDoH). How Jason and his team think about things like risk and data architecture for their PRM platform by leveraging claims data (mile wide), medical history (mile deep), and pharmacy records (updated daily). Final Frontier - 5 Questions in 50 Seconds Top Challenge: Leveraging a combination of technology and clinician enablement that actually accelerates outcomes (hint -  not an EHR) Top Opportunity:  Medication adherence Tech Trend You're Following: Public-Private Partnerships Top Media Recs:   Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself: How to Lose Your Mind and Create a New One by Dispenza, Joe.  Modern Healthcare, Fierce Healthcare, Rama on Healthcare, WSJ Rockefeller, George Lukas Healthcare / Tech Leader(s) You're Following: Elon Musk Dr. John Halamka, CIO at Mayo Clinic Dr. David Brailer, First US Health IT Czar, Bush Administration Sarah London, CEO of Centene Corporation Dan Mendelson, CEO of Morgan Health David Cordani, CEO of Cigna Gail Boudreaux, CEO of Elevance Quotables“The pandemic was a…wasted opportunity to tackle [medication adherence] in a really big way. Who were those most hurt in the pandemic? It was not about the genetic code, it was about the zip code. It was the same patients before we still see today who are not getting their drugs for the chronic conditions.”“We're using the data of yesterday to inform our decisions today, and artificial intelligence to drive our actions tomorrow.”Recommended Resources Medication Adherence Is a “Force Multiplier” for Medicare Advantage Profitability, Enrollment, Star Ratings (AJMC, 2023) The Quintuple Aim for Health Care Improvement: A New Imperative to Advance Health Equity - PubMed (nih.gov) Cost of Prescription Drug-Related Morbidity and Mortality - PubMed (nih.gov) Charting a New Path to At-Home Medication Adherence With Digital Pharmacy Support (AJMC, 2022) Join the Conversation Are you a healthcare innovator? Tell us what topics and people you'd like us to cover in future episodes:Jason Rose on LinkedInAdhereHealth on LinkedInAdhereHealth on Twitter““It's a long-standing belief that star ratings are Darwinism in healthcare. If you don't get the four stars, you've lost a percentage of your premium and lost funding to put into the product, and now because you've lost that, you've also lost membership enrollment,” says Rose. “And because you've lost the ability to compete with your peers, it's going to take two years to come back with a higher star rating.” Great article Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare and Matt Phillion!#healthcare #sdoh #pharmacy #quality #starratings#medicationadherence” @Jason Rose on LinkedInAbout Your HostTim Fitzpatrick is the CEO of IKONA Health, a company using neurobiology and immersive technology to improve how patients learn about their care and treatment options. Tim co-founded IKONA based on his own patient experiences while serving in the US Navy and now in the VA health system. He has served as Principal Investigator on multiple federal research grants, has co-authored papers on learning science, VR, and mental health in the age of COVID-19, and has partnered with top healthcare investors and institutions including the National Science Foundation, Department of Defense, National Artificial Intelligence Institute, StartUp Health, On Deck, FundRx, MATTER and NVIDIA.

What you'll get out of this episodeListen in as host Tim Fitzpatrick chats with Eric Gantwerker about how Level Ex brings together the best minds across healthcare and interactive entertainment to accelerate the adoption of new skills and treatments in medicine. Eric shares how he and his team think about designing new games, entering new markets, and finding ways to make medical education available anytime, anywhere. Since joining the team nearly 8 years ago, Level Ex has seen more than 1 million users and partnered with 30 out of the top 40 life sciences and medical device companies, including Medtronic, Johnson & Johnson and Boston Scientific.In this episode you'll discover: How we know games work, including the story of how a young boy was able to safely pull over his grandma's car and wait for EMS from playing Mario Kart.  Why games are such powerful mechanisms for knowledge and skill transfer.  How Level Ex identifies intent to help their users put behaviors into practice. How Eric thinks about outcomes, and what goes into planning and design in order to generate evidence required to make Level Ex a renowned medical education tool What factors go into needs assessment, market analysis, and the sizing of new markets created by game-based opportunities The top qualities of innovators and early stage teams when entering healthcare markets with novel technology, and why listening and asking questions is key to their success The power of adaptable platforms and matching platforms to learning tasks and skills development Final Frontier - 5 Questions in 50 Seconds Top Challenge: Awareness Top Opportunity: Personalization Tech Trend You're Following: LLMs, AI, ML Top Media Recs: What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy, By James Paul Gee (Link to PDF →) Healthcare / Tech Leader(s) You're Following: Justin Barad, Osso VR (LinkedIn →) Danny Goel, Precision OS (LinkedIn →) Richard Vincent, FundamentalVR (LinkedIn →) Bertalan Mesko, MD (LinkedIn →) Rafael Grossman, MD (LinkedIn →) Quotables“We've relied on outside PI's to run studies, and we have studies on a bunch of what we call our core games. You know AirwayX there was a study looking at inhibition times and confidence and skill. We looked at PulX and the interest in anatomy and pulmonary function and interest going into pulmonary interventional specialties. We just had a study come back about our dermatology game which is one of our first knowledge-based mechanics and it actually showed that practicing clinicians did better in clinical scenarios” @DrEricGant on #T-Minus 10 w/ @trfitzpatrick Recommended Resources BackTable Innovation Podcast Advancing The Practice Of Medicine Through Play (LevelEx) Play LevelEx Games (LevelEx) Level Ex study shows the efficacy of game-based training for experienced dermatologists (Fierce Healthcare) 59 practicing dermatologists participated Participants played five game modules physicians' scores and practical knowledge increased three-quarters of participants preferred learning through medical video games over traditional continuing medical education Join the ConversationEric Gantwerker on LinkedInEric Gantwerker on TwitterLove that play has found it's rightful place per Sam Glassenberg's vision! - Eric Gantwerker on LinkedInAbout Your HostTim Fitzpatrick is the CEO of IKONA Health, a company using neurobiology and immersive technology to improve how patients learn about their care and treatment options. Tim co-founded IKONA based on his own patient experiences while serving in the US Navy and now in the VA health system. He has served as Principal Investigator on multiple federal research grants, has co-authored papers on learning science, VR, and mental health in the age of COVID-19, and has partnered with top healthcare investors and institutions including the National Science Foundation, Department of Defense, National Artificial Intelligence Institute, StartUp Health, On Deck, FundRx, MATTER and NVIDIA.T-Minus 10 is a part of the Slice of Healthcare podcast network. 

This week we have the honor of being joined by a world-renowned family physician and health equity expert, with deep experience in value-based care transformation, technology and innovation, and health disparities improvement.  You are going to hear from the one and only Dr. Nwando Olayiwola, a leader in this Race to Value who is committed to ensuring that everyone has access to fair, high quality and equitable health and health care, no matter their background. To achieve this, she has committed her career to health system reform, practice transformation, primary care redesign and leveraging technology and other innovations to mitigate health disparities. Dr. Olayiwola is Nigerian American physician, professor, author, speaker, consultant, and health equity leader. She was named the American Telemedicine Associate's Woman of the Year in 2019, she was named one of the most influential minority executives in healthcare by Fierce Healthcare in 2021. Dr. O is a tireless advocate for healthcare of underserved populations, women and girls, and community and social determinants of health and innovations in technology, and the intersection of social justice and healthcare. As the inaugural Chief Health Equity Officer and senior VP of Humana, a role that she started in 2021, and she's responsible for setting equity agenda and strategy for Humana. In this episode, you will learn about the enablement of an equitable healthcare ecosystem through actionable data, performance measurement and quality improvement, health equity innovation, and relationship-based care. Episode Bookmarks:  01:30 Introduction to Dr. J. Nwando Olayiwola, a Nigerian American physician, professor, author, speaker, consultant, and health equity leader. 02:30 Dr. O is the inaugural Chief Health Equity Officer and senior VP of Humana. 04:00 Personal background and formative experiences that has led Dr. O towards a career path in healthcare equity transformation. 05:30 The Health Equity Journey at Humana. (“Making Health Equity Part of the Value of Value-Based Care”) 06:45 Humana became a pioneer of health justice and health equity in rebuilding and uniting Louisville after the murder of Breonna Taylor. 07:00 Humana's Bold Goal Population Health Initiative to enable an equitable healthcare ecosystem. 07:45 “We need to innovate constantly in the way that we deliver and finance healthcare. It must fit within the lives of people's own lived experience.” 08:00 Optimism for the evolution of our healthcare ecosystem to better prioritize health equity. 09:00 “We must do everything we can to eliminate barriers to healthcare that are unnecessary, that are avoidable, and that are unjust.” 09:45 Imagining a world where healthcare is more than just having an insurance card – it actually becomes an equitable ecosystem of liberation and authenticity. 10:30 Dr. O provides specifics on the various types of health disparities that we encounter in our country and how those impact minoritized and marginalized populations. 12:00 Dr. O's TED Talk: “Combating Racism and Place-ism in Medicine” 13:00 How is Humana positioning itself as a catalyst for equity innovation by leveraging it health plan and provider assets collectively? 15:00 How the Health Equity movement mirrors the path of the Health Quality movement following the “To Err is Human” report. 16:30 Referencing landmark National Academy of Medicine paper: “An Equity Agenda for the Field of Health Care Quality Improvement” 17:00 Measuring health equity on dashboards measuring organizational performance. 18:00 “We must get the right data to validate we are providing culturally affirming, culturally sensitive, and culturally humble care to people we're caring for.” 18:00 Referencing NEJM Catalyst article on how Humana developed a health disparities impact measure:  “Building the Foundation for Reducing Disparities in Medicare Advantage” 19:30 The need for committed leadership to support health equity work.

Senior leaders from Cigna, Independent Health, Regence, and Socially Determined join Eric to discuss how minimizing social risk helps plans garner higher quality and performance scores. Learn successful strategies for identifying, engaging, and addressing members with elevated social risks to drive gap closure and member retention. The session is full of bright spots you can implement in your organization! Panel:  Kathleen Faulk, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Government Programs, Regence; Angela Kloepfer-Shapiro, MD, MBA, Regional Medical Executive, Northeast and West Regions, Cigna Medicare Advantage;Dawn Odzywolski, Vice President, Medicare Programs, Independent Health; Ashley Perry, MPH, Chief Strategy & Solutions Officer, Socially Determined Bios:  https://www.sharedpurposeconnect.com/events/mitigating-social-risk-to-achieve-higher-star-ratings/   Summit Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/469644799237   This episode is sponsored by Socially Determined Socially Determined is leading the transformation of healthcare delivery and payment through social risk analytics and solutions. Our SocialScapeⓇ SaaS platform, data and industry-leading expertise empower health systems, plans and other risk-bearing organizations to manage risk better, improve outcomes and advance equity at scale. Recently named by Fierce Healthcare as one of the 15 most promising healthcare companies, Socially Determined is headquartered in Washington, DC. Visit the website at www.sociallydetermined.com.

Welcome to the Tech for Good Live podcast. We're back after a surprise full season break,  and raring to go trying out a whole new podcast format, discussing the good, the bad and the ugly side of tech. We are talking about how AI might help cheating in exams, but also might help with mental health diagnosis. Sounds like a win win. And we return to our usual segment  “What's Elon done now!?” Joining host Bex is producer Paul, Greg Ashton and Tom Passmore. Our special guest is Alex Nelson, Principal Designer at Hala Systems, who develops cutting edge humanitarian technology for conflict zones, like early warning systems for hospitals and schools in Syria to allow them to evacuate during bombings. Good story of the week: AI is having a wild ride right now, excitement over ChatGPT turned to fear of cheating in exams and other misuse and back to exciting new uses for these AI tools including mental health diagnosis: Listening For Illness: Your Voice May Soon Help Detect Health Problems - Worldcrunch  Kintsugi Named One of Fierce Healthcare's 2023 ‘Fierce 15' Companies - Silicon  But it seems some need more caution and common sense in considering how we use AI: A news site used AI to write articles. It was a journalistic disaster. - Washington Post Bad news story of the week: In a continued effort to throw the baby out with the bath water, Twitter gets rid of third party apps, remembers a subscription needs some kind of benefit, and suggests they'll have an ad free version soon (and not because all the advertisers have left): The third-party apps Twitter just killed made the site what it is today - The Verge Elon Musk admits Twitter has too many ads, says fix is coming - Tech Crunch  Ugly story of the week: OpenAI Used Kenyan Workers on Less Than $2 Per Hour to Make ChatGPT Less Toxic - Time ---------------------------- Listeners, what did you think? We'd love to hear your thoughts.  Get in touch on twitter @techforgoodlive or Email at hello@techforgood.live  We'd love it if you gave us a nice iTunes review and told your pals about this podcast! Thanks to podcast.co for hosting our podcast.  Also, please don't forget this podcast is run by volunteers and we survive on sponsorships and donations. Right now one of our primary goals is to make sure all of our podcast episodes are accessible by making sure EVERY episode is transcribed. Sadly this costs money and we desperately need your help to make this become a reality! So if you've ever tuned into one of our podcasts or attended one of our events please consider chipping in the price of a cup of coffee.

CMS replaced the Global and Professional Direct Contracting (GPDC) Model with the redesigned ACO Realizing Equity, Access, and Community Health (REACH) Model in 2023. ACO REACH is the first accountable care model to directly address health equity and access to care, with a specific directive to meet the needs of patients from marginalized and underserved communities.    Whether you are participating in ACO REACH, the model provides vital insights into the future of value-based care and care collaboration. This panel will discuss the incentives and requirements laid out by the new ACO REACH model and how organizations can develop action plans to identify differences or disparities in their members' health status.   Panelists: Gary Jacobs, Executive Director, Center for Government Relations and Public Policy, VillageMD; Kate Casaday, MPH, Director of Market Operations, CareMount Health Solutions; Ashley Perry, MPH, Chief Solutions Officer, Socially Determined   Bios: https://www.sharedpurposeconnect.com/events/aco-reach-advancing-equity-and-optimizing-performance/   This episode is sponsored by Socially Determined Socially Determined is leading the transformation of healthcare delivery and payment through social risk analytics and solutions. Our SocialScapeⓇ SaaS platform, data and industry-leading expertise empower health systems, plans and other risk-bearing organizations to manage risk better, improve outcomes and advance equity at scale. Recently named by Fierce Healthcare as one of the 15 most promising healthcare companies, Socially Determined is headquartered in Washington, DC. Visit the website at www.sociallydetermined.com.

First of all, let me thank those of you who have left a podcast review in 2022. There was one from Best Healthcare Podcast Around on Apple Podcasts the other day that thanked Relentless Health Value for being singularly responsible for providing a 400-level education in so many complex areas of healthcare, which I personally really appreciated because we aspire to be a master class in healthcare industry strategy, such that those looking to do right by patients understand the dynamics well enough to succeed. This also echoed a review from February of this year that said that Relentless Health Value distills complex healthcare issues into a highly intuitive and highly accessible narrative that helped the reviewer's Fortune 500 company get everybody in the C-suite the understanding needed to confidently make some pretty key healthcare-related decisions. Thanks so much to those of you who left a review for taking the time. As I have said on earlier shows, we really have a Relentless Tribe here working hard to make the healthcare industry in this country much more accountable to the patients that we serve. And you leaving a rating and a review might be the best thing that you can do if you're into helping us achieve our mission, because the ratings are so entwined with helping others find the show. If you consider yourself a listener who has gained value from this show and you haven't yet left a review or a rating, could I ask that you do me a favor and do so? If you don't know how to do that, there are instructions here for how to do so. *** In this healthcare podcast, I am talking with Al Lewis. Al has been on the show before. One thing I did not realize about Al is that he went to Harvard Law School. Today we are discussing using the Quizzify Consent Form in the emergency room. This Quizzify Consent Form quite simply gives patients convenient ways to remember the exact and specific words they need to write on any financial forms they are presented with and told to sign in the emergency room. These words negate a hospital system or ER staffing firm's claims that the patient agreed in a blanket statement to pay whatever they are charged. In the past (ie, before the surprise billing legislation that went into effect at the beginning of 2022), this Quizzify Consent Form helped prevent the old $11,000 COVID test somebody got in the emergency room or the million-dollar heart attack. For more on the legislation itself, listen to the show with Loren Adler (EP307). While it is far from perfect in a few respects, on the whole, the No Surprises Act is good for patients. It's been terribly bad news, however, for certain private equity–backed ER staffing organizations who used surprise billing as a business model, meaning specifically—and maybe there's others, but Team Health and Envision are certainly the big dogs here. This wasn't any sort of cloaked-in-the-shadows secret, by the way, as far as business models for these two entities. I recall one of them saying without equivocation that the No Surprises Act would be very detrimental to their business. And it turns out, they were right. Here's from Fierce Healthcare, quoting Moody's: “Envision ‘faces significant social risk' due to ‘significant negative publicity relating to the patients … receiving surprise medical bills' and will remain financially challenged by the No Surprises Act.” Moody's downgraded Envision's corporate debt, suggesting that they are at risk of going bankrupt over the next 12-18 months. To further attenuate my sympathies, both of these companies, Team Health and Envision, cut doctors' pay during the first COVID-19 wave while simultaneously spending millions on political ads to protect surprise billing practices. Anyway, sad … not sad. Getting back on track here, the good news in all of this is that patients don't have to worry about surprise bills either by private equity–backed entities or just your run-of-the-mill hospital down the street who, pre–No Surprises Act, were not opposed to a little surprise billing action of their own or not opposed enough to do anything about out-of-network docs sending these bills in a lot of cases. But the No Surprises Act doesn't make going to the ER a safe space from a financial standpoint for patients or their employers, and this is what I talk about today with Al Lewis. This whole conversation reminded me of something that David Contorno has said more than once: Every hospital bill, every physician bill is a surprise bill if the patient does not know ahead of time what the charges will be. You've listened to this podcast before and heard guest after guest talk about how payers … frankly not so good at negotiating with hospitals, most of whom have emergency rooms. (Listen to EP346 with Peter Hayes, for example.) If you're a patient and you go to the ER, you're gonna see this lack of great negotiating in all of its glory. So, for example, if a payer “negotiated” $10,000 for an emergency MRI or CT scan or some other test or service and the patient has cost sharing, yeah, that patient just got hit with a very, very big bill. Or the whole upcoding thing. This whole thing is what I talk about with Al Lewis today: post–No Surprises Act, what's happening in emergency rooms and how can we protect patients/members/employees from excessive financial toxicity that is still rampant when it comes to going to the emergency room in many cases. Al talks about how the employers can really help employees and members protect themselves from profiteering hospitals or physician staffing companies the patient doesn't even realize are gonna be sending bills. You can get and learn more about the Quizzify Consent Form as well as Quizzify's Doctor Visit PrepKits here. Another episode along these lines to listen to is EP328 with Marshall Allen. You can get the free version of the card by emailing al@quizzify.com. You can also connect with Al by emailing al@quizzify.com, visiting the Web site at quizzify.com, on LinkedIn, or on Twitter at @quizzify and @whynobodybeliev.   Al Lewis wears multiple hats, both professionally and also to cover his bald spot. Hat #1: Employee Health Literacy. He is the founder and “quizmeister-in-chief” of Quizzify, whose mission is to help companies teach their employees to utilize health care services appropriately, using a format best described as “Jeopardy meets Choosing Wisely meets Comedy Central.” Quizzify is the only vendor authorized to display the Harvard Medical School “Veritas” shield and has received excellent reviews from users. Quizzify is also well known for its ER Sticker Shock Prevent Consent, which has been endorsed by Dr. Marty Makary and Dave Chase, among others. It can be taped to an insurance card, used as a stand-alone card, or downloaded into your Apple or Google Wallet and will “pop up” when you enter an ER. It limits ER bills (both in- and out-of-network) to 2x Medicare, which is less than half of most “negotiated” rates. His quiz-specific background includes authorship of the best-selling Newsweek Presents the Ultimate Trivia Game, which Games magazine lauded as having the best questions of any trivia game; hosting two quiz shows on Boston network affiliates; and appearing on Jeopardy. Hat #2: Outcomes Measurement. As an author, his critically acclaimed category best-selling book on outcomes measurement, Why Nobody Believes the Numbers, chronicling and exposing the innumeracy of the health management field, was named digital health book of the year in Forbes. Cracking Health Costs, written in conjunction with Walmart alum Tom Emerick, was also a trade best seller. He was the cofounder of the World Health Care Congress's Validation Institute. His expertise in outcomes measurement got him named one of the unsung heroes changing healthcare forever. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa with honors from Harvard, where he taught economics as well. He also graduated from Harvard Law School, albeit with no honors that time—other than winning their annual trivia contest, of course. 06:34 What is the evolving problem around surprise bills? 07:08 What are the two issues with the No Surprises Act? 9:13 Why are ER bills in network still so high? 17:27 How does the Quizzify Consent Form work for patients with insurance who unexpectedly visit the hospital? 20:50 “They're basically saying, ‘We don't abide by federal law.' Good luck with that.” 22:20 “The better question is, why aren't other vendors copying it?” 23:56 How would Quizzify affect the hospital bottom line if employers start utilizing it as part of their employee healthcare? 27:35 Is there any potential downside to Quizzify? You can get the free version of the card by emailing al@quizzify.com. You can also connect with Al by emailing al@quizzify.com, visiting the Web site at quizzify.com, on LinkedIn, or on Twitter at @quizzify and @whynobodybeliev. @whynobodybeliev of @Quizzify discusses #erbilling and the #nosurprisesact on our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast What is the evolving problem around surprise bills? @whynobodybeliev of @Quizzify discusses #erbilling and the #nosurprisesact on our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast What are the two issues with the No Surprises Act? @whynobodybeliev of @Quizzify discusses #erbilling and the #nosurprisesact on our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast Why are ER bills in network still so high? @whynobodybeliev of @Quizzify discusses #erbilling and the #nosurprisesact on our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast How does the Quizzify Consent Form work for patients with insurance who unexpectedly visit the hospital? @whynobodybeliev of @Quizzify discusses #erbilling and the #nosurprisesact on our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast “They're basically saying, ‘We don't abide by federal law.' Good luck with that.” @whynobodybeliev of @Quizzify discusses #erbilling and the #nosurprisesact on our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast “The better question is, why aren't other vendors copying it?” @whynobodybeliev of @Quizzify discusses #erbilling and the #nosurprisesact on our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast How would Quizzify affect the hospital bottom line if employers start utilizing it as part of their employee healthcare? @whynobodybeliev of @Quizzify discusses #erbilling and the #nosurprisesact on our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast Is there any potential downside to Quizzify? @whynobodybeliev of @Quizzify discusses #erbilling and the #nosurprisesact on our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast Recent past interviews: Click a guest's name for their latest RHV episode! Dan Mendelson, Wendell Potter, Brian Klepper (Encore! EP335), Dr Aaron Mitchell (EP382), Karen Root, Mark Miller, AJ Loiacono, Josh LaRosa, Stacey Richter (INBW35), Rebecca Etz (Encore! EP295), Olivia Webb (Encore! EP337), Mike Baldzicki, Lisa Bari, Betsy Seals (EP375), Dave Chase, Cora Opsahl (EP373), Cora Opsahl (EP372), Dr Mark Fendrick (Encore! EP308), Erik Davis and Autumn Yongchu (EP371), Erik Davis and Autumn Yongchu (EP370), Keith Hartman, Dr Aaron Mitchell (Encore! EP282), Stacey Richter (INBW34), Ashleigh Gunter, Doug Hetherington, Dr Kevin Schulman, Scott Haas    

What leaders in your life have had the greatest impact on your thinking and behavior? Anton Gunn can name five different U.S. Presidents who've personally influenced him.These interactions form the basis of the seven principles in his bestselling book, The Presidential Principles. Anton served as a senior advisor for healthcare in the Obama Administration, and that President inspired him to find more ways to be of service to others. Anton is the CEO of 937 Strategy Group, a consulting firm focused on helping leaders build diverse, high-performing teams, and world-class workplace culture. Anton was recently named one of the Ten Most Influential Minority Executives in Healthcare by Fierce Healthcare, and he's the world's leading expert on Socially Conscious Leadership.You'll discover: The two leadership lessons Anton learned from his first boss that transformed his lifeHow Anton redirected his life purpose after the death of his brother What he discovered about the U.S. healthcare system that motivated him to become an advocate for changeHow Anton became a senior advisor to President Barack ObamaThe one Presidential Principle that serves as that foundation of all the others

Today I'm joined by Anton Gunn, he shares heart-wrenching stories from his life and why he believes SERVICE is the missing key for fulfillment. Anton Gunn is a former senior advisor to President Barack Obama and a national expert on Socially Conscious Leadership. He has a master's degree in Social Work from the UofSC and was a Resident Fellow at Harvard. He is the bestselling author of The Presidential Principles and has been featured in TIME magazine, the Wall St Journal, INC Magazine, BBC, NPR, and Good Morning America. Recently, Anton was named as one of the Ten Most Influential Minority Executives in Healthcare by Fierce Healthcare. www.antongunn.com Instagram: @antonjgunn www.lillyrachels.com TikTok/Instagram: @lillyrachels --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lillyrachels/support

September 26, 2022: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patty-hayward-a81934/?trk=people-guest_people_search-card (Patty Hayward), Vice President, Strategy Healthcare and Life Sciences at https://www.talkdesk.com/call-center-solutions/healthcare/experience-cloud/ (Talkdesk) joins Bill for the news. Following CVS Health-Signify Health and Amazon OneMedical, who will be the next digital health M&A target? Experts are not anticipating a slowdown in similar acquisitions. What will the Walmart, UnitedHealth Group, Optum collaboration bring for 2023? How will they endeavor to improve health outcomes and the patient experience? What is Trilliant Health's evidence-based comparison tool all about? How will it supersede 'black box' top hospital lists? Key Points: You're seeing Amazon and CVS really trying to look at how they can evolve the market and get ahead but they also have the assets to back it up and the time to wait to make it happen. The way we acquire healthcare is fundamentally changing. The Walmart, UnitedHealth, Optum collaboration puts the patient at the center of healthcare https://www.talkdesk.com/call-center-solutions/healthcare/experience-cloud/ (Talkdesk) Stories: https://digitalhealth.modernhealthcare.com/mergers-acquisitions-ma/who-could-be-next-digital-health-ma-target (Who could be the next digital health M&A target? - Modern Healthcare) https://www.healthcarefinancenews.com/news/walmart-teams-unitedhealth-group-optum-patient-experience (Walmart teams with UnitedHealth Group, Optum on patient experience - Healthcare Finance News) https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/providers/trilliant-healths-new-evidence-based-hospital-comparison-tool-looks-supplant-black-box (Trilliant Health looks to supplant 'black box' top hospital lists with evidence-based comparison tool - Fierce Healthcare)

September 19, 2022: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-morris-aa7ab821/?originalSubdomain=uk (Melissa Morris), CEO of https://lantum.com/ (Lantum) joins Bill for the news today. The trend of "quiet quitting" has recently gained traction on social media, referring to a phenomenon in which workers reduce their enthusiasm at work and stick to the minimum expectations of their role. What does 'quiet quitting' look like at hospitals? Some healthcare experts say the Amazon Care shutdown is a strategic play and not a failure. What happens when telehealth expansion is put under the microscope? How does it address concerns about access, quality of care, equity and program integrity? Key Points: How do we keep ‘quiet quitting' from happening? How do we maintain engaged employees?  Inflation and the cost of living has scared people back into the workforce but they're coming with a different mindset altogether Employees need three things: Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose in their role Amazon is moving away from the employer healthcare space and more to direct to consumer opportunities https://lantum.com/ (Lantum) https://csaccelerator.com/ (The Cedars-Sinai Accelerator) Stories: https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/workforce/what-does-quiet-quitting-look-like-at-hospitals.html?utm_campaign=bhr&utm_source=website&utm_content=top-40 (What does 'quiet quitting' look like at hospitals? - Beckers) https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/health-tech/amazons-move-eighty-six-amazon-care-strategic-play-not-failure-some-experts-say (Amazon Care shutdown is a strategic play, not a failure, some healthcare experts say - Fierce Healthcare) https://www.hcinnovationgroup.com/population-health-management/telehealth/news/21280057/hhs-oig-report-puts-telehealth-expansion-under-microscope (HHS OIG Report Puts Telehealth Expansion Under Microscope - Healthcare Innovation) Sign up for our webinar: https://thisweekhealth.com/briefing_campaigns/patient-room-next-improving-care-efficiency/ (Patient Room 'Next': Improving Care Efficiency) - Thursday September 29, 2022: 1pm ET / 10am PT. Traditional patient rooms involve sitting on the table, waiting, tentative knocks on the door. We're redefining the way we look at patient rooms. We're reimagining the future. Hear about technological tools that have been explored and implemented for clinician effectiveness, how to step into the Patient Room ‘Next' future, and the progress in our Nation's health systems regarding PRN. Bring your hospital system into tomorrow with sound advancements and peace of mind. We're looking to advance healthcare, and we know you are too.

September 12, 2022: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colin-banas-md/ (Dr Colin Banas), Chief Medical Officer for https://drfirst.com/ (DrFirst) joins Bill for the news today. CVS Health is acquiring Signify Health, a home health company, for $8 billion beating out bids from Amazon and others. Researchers at Northwestern University and John Hopkins University plan to study if an Apple Watch app can help prevent strokes. Why are Cyber Attackers targeting smaller hospitals? Can AI help deliver greater success at birth? Has Walmart's brick and mortar kind approach revolutionized rural healthcare? Evernorth, the health services arm of Cigna and Varian are partnering to improve data standardization and interoperability in oncology with a HL7 CodeX pilot.  Key Points: CVS is doubling down on meeting the patient where they want to be met It's frustrating when a patient can't get something their doctor has prescribed  It's not artificial intelligence, it's augmented or advanced intelligence https://drfirst.com/ (DrFirst) Stories: https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/disruptors/cvs-health-to-buy-signify-for-8b-6-details.html (CVS Health to buy Signify for $8B: 6 details) https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.fiercehealthcare.com/digital-health/nih-funded-study-test-if-apple-watch-can-prevent-strokes-limit-blood-thinners__;!!ELD3qnnpiOo!ok0ziyJRWcxX-vq9OLRZN1nRg89TWlkXCd1R3Qk6QZ8cdJ6EmYeMBWiDodjFlEzMJZtHlgReFKFlGiWxDU0tuCDauvIE$ (NIH-funded study to test if Apple Watch can prevent strokes, limit blood thinners - Fierce Healthcare) https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.healthcareitnews.com/news/hl7-codex-pilot-test-prior-authorizations-oncology__;!!ELD3qnnpiOo!qeBPxxenyIK8sHbboeY9w6VrM8UNAYUu_nk4Qyxzh_4w9UzYCUDqo2jHIVxgWCTXxJ_w3fdFK0CiGqhYtp-DqceD3HLfl6DVMFTw_Ao$ (HL7 CodeX pilot to test prior authorizations in oncology - Healthcare IT News) https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.hcinnovationgroup.com/cybersecurity/data-breaches/news/21279049/report-attackers-targeting-smaller-healthcare-orgs__;!!ELD3qnnpiOo!qeBPxxenyIK8sHbboeY9w6VrM8UNAYUu_nk4Qyxzh_4w9UzYCUDqo2jHIVxgWCTXxJ_w3fdFK0CiGqhYtp-DqceD3HLfl6DV66TxKb8$ (Attackers Targeting Smaller Healthcare Orgs - Healthcare Innovation) https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.healthcareitnews.com/news/ai-could-help-deliver-greater-success-birth__;!!ELD3qnnpiOo!qeBPxxenyIK8sHbboeY9w6VrM8UNAYUu_nk4Qyxzh_4w9UzYCUDqo2jHIVxgWCTXxJ_w3fdFK0CiGqhYtp-DqceD3HLfl6DVamOh-vc$ (AI could help deliver greater success at birth - Healthcare IT News)

Aug 8, 2022: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilymischel/ (Emily Mischel), CoFounder of https://www.flextogether.com/ (FlexTogether) joins Bill for the news today. Compelled by consumers who don't always want to schedule a video visit or drive to the doctor's office, health systems are finding new value in asynchronous, or store-and-forward, telehealth. FlexTogether is a comprehensive virtual respiratory care platform to radically expand access to rehabilitation which in turn drastically reduces readmission by 53-73%. Is telehealth moving out of the Post-Covid doldrums? How can we build a business case for asynchronous health? The Market downturn dampens digital health funding M&A in 2022 and three more digital health ‘unicorns' undergo layoffs. Key Points: FlexTogether is a comprehensive virtual respiratory care platform to radically expand access to rehabilitation 40% of Medicare beneficiaries don't live within the distance of a pulmonary rehab facility Many health systems took advantage of expanded coverage and access to telehealth during the pandemic to try out asynchronous services https://www.flextogether.com/ (FlexTogether) https://csaccelerator.com/ (Cedars-Sinai Accelerator) Stories: https://healthsystemcio.com/2022/07/12/moving-telehealth-out-of-the-post-covid-doldrums/ (Moving Telehealth out of the Post-Covid Doldrums - Joseph Kvedar - healthsystemcio.com) https://www.healthleadersmedia.com/innovation/building-business-case-asynchronous-telehealth (Building a Business Case for Asynchronous Health) https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/digital-health/market-downturn-dampens-digital-health-funding-ma-2022-here-are-sectors-raked-most (Market downturn dampens digital health funding, M&A in 2022. These sectors raked in the most cash - Fierce Healthcare) https://digitalhealth.modernhealthcare.com/finance/three-more-digital-health-unicorns-undergo-layoffs (Three more digital health ‘unicorns' undergo layoffs - Modern Healthcare) Webinar: How's Your Front Line? Recruit, Retain and Optimize Your Cybersecurity Team “Cybersecurity-what's your emergency?” “We need help. It's an attack.” “Hello? Hello!” What can we do about the staffing shortage in cybersecurity? With research suggesting that nearly a third of the cybersecurity workforce is planning to leave the industry in the near future, organizations are left in a worrisome position, especially as attack surfaces are growing. So, where do we move forward from here knowing that we are facing low numbers in the field already and it's likely to get even worse? https://thisweekhealth.com/webinar-sempris-cyberstaffing_recruit-retain-optimize-cybersecurity-team/ (Register here) - Thursday August 11 @ 1pm ET / 10am PT Webinar: Don't Pay The Ransom Is your health system paying out for attacks on your data? How can we stop the cycle? Rubrik is offering incredible insight into the arising issues in cyber resilience in ransomware attacks, cloud data management with securing Epic in Azure, and unstructured data. In this webinar, we analyze the best practices to initiate in our hospital systems. https://thisweekhealth.com/dont-pay-the-ransom-insight-into-cyber-resilience-in-ransomware-attacks-cloud-data-management-unstructure-data/ (Register here) - Thursday August 18 @ 1pm ET / 10am PT

In this minisode, Mindy and Ryan examine a few recent newsworthy items including trends impacting digital health funding (0:48), the newly operational 988 mental health and suicide crisis line (4:00), the latest impacts on the healthcare industry post Roe v. Wade (6:45), and discussions regarding the future of the 340B prescription drug program (13:49).  Podcast Tags: healthcare, healthcare news, women's health, reproductive health, public health, providers, Roe v. Wade, mental health, maternal health, digital health, Medicaid, prescription drugs, Life SciencesSource Links: · H1 2022 digital health funding: Two sides to every correction | Rock Health · https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/digital-health/market-downturn-dampens-digital-health-funding-ma-2022-here-are-sectors-raked-most  · https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/07/15/1111316589/988-suicide-hotline-number · https://apnews.com/article/abortion-bills-house-vote-fc24d99f184d7aeec4926a6520311da5 · Characteristics of U.S. Abortion Patients in 2014 and Changes Since 2008 | Guttmacher Institute· https://www.advisory.com/blog/2022/07/abortion-restrictions?utm_source=public_db&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2022jul13&utm_content=public_headline_public_blog_x_x_x&elq_cid=4793240&x_id= · https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/3559360-gop-senator-blocks-bill-to-protect-interstate-travel-for-abortion/ · https://www.hrsa.gov/about/organization/bureaus/opae/hrsa-information-quality-guidelines/agency-mission · Merck joins other drugmakers in cutting off sales to 340B contract pharmacies | Fierce Healthcare· https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/providers/merck-sues-hhs-avoid-fine-over-340b-contract-pharmacy-restrictions  For additional discussion, please contact us at TrendingHealth.com or share a voicemail at 1-888-VYNAMIC. Mindy McGrath, Healthcare Industry Advisor mindy.mcgrath@vynamic.comRyan Hummel, Executive and Head of Provider Sectorryan.hummel@vynamic.com

The recently signed gun law, S. 2938: Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, contained a surprise dingleberry postponing a regulation designed to save seniors money on their pharmaceutical drugs by prohibiting kickbacks to an industry few have heard of: Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs). This little-known but extremely powerful industry deserves much of the blame for ever rising prescription drugs costs in the United States. In this episode, Jen gives you the scoop on PBMs and how they make their money at the expense of Americans who are most dependent on medications. Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Support Congressional Dish via Patreon (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536. Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! View the shownotes on our website at https://congressionaldish.com/cd255-pharmacy-benefit-managers-pbms We're Not Wrong Berlin Meetup Contact Justin at WereNotWrongPod@gmail.com Background Sources Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes CD134: The EpiPen Hearing US Healthcare Landscape Jessi Jezewska Stevens. Apr 23, 2020. “A Brief History of the Great American Healthcare Scam.” Bookforum. Tanza Loudenback. Mar 7, 2019. “The average cost of healthcare in 21 different countries.” Insider. Chuck Grassley and Ron Wyden. 2019. “Insulin: Examining the Factors Driving the Rising Cost of a Century Old Drug [Staff Report].” U.S. Senate Finance Committee. “Health Insurance Coverage of the Total Population.” Kaiser Family Foundation. Sara R. Collins and David C. Radley. Dec 7, 2018. “The Cost of Employer Insurance Is a Growing Burden for Middle-Income Families.” The Commonwealth Fund. PBMs What are PBMs? JC Scott. Jun 30, 2022. “Drug manufacturers are root cause of high drug costs; PBMs drive costs down.” The Hill. Zach Freed. Jun 22, 2022. “The Pharmacy Benefit Mafia: The Secret Health Care Monopolies Jacking Up Drug Prices and Abusing Patients and Pharmacists.” American Economic Liberties Project. Adam J. Fein. Jun 22, 2021. “The Top Pharmacy Benefit Managers of 2020: Vertical Integration Drives Consolidation (rerun).” Drug Channels. “Flash finding: How drug money from sick people really works.” Nov 11, 2021. 46brooklyn. Adam J. Fein. Feb 3, 2019. “Don't Blame Drug Prices on ‘Big Pharma.'” The Wall Street Journal. How PBMs Make Money “DIR Fees.” National Association of Chain Drug Stores. “How PBMs Make Money: PBM Practices & Profits.” RxSafe. True North Political Solutions. Oct 25, 2017. “White Paper: DIR Fees Simply Explained.” Pharmacy Times. ACA “Vertical Integration” Loophole Peter High. Jul 8, 2019. “A View From Inside Cigna's $67 Billion Acquisition Of Express Scripts.” Forbes. Angelica LaVito. Nov 28, 2018. “CVS creates new health-care giant as $69 billion merger with Aetna officially closes.” CNBC. David Dayen. Oct 12, 2018. “Why the Aetna and CVS Merger Is So Dangerous.” The American Prospect. Jeff Byers. April 12, 2018. “Optum a step ahead in vertical integration frenzy.” Healthcare Dive. Graph: Optum opens up wider market for UnitedHealth Group Graph: Optum's pharmacy business contributes the majority of its revenue Susan Morse. May 10, 2017. “Secret weapon: UnitedHealth's Optum business is laying waste to old notions about how payers make money.” Healthcare Finance. Lobbying “Client Profile: Pharmaceutical Care Management Assn.” Open Secrets. The Demise of Independent Pharmacies Christine Blank. Oct 17, 2019. “Independents Prepare to Close Up Shop.” Drug Topics. Paulina Firozi. Aug 23, 2018. “The Health 202: Here's why rural independent pharmacies are closing their doors.” The Washington Post. What Is a Formulary? Ana Gascon Ivey. May 19, 2020. “A Guide to Medication Formularies.” GoodRx. Previous Delays in Rebate Regulation Paige Minemyer. Jan 29, 2021. “In a win for PBMs, Biden administration delays rebate rule.” Fierce Healthcare. Paige Minemyer. Jan 12, 2021. “PCMA sues Trump administration over rebate rule.” Fierce Healthcare. “Incorporating the Effects of the Proposed Rule on Safe Harbors for Pharmaceutical Rebates in CBO's Budget Projections—Supplemental Material for Updated Budget Projections: 2019 to 2029.” May 2019. Congressional Budget Office. The Gun Law Passage Process Office of the Clerk. May 18, 2022. “Roll Call 212 | Bill Number: S. 2938.” U.S. House of Representatives. Tampa Bay Times Editorial Board. May 12, 2022. “Republican lawmakers should be ashamed for failing to honor Justice Joseph Hatchett.” Miami Herald. Annie Karni. Apr 12, 2022. “House G.O.P., Banding Together, Kills Bid to Honor Pioneering Black Judge.” The New York Times. Background on Most Important Provisions Mary Katherine Wildeman. May 26, 2022. “Data show most school shootings carried out by young adults, teens.” CT Insider. Jeffrey Pierre. May 26, 2022. “Experts say we can prevent school shootings. Here's what the research says.” NPR. The Dingleberry Erik Sherman. Jun 30, 2022. “Gun Safety Bill Extends Drug Middlemen Protection From Anti-Kickback Measure.” Forbes. Molly Rutherford. Jun 28, 2022. “Gun legislation provision puts drug supply chain profits over patients.” The Hill. Marty Schladen. Jun 22, 2022. “Deep inside the gun bill: a break for prescription drug middlemen.” Iowa Capital Dispatch. Poland Train Station Taylor Popielarz, Maureen McManus and Justin Tasolides. Mar 25, 2022. “‘The help given is remarkable': Inside the Poland train station that's become a hub for Ukrainian refugees.” Spectrum News NY1. The Law and the Regulation S. 2938: Bipartisan Safer Communities Act Senate Vote: 65-33 (All Nos GOP) House Vote: 234-193 (All Nos GOP) Jen's Highlighted PDF of S. 2938: Bipartisan Safer Communities Act Fraud and Abuse; Removal of Safe Harbor Protection for Rebates Involving Prescription Pharmaceuticals and Creation of New Safe Harbor Protection for Certain Point-of-Sale Reductions in Price on Prescription Pharmaceuticals and Certain Pharmacy Benefit Manager Service Fees U.S. Health and Human Services Department November 30, 2020 Audio Sources The State of Competition in the Pharmacy Benefits Manager and Pharmacy Marketplaces November 17, 2015 House Committee on the Judiciary Witnesses: Bradley J. Arthur, R.Ph., Owner, Black Rock Pharmacy David Balto, Law Offices of David A. Balto PLLC Amy Bricker, R.Ph. Vice President of Retail Contracting & Strategy, Express Scripts Natalie A. Pons, Senior Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, CVS Health Clips 53:48 Bradley Arthur: The Big Three PBMs control almost 80% of the entire market and these PBMs have the upper hand both in negotiating the contract with the payer, as well as strongly influencing the actual plan design itself. The PBM industry typically states that they can use their economic power to harness enhanced market efficiencies, but for whom? However, the staggering annual revenues that continue to grow each year of the big three suggests that these efficiencies are going directly to their corporations' bottom lines. Small community pharmacies like mine are faced on a daily basis with the impact of the PBMs' disproportionate market power. Community pharmacies routinely must agree to take-it-or-leave-it contracts from the PBMs just to continue to serve our long-standing patients. As if that weren't enough, the PBMs also directly set the reimbursement rates for pharmacies, the very same pharmacies that stand in direct competition of some of these PBM-owned mail-order and specialty pharmacies. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the PBMs present employer and government payers with carefully tailored suggested plans designs that steer beneficiaries to these PBM-owned entities. Drug Pricing in America: A Prescription for Change, Part I January 29, 2019 Senate Committee on Finance Witnesses: Kathy Sego, Mother of a Child with Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Ph.D., President, American Action Forum Mark E. Miller, Ph.D., Vice President of Health Care, Laura and John Arnold Foundation Peter B. Bach, MD, MAPP, Director, Memorial Sloan Kettering Center for Health Policy and Outcomes Clips 1:57:30 Sen. John Cornyn (R - TX): Can anybody on the panel explain to me why we have a general prohibition against kickbacks — they call them rebates — under the Social Security Act, but we nevertheless allow it for prescription drug pricing? What's the sound public policy reason for excluding prescription drug pricing from the anti-kickback rule under federal law? Douglas Holtz-Eakin: I can't explain that and won't pretend to. [laughter] Sen. Cornyn: I thought I was the only one who didn't understand the wisdom of that. Well, it's not a transparent arrangement and it does produce upward pressure on drug prices. And obviously, the negotiations between the PBM and the pharma in terms of what the net cost is, is not transparent, nor is it delivered to the consumer. Is it Dr. Miller? Dr. Bach? Peter Bach: It's delivered to the consumer indirectly through the reduction of the total cost of the benefit, but it is not delivered to the actual consumer using the drug, and that is a disassociation, that is a problem. Because it essentially reverses the structure of insurance. Lowering the total costs are people who use it the least, and raising the costs are people who use it the most, relative to if you allowed the rebate to be used at the point of sale, including all discounts. 1:59:49 Douglas Holtz-Eakin: If we had the negotiation be about the upfront price, so instead of a high list price and a rebate, you just negotiate a lower price, that would be the price that Ms. Sego would pay and insurance companies would look at that and say, okay, she's not paying as much as she used to, we're going to have to make up that money somewhere else and they might raise premiums. That means that people who don't have extreme insulin drug costs would pay a little bit more in a premium every month, and people who have extremely devastating medical conditions and high health care costs would get less costs. That's exactly what insurance is supposed to do. And so the rebate system is more than giving strange incentives on pricing. It's undercutting the purpose of insurance in general. Drug Pricing in America: A Prescription for Change, Part II February 26, 2019 Senate Committee on Finance Witnesses: Richard A. Gonzalez, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, AbbVie Inc. Pascal Soriot, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, AstraZeneca Giovanni Caforio, M.D., Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. Jennifer Taubert, Executive Vice President, Worldwide Chairman, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson Kenneth C. Frazier, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Merck & Co., Inc. Albert Bourla, DVM, Ph.D., Chief Executive Office, Pfizer Olivier Brandicourt, M.D., Former Chief Executive Officer, Sanofi Clips 1:22:03 Albert Bourla: Adverse incentives that favor higher cost biologics are keeping biosimilars from reaching patients. In many cases, insurance companies declined to include lower cost biosimilars in their formularies because they would risk losing the rebates from covering higher cost medicines. I can't think of a more concerning example of a broken system and we need to do something about it. 1:33:35 Sen. Chuck Grassley (R - IA): So many of you have voiced support for the recent rebate rule proposed by the administration. Should the administration finalized this rule, will you commit to lowering your drug prices? Richard Gonzalez [CEO, AbbVie]: Mr. Chairman, we are supportive of the rule. We'd like to see it in its final form, obviously, to make a final decision, but we are supportive of taking the discount to the patient at the point of sale. Sen Grassley: Okay. AstraZeneca? **Pascal Soriot [CEO, AstraZeneca]**The same for us Senator, I would go one step further: if the rebates were removed from the commercial sector as well, we will definitely reduce our list prices. Sen Grassley: Okay. And Bristol? Giovanni Caforio [CEO, Bristol-Myers Squibb]: We have the same positions. Sen Grassley: Okay. Johnson and Johnson? Jennifer Taubert [EVP, J&J]: Yes, we're supportive, and that definitely would be my goal. We would just need to see the final legislation, provided that there aren't additional fees that are added into the system to compensate for the rebates. Sen Grassley: Merck? **Kenneth C. Frazier: I would expect that our prices would go down if we change the system. Again, on the commercial side as well as the Medicare side. Sen Grassley: Okay, Pfizer? Albert Bourla [CEO, Pfizer]: It is a very clear intention that we will not keep a single dollar from these rebates. We will try to move every single penny to the patients and we think if this goes also to the commercial plants that will be even better for more patients. Sen Grassley: Okay. Sanofi? Olivier Brandicourt [Former CEO, Sanofi]: Lowering list price has to be linked to better access and affordability at the counter for the patients. 1:35:20 Sen. Ron Wyden (D - OR): Is it correct that your company, and nobody else, sets the starting price for all drugs sold by Pfizer? Yes or no? Albert Bourla: It is a negotiation with PBMs and they are very powerful. Sen. Wyden: But you still get to set the list price? Albert Bourla: Yes, but we set this price and the rebate limit(?). 1:35:40 Sen. Ron Wyden (D - OR): Is it correct, when a hypothetical patient, let's call her Mrs. Jones, goes to pay for her drug at the pharmacy counter, her coinsurance is based on the price of the drug you set? Albert Bourla: It is correct in many cases. Sen. Wyden: Okay. I just want you all to know that the number one reason consumers are getting hammered, is because these list prices, which you have the last word with respect to where they are, are unaffordable. And the high prices are tied to what the consumer pays at the pharmacy counter. And all this other stuff you talk about, the rebates and the discounts and the coupons, all this other stuff is window dressing, all of that. And the fact is on Part D, 40% of the drugs don't even have a rebate. So I want it understood, particularly because I've asked you, Mr. Borla, I think you and others in the industry are stonewalling on the key issue, which is actually lowering list prices. And reducing those list prices are the easiest way for American consumers to pay less at the pharmacy counter. 2:12:45 Sen. Thomas Carper (D-DE): First is eliminating rebates to PBMs. That's the first one, eliminating rebates to PBMs. The second is value based arrangements. And the third is increasing transparency industry-wide on how you set your prices. 2:13:20 Richard Gonzalez: We clearly support providing the discount at the patient level, eliminating rebates essentially. 2:14:10 Pascal Soriot: If the rebates, as I said earlier, were to be removed from Part D and the commercial sector, we would actually reduce our list prices. 2:15:10 Giovanni Caforio: I would say that not only do we support all three elements that you mentioned, but I do believe those three elements together with the continued effort to develop a generic and biosimilar market would mean significant change, and would clearly alleviate the concerns that patients have today. 2:14:44 Jennifer Taubert: We are very supportive of all three elements that you outlined 2:15:52 Kenneth Frazier: We too support all three. 2:15:55 Albert Bourla: All three elements are transformational for our industry, will disrupt it. However, we do agree that these are the three things that need to be done and also I believe that will have significant meaningful results if we do. 2:16:10 Olivier Brandicourt: We support the three Senator, but we want to keep in mind at the end of the chain the patient has to benefit, so if rebates are removed it has to be to the benefit of patients. Sen. Thomas Carper (D-DE): Good, thanks. 2:18:10 Albert Bourla: 50% of the American people are in commercial plans and these rebate rules apply to Medicare. If the rules apply to all, definitely the list price will go down. 2:18:30 Albert Bourla: The list price is not irrelevant, it's very relevant for a lot of people because they have to pay list price during the deductible period. However if the rebate rule is applied, then they become irrelevant because the patients will not be paying the list price at the purchase point. 2:19:10 Sen. John Thune (R-SD): How would manufacturers respond if the rebate rule were finalized for government programs? I mean, what does that what does that mean for the commercial market? Albert Bourla: Senator, as I said before, all these proposals that they're discussing, [undistinguishable], eliminating the rebate rule, are transformational and will disrupt the way we do business. I don't know exactly how the system will evolve, and I really don't favor a bifurcated system. I would like to have a transparent single system across both parts. So we need to see how the whole thing will evolve. 2:25:26 Johnny Isakson (R-GA): Who sets the discount and who sets the rebate? 2:26:20 Richard Gonzalez: We negotiate with payers, so managed care and PBMs— Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA): You're a supplier though, so you have to go negotiate with the PBMs and those people, is that right? Richard Gonzalez: Correct, and they negotiate aggressively. Sen. Isakson: Is that pretty much true with everybody, that they're the major component between the end retail consumer price and the origin of the product? Richard Gonzalez: Yes, Senator. Sen. Isakson: Well, that seems like that's someplace we ought to focus, because that's where the distorted numbers come in. Johnson & Johnson, Janssen, in your testimony, you talked about your average list price of 8.1%, up, but an average net price change of only 4.6%. So while your gross went up 8.6, your net went down 4.6 In the same pricing period. How does that happen? If you're setting the price, how does it not go up on the bottom? Jennifer Taubert: Yeah, and in fact, in 2018, our net price actually declined 8.6%, so even more than that. The intermediaries in the system are very, very effective negotiators— Sen. Isakson: Tell me who the intermediaries are. Jennifer Taubert: Those would be the PBMs and the insurers. Sen. Isakson: …and the insurance companies? Jennifer Taubert: Right, and they set the formularies for patients. Sen. Isakson: And they're not the same. They're two different people? Jennifer Taubert: Yes, correct. 2:40:45 James Lankford (R-OK): All of you have mentioned the rebate issue has been a problem and that insurance companies and PBMs are very effective negotiators. Part of the challenge of this is, health insurance companies pay their PBM based on the quality of their negotiation skills, cutting a price off the list price. And so if a list price is higher and a rebate is higher, that also gives preference to them. So the difficulty is, as you raise list price, and the rebate gets larger, the insurance company gives that preference, making it harder for biosimilars. Am I tracking this correctly? 2:43:00 Albert Bourla: Here in the US, the penetration of biosimilars is much lower than in other places, but it is disproportional to different parts of the US healthcare system. For example, in open systems, systems where the decision maker it is a PBM, the one biosimilar we have has a market share of 5% in the US. In closed systems, in systems like Kaiser, for example, integrated healthcare systems where the one who decides has the whole cost of the healthcare system in its interest, we have 73%. 5% and 73% for the same product. I agree with what Mr. Fraser said that we need to create incentives, but I would add also that we need to break this rebate trap that creates significant disincentives for providers, and the healthcare system, and insurance companies. 3:19:25 Kenneth Frazier: If you went back a few years ago, when we negotiated to get our drugs on formulary, our goal was to have the lowest copay by patients. Today the goal is to pay into the supply chain the biggest rebate, and so that actually puts the patient at a disadvantage since they're the only ones that are paying a portion of the list price. The list price is actually working against the patient. 3:19:50 Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT): Why do we have a system today? Where you all are setting, I'll just say very, very high list prices, which is the starting point for negotiation. Why? Olivier Brandicourt: Senator, we're trying to get formulary position. With those list prices. High list price, high rebates. It's a preferred position. Unfortunately the preferred position doesn't automatically ensure affordability at the end. Kenneth C. Frazier: Senator, If you bring a product to the market with a low list price in this system, you get punished financially and you get no uptake because everyone in the supply chain makes money as a result of a higher list price. Drug Pricing in America: A Prescription for Change, Part III April 9, 2019 Senate Committee on Finance Witnesses: Steve Miller, MD, Former Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer, Cigna Corporation Derica Rice, Former Executive Vice President and President, CVS Health and CVS Caremark William Fleming, Pharm.D., Segment President, Healthcare Services, Humana Inc. John Prince, Chief Executive Officer, OptumRx Mike Kolar, JD, Interim President & CEO, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Prime Therapeutics LLC Clips Sen. Ron Wyden (D - OR): Pharmaceutical Benefit Managers first showed up decades ago, back when prescription drugs were being utilized more extensively. The PBMs told the insurance companies, “we're the ones who know drug pricing, we will handle the negotiations for you.” But there is little evidence that the pharmaceutical benefit managers have actually held down the prices in a meaningful way. In fact, most of the evidence shows just the opposite. Pharmaceutical Benefit Managers actually make more money when they pick a higher price drug over a lower price drug. Colleagues, let's remember that all the way through this discussion, benefit managers make more money when they pick a higher price drug over a lower price drug. The logic on this isn't exactly complicated, graduate-level economics. PBM profits are based on taking their slice of the prescription-drug pie. More expensive drugs means there's a bigger pie. When there's a bigger pie, [there are] bigger slices for the pharmaceutical benefit managers. 50:24 Mike Kolar: Rebates and the role they play have been key areas of focus in the drug cost debate. In our view, rebates are a powerful tool to offset high prices, which are set by pharmaceutical companies, and pharmaceutical companies alone. The fact that rebates are not offered on many of the highest cost drugs, and that studies show no correlation between prices and rebates underscore that rebates are a key to mitigating rather than causing high drug prices. We pass rebates through fully to our plans, and we believe our plans should be able to choose how to apply these rebates in ways that best serve their members and market needs by balancing premiums and cost sharing. 56:05 Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA): I'd like to talk about consolidation, including the recent integration of PBMs with insurance companies. Last year I wrote to the Justice Department on the issues, it reported that the three largest PBMs who are before us today now covers 71% of Medicaid, Medicare Part D enrollees and 86% of standalone Drug Plan enrollees. 57:45 Derica Rice: This is a highly competitive space. In addition to the three that you've pointed out here, CMS has noted there are over 60 PBMs across the US. Therefore, the competition, there's many options for the employers that are out there, government entities, as well as unions to choose from given their specific needs. 1:10:35 Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI): So when we look at Express Scripts has 100 million Americans covered, CVS 90 million, OptumRx 65 million, Prime Therapeutics 27 million, Humana 21 million, and yet Americans still pay the highest prices in the world. Even though you are negotiating for millions of people. The VA has its own pharmacy benefit manager service, they negotiate for 9 million veterans, and they pay, on average, 40% less for the same drugs that the rest of the healthcare system pays for. Despite greater volume, you are unable to secure these kinds of low prices. With all due respect, you guys are pretty bad negotiators. Given the fact that the VA can get 40% less. And so I'd like to know from each of you why that's the case. Dr. Miller? Steve Miller [Former EVP and Chief Clinical Officer, Cigna Corporation]: Yes. Part of the equation is giving patients choice. At the VA, they actually limit their formulary more than any of us at this table do. So oftentimes, they'll have one beta blocker, one ace inhibitor. And so if it's going to get to that level of choice, then we could get better prices also. Sen. Stabenow: Let me jump in, in the interest of time. I know you create nationwide drug formularies, you have pre-authorization, you give preferred status to certain medications. So you don't use any of those tools that the VA is using? Because you do. Steve Miller: We definitely use those tools, but we also give people choice. It's crucial for both physicians and patients to have the choice of the products they want to be able to access. Many of our plans want us to have broad formularies and when you have more products, it means you move less market share. Sen. Stabenow: So basically you're saying a 40% premium gives them more choice. 1:24:30 Sherrod Brown (D-OH): If the administration's rebate rule were finalized as proposed, would you in some way be required to change the way you do business? Mike Kolar: Yes, Senator we would. John Prince: Yes. William Fleming: Yes. Derica Rice: Yes. Steve Miller: Yes. Sen. Brown: Thank you. 1:25:05 Sherrod Brown (D-OH): What percentage of prescriptions that you fill across Part D actually receive a rebate? Roughly what percentage? Mike Kolar: So Senator, approximately 8% of the prescriptions that we cover in Part D are associated with a rebate. Sen. Brown: Okay, Mr. Prince? John Prince: Senator, I don't know the exact number, I know our overall business is about 7%. Sen. Brown: Okay, thank you. William Fleming: About 7-8%. Derica Rice: Senator, I do not know the exact number but we pass through 100% of all rebates and discounts. Sen. Brown: [Grunt] Steve Miller: 90% of the prescriptions will be generic. Of the 10% that are branded, about two-thirds have rebates. So it's about seven-- Sen. Brown: 7-8% like the others. Okay. To recap, PBMs do not set drug prices. Forcing you to change the way you do business -- as the administration's rule would — will not change that fact. And while the rule might impact a small percentage of drugs and Part D that receive a rebate, it does nothing to lower costs, as your answer suggests, for the other 90% of prescriptions you fill. Most importantly, absolutely nothing in the proposed rule would require Secretary Azar's former employer or any other pharma company to lower the price of insulin or any other drug. It's important to establish that, so thank you for that. 1:41:40 Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV): Let me ask you, Dr. Fleming, in your testimony, you say Humana's analysis of the rebate rule -- and we're talking about the administration's rebate rule now — found that approximately 17% of beneficiaries will see savings at the pharmacy counter as a result of this rule. Can you tell me a little bit more about who these people are? And what kind of conditions do they have? William Fleming: Senator, there will be a number of members who are taking brand drugs for which we get rebates and so it could vary all the way from the common chronic conditions, things like diabetes or hypertension or high cholesterol, all the way over to occasionally, not usually, but occasionally on the specialty drug side. When you think of some medications like treatments for rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, places where there's competition. Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)

We all know that, even before the horrific, world-changing event of COVID-19, society would fall apart without hospital workers and medical staff. But as we also know, like so many other fields and sectors of work, the medical field is a very stratified one. Even though we as patients may not see it, many of the folks who make hospitals and medical facilities run are overworked, understaffed, under-protected, and paid way less than we're led to believe. This was made painfully clear last month when frontline physicians at LA county hospitals voted overwhelmingly in favor of striking over unfair labor practices. After voting to strike, LA County members of the Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR/SEIU), which is a local of the Service Employees International Union, won a historic tentative agreement with LA County, including average salary increases of 5.5% in the first year of the contract, followed by 3.25% in the following two years, a $3000 increase in annual housing stipends, a signing bonus for incoming interns, the creation of a $125,000 fund for diverse recruitment efforts and more. To talk about all of this and more, we chat with Dr. Frances Gill, a first-year resident physician at LAC/USC Medical Center who is training to be a psychiatrist. Additional links/info below... Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR/SEIU) website, Facebook page, and Twitter page CIR/SEIU Press Release: LA County Frontline Physicians and CIR Members Announce Contract Resolution After History-Making Campaign  Dave Muoio, Fierce Healthcare, "LA County's Tentative Labor Deal Heads Off 1,300-Physician Strike at 3 Public Hospitals" Permanent links below... Working People Patreon page Leave us a voicemail and we might play it on the show! Labor Radio / Podcast Network website, Facebook page, and Twitter page In These Times website, Facebook page, and Twitter page The Real News Network website, YouTube channel, podcast feeds, Facebook page, and Twitter page Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org) Jules Taylor, "Working People Theme Song

May 2, 2022: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patty-hayward-a81934/?trk=people-guest_people_search-card (Patty Hayward), Vice President, Strategy Healthcare and Life Sciences at https://www.talkdesk.com/call-center-solutions/healthcare/experience-cloud/ (Talkdesk) joins Bill for the news. Walmart heir Alice Walton's foundation is helping build a new regional health system in Arkansas. Blue Cross Blue Shield, Michigan and Honest Medical Group, Nashville are launching a joint venture to make it easier for docs to transition to value-based care for Medicare patients. AMA survey explores variations in telehealth use among 2,232 physicians. Chatbots and related automation can ease staffing shortages, triage patients and help with patient education, discharge and clinician burnout. After two years of record-breaking investment in digital health, the sector took a dive in the first quarter of 2022. Key Points: The model that changes healthcare is partnerships Medical school needs to be changed to whole health thinking Telephone and Zoom are still the primary platforms used to deliver care  Not all data has a home in the EHR https://www.talkdesk.com/call-center-solutions/healthcare/experience-cloud/ (Talkdesk) Stories: https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-transactions-and-valuation/walmart-heir-to-help-build-new-regional-health-system-in-arkansas.html (Walmart heir to help build new regional health system in Arkansas - Beckers) https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/payers/blue-cross-blue-shield-michigan-honest-medical-group-launch-value-based-care-joint-venture (Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Honest Medical Group launch value-based care joint venture - Fierce Healthcare) https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/ama-survey-majority-physicians-say-telehealth-enables-more-comprehensive-quality-care (AMA survey: Majority of physicians say telehealth enables more comprehensive quality care - Healthcare IT News) https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/chatbots-and-related-automation-can-ease-staffing-shortages-triage-patients (Chatbots and related automation can ease staffing shortages, triage patients - Healthcare IT News) https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/health-tech/global-digital-health-funding-falls-36-fewer-mega-rounds-ipos (Global digital health funding falls 36% to $10.4B in Q1 2022 - Fierce Healthcare)

The role of the community pharmacist is changing as millions of Americans rely on community pharmacists to provide a new level of care during this healthcare challenged time. Independent pharmacists are able to take active roles to improve outcomes for their patients and lower costs for payers and patients alike. Todays special guest is Dr. Rina Shah, PharmD. Rina is Group Vice President of Pharmacy Operations and Services at Walgreens. Her passion for pharmacy has been centered around transforming patient care to make an impact on patients' lives as well as empowering those around her to do more. In her current role, Rina leads a team that is responsible for pharmacy operations, services and specialty pharmacy across 9,000+ Walgreens pharmacies. In the last year, Rina has led Walgreens pharmacy response to COVID-19, implementing changes such as waiving prescription delivery fees, initiating proactive outreach by pharmacists to vulnerable patients, and enhancing team member and customer safety protocols. In addition to her current role, she now leads pharmacy operations for COVID-19 vaccination services. Rina helped launch Feel More Like You in 2019, a health and beauty service available at no cost to help people living with cancer manage the medical and physical changes associated with cancer treatment. She also spearheaded the creation of a new team of dedicated pharmacists at Walgreens called Health Outcomes Pharmacists. Often outside of a traditional retail setting, these specialized pharmacists work closely with patients most at-risk of medication non-adherence to address barriers that could prevent them from taking their medications as prescribed. In 2020, Rina led the pharmacy team that secured the first enterprise-wide URAC accreditation in Specialty Pharmacy for more than 300 community-based specialty pharmacies. Often patients with life-changing health challenges need support from their pharmacy team in their local community, this accreditation assures patients of the high standards of care in place as they access their medications and understand their treatment. She began her career at Walgreens in 1998, where she held various pharmacy roles in store. In 2007, Rina joined the corporate support center to lead several pharmacy-specific initiatives across the organization, including the launch of the Walgreens immunizations program chain-wide. The program increased immunization rates among customers covering 7 million people. She has also led sales operations and client services within market access.  Rina was recognized by Crain's Chicago Business as one of “40 under 40” for her leadership at Walgreens, by Fierce Healthcare as one of 2020's Most Influential Minority Executives, and by Drug Store News as one of the Top Women in Retail for her business excellence. Rina is actively involved with the UIC College of Pharmacy, APhA, NASP, the CDC and NACDS. She received her Doctorate in Pharmacy from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2005. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The role of the community pharmacist is changing as millions of Americans rely on community pharmacists to provide a new level of care during this healthcare challenged time. Independent pharmacists are able to take active roles to improve outcomes for their patients and lower costs for payers and patients alike. Todays special guest is Dr. Rina Shah, PharmD. Rina is Group Vice President of Pharmacy Operations and Services at Walgreens. Her passion for pharmacy has been centered around transforming patient care to make an impact on patients' lives as well as empowering those around her to do more. In her current role, Rina leads a team that is responsible for pharmacy operations, services and specialty pharmacy across 9,000+ Walgreens pharmacies. In the last year, Rina has led Walgreens pharmacy response to COVID-19, implementing changes such as waiving prescription delivery fees, initiating proactive outreach by pharmacists to vulnerable patients, and enhancing team member and customer safety protocols. In addition to her current role, she now leads pharmacy operations for COVID-19 vaccination services. Rina helped launch Feel More Like You in 2019, a health and beauty service available at no cost to help people living with cancer manage the medical and physical changes associated with cancer treatment. She also spearheaded the creation of a new team of dedicated pharmacists at Walgreens called Health Outcomes Pharmacists. Often outside of a traditional retail setting, these specialized pharmacists work closely with patients most at-risk of medication non-adherence to address barriers that could prevent them from taking their medications as prescribed. In 2020, Rina led the pharmacy team that secured the first enterprise-wide URAC accreditation in Specialty Pharmacy for more than 300 community-based specialty pharmacies. Often patients with life-changing health challenges need support from their pharmacy team in their local community, this accreditation assures patients of the high standards of care in place as they access their medications and understand their treatment. She began her career at Walgreens in 1998, where she held various pharmacy roles in store. In 2007, Rina joined the corporate support center to lead several pharmacy-specific initiatives across the organization, including the launch of the Walgreens immunizations program chain-wide. The program increased immunization rates among customers covering 7 million people. She has also led sales operations and client services within market access.  Rina was recognized by Crain's Chicago Business as one of “40 under 40” for her leadership at Walgreens, by Fierce Healthcare as one of 2020's Most Influential Minority Executives, and by Drug Store News as one of the Top Women in Retail for her business excellence. Rina is actively involved with the UIC College of Pharmacy, APhA, NASP, the CDC and NACDS. She received her Doctorate in Pharmacy from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2005. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jennifer Schneider (CEO, Homeward) joins the show to discuss how she plans to deliver quality healthcare to rural America. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/iVQYZntK8ugSubscribe to CareTalk on your favorite podcast service:Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/2GTYhbN......Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast......Google Podcasts https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0...... Follow us on the Health Podcast Network: https://bit.ly/3GlciwjAbout Jennifer Schneider: Jennifer Schneider is the CEO of Homeward, a technology-enabled healthcare provider delivering care to those who don't have it, starting in rural America. Previously, Jennifer served 5 years as the Chief Medical Officer and President of Livongo. Jennifer was honored by Modern Healthcare as one of the 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives and by Fierce Healthcare as Woman of Influence for our work empowering women and modeling diversity and inclusion in the workplace. #homewardhealth #livongo #healthcarepolicy #healthcareindustry #health #caretalkpodcast

January 17, 2022: https://www.linkedin.com/in/logancm/ (Chris Logan), Senior Vice President and Chief Security Officer at https://www.censinet.com/ (Censinet) joins Bill for the news. Transcarent, a digital health platform for self-insured employers, closed a $200 million series C funding round with players like Northwell, Intermountain & Rush. Will telemedicine evolve to a dynamic and preferred experience or have we cut and pasted the traditional doctor's office experience into the computer screen and left it at that? Plus highlights from the JP Morgan Conference. Moderna's earnings were excellent. Sinovac went from slightly in the red in 2020 to 5.1 billion net income in 2021. Ascension is ready to take more risk when it comes to value-based payment models. And Intermountain Healthcare touted its acquisition-fueled shift away from fee-for-service care. Key Points: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:11:15 - Transcarent is going to change the experience employees have with their employer benefits 00:15:10 - We assume everybody understands how to navigate healthcare but they don't 00:21:30 - A health system should become a partner in health care as opposed to a partner in sick care 00:26:45 - How do we really transform what telemedicine looks like? https://www.censinet.com/ (Censinet) Stories: https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/innovation/northwell-intermountain-rush-invest-in-digital-health-platform-for-self-insured.html (Northwell, Intermountain & Rush invest in digital health platform for self-insured - Beckers Hospital Review) https://johnnosta.medium.com/the-urgent-need-for-telemedicine-2-0-dc4bd759a5f2 (The Urgent Need for Telemedicine 2.0 by John Nosta) https://www.modernhealthcare.com/finance/reporters-notebook-jp-morgans-2022-health-conference (Reporter's notebook: J.P. Morgan's 2022 health conference - Modern Healthcare) https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/hospitals/jpm22-day-1-medically-home-nabs-110m-from-baxter-mayo-clinic (JPM22, Day 1: JPMorgan partners with Vera Whole Health; Humana addresses lower MA enrollment outlook and more - Fierce Healthcare) https://www.natlawreview.com/article/day-one-notes-40th-annual-jp-morgan-healthcare-conference-2022 (Day One Notes for the 40th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, 2022 - The National Law Review)

Frank Schaeffer In Conversation with Andi Simon, PhD, exploring her work as a Corporate Anthropologist and Author of the books, On the Brink: A fresh lens to take your business to new heights, and Rethink: Smashing the Myths of Women in Business._____LINKShttps://www.simonassociates.nethttps://www.andisimon.comOn the Brink Podcast_____BOOKSOn the Brink - https://www.amazon.com/dp/1626342806?tag=&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1Rethink - https://www.amazon.com/dp/1734324880?tag=&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1_____Andrea J. Simon, Ph.D. (“Andi”) is an international leader in the growing field of corporate anthropology, an Axiom bronze Best Business Book of 2017 winning author of On the Brink: A fresh lens to take your business to new heights, and the founder and CEO of Simon Associates Management Consultants (SAMC). SAMC was recognized in 2020 and 2021 as the best New York Corporate Anthropology Agency. Andi's new book is entitled Rethink: Smashing the Myths of Women in Business. Released in January of 2021, Rethink shows how women today are challenging the expected norms of business and crashing through with extraordinary creative business, legal and professional solutions.  From this research, she developed coaching and an online course for women to discover their best selves. Called Rethink Your Journey with Andi Simon, the program was built with women for women.Using the approach of anthropology, Andi enables organizations to see their cultures with observant eyes, achieve “aha!” moments, and discover new and profitable opportunities. What is equally important is how her approach enables individuals in those organizations to embrace change, personally and professionally.Her talks on Change Matters and Blue Ocean Strategy have been featured in over 500 engagements. She is widely covered in Inc.com, Business Week, Good Morning America, and Modern Healthcare and has been a blogger for Forbes and Fierce Healthcare. With more than 1 million annual listeners, her podcast, On the Brink with Andi Simon, is ranked among the top 200 business podcasts for entrepreneurship and rated among the top 20 futurist podcasts._____In Conversation… with Frank Schaeffer is a production of the George Bailey Morality in Public Life Fellowship. It is hosted by Frank Schaeffer, author of Fall In Love, Have Children, Stay Put, Save the Planet, Be Happy.Learn more at https://www.lovechildrenplanet.comFollow Frank on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.https://www.facebook.com/frank.schaeffer.16https://twitter.com/Frank_Schaefferhttps://www.youtube.com/c/FrankSchaefferYouTubeIn Conversation… with Frank Schaeffer PodcastApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-conversation-with-frank-schaeffer/id1570357787 _____Support the show

Meet Amir Dan Rubin:Amir Dan Rubin is the Chair, CEO, and President of One Medical. He has previous experience in health insurance and at academic health centers. He was the Executive Vice President and Divisional CEO within Optum, the President and CEO at Sandford Health, the Chief Operating Officer at UCLA Health, and the Chief Operating Officer at Stony Brook University Medical Center. Amir has an MBA in Business Administration and an MHSA in Health Care Administration from the University of Michigan. Key Insights:Amir Dan Rubin shares insights into One Medical's unique membership model, and how it lowers costs and improves patient outcomes. 90% Net Promoter Score. One Medical has a high score for customer experience because their model is built around the patient. One Medical charges a membership fee rather than fee-for-service, employees are salaried, there is virtual care and their technology encourages coordinated and frictionless care. (13:45)Member Rather Than Patients. One Medical decreases costs through easy access primary care and prevention that decreases emergency room use. Amir admits that the components aren't novel, rather it's how they work together. (23:37)It's About People. If you are interested in mission-driven work, caring people, and an ever-changing field with big challenges, then healthcare is the right industry for you. Amir advises young leaders to find what they love, and be energized by it. (35:22)Relevant Links:Learn more about One Medical“100 Most Influential People in Healthcare: Amir Dan Rubin” by Modern Healthcare“One Medical raises full-year guidance with surge in membership, confronts high medical loss ratio in Q3” by Fierce Healthcare

35,000 members of the Alliance of Health Care Unions, a coalition of 21 local unions representing over 52,000 workers at the healthcare giant Kaiser Permanente in states around the country, have set a strike date. Unless the company addresses the serious issues that workers have raised at the bargaining table, Kaiser workers will walk off the job on Nov. 15, and thousands more may join in what could become one of the largest strikes ever in the healthcare sector. The core issues that led to the potential strike not only involve adequate compensation for union workers, but also the dire concerns about healthcare workers being grossly overworked and under-resourced, as well as two-tier employment and the struggle to draw in and retain trained staff. On top of the essential concerns that directly impact the jobs and livelihoods of healthcare workers, the outcome of this high-stakes labor struggle will have huge implications for the future of healthcare in the US as we know it. In this special edition of Working People, TRNN Editor-in-Chief Maximillian Alvarez speaks with two Kaiser workers, Hannah Winchester, DPT, and Nicholas Eng, RNFA, about the work that they do, the changes they've experienced in the healthcare system, and the dire conditions that have led to a potential strike. Hannah Winchester is a home health physical therapist by trade; she is also her department's Labor Partner, a shop steward, and a member of the bargaining team for the Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals (OFNHP) Professional Bargaining Unit. Nicholas Eng has been a nurse for nearly 10 years; he is also an OFNHP shop steward and is currently on release for OFNHP to be present for contract bargaining and to help with organizing union members and actions, including strike planning. Additional links/info below… The Alliance of Health Care Unions website, Facebook page, and Twitter page Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals website, Facebook page, Twitter page, and Instagram OFNHP Cares – Member Hardship Relief Fund Noah Lanard, Mother Jones, ““You Are Worth More”: Kaiser Permanente Workers Are on the Verge of a Historic Strike” Dave Muoio, Fierce Healthcare, “Nearly 32,000 Kaiser Permanente Workers Set to Strike Nov. 15. Tens of Thousands More Mulling Their Own Demonstrations” Working People, The Real News Network, “A Small-Town Hospital Goes After Its Union Nurses”   Permanent links below... Working People Patreon page Leave us a voicemail and we might play it on the show! Labor Radio / Podcast Network website, Facebook page, and Twitter page In These Times website, Facebook page, and Twitter page The Real News Network website, YouTube channel, podcast feeds, Facebook page, and Twitter page Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org) Jules Taylor, "Working People Theme Song" Post-Production: Adam Coley

35,000 members of the Alliance of Health Care Unions, a coalition of 21 local unions representing over 52,000 workers at the healthcare giant Kaiser Permanente in states around the country, have set a strike date. Unless the company addresses the serious issues that workers have raised at the bargaining table, Kaiser workers will walk off the job on Nov. 15, and thousands more may join in what could become one of the largest strikes ever in the healthcare sector. The core issues that led to the potential strike not only involve adequate compensation for union workers, but also the dire concerns about healthcare workers being grossly overworked and under-resourced, as well as two-tier employment and the struggle to draw in and retain trained staff. On top of the essential concerns that directly impact the jobs and livelihoods of healthcare workers, the outcome of this high-stakes labor struggle will have huge implications for the future of healthcare in the US as we know it.In this special edition of Working People, TRNN Editor-in-Chief Maximillian Alvarez speaks with two Kaiser workers, Hannah Winchester, DPT, and Nicholas Eng, RNFA, about the work that they do, the changes they've experienced in the healthcare system, and the dire conditions that have led to a potential strike. Hannah Winchester is a home health physical therapist by trade; she is also her department's Labor Partner, a shop steward, and a member of the bargaining team for the Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals (OFNHP) Professional Bargaining Unit. Nicholas Eng has been a nurse for nearly 10 years; he is also an OFNHP shop steward and is currently on release for OFNHP to be present for contract bargaining and to help with organizing union members and actions, including strike planning.Post-Production: Adam ColeyRead the transcript of this interview: https://therealnews.com/35000-kaiser-permanente-workers-are-set-to-strike-and-the-future-of-us-healthcare-is-at-stakeAdditional links/info below…The Alliance of Health Care Unions website, Facebook page, and Twitter page:https://www.ahcunions.org/https://www.facebook.com/AHCUnions/https://twitter.com/AHCunionsOregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals website, Facebook page, Twitter page, and Instagram:http://ofnhp.aft.org/https://www.facebook.com/ofnhp/https://twitter.com/ofnhphttps://www.instagram.com/ofnhp/?hl=enOFNHP Cares - Member Hardship Relief Fund: https://www.gofundme.com/f/y3h5p-ofnhp-cares-member-hardship-relief-fund?qid=b651426291f2babae96217e9a9d1d90eNoah Lanard, Mother Jones, ““You Are Worth More”: Kaiser Permanente Workers Are on the Verge of a Historic Strike”: https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2021/10/kaiser-permanente-strike-health-care-nurses-decades/Dave Muoio, Fierce Healthcare, “Nearly 32,000 Kaiser Permanente Workers Set to Strike Nov. 15. Tens of Thousands More Mulling Their Own Demonstrations”: https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/hospitals/nearly-32-000-kaiser-permanente-workers-set-to-strike-nov-15Working People, The Real News Network, “A Small-Town Hospital Goes After Its Union Nurses”: https://therealnews.com/a-small-town-hospital-goes-after-its-union-nurses

Today's episode is with Anton Gunn. Anton is a former senior advisor to President Barack Obama and the world's leading authority on Socially Conscious Leadership. This episode is important because the construct of socially conscious leadership is a perspective that I think would resonate with many organizations around the world.Anton does a great job tying in how this framework can really support leaders at the individual level as it relates to eradicating toxic workplace behavior. Guest BioAnton Gunn is a former senior advisor to President Barack Obama and the world's leading authority on Socially Conscious Leadership. He has a master's degree in Social Work from USC and was a Resident Fellow at Harvard. He is the bestselling author of The Presidential Principles and has been featured in TIME magazine, the Wall St Journal, INC Magazine, BBC, NPR, and Good Morning America. Recently, Anton was named as one of the Ten Most Influential Minority Executives in Healthcare by Fierce Healthcare.As the CEO of 937 Strategy Group, he has worked with organizations like Mercedes-Benz, KPMG, Rock Ventures, Sodexo, Tanger Outlets, Verizon Wireless, Aetna, T-Mobile, American College of Surgeons, University of Vermont Health Network, Blue Shield of California, and the Boeing Company. From playing SEC Football and being the first African American in history elected to the South Carolina legislature from his district early in his career to now working as a business and management consultant and serving on multiple boards, he has spent his life helping people build diverse, high-performing teams, and world-class leadership culture.The Toxic Leadership PodcastInstagram: @ToxicLeadershipPodcastTwitter: @ToxicLeaderShow Dr. Kevin Sansberry II is a behavioral scientist and executive coach with expertise in toxic leadership, human capital strategy, and creating inclusive cultures of belonging to enhance organization performance. Over the years, Kevin has focused on providing research-informed solutions in various settings such as higher education, nonprofit, sales, and corporate environments. Follow KEVRA: The Culture Company on Linkedin to keep up with your favorite behavioral scientist, Dr. Sansberry.KEVRA: The Culture Company is specifically designed and optimized for leaders who are experiencing turnover, low employee morale, and seek to move the needle further with their initiatives. Our organizational culture and inclusion strategies are a leading consulting service that helps you gain increased retention, increased productivity, and a reputation as an inclusive organization, and unlike competitors, our services are underpinned with unique research and experience in the field of toxic organizational culture and how to create inclusive environments that stick. Have a question for Dr. Sansberry? Visit askdrkev.com to send your leadership and organizational-related questions. https://linktr.ee/ToxicLeadershipPodcast

July 19, 2021: It's Newsday with Drex DeFord and Bill. Rather than making a multimillion-dollar investment to deploy a new EHR, Woman's Hospital in Louisiana is seeking potential partners that would instead let the hospital connect to their Epic system. Dollar General hires a Chief Medical Officer. Jeff Costlow, deputy CISO at ExtraHop offers a comprehensive tip sheet to help ease the daunting task of talking cybersecurity with health system leadership. And what started as a surge in criminal activity during the early days of the pandemic has now developed into a full-blown crisis. Why does healthcare keep falling prey to ransomware and other cyberattacks?OPEN NOW! HRSA Announces New Loan Repayment Program for Behavioral Health Providers - Apply to the Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment ProgramEvery day you're using skills to help end substance use disorders (SUD) within your community. The Health Resources and Services Administration is here to help you with the new STAR LRP (Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program). Pay off your school loans with up to $250,000 from the STAR LRP in exchange for six years of full-time service at an approved facility. Behavioral health clinicians, paraprofessionals, clinical support staff and many others trained in substance use disorder treatment are encouraged to apply. Applications are open until Thursday, July 22, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. ET. Key Points:If Dollar General do it right, they could ultimately impact long-term health for rural communities [00:16:35] One of the mistakes people make when they go to a board is to take a posture of telling, but the board is really a collaborative group. They're on your side. They're inside. And they will help you to think through things. [00:25:10] The electronic health record is a part of the expanding attack surface [00:31:45] You need money to take care of unpatched systems and legacy devices [00:36:50] Double extortion is real [00:44:20] Stories:Louisiana hospital skirts $200M Epic EHR implementation by seeking affiliation - BeckersDollar General hires chief medical officer, boosts health-care items - CNBCA Tip Sheet to Help CISOs talk to the Board about Security Needs - Healthcare IT NewsWhy Healthcare Keeps Falling Prey to Ransomware and Other Cyberattacks - Threat PostLeapfrog report highlights hospitals' patient communications, care transition shortcomings - Fierce Healthcare

Imagine having a fresh lens to view your business? Kimberly interviews corporate anthropologist, Andi Simon, Ph.D., on how to get your business on the brink and take your business to new heights. @crownyourselfnow In this episode, you will learn… What is corporate anthropology? (2:30) Why is the focus more on the ecosystem of a company? (4:00) How does having a process of discovery change a company? (7:30) Why do you need to collaborate with your mind? (12:15) How can you change a corporate culture? (14:00) What usually holds a leader back? (21:00) How do you turn your followers into the kind that you want? (24:45) Why do you need to know what kind of follower you were? (27:15) What are ways that leaders can expand their perception? (30:00) How can you make business more fun? (35:00) How has the desire for certainty been at the detriment of a business? (41:30) What is the correlation of failure rate of startups with their leaders' desire for certainty? (45:00) How do you build a market? (48:30) How can you market to your searchers? (51:30) Andrea J. Simon, Ph.D. (“Andi”) is an international leader in the growing field of corporate anthropology, an Axiom bronze Best Business Book of 2017 winning author of On the Brink: A fresh lens to take your business to new heights, and the founder and CEO of Simon Associates Management Consultants (SAMC). Andi's forthcoming book is entitled Rethink: Smashing the Myths of Women in Business. Scheduled for release in January 2021, it shows how women today are challenging the expected norms of business and crashing through with extraordinary creative business, legal and professional solutions. Dr. Simon enables organizations to see their cultures with fresh eyes., Her talks on Change Matters and Blue Ocean Strategy have been featured in over 400 engagements. She is widely covered in Inc.com, Business Week, Good Morning America, and Modern Healthcare and has been a blogger for Forbes and Fierce Healthcare. With more than 130,000 monthly listeners, her podcast, On the Brink with Andi Simon, is ranked among the top 200 business podcasts and the rated among the top 20 for futurists. Andi and her husband Andrew Simon (another Andy) launched the Simon Initiative for Entrepreneurship at Washington University in 2018. She was also a visiting professor teaching Entrepreneurship at Washington University in 2006. Her clients come from across the globe and span industries as she helps them come “off the brink,” and learn how to soar again. Learn more about Andi Simon… Personal website: https://www.andisimon.com/ Business website: https://www.simonassociates.net/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SimonAssociatesManagementConsultants Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreajsimon/ Personal Twitter: https://twitter.com/simonandi Business Twitter: https://twitter.com/Andisamc Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-simon-71386 Business LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/simon-associates-management-consultants/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFgYOhfoPxtrLdpBZAZ0VAA Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-brink-with-andi-simon/id1249354482 Thank you so much for tuning in! Please leave a review on iTunes here so we can keep the magic coming your way. Looking to improve your health + train your breath with Pilates? Become a Mindful Monarch and get monthly Pilates lessons and a coach + community to support your mind-body and body-mind connection: https://crownyourself.com/mindful-monarchs-membership And, one of the best ways to reprogram your subconscious mind is through hypnosis. Download my FREE 5-minute “You Are Worthy” hypnosis. GET YOUR FREE GIFT! For a 90-Minute 1:1 Consult https://crownyourself.com/private-coaching MIND FULL Meals Book https://crownyourself.securechkout.com/mindful-meals-presale For more biz inspo + mindset tools, follow us on Instagram: @crownyourself.now Follow my own mompreneur journey to #CrownYourself on Instagram: @kimberly.spencer Join the Facebook Group: "Crown Yourself Coaching" For more mindset, motivation, actionable strategies, and business-building tips, check out: crownyourself.com

Imagine having a fresh lens to view your business? Kimberly interviews corporate anthropologist, Andi Simon, Ph.D., on how to get your business on the brink and take your business to new heights. @crownyourselfnow In this episode, you will learn… What is corporate anthropology? (2:30) Why is the focus more on the ecosystem of a company? (4:00) How does having a process of discovery change a company? (7:30) Why do you need to collaborate with your mind? (12:15) How can you change a corporate culture? (14:00) What usually holds a leader back? (21:00) How do you turn your followers into the kind that you want? (24:45) Why do you need to know what kind of follower you were? (27:15) What are ways that leaders can expand their perception? (30:00) How can you make business more fun? (35:00) How has the desire for certainty been at the detriment of a business? (41:30) What is the correlation of failure rate of startups with their leaders' desire for certainty? (45:00) How do you build a market? (48:30) How can you market to your searchers? (51:30) Andrea J. Simon, Ph.D. (“Andi”) is an international leader in the growing field of corporate anthropology, an Axiom bronze Best Business Book of 2017 winning author of On the Brink: A fresh lens to take your business to new heights, and the founder and CEO of Simon Associates Management Consultants (SAMC). Andi's forthcoming book is entitled Rethink: Smashing the Myths of Women in Business. Scheduled for release in January 2021, it shows how women today are challenging the expected norms of business and crashing through with extraordinary creative business, legal and professional solutions.  Dr. Simon enables organizations to see their cultures with fresh eyes., Her talks on Change Matters and Blue Ocean Strategy have been featured in over 400 engagements. She is widely covered in Inc.com, Business Week, Good Morning America, and Modern Healthcare and has been a blogger for Forbes and Fierce Healthcare.  With more than 130,000 monthly listeners, her podcast, On the Brink with Andi Simon, is ranked among the top 200 business podcasts and the rated among the top 20 for futurists.  Andi and her husband Andrew Simon (another Andy) launched the Simon Initiative for Entrepreneurship at Washington University in 2018. She was also a visiting professor teaching Entrepreneurship at Washington University in 2006.  Her clients come from across the globe and span industries as she helps them come “off the brink,” and learn how to soar again. Learn more about Andi Simon… Personal website: https://www.andisimon.com/  Business website: https://www.simonassociates.net/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SimonAssociatesManagementConsultants Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreajsimon/ Personal Twitter:  https://twitter.com/simonandi Business Twitter: https://twitter.com/Andisamc Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-simon-71386 Business LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/simon-associates-management-consultants/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFgYOhfoPxtrLdpBZAZ0VAA Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-brink-with-andi-simon/id1249354482   Thank you so much for tuning in! Please leave a review on iTunes here so we can keep the magic coming your way. Looking to improve your health + train your breath with Pilates? Become a Mindful Monarch and get monthly Pilates lessons and a coach + community to support your mind-body and body-mind connection: https://crownyourself.com/mindful-monarchs-membership And, one of the best ways to reprogram your subconscious mind is through hypnosis. Download my FREE 5-minute “You Are Worthy” hypnosis. GET YOUR FREE GIFT! For a 90-Minute 1:1 Consult  https://crownyourself.com/private-coaching MIND FULL Meals Book https://crownyourself.securechkout.com/mindful-meals-presale For more biz inspo + mindset tools, follow us on Instagram: @crownyourselfnow Follow my own mompreneur journey to #CrownYourself on Instagram: @kimberly.spencer Join the Facebook Group: "Crown Yourself Coaching" For more mindset, motivation, actionable strategies, and business-building tips, check out: crownyourself.com

In this episode, we meet Natasha Prasad, Chief Customer Officer of Cleo. Cleo is a family benefits platform and support system for working families. With its integrated family benefits platform, Cleo combines proactive, expert guidance with an intuitive engagement hub to help connect families with the support they need to be their best at home and at work. Representing over 55 countries and 100+ enterprise clients — Cleo is reinventing how forward-thinking employers support families that work around the world. Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, Cleo has raised $44M and is backed by NEA, Greylock Partners, Felicis Ventures, and Forerunner Ventures. Cleo was recently honored by Fierce Healthcare as a 2021 Fierce 15 company. Prior to Cleo, Natasha served as country manager for ClassPass in Australia, where she built and oversaw regional operations, including sales, success and marketing. Previously, she was the founder and CEO of a fitness technology startup that was acquired by ClassPass, and held product management roles at enterprise and consumer technology companies (Rent the Runway, Paperless Post), most recently Atlassian in Sydney. Natasha spent her early career as an investor in the private equity group at Goldman Sachs in London and New York. She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and degrees in economics and mathematics from Cambridge University and Delhi University. In this episode, Natasha shares her insights into: Recent trends in the $60B employee benefits market and the acceleration of healthcare benefits to fill in areas where the traditional healthcare system has fallen short (e.g., mental health, chronic care management, holistic family support) Cleo's unique guide-based care approach to providing continuity of care, trusted expert guidance, and evidence-based clinical programs that drive improved healthcare outcomes for working families. How Cleo creates value for employers and employees through preventative care, early interventions, childcare/parenting and return-to-work support Cleo's most recent 2020 product launches: Cleo Care for childcare support in partnership with UrbanSitter, and Cleo Marketplace, an expanded ecosystem of vetted partnerships The rise of healthcare technology more broadly and opportunities for those passionate about making a difference in healthcare

Oggi abbiamo una bellissima notizia da cui partire: la telemedicina è entrata di diritto nel sistema sanitario nazionale!Siamo contenti?Certo, soprattutto per quello che significa per l'Intelligenza Artificiale…Secondo un articolo di Fierce Healthcare, nel 2021 il machine learning e l'Intelligenza Artificiale porteranno enormi benefici al mondo della sanità.Infatti, i fornitori di servizi sanitari stanno accettando sempre di più il ruolo dell'Intelligenza Artificiale nella medicina, proprio per la sua capacità di identificare i pattern che gli esseri umani non riuscirebbero a trovare in breve tempo.Insomma, ora possiamo dirlo…La nostra amata Intelligenza Artificiale sta per far parte della nostra altrettanto amata telemedicina…Quindi, che cosa ci dobbiamo aspettare per il futuro?Ne abbiamo parlato nella nuova puntata del podcast: Il futuro della telemedicina!Per ora buon ascolto e ricordati che ci puoi ascoltare anche su:►GOOGLE PODCAST: https://bit.ly/32TDZei ►SPOTIFY: https://spoti.fi/2D3ttGF ►APPLE PODCAST: https://apple.co/2CBsSfz►SPREAKER: https://bit.ly/3f6D5PA #artificialintelligence #industry40 #machinelearning #deeplearning***P.S. Vuoi scoprire come implementare un sistema di Intelligenza Artificiale alla tua azienda?►► Telefona al numero verde 800-270-021►► Scrivi un'email a info@bluetensor.ai►► Visita il sito www.bluetensor.ai

Today's EpisodeAxios/Ipsos SurveyPublic Opinion Strategies SurveyThe Harris PollFierce Healthcare ArticleNew York Times Opinion ArticleKey Takeaways MisinformationThe No Normal is rife with conditions that make truth, transparency, and combatting misinformation challenging.An inconsistent response to COVID, disagreement about testing, changing case and death data, uncertain information on therapeutics, and a rush to develop a vaccine all present cracks in the truth and accuracy.As a result, we data such as only 31% of people trusting COVID-19 information coming from the government.More importantly, we have a whole populace that has to work really hard to figure out what is true and trustworthy as they try to live through this period of time.There is some sort of silver lining in this, and it's where hospital and health system marketers come in.While trust in government and institutions has dropped, confidence and trust in hospitals and healthcare providers has increased.76% of Americans surveyed by Public Opinion Strategies hold a favorable view of hospitals.9/10 people said doctors and nurses were trustworthy resources of information, according to a recent Harris poll."The organizations that Americans trust most are those who are in the trenches delivering, which is why you see doctors and nurses as number one," Rob Jekielek, Managing Director with The Harris Poll, told Fierce Healthcare.That puts hospital and health system marketers in a unique position — one that comes with significant responsibility.From our own research, we've seen that consumers trust and have confidence in local healthcare.Some hospitals and health systems are shying away from that trust.This trusted position hospitals/health systems are in comes with considerable responsibility, but it's such an important time to seize.The spread of misinformation across social channels is especially rapid.Hospitals and health systems can use their digital channels and social platforms as megaphones for truth and accuracyThe misinformation volume is only going to get louder over the next several months with new hotspots, therapeutic and vaccine claims (and opposition), and the scoring of political points in the run-up to the election.