Podcasts about medicaid services

Despite decades of effort and innovation since the groundbreaking To Err is Human report over 25 years ago, preventable harm in healthcare persists, and violence against healthcare workers continues to rise. With record understaffing, burnout, mandatory overtime, and mounting documentation demands, the pressure to provide safe care has never been higher nor the stakes more urgent. In this first episode of our new series focusing on safety in healthcare, we explore a bold shift toward "total systems safety" with two leaders at the forefront of this movement who know these challenges all too well. Patricia McGaffigan, RN, MS, CPPS, Senior Advisor for Patient and Workforce Safety at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, and President of the Certification Board for Professionals in Patient Safety, and Donald Berwick, MD, MPP, FRCP, President Emeritus and Senior Fellow at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, and former Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Together, they continue to shape national safety efforts including IHI's Safer Together: National Action Plan to Advance Patient Safety the first public-private collaboration of its kind. Spearheaded by McGaffigan and bringing together 27 major organizations that had never collaborated before. The plan aims to restructure the very foundation of healthcare, building safety into every level of the system around four interlocking pillars. Leadership & Governance: Strong, visible leadership and policies that make safety a strategic priority. Workforce Safety & Well-Being: Protecting nurses and healthcare workers – physically and mentally – so they can care safely for others. Patient & Family Engagement: Partnering with patients and family caregivers as co-designers of safe care. Learning Systems: Creating feedback loops and continuous improvement so lessons from one hospital spread everywhere.   At the heart of this movement is a truth long understood by nurses: safety is not a checklist or a policy, it's a culture, a commitment, and a collective responsibility. As Patricia McGaffigan reminds us, “You can't have patient safety if you don't have a safe workforce.” And as Don Berwick warns, “The illusion that safety is a matter of individual effort is one of the most toxic notions in the whole safety enterprise. It is we, not me.” Nurses have always led by example, holding space for healing while navigating broken systems. Now, their leadership is essential in building the future of healthcare safety: one that protects not only patients, but the people who care for them. Where healthcare is not only safer, but also is a culture that ensures we're all Safer Together.

12 - NYC has a new mayor! And he's a self-proclaimed socialist? How much do cigarettes cost in NYC? Do we think the city will be more affordable now? 1205 - A New Jersey town is upset about ICE raids and a deportation. Why is Dom happy a socialist won the NYC Mayoral primary? 1215 - Side - all time farmer 1220 - Are the slashes to Medicaid warranted? Why are Republicans hesitant to cut funding for those that shouldn't qualify? Why is CNN leaking that the US really didn't annihilate Iran's nuclear facilities? 1230 - Dr. Mehmet Oz joins us today. What is he seeking to do in his role as Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services? Why is eliminating people who shouldn't qualify for Medicaid so important? What has Dr. Oz learned so far in his role with the White House? What is to be done about drug use here in Philadelphia and nationwide? Will the “prior-authorization” catastrophe be fixed? 1240 - Former UConn and WNBA star Rebecca Lobo is in hot water with ESPN after a “slip” on air. Why have sports become so politicized? 1250 - Your calls. 1 - What does it take to get the death penalty in Philadelphia? 105 - Pastor Bill Devlin joins us from the justice center and paints us a picture of what it's like inside the courtroom of the Officer Christopher Fitzgerald. What is Christopher's wife, Marissa, wearing to show support for her late husband? What does Pastor Bill think of the death penalty? Some breaking news regarding Mark Houck and his case. 120 - Revisiting Mulligan's on Friday after a listener missed the festivities Friday. Who will catch the pass from Jaws? Your calls. 135 - How much money will Mark Houck get from our justice department with his case settlement? Well, Mark joins us today to discuss how life has been since his trial concluded. How are the kids doing after these last few years? How much collusion was there with law enforcement in storming his house early in the morning? What's next for Mark Houck? What is it like being treated like a felon? What is Mark's field of expertise? 150 - Your calls. 2 - NJ Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia joins the program today to discuss the state going after a mom and pop farm. Why did the government go after this farm? Why have policies made things harder for farmers when they were created to make organic farming easier? Is the rural outrage over this as loud as it should be? How will this issue affect the gubernatorial race? How will abortion and murder laws play a factor? 215 - Dom's Money Melody! 220 - Can anyone get the Money Melody? Your calls. 225 - You might not be stopped for crimes in Philadelphia, but you will in Bucks County! 235 - Bill O'Reilly has gifted Dom an early copy of his new book. Dom gives Bill feedback? How scary is that? Do you read Shakespeare? Henry reveals something. 240 - Your calls. 250 - The Lightning Round!

12 - NYC has a new mayor! And he's a self-proclaimed socialist? How much do cigarettes cost in NYC? Do we think the city will be more affordable now? 1205 - A New Jersey town is upset about ICE raids and a deportation. Why is Dom happy a socialist won the NYC Mayoral primary? 1215 - Side - all time farmer 1220 - Are the slashes to Medicaid warranted? Why are Republicans hesitant to cut funding for those that shouldn't qualify? Why is CNN leaking that the US really didn't annihilate Iran's nuclear facilities? 1230 - Dr. Mehmet Oz joins us today. What is he seeking to do in his role as Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services? Why is eliminating people who shouldn't qualify for Medicaid so important? What has Dr. Oz learned so far in his role with the White House? What is to be done about drug use here in Philadelphia and nationwide? Will the “prior-authorization” catastrophe be fixed? 1240 - Former UConn and WNBA star Rebecca Lobo is in hot water with ESPN after a “slip” on air. Why have sports become so politicized? 1250 - Your calls.

Tobacco use among middle and high school students in Indiana continues to decline. College tuition rates for Indiana's undergraduate students will be paused for two years. One measure of the strength of Indiana's economy held steady for a third month according to new preliminary data. Indiana is introducing new tools on July 1st to evaluate if children and infants qualify for home and community-based services through Medicaid – some children may no longer qualify because of it. Want to go deeper on the stories you hear on WFYI News Now? Visit wfyi.org/news and follow us on social media to get comprehensive analysis and local news daily. Subscribe to WFYI News Now wherever you get your podcasts. WFYI News Now is produced by Drew Daudelin, Zach Bundy and Abriana Herron, with support from News Director Sarah Neal-Estes.

Navigating dementia care can be overwhelming. Traditional healthcare systems often fall short, leaving families without adequate support. However, a significant shift is underway. The federal government has launched GUIDE, a program acknowledging nationwide gaps in dementia care. This innovative initiative sets new standards, urging healthcare systems to adopt a different approach. We delve into the future of dementia care, exploring scalable, specialized solutions. Furthermore, we uncover how expert teams, like Remo Health's, provide comprehensive support for both patients and caregivers. This includes virtual clinical care, evidence-based education, and a vital community network. Additionally, proactive risk identification and on-demand access are becoming crucial. This model offers cost-effective, deeply personalized support. Moreover, it aligns perfectly with GUIDE's call for fundamental change. Tune in to discover how this new era promises better outcomes and essential assistance. Our Guest: Sabrina Chugani Sabrina is a co-founder and Chief Growth Officer at Remo Health, where she oversees partnerships, marketing, and account management. Sabrina has deep expertise in value-based care and has spent her career working at the forefront of innovative payment models, including MSSP, CKCC, and Direct Contracting, that change the way care is delivered nationwide. About Remo Health Remo Health is a virtual dementia care company. Our world-class neurologists diagnose and manage all types of dementia. Remo provides peer support, comprehensive and personalized care plans, and 24/7 access to experts for people living with dementia and those who care for them. Remo Health is a trusted participant in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Related Episodes: Brain Rejuvenation: Stem Cell Therapy and Alzheimer's Disease The Brain's Fountain of Youth: Innovative Paths to Dementia Prevention ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Sign Up for more Advice & Wisdom - email newsletter. Please help us keep our show going by supporting our sponsors. Thank you. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Make Your Brain Span Match Your LifeSpan Relevate from NeuroReserve With Relevate nutritional supplement, you get science-backed nutrition to help protect your brain power today and for years to come. You deserve a brain span that lasts as long as your lifespan. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Feeling overwhelmed? HelpTexts can be your pocket therapist. Going through a tough time? HelpTexts offers confidential support delivered straight to your phone via text message. Whether you're dealing with grief, caregiving stress, or just need a mental health boost, their expert-guided texts provide personalized tips and advice. Sign up for a year of support and get: Daily or twice-weekly texts tailored to your situation Actionable strategies to cope and move forward Support for those who care about you (optional) HelpTexts makes getting help easy and convenient. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ List of the Top 20 Alzheimer's Podcasts via FeedSpot! See where we rank. Join Fading Memories On Social Media! If you've enjoyed this episode, please share this podcast with other caregivers! You'll find us on social media at the following links. Instagram LinkedIn  Facebook Contact Jen at hello@fadingmemoriespodcast.com Or learn more at Our Website

Thinking about becoming an insurance agent? In this episode, we weigh the pros and cons of selling insurance, so you'll have the information you need before you make that big decision!   Read the text version   Get Started by Registering with Ritter Insurance Marketing: https://app.ritterim.com/public/registration/   Learn More with These Resources: 2025 Maximum Broker Commissions for Medicare Advantage & Medicare Part D Update: https://lnk.to/dFX1s1 2025 State of the Senior Market Address: In Review: https://ritterim.com/blog/2025-state-of-the-senior-market-address-in-review/ 5 Perks of Being a Part-Time Insurance Agent: https://lnk.to/YGJ3KX Agent Survival Guide Podcast: https://lnk.to/asgpodcast Building Client Loyalty: More than Just a Plan: https://ritterim.com/blog/building-client-loyalty-more-than-just-a-plan/  Contact the Ritter Sales Team: https://ritterim.com/contact/ Four Reasons Why Ritter Should Be Your FMO Insurance Agency: https://ritterim.com/blog/four-reasons-why-ritter-should-be-your-fmo-insurance-agency/ Get Access to Exclusive Leads When You Become a PlanEnroll Network Agent: https://lnk.to/3pKJsF   How Insurance FMOs Work: https://ritterim.com/how-insurance-fmos-work/?utm_source=asg_podcast_link How Much Can Agents Make Selling Under-65 Insurance? https://lnk.to/TlGBGH How Much Can Insurance Agents Make Selling Medicare? https://ritterim.com/blog/how-much-can-insurance-agents-make-selling-medicare/ How Professional Organizations Make You a Better Agent: https://ritterim.com/blog/how-professional-organizations-make-you-a-better-agent/  REWIND: 8 Relationship Marketing Strategies for Insurance Agents: https://lnk.to/9b3cTl Ritter Insurance Marketing eBooks & Guides: https://ritterim.com/guides/ Ritter Insurance Marketing Events: https://ritterim.com/events/ The Advantages of Being a Field vs. Call Center Insurance Agent: https://ritterim.com/blog/the-advantages-of-being-a-field-vs-call-center-insurance-agent/  The Guide to Earning a Living Selling Health Insurance: https://ritterim.com/earning-a-living-selling-insurance/?utm_source=asg_podcast_link Your Step-By-Step Guide to Getting Started in Insurance Sales: https://ritterim.com/free-guide/?utm_source=asg_podcast_link   References: Cubanski, Juleette. “A Current Snapshot of the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Benefit.” KFF.Org, KFF, 9 Oct. 2024, www.kff.org/medicare/issue-brief/a-current-snapshot-of-the-medicare-part-d-prescription-drug-benefit/. “Marketplace 2025 Open Enrollment Period Report: National Snapshot.” CMS.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 17 Jan. 2025, www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/marketplace-2025-open-enrollment-period-report-national-snapshot-2. Rosanes, Mark. “Want to Build a Career Selling Insurance? Here Are the Pros and Cons.” Insurance Business America, Insurance Business, 22 Jan. 2024, www.insurancebusinessmag.com/us/guides/want-to-build-a-career-selling-insurance-here-are-the-pros-and-cons-473774.aspx.   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.

Fields questions about Social Security, military parade Rep. Mike Lawler, whose district includes Philipstown, held a town hall on June 8 at Mahopac High School, the third in a series of four he has promised constituents. After being introduced by Kevin Byrne, the Putnam County executive, Lawler spent two hours fielding questions about the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which passed the U.S. House, 215-214, with Lawler's support and is being amended by the Senate. In addition to tax cuts and an increase to the cap on deductions for state and local taxes, the legislation contains changes to programs like Medicaid and food stamps that are expected to lead to a loss of benefits for some enrollees. Lawler also fielded questions about Social Security, cuts to foreign aid and the estimated $45 million price tag for a military parade being held in Washington, D.C., on Saturday (June 14), which is President Donald Trump's birthday. Below are some of Lawler's statements and a review of statistics he cited. "We [New York] spend 83 percent more on Medicaid than the average of the other 49 states." According to data from KFF (formerly the Kaiser Family Foundation), Medicaid spending in New York totaled just under $98 billion in 2023, second only to California. The spending was 83.77 percent more than the average for the other 49 states. However, the average does not account for each state's population. Wyoming, for example, has 588,000 residents, compared to 20 million in New York. It also means using costs in states that, unlike New York, opted out of a provision in the Affordable Care Act to expand Medicaid so that more people qualify; the federal government pays 90 percent of the additional cost. Alternative methods to measure Medicaid spending among the states include per-capita or per-enrollee. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, New York ranked fourth in per-capita Medicaid spending in 2022 ($11,203), behind North Dakota, Minnesota and Pennsylvania. The national average was $8,919. New York placed third among states in Medicaid spending per enrollee in 2021 ($9,688), according to KFF. Virginia and Minnesota had the highest per-enrollee spending. "If [the Tax Cut and Jobs Act] expired, it would have been about a $4,000 increase in taxes on the average family in our district." The Tax Cut and Jobs Act, passed in 2017 during the first Trump administration, expires this year. If it is not extended by Congress, taxes will increase in the 17th Congressional District, on average, by $3,530, according to the Tax Foundation, a think tank founded in 1937 that analyzes tax policy. Drilling down to specific income levels with a calculator created by the Tax Foundation (dub.sh/tax-calculator), annual taxes would increase by $933 for a single person without dependents who earns $50,000 annually, and by $2,622 for an individual earning $100,000. Taxes would increase by $5,091 annually for a married couple with two children and a household income of $150,000; the same couple earning $250,000 would owe $9,320 more. Those scenarios omit 401(k) contributions and other deductions, but the calculator can adjust for those, as well as other household sizes. "There are over 3 million people in this country who are able-bodied adults, without dependents, who refuse to work." Lawler is referring to Medicaid coverage. A provision in the House's version of the One Big Beautiful Bill requires that able-bodied recipients between ages 19 and 64 who don't have dependents work at least 80 hours monthly or be participating in a "qualifying activity," such as job training. The work requirement would increase the ranks of the uninsured by 4.8 million people by 2034, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Although the CBO did not specify why people would lose coverage, Republicans have equated the figure with people who chose not to work. According to the KFF, 64 percent of the 26.1 million adults between ages 19 and 64 receiving Medic...

Dr. Nathan Pennell and Dr. Cheryl Czerlanis discuss challenges in lung cancer screening and potential solutions to increase screening rates, including the use of AI to enhance risk prediction and screening processes. Transcript Dr. Nate Pennell: Hello, and welcome to By the Book, a monthly podcast series for ASCO Education that features engaging discussions between editors and authors from the ASCO Educational Book. I'm Dr. Nate Pennell, the co-director of the Cleveland Clinic Lung Cancer Program and vice chair of clinical research for the Taussig Cancer Center. I'm also the editor-in-chief for the ASCO Educational Book.  Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide, and most cases are diagnosed at advanced stages where curative treatment options are limited. On the opposite end, early-stage lung cancers are very curable. If only we could find more patients at that early stage, an approach that has revolutionized survival for other cancer types such as colorectal and breast cancer.  On today's episode, I'm delighted to be joined by Dr. Cheryl Czerlanis, a professor of medicine and thoracic medical oncologist at the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, to discuss her article titled, "Broadening the Net: Overcoming Challenges and Embracing Novel Technologies in Lung Cancer Screening." The article was recently published in the ASCO Educational Book and featured in an Education Session at the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting. Our full disclosures are available in the transcript of this episode.  Cheryl, it's great to have you on the podcast today. Thanks for being here. Dr. Cheryl Czerlanis: Thanks, Nate. It's great to be here with you. Dr. Nate Pennell: So, I'd like to just start by asking you a little bit about the importance of lung cancer screening and what evidence is there that lung cancer screening is beneficial. Dr. Cheryl Czerlanis: Thank you. Lung cancer screening is extremely important because we know that lung cancer survival is closely tied to stage at diagnosis. We have made significant progress in the treatment of lung cancer, especially over the past decade, with the introduction of immunotherapies and targeted therapies based on personalized evaluation of genomic alterations. But the reality is that outside of a lung screening program, most patients with lung cancer present with symptoms related to advanced cancer, where our ability to cure the disease is more limited.  While lung cancer screening has been studied for years, the National Lung Screening Trial, or the NLST, first reported in 2011 a significant reduction in lung cancer deaths through screening. Annual low-dose CT scans were performed in a high-risk population for lung cancer in comparison to chest X-ray. The study population was comprised of asymptomatic persons aged 55 to 74 with a 30-pack-year history of smoking who were either active smokers or had quit within 15 years. The low-dose CT screening was associated with a 20% relative risk reduction in lung cancer-related mortality. A similar magnitude of benefit was also reported in the NELSON trial, which was a large European randomized trial comparing low-dose CT with a control group receiving no screening. Dr. Nate Pennell: So, this led, of course, to approval from CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) for lung cancer screening in the Medicare population, probably about 10 years ago now, I think. And there are now two major trials showing an unequivocal reduction in lung cancer-related mortality and even evidence that it reduces overall mortality with lung cancer screening. But despite this, lung cancer screening rates are very low in the United States. So, first of all, what's going on? Why are we not seeing the kinds of screening rates that we see with mammography and colonoscopy? And what are the barriers to that here? Dr. Cheryl Czerlanis: That's a great question. Thank you, Nate. In the United States, recruitment for lung cancer screening programs has faced numerous challenges, including those related to socioeconomic, cultural, logistical, and even racial disparities. Our current lung cancer screening guidelines are somewhat imprecise and often fail to address differences that we know exist in sex, smoking history, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity. We also see underrepresentation in certain groups, including African Americans and other minorities, and special populations, including individuals with HIV. And even where lung cancer screening is readily available and we have evidence of its efficacy, uptake can be low due to both provider and patient factors. On the provider side, barriers include having insufficient time in a clinic visit for shared decision-making, fear of missed test results, lack of awareness about current guidelines, concerns about cost, potential harms, and evaluating both true and false-positive test results.  And then on the patient side, barriers include concerns about cost, fear of getting a cancer diagnosis, stigma associated with tobacco smoking, and misconceptions about the treatability of lung cancer. Dr. Nate Pennell: I think those last two are really what make lung cancer unique compared to, say, for example, breast cancer, where there really is a public acceptance of the value of mammography and that breast cancer is no one's fault and that it really is embraced as an active way you can take care of yourself by getting your breast cancer screening. Whereas in lung cancer, between the stigma of smoking and the concern that, you know, it's a death sentence, I think we really have some work to be made up, which we'll talk about in a minute about what we can do to help improve this.  Now, that's in the U.S. I think things are probably, I would imagine, even worse when we leave the U.S. and look outside, especially at low- and middle-income countries. Dr. Cheryl Czerlanis: Yes, globally, this issue is even more complex than it is in the United States. Widespread implementation of low-dose CT imaging for lung cancer screening is limited by manpower, infrastructure, and economic constraints. Many low- and middle-income countries even lack sufficient CT machines, trained personnel, and specialized facilities for accurate and timely screenings. Even in urban centers with advanced diagnostic facilities, the high screening and follow-up care costs can limit access. Rural populations face additional barriers, such as geographic inaccessibility of urban centers, transportation costs, language barriers, and mistrust of healthcare systems. In addition, healthcare systems in these regions often prioritize infectious diseases and maternal health, leaving limited room for investments in noncommunicable disease prevention like lung cancer screening. Policymakers often struggle to justify allocating resources to lung cancer screening when immediate healthcare needs remain unmet. Urban-rural disparities exacerbate these challenges, with rural regions frequently lacking the infrastructure and resources to sustain screening programs. Dr. Nate Pennell: Well, it's certainly an intimidating problem to try to reduce these disparities, especially between the U.S. and low- and middle-income countries. So, what are some of the potential solutions, both here in the U.S. and internationally, that we can do to try to increase the rates of lung cancer screening? Dr. Cheryl Czerlanis: The good news is that we can take steps to address these challenges, but a multifaceted approach is needed. Public awareness campaigns focused on the benefits of early detection and dispelling myths about lung cancer screening are essential to improving participation rates. Using risk-prediction models to identify high-risk individuals can increase the efficiency of lung cancer screening programs. Automated follow-up reminders and screening navigators can also ensure timely referrals and reduce delays in diagnosis and treatment. Reducing or subsidizing the cost of low-dose CT scans, especially in low- or middle-income countries, can improve accessibility. Deploying mobile CT scanners can expand access to rural and underserved areas.  On a global scale, integrating lung cancer screening with existing healthcare programs, such as TB or noncommunicable disease initiatives, can enhance resource utilization and program scalability. Implementing lung cancer screening in resource-limited settings requires strategic investment, capacity building, and policy interventions that prioritize equity. Addressing financial constraints, infrastructure gaps, and sociocultural barriers can help overcome existing challenges. By focusing on cost-effective strategies, public awareness, and risk-based eligibility criteria, global efforts can promote equitable access to lung cancer screening and improve outcomes.  Lastly, as part of the medical community, we play an important role in a patient's decision to pursue lung cancer screening. Being up to date with current lung cancer screening recommendations, identifying eligible patients, and encouraging a patient to undergo screening often is the difference-maker. Electronic medical record (EMR) systems and reminders are helpful in this regard, but relationship building and a recommendation from a trusted provider are really essential here. Dr. Nate Pennell: I think that makes a lot of sense. I mean, there are technology improvements. For example, our lung cancer screening program at The Cleveland Clinic, a few years back, we finally started an automated best practice alert in our EMR for patients who met the age and smoking requirements, and it led to a six-fold increase in people referred for screening. But at the same time, there's a difference between just getting this alert and putting in an order for lung cancer screening and actually getting those patients to go and actually do the screening and then follow up on it. And that, of course, requires having that relationship and discussion with the patient so that they trust that you have their best interests. Dr. Cheryl Czerlanis: Exactly. I think that's important. You know, certainly, while technology can aid in bringing patients in, there really is no substitute for trust-building and a personal relationship with a provider. Dr. Nate Pennell: I know that there are probably multiple examples within the U.S. where health systems or programs have put together, I would say, quality improvement projects to try to increase lung cancer screening and working with their community. There's one in particular that you discuss in your paper called the "End Lung Cancer Now" initiative. I wonder if you could take us through that. Dr. Cheryl Czerlanis: Absolutely. "End Lung Cancer Now" is an initiative at the Indiana University Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center that has the vision to end suffering and death from lung cancer in Indiana through education and community empowerment. We discuss this as a paradigm for how community engagement is important in building and scaling a lung cancer screening program.  In 2023, the "End Lung Cancer Now" team decided to focus its efforts on scaling and transforming lung cancer screening rates in Indiana. They developed a task force with 26 experts in various fields, including radiology, pulmonary medicine, thoracic surgery, public health, and advocacy groups. The result of this work is an 85-page blueprint with key recommendations that any system and community can use to scale lung cancer screening efforts. After building strong infrastructure for lung cancer screening at Indiana University, they sought to understand what the priorities, resources, and challenges in their communities were. To do this, they forged strong partnerships with both local and national organizations, including the American Lung Association, American Cancer Society, and others. In the first year, they actually tripled the number of screening low-dose CTs performed in their academic center and saw a 40% increase system-wide. One thing that I think is the most striking is that through their community outreach, they learned that most people prefer to get medical care close to home within their own communities. Establishing a way to support the local infrastructure to provide care became far more important than recruiting patients to their larger system.  In exciting news, "End Lung Cancer Now" has partnered with the IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center and IU Health to launch Indiana's first and only mobile lung screening program in March of 2025. This mobile program travels around the state to counties where the highest incidence of lung cancer exists and there is limited access to screening. The mobile unit parks at trusted sites within communities and works in partnership, not competition, with local health clinics and facilities to screen high-risk populations. Dr. Nate Pennell: I think that sounds like a great idea. Screening is such an important thing that it doesn't necessarily have to be owned by any one particular health system for their patients. I think. And I love the idea of bringing the screening to patients where they are. I can speak to working in a regional healthcare system with a main campus in the downtown that patients absolutely hate having to come here from even 30 or 40 minutes away, and they'd much rather get their care locally. So that makes perfect sense.  So, under the current guidelines, there are certainly things that we can do to try to improve capturing the people that meet those. But are those guidelines actually capturing enough patients with lung cancer to make a difference? There certainly are proposals within patient advocacy communities and even other countries where there's a large percentage of non-smokers who perhaps get lung cancer. Can we expand beyond just older, current and heavy smokers to identify at-risk populations who could benefit from screening? Dr. Cheryl Czerlanis: Yes, I think we can, and it's certainly an active area of research interest. We know that tobacco is the leading cause of lung cancer worldwide. However, other risk factors include secondhand smoke, family history, exposure to environmental carcinogens, and pulmonary diseases like COPD and interstitial lung disease. Despite these known associations, the benefit of lung cancer screening is less well elucidated in never-smokers and those at risk of developing lung cancer because of family history or other risk factors. We know that the eligibility criteria associated with our current screening guidelines focus on age and smoking history and may miss more than 50% of lung cancers. Globally, 10% to 25% of lung cancer cases occur in never-smokers. And in certain parts of the world, like you mentioned, Nate, such as East Asia, many lung cancers are diagnosed in never-smokers, especially in women. Risk-prediction models use specific risk factors for lung cancer to enhance individual selection for screening, although they have historically focused on current or former smokers.  We know that individuals with family members affected by lung cancer have an increased risk of developing the disease. To this end, several large-scale, single-arm prospective studies in Asia have evaluated broadening screening criteria to never-smokers, with or without additional risk factors. One such study, the Taiwan Lung Cancer Screening in Never-Smoker Trial, was a multicenter prospective cohort study at 17 medical centers in Taiwan. The primary outcome of the TALENT trial was lung cancer detection rate. Eligible patients aged 55 to 75 had either never smoked or had a light and remote smoking history. In addition, inclusion required one or more of the following risk factors: family history of lung cancer, passive smoke exposure, history of TB or COPD, a high cooking index, which is a metric that quantifies exposure to cooking fumes, or a history of cooking without ventilation. Participants underwent low-dose CT screening at baseline, then annually for 2 years, and then every 2 years for up to 6 years. The lung cancer detection rate was 2.6%, which was higher than that reported in the NLST and NELSON trials, and most were stage 0 or I cancers. Subsequently, this led to the Taiwan Early Detection Program for Lung Cancer, a national screening program that was launched in 2022, targeting 2 screening populations: individuals with a heavy history of smoking and individuals with a family history of lung cancer.  We really need randomized controlled trials to determine the true rates of overdiagnosis or finding cancers that would not lead to morbidity or mortality in persons who are diagnosed, and to establish whether the high lung detection rates are associated with a decrease in lung cancer-related mortality in these populations. However, the implementation of randomized controlled low-dose CT screening trials in never-smokers has been limited by the need for large sample sizes, lengthy follow-up, and cost.  In another group potentially at higher risk for developing lung cancer, the role of lung cancer screening in individuals who harbor germline pathogenic variants associated with lung cancer also needs to be explored further. Dr. Nate Pennell: We had this discussion when the first criteria came out because there have always been risk-based calculators for lung cancer that certainly incorporate smoking but other factors as well and have discussion about whether we should be screening people based on their risk and not just based on discrete criteria such as smoking. But of course, the insurance coverage for screening, you have to fit the actual criteria, which is very constrained by age and smoking history. Do you think in the U.S. there's hope for broadening our screening beyond NLST and NELSON criteria? Dr. Cheryl Czerlanis: I do think at some point there is hope for broadening the criteria beyond smoking history and age, beyond the criteria that we have typically used and that is covered by insurance. I do think it will take some work to perhaps make the prediction models more precise or to really understand who can benefit. We certainly know that there are many patients who develop lung cancer without a history of smoking or without family history, and it would be great if we could diagnose more patients with lung cancer at an earlier stage. I think this will really count on there being some work towards trying to figure out what would be the best population for screening, what risk factors to look for, perhaps using some new technologies that may help us to predict who is at risk for developing lung cancer, and trying to increase the group that we study to try and find these early-stage lung cancers that can be cured. Dr. Nate Pennell: Part of the reason we, of course, try to enrich our population is screening works better when you have a higher pretest probability of actually having cancer. And part of that also is that our technology is not that great. You know, even in high-risk patients who have CT scans that are positive for a screen, we know that the vast majority of those patients with lung nodules actually don't have lung cancer. And so you have to follow them, you have to use various models to see, you know, what the risk, even in the setting of a positive screen, is of having lung cancer.  So, why don't we talk about some newer tools that we might use to help improve lung cancer screening? And one of the things that everyone is super excited about, of course, is artificial intelligence. Are there AI technologies that are helping out in early detection in lung cancer screening? Dr. Cheryl Czerlanis: Yes, that's a great question. We know that predicting who's at risk for lung cancer is challenging for the reasons that we talked about, knowing that there are many risk factors beyond smoking and age that are hard to quantify. Artificial intelligence is a tool that can help refine screening criteria and really expand screening access. Machine learning is a form of AI technology that is adept at recognizing patterns in large datasets and then applying the learning to new datasets. Several machine learning models have been developed for risk stratification and early detection of lung cancer on imaging, both with and without blood-based biomarkers. This type of technology is very promising and can serve as a tool that helps to select individuals for screening by predicting who is likely to develop lung cancer in the future.  A group at Massachusetts General Hospital, represented in our group for this paper by my co-authors, Drs. Fintelmann and Chang, developed Sybil, which is an open-access 3D convolutional neural network that predicts an individual's future risk of lung cancer based on the analysis of a single low-dose CT without the need for human annotation or other clinical inputs. Sybil and other machine learning models have tremendous potential for precision lung cancer screening, even, and perhaps especially, in settings where expert image interpretation is unavailable. They could support risk-adapted screening schedules, such as varying the frequency and interval of low-dose CT scans according to individual risk and potentially expand lung cancer screening eligibility beyond age and smoking history. Their group predicts that AI tools like Sybil will play a major role in decoding the complex landscape of lung cancer risk factors, enabling us to extend life-saving lung cancer screening to all who are at risk. Dr. Nate Pennell: I think that that would certainly be welcome. And as AI is working its way into pretty much every aspect of life, including medical care, I think it's certainly promising that it can improve on our existing technology.  We don't have to spend a lot of time on this because I know it's a little out of scope for what you covered in your paper, but I'm sure our listeners are curious about your thoughts on the use of other types of testing beyond CT screening for detecting lung cancer. I know that there are a number of investigational and even commercially available blood tests, for example, for detection of lung cancer, or even the so-called multi-cancer detection blood tests that are now being offered, although not necessarily being covered by insurance, for multiple types of cancer, but lung cancer being a common cancer is included in that. So, what do you think? Dr. Cheryl Czerlanis: Yes, like you mentioned, there are novel bioassays such as blood-based biomarker testing that evaluate for DNA, RNA, and circulating tumor cells that are both promising and under active investigation for lung cancer and multi-cancer detection. We know that such biomarker assays may be useful in both identifying lung cancers but also in identifying patients with a high-risk result who should undergo lung cancer screening by conventional methods. Dr. Nate Pennell: Anything that will improve on our rate of screening, I think, will be welcome. I think probably in the future, it will be some combination of better risk prediction and better interpretation of screening results, whether those be imaging or some combination of imaging and biomarkers, breath-based, blood-based. There's so much going on that it is pretty exciting, but we're still going to have to overcome the stigma and lack of public support for lung cancer screening if we're going to move the needle. Dr. Cheryl Czerlanis: Yes, I think moving the needle is so important because we know lung cancer is still a very morbid disease, and our ability to cure patients is not where we would like it to be. But I do believe there's hope. There are a lot of motivated individuals and groups who are passionate about lung cancer screening, like myself and my co-authors, and we're just happy to be able to share some ways that we can overcome the challenges and really try and make an impact in the lives of our patients. Dr. Nate Pennell: Well, thank you, Dr. Czerlanis, for joining me on the By the Book Podcast today and for all of your work to advance care for patients with lung cancer. Dr. Cheryl Czerlanis: Thank you, Dr. Pennell. It's such a pleasure to be with you today. Thank you. Dr. Nate Pennell: And thank you to our listeners for joining us today. You'll find a link to Dr. Czerlanis' article in the transcript of this episode.  Please join us again next month for By the Book's next episode and more insightful views on topics you'll be hearing at the education sessions from ASCO meetings throughout the year, and our deep dives on approaches that are shaping modern oncology. Disclaimer: The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. This is not a substitute for professional medical care and is not intended for use in the diagnosis or treatment of individual conditions. Guests on this podcast express their own opinions, experience, and conclusions. Guest statements on the podcast do not express the opinions of ASCO. The mention of any product, service, organization, activity, or therapy should not be construed as an ASCO endorsement. Follow today's speakers:     Dr. Nathan Pennell    @n8pennell   @n8pennell.bsky.social Dr. Cheryl Czerlanis Follow ASCO on social media:     @ASCO on X (formerly Twitter)     ASCO on Bluesky    ASCO on Facebook     ASCO on LinkedIn     Disclosures:    Dr. Nate Pennell:        Consulting or Advisory Role: AstraZeneca, Lilly, Cota Healthcare, Merck, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Genentech, Amgen, G1 Therapeutics, Pfizer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Viosera, Xencor, Mirati Therapeutics, Janssen Oncology, Sanofi/Regeneron       Research Funding (Institution): Genentech, AstraZeneca, Merck, Loxo, Altor BioScience, Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Jounce Therapeutics, Mirati Therapeutics, Heat Biologics, WindMIL, Sanofi    Dr. Cheryl Czerlanis: Research Funding (Institution): LungLife AI, AstraZeneca, Summit Therapeutics

Stakeholders from across the healthcare industry, including members of Congress, the US Food and Drug Administration, and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, recently convened in Washington D.C. for the Medical Device Manufacturers Association (MDMA) Annual Meeting. In this episode of Connected With Latham, Washington, D.C. partners Chris Schott, Nate Beaton, and Bill McConagha, and associate Danny Machado share their key takeaways from the meeting, including compliance hot topics and what the industry can expect in terms of regulatory enforcement in 2025.   This podcast is provided as a service of Latham & Watkins LLP. Listening to this podcast does not create an attorney client relationship between you and Latham & Watkins LLP, and you should not send confidential information to Latham & Watkins LLP. While we make every effort to assure that the content of this podcast is accurate, comprehensive, and current, we do not warrant or guarantee any of those things and you may not rely on this podcast as a substitute for legal research and/or consulting a qualified attorney. Listening to this podcast is not a substitute for engaging a lawyer to advise on your individual needs. Should you require legal advice on the issues covered in this podcast, please consult a qualified attorney. Under New York's Code of Professional Responsibility, portions of this communication contain attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Results depend upon a variety of factors unique to each representation. Please direct all inquiries regarding the conduct of Latham and Watkins attorneys under New York's Disciplinary Rules to Latham & Watkins LLP, 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020, Phone: 1.212.906.1200

Dr. Mehmet Oz, former TV host and Pennsylvania Senate candidate, is one of America's most famous physicians. Now he's running the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which means he's in charge of programs that provide health care for about half of all Americans. He sits down with White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns to discuss potential Medicaid cuts, his big plans to lower drug pricing, why he's fielding early morning phone calls from President Trump, and his advice to patients to “be curious” about their health.  Plus, Burns is joined by senior political columnist and politics bureau chief Jonathan Martin to discuss his juicy column about the Ohio governor's race featuring Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy and former Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel. And senior legal affairs reporter Kyle Cheney joins to discuss the showdown between Trump and the courts over his “Liberation Day” tariffs.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Listen to the first episode of Politico's new podcast, The Conversation with Dasha Burns. Dr. Mehmet Oz, former TV host and Pennsylvania Senate candidate, is one of America's most famous physicians. Now he's running the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which means he's in charge of programs that provide health care for about half of all Americans. He sits down with White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns to discuss potential Medicaid cuts, his big plans to lower drug pricing, why he's fielding early morning phone calls from President Trump, and his advice to patients to “be curious” about their health.  Plus, Burns is joined by senior political columnist and politics bureau chief Jonathan Martin to discuss his juicy column about the Ohio governor's race featuring Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy and former Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel. And senior legal affairs reporter Kyle Cheney joins to discuss the showdown between Trump and the courts over his “Liberation Day” tariffs. 

The name of the biopharma game this season is vaccines—and RFK Jr. wasted no time returning from Memorial Day Weekend before making news on this front, removing the COVID-19 vaccine from the list of recommended immunizations for healthy kids and pregnant women on Tuesday. This follows a rash of recent moves, including a new risk-based strategy for the approval of new COVID vaccines focused on adults over 65 and high-risk individuals six months to 64 years of age and a request that Moderna and partners Pfizer and BioNTech update the myocarditis risk on their vaccines' labels.This increased vaccine scrutiny by the FDA and Department of Health and Human Services is having a significant impact on biopharma companies, several of whom have received stop-work orders on next-gen COVID vaccines. Meanwhile, Moderna last week pulled the biological license application for its combination COVID-19/flu vaccine, anticipating a request for additional data on flu shot efficacy from the FDA, as mRNA technology continues to be scrutinized after playing the hero during the pandemic. Also last week, the White House released its Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) report, which took aim at vaccines, along with pharma lobbying and GLP-1s.Also on the policy front, a California judge issued an order Thursday that indefinitely stops HHS' goal of reducing its divisions from 28 to 15 and firing upwards of 10,000 employees, among other reorganization and mass layoff plans. And speaking of government plays that could receive judicial pushback, we received a couple of new updates on the Most Favored Nation (MFN) front: first, President Donald Trump appointed his CMS chief Mehmet Oz as the leader of drug pricing negotiations, calling him “one tough hombre,” and second, HHS provided new guidance for streamlining the process for states to import drugs from Canada.In the obesity realm, Eli Lilly is calling out the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. In an open letter last week, Lilly voiced its displeasure with the agency for a final ruling that left its Zepbound and Novo Nordisk's Wegovy out of Medicare Advantage and Part D coverage in 2026.And in the R&D realm, we returned from the long weekend to sad news from Rocket Pharmaceuticals, as the company reported that its pivotal Danon disease trial is on hold after the death of a young patient. The death—extremely sad on a human level—is also a setback for the gene therapy space, which had been buoyed earlier this month by the success of a personalized CRISPR treatment received by baby KJ.Finally, BioSpace looks ahead to ASCO#25 where Dan Samorodnitsky will be on the ground in Chicago.

S&P Futures are trading slightly higher this morning after Wednesday's sell-off, which was triggered by a spike in Treasury yields amid concerns about a significant expansion in U.S. fiscal debt. The House is expected to pass Trump's tax and spending bill this morning; the vote is currently underway. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s “Make America Health Again” report is expected to be released today. Health insurer stocks are under pressure this morning following the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' announcement of expanded audits of Medicare Advantage plans. AT&T has agreed to acquire substantially all of Lumen Technologies' mass markets fiber business for $5.75 billion in cash.  Reports on Jobless Claims and the flash PMI report for May will be released today. On the earning front SNOW, URBN, ZM & AAP are higher after their releases. After the bell today earnings reports from INTU, WDAY, ADSK, CPRT, ROST and DECK are set to report.

Over 160 million Americans are served by Optum, yet many still don't fully understand what it actually does—or why it matters.Dr. Patrick Conway, newly appointed CEO of Optum and former head of CMS Innovation Center and Blue Cross NC, joins Steve for a wide-ranging discussion on the state of healthcare delivery, affordability, and the potential of value-based care at a national scale. With experience spanning the frontlines of medicine to top government and corporate leadership, Conway breaks down how Optum aims to improve care while controlling costs—and why he continues to practice as a pediatric hospitalist on weekends.We cover:

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.

Meidas Health is on a roll! Continuing its series of incisive interviews with the nation's top healthcare leaders, Chiquita Brooks-LaSure — head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services under President Biden — joins host Dr. Vin Gupta for a hard-hitting discussion on prescription drug pricing in the United States. In light of President Trump's executive order yesterday — which was light on specifics — what's actually having an impact on lowering costs for patients nationwide? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We breakdown the 2025 Marketplace Proposed Rule and highlight what we think agents like you should know!    Read the text version    Contact our Under-65 Sales Team!   Resources: CMS Finalizes Improvements to Marketplace Plan Selection with 2026 Final Rule: https://ritterim.com/blog/cms-finalizes-improvements-to-marketplace-plan-selection-with-2026-final-rule/ Everything Agents Need to Know About Selling in State-Based Marketplaces: https://ritterim.com/blog/everything-agents-need-to-know-about-selling-in-state-based-marketplaces/ Everything You Need to Know About the ACA OEP: https://ritterim.com/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-aca-oep/ How to Help Clients Navigate ACA Marketplace Subsidies & Taxes: https://lnk.to/qzlRwV Lawsuit Changes DACA Recipients' Affordable Care Act Eligibility: https://ritterim.com/blog/lawsuit-changes-daca-recipients-affordable-care-act-eligibility/ Learn with Knight School: https://ritterim.com/knight-school/ Meet Ritter's Under-65 Sales Team: https://ritterim.com/meet-your-sales-team/ Steps to Get Ready for OEP: Federal Exchange States & State Based Exchanges: https://lnk.to/SyqM9T   References:   “2025 Marketplace Integrity and Affordability Proposed Rule.” CMS.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/2025-marketplace-integrity-and-affordability-proposed-rule Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.   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.

President Donald Trump unveiled a sweeping drug pricing policy this week, seeking to lower drug prices in the U.S. by up to 80% through a reprisal of the Most Favored Nation rule he attempted to introduce in his first term. The rule would essentially link U.S. prices to those paid in other nations where medications are cheaper. Biopharma reaction was one of tentative relief, with BMO Capital Markets analysts suggesting the executive order had “more bark than bite.” Meanwhile, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced that among the next 15 drugs to undergo IRA-prescripted price negotiations could be drugs payable through Medicare Part B, and not just Part D, where the first two rounds have applied.  Into all of this action steps Vinay Prasad, the outspoken oncologist and hematologist who was named last week as the next director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. While the S&P Biotech ETF fell by more than 5% upon the news, overall reaction was fairly measured, with cell and gene therapy executive Audrey Greenberg summing up Prasad's selection as “anything but a status quo appointment.”  Over in the weight loss and obesity space, Eli Lilly can't seem to lose. This weekend, Lilly announced full data from a head-to-head trial showing a “superior benefit-to-risk ratio” for its Zepbound over Novo Nordisk's Wegovy. And last week, the Indiana-based pharma won a court battle against compounders when a judge sided with the FDA, stating that tirzepatide—the active ingredient in both Zepbound and diabetes sister drug Mounjaro—was no longer in shortage. Add on a presidential shoutout during Trump's Monday press conference for its U.S. manufacturing investments, and it really was Lilly's week.  Flying less high are some 2,000 Bayer employees who lost their jobs in the first quarter of 2025 as part of the company's new operating model, which is intended to make Bayer “much more agile.” On a less direct flight is Galapagos, which reversed course on plans to spin out a portion of the company and find a new CEO. Instead, CEO Paul Stoffels will make a quicker exit and the Belgian biotech could sell off its cell therapy assets as it looks to build up a new pipeline in house, having abandoned the spinout idea altogether. Stay tuned.  Finally, in ClinicaSpace this week, we took a deep dive into the HIV treatment space, where companies like Gilead and Immunocore are targeting a cure, while the Trump administration slashes funding for HIV research.  

Big potential changes to how 340B operates plus heightened interest in both new protections and new restrictions for covered entities means there is much to keep track of in the 340B world. 340B Health CEO Maureen Testoni joins us to make sense of recent developments in the nation's courts and beyond.Rebates Get Their Day in Court340B Health, two member hospitals, and the government met drug companies in court in late April to challenge drugmaker attempts to replace 340B discounts with rebates. Testoni says the judge cited potentially devastating consequences to hospitals if rebates proceeded but also had probing questions for the government on how it is working to address drugmaker compliance concerns. The Dept. of Health and Human Services is set to release guidance by early June on the rebate issue, and the court's decision could come out soon.The White House Proposes 340B Big Oversight Shift A leaked copy of the Trump administration's latest budget proposal includes a plan to move the Office of Pharmacy Affairs (OPA) from the Health Resources & Services Administration to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Testoni says the oversight shift is concerning because of a stark difference between the purpose of 340B and the operations of Medicare and Medicaid. CMS also imposed years of Medicare payment cuts to 340B hospitals that the U.S. Supreme Court eventually overturned.340B Protections, Mandates Take Center StageStates continue enacting laws to protect hospital access to 340B pricing, but they also are moving forward with reporting mandates and proposals to define how hospitals should use their savings. Testoni said reporting and use-of-savings mandates lead to misdirected views on the purpose of 340B, which goes far beyond direct patient care and cost assistance. On Capitol Hill, a report from a long-running investigation of 340B recently came out, contributing to the debate over possible new restrictions.ResourcesFederal Government Signals Upcoming Guidance on 340B Rebate Models Amid Legal ChallengesBrief Your Leaders on White House Plans for Major 340B ChangesNebraska Is 12th State To Enact Contract Pharmacy ProtectionsIndiana Becomes Fifth State To Mandate 340B Reports From HospitalsKey Senator Concludes 340B Investigation, Calls for Major ReformsNew 340B Health Research340B Impact Profiles

The National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has announced a partnership that will focus on studying the root causes of autism spectrum disorder using Medicare and Medicaid enrollees' data.

A Note from James:So Dr. Oz—television personality turned government official—this is such an interesting thing. He's going to be the new administrator of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, CMS. He's going to be in charge of all Medicare and Medicaid. What does he know or think about these parts of our government?Medicare and Medicaid, combined with Social Security, make up the biggest part of government spending. So it'd be interesting to know what he thinks. On his show, he'd talk about everything from medicine to alternative medicine to other healing methods. I want to know how he's going to handle things in the government.This is a republishing of a past podcast I did with Dr. Oz, but it still describes his approach to medicine. And I think, as a citizen, this is useful. That's why I wanted to share it again. He's going to be working closely with RFK Jr. and Marty Makary (who's also been on this podcast and is now head of the FDA).So here's Dr. Oz.Episode Description:In this re-released conversation, James speaks with Dr. Mehmet Oz about his philosophy on medicine, self-care, and the critical role nutrition plays in overall well-being. As Dr. Oz steps into a major government role as the head of CMS, this episode offers valuable insight into the beliefs and strategies he may bring to one of the most powerful positions in U.S. healthcare.Together, they cover the power of second opinions, why most people misunderstand sugar, how gut bacteria drive health, and what it means to choose yourself when it comes to well-being. They also unpack highlights from Dr. Oz's book Food Can Fix It, including practical strategies for brain health, stress, and weight loss.What You'll Learn:Why second opinions can drastically change your medical outcomes.The connection between stress, sugar, and your brain's coping mechanisms.What to eat (and avoid) for long-term brain health and energy.How gut bacteria influence digestion, immunity, and mood.Dr. Oz's personal routine for energy, sleep, and productivity.Timestamped Chapters:[00:00] Dr. Oz's New Role in Government[01:00] Dr. Oz's Philosophy: Empowering Patients[02:45] The Power of Second Opinions[04:00] Behind the Book: Food Can Fix It[06:00] Parenting, Health, and Self-Sacrifice[07:30] Why We Stress Eat—and What to Do Instead[09:30] Fixing the Root Cause with Food[12:00] Brain Food and Omega-3 Fats[15:30] Antioxidants, Alcohol, and Wheat Brain[17:30] Why Sugar Without Fiber Is Dangerous[18:30] Juicing vs. Smoothies[19:30] Food Traditions, Rituals, and Healing[20:15] Using Food as Medicine for Pain[21:00] The Role of Gut Bacteria[23:30] Smart Weight Loss Strategies[26:30] Rethinking Dairy, Gluten, and Processed Foods[28:00] Eating for All-Day Energy[30:30] Daily Routine: Sleep Hygiene and Focus[33:00] Final Thoughts and Dr. Oz's Upcoming PodcastAdditional Resources:

What are plan crosswalks in the Affordable Care Act Marketplace? Find out what this means for your clients and how agents can help in the process.    Read the text version    Register with Ritter: https://app.ritterim.com/public/registration/   Contact the Agent Survival Guide Podcast! Email us ASGPodcast@Ritterim.com or call 1-717-562-7211 and leave a voicemail.   Resources: Everything Agents Need to Know About Selling in Sate-Based Marketplaces: https://ritterim.com/blog/everything-agents-need-to-know-about-selling-in-state-based-marketplaces/   Everything You Need to Know About the ACA OEP: https://ritterim.com/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-aca-oep/    FAQs About Selling On-Exchange & Off-Exchange Under-65 Plans: https://ritterim.com/blog/faqs-about-selling-on-exchange-off-exchange-under-65-plans/ How to Help Clients Navigate ACA Marketplace Subsidies & Taxes: https://lnk.to/qzlRwV Knight School: https://ritterim.com/knight-school/ Steps to Get Ready for OEP: Federal Exchange States & State-Based Exchanges: https://lnk.to/SyqM9T The Ritter Blog: https://ritterim.com/blog/ Meet Your Sales Team: https://ritterim.com/meet-your-sales-team/  Under-65 Health: https://ritterim.com/products/under-65/ What the Inflation Reduction Act Means for Your Medicare & ACA Clients: https://ritterim.com/blog/what-the-inflation-reduction-act-means-for-your-medicare-aca-clients/   References: “2025 Marketplace Integrity and Affordability Proposed Rule.” CMS.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/2025-marketplace-integrity-and-affordability-proposed-rule. Accessed 10 Apr. 2025. “ECFR :: 45 CFR 164.512 -- Uses and Disclosures for Which an Authorization or Opportunity to Agree or Object Is Not Required.” Code of Federal Regulations, https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/subtitle-A/subchapter-B/part-155/subpart-D/section-155.335. Accessed 8 Apr. 2025. “Low Cost Marketplace Health Care, Qualifying Income Levels.” HealthCare.Gov, https://www.healthcare.gov/lower-costs/. Accessed 8 Apr. 2025.   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.

Join Sarah as she dives back into CMS regulations! This week, she highlights 5 regulations from the 2026 Medicare Advantage and Part D Final Rule.   Contact the Agent Survival Guide Podcast! Email us ASGPodcast@Ritterim.com or call 1-717-562-7211 and leave a voicemail.   Resources: 5 Things About the 2026 CMS MA and Part D Rate Announcement: https://lnk.to/asgf20250411 CMS 2025 Marketplace Integrity & Affordability Proposed Rule: https://lnk.to/asgf20250314 CMS Updates to MA and Part D for CY 2026: https://lnk.to/asgf20250425 Expanded Medicare Telehealth Benefits Extended Through September 2025: https://ritterim.com/blog/expanded-medicare-telehealth-benefits-extended-through-september-2025/  Recent ACA Coverage Changes Reversed with 2025 Marketplace Proposed Rule: https://ritterim.com/blog/recent-aca-changes-reversed-with-2026-marketplace-proposed-rule/   References: “CMS Finalizes 2026 Payment Policy Updates for Medicare Advantage and Part D Programs.” CMS.Gov, Centers for Medicare and 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, 4 Apr. 2025, www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/contract-year-2026-policy-and-technical-changes-medicare-advantage-program-medicare-prescription-final. “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.     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.

Lots of chat about Dr. Oz and his plans for the future of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Unfortunately, the articles I prepared fell into what might be a bottomless pit.  In the Medicare Advantage Minute, Democrats sent a nasty letter to Dr. Oz questioning his support for Medicare Advantage and criticizing his substantial holdings in the biggest MA slut: United HealthCare. From the pages of "Your Medicare Benefits 2024" we learn the short story of how Medicare covers flu shots. CMS (the Federal Government) in a magnificent return to sanity ordered that questions catering to Binary, non-Binary and other confused individuals be stricken from Medicare Advantage applications. Finally, a listener whose wife must have badgered him mercilessly, asked whether gym memberships were an included freebie with their Medicare supplement plan. My answer was that a competing product had the benefit they seek but there would be an endless amount of paperwork and insurance foolishness to deal with. He decided to shine it on and hope that his wife forgets the whole thing. We'll see! Contact me at: DBJ@MLMMailbag.com (Most severe critic: A+)                   Visit us on: BabyBoomer.ORG Inspired by: "MEDICARE FOR THE LAZY MAN 2025; Simplest & Easiest Guide Ever!" on Amazon.com. Return to leave a short customer review & help future readers. Official website: https://www.MedicareForTheLazyMan.com.

In this episode of The Birth Lounge podcast, HeHe dives into what's happening in women's health and healthcare access, focusing on the postpartum landscape and recent budget cuts impacting Medicaid. Special guest Natalie Davis, founder of United States of Care, joins to discuss pivotal healthcare legislation, Medicaid's role in maternal and infant health, and the importance of universal access to quality healthcare. The discussion also touches on the power of virtual care and current legislative threats to preventive health services. We hope this episode will equip and inspire you to engage in local healthcare advocacy. 01:34 Current State of Women's Health in the US 02:23 Introducing Natalie Davis 05:51 Challenges in Postpartum Care 10:04 Impact of Budget Cuts on Medicaid 16:16 Supreme Court Case on Preventive Services 22:38 Advocacy for Better Healthcare 27:44 Universal Healthcare Debate 28:38 Debating Healthcare Access and Affordability 31:05 The 100 Weeks Project: Supporting Postpartum Women 32:57 Personalized and Comprehensive Postpartum Care 34:53 Navigating the Postpartum System 40:38 Resources for NICU Families and Mental Health Support 42:07 Legislation Impacting Women's Health 43:30 The Rise of Virtual Care 50:53 Getting Involved in Local Legislation 53:33 Final Thoughts and Encouragement   Guest Bio: For nearly two decades, Natalie Davis has worked shaping and implementing American health care policies to improve the lives of all people. In 2018, she and fellow national health care leaders, such as Andy Slavitt, launched United States of Care to ensure that everyone in the country has access to quality, affordable health care through a community-driven policy change. She is relentless in her person-centered approach to building health care solutions and has a history of building partnerships that work to create positive change in our country's health care system. From 2010-2016, Natalie served at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services implementing the Affordable Care Act, with the final two years as Senior Advisor to former CMS Administrator, Andy Slavitt. A social entrepreneur, Natalie also helped found Town Hall Ventures which focuses on bringing the best of innovation and care delivery to diverse communities. Natalie also served as the Director of Strategic Engagement at the Bipartisan Policy Center. Natalie holds an M.A. in Philosophy from George Washington University and is an alumna of Salisbury University schools of Sociology and Art History. Natalie lives in Washington, DC with her amazing husband and four children. INSTAGRAM: Connect with HeHe on IG  Connect with HeHe on YouTube   Connect with United States of Care on IG    BIRTH EDUCATION: Join The Birth Lounge here for judgment-free childbirth education that prepares you for an informed birth and how to confidently navigate hospital policy to have a trauma-free labor experience!   Download The Birth Lounge App for birth & postpartum prep delivered straight to your phone!   LINKS MENTIONED: State of Postpartum Care (State Maps) Journey Map Preventive Services Resource Hub https://www.marchofdimes.org/our-work/nicu-family-support   https://postpartum.net/

In this case, the court considered this issue: Does the phrase “entitled… to benefits” include all who meet basic program eligibility criteria, whether or not benefits are actually received?The case was decided on April 29, 2025.In this case, a group of over 200 hospitals claimed that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) miscalculated their Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) adjustments, which provide additional funding to hospitals treating a high percentage of low-income patients. The dispute centered on the interpretation of the phrase "entitled to supplementary security income (SSI) benefits" under subchapter XVI. The hospitals argued that this phrase should include all patients enrolled in the SSI system at the time of hospitalization, even if they were not entitled to an SSI payment during that month. HHS, however, interpreted it to mean patients who were eligible to receive an SSI payment during the month of hospitalization.The Provider Reimbursement Review Board denied the hospitals' request for additional reimbursement on procedural grounds, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services denied relief on the merits. The District Court rejected the hospitals' claims and granted summary judgment to HHS. The D-C Circuit affirmed, concluding that SSI benefits are about cash payments for needy individuals and that it makes little sense to say individuals are entitled to the benefit in months when they are not eligible for a payment.The Supreme Court of the United States held that an individual is "entitled to SSI benefits" for purposes of the Medicare fraction when she is eligible to receive an SSI cash payment during the month of her hospitalization. The Court reasoned that SSI benefits are cash benefits determined on a monthly basis, and eligibility for such benefits is also determined monthly. The Court affirmed the judgment of the D-C Circuit, respecting the specific formula that Congress prescribed for calculating the Medicare fraction.The opinion is presented here in its entirety, but with citations omitted. If you appreciate this episode, please subscribe. Thank you. 

In March, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) withdrew the Richardson Waiver, a policy under which HHS voluntarily undertook notice-and-comment rulemaking in circumstances where it wouldn't otherwise need to. HHS also issued a new Statement of Organization for the Office of the General Counsel (HHS-OGC), which, among other things, may signal an effort to consolidate and expand HHS-OGC's authority. Jaime Jones, Partner, Sidley Austin LLP, and Brenna Jenny, Partner, Sidley Austin LLP, discuss HHS' potential rationale for these changes and the implications for the health care industry. During the first Trump Administration, Brenna Jenny served as the Principal Deputy General Counsel at HHS and the Chief Legal Officer at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.AHLA's Health Law Daily Podcast Is Here! AHLA's popular Health Law Daily email newsletter is now a daily podcast, exclusively for AHLA Premium members. Get all your health law news from the major media outlets on this new podcast! To subscribe and add this private podcast feed to your podcast app, go to americanhealthlaw.org/dailypodcast.

Discover the steps to get ready-to-sell in the Affordable Care Act Marketplace. We're talking certifications, client authorization, and more!   Read the text version   Register with Ritter   Contact the Agent Survival Guide Podcast! Email us ASGPodcast@Ritterim.com or call 1-717-562-7211 and leave a voicemail.   ACA Forms: ACA Consumer Authorization Live Call Script: https://ritterim.com/documents/aca-consumer-authorization-live-call-script.pdf Eligibility Application Attestation: https://ritterim.com/documents/aca-eligibility-application-attestation.pdf Eligibility Application Attestation Live Call Script: https://ritterim.com/documents/aca-consumer-eligibility-application-attestation-live-call-script.pdf Marketplace Consent Form: https://ritterim.com/documents/aca-consumer-marketplace-authorization-form.pdf   Resources: 2025 ACA Exchange & FFM Certification Info: https://lnk.to/ZvnhS8 Contract & Get Appointment to Sell with Health Insurance Companies: https://ritterim.com/blog/contract-get-appointed-to-sell-with-health-insurance-companies/ Everything Agents Need to Know About Selling in State-Based Marketplaces: https://ritterim.com/blog/everything-agents-need-to-know-about-selling-in-state-based-marketplaces/ (check podcast) Free eBooks & Guides: https://ritterim.com/guides/ How Agents Can Protect Clients from Unauthorized ACA Plan Switching: https://ritterim.com/blog/how-agents-can-protect-clients-from-unauthorized-aca-plan-switching/ How to Become Certified for Aca Marketplace Sales with Federally Facilitated Marketplace (FFM) Training) https://ritterim.com/blog/how-to-become-certified-for-aca-marketplace-sales-with-federally-facilitated-marketplace-ffm-training/ (check podcast version) How to Help Clients Navigate ACA Marketplace Subsidies & Taxes: https://lnk.to/qzlRwV Meet Your Sales Team: https://ritterim.com/meet-your-sales-team/ New Required Documents Agents Need for ACA Sales: https://ritterim.com/blog/new-required-documents-agents-need-for-aca-sales/ OEP Ready-to-Sell Checklist for New Agents: https://ritterim.com/documents/oep-ready-to-sell-checklist.pdf Recent ACA Coverage Changes Reversed with 2025 Marketplace Proposed Rule: https://ritterim.com/blog/recent-aca-changes-reversed-with-2026-marketplace-proposed-rule/ The Ritter Blog: https://ritterim.com/blog/ The Ritter Platform: https://ritterim.com/the-ritter-platform/ Under-65 Health: https://ritterim.com/products/under-65/   References: “CMS Update on Actions to Prevent Unauthorized Agent and Broker Marketplace Activity.” CMS.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cms-update-actions-prevent-unauthorized-agent-and-broker-marketplace-activity. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025. “Returning Agents' and Brokers' Guide to Plan Year 2025 ...” CMS.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, https://www.cms.gov/files/document/returning-agents-and-brokers-guide-marketplace-registration-and-training.pdf. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025. “The Marketplace in Your State.” HealthCare.Gov, https://www.healthcare.gov/marketplace-in-your-state/. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.   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.

  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.

Working past 65 with health benefits - and delaying Medicare - is the topic for today. CMS is the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Toni explains the 63 day filing period - and how to avoid a Late Enrollment Penalty (LEP). Do you have a creditable prescription plan? Do you need an inexpensive Medicare Part D prescription plan? All of this and so much more on today's podcast. Toni's new Medicare Survival Guide Advanced Edition book is available now - pick up your copy at www.tonisays.com Want more information? Take advantage of Toni's brand new video series now a available at https://tonisays.com Remember - with Medicare it's what you don't know that will hurt you! There's so much good information in this podcast, please be sure to share this podcast with your friends! Recognized by feedspot.com as one of the best Medicare Podcasts in the nation! Write Toni - info@tonisays.com. Toni's book is available at www.seniorresource.com and https://tonisays.com You can call Toni at 832-519-8664 Toni welcomes all Medicare questions. Toni now offers informative Medicare Webinars for all of your Medicare needs at https://tonisays.com You can find Medicare Moments wherever you find your favorite podcasts, such as: Apple: https://apple.co/44MoguG Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7c82BS4hb145GiVYfnIRsoAmazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/884c1f46-9905-4b29-a97a-1a164c97546b/medicare-moments?refMarker=null You can find Medicare Moments at: https://podcasts.seniorresource.com/medicare-moments/ Toni's new book: Maze of Medicare is now available at www.tonisays.com Combining Scripture with Medicare, it is the only book of its kind. Toni's columns appear weekly in about 100 newspapers across America. If you would like Toni's column to appear in your local paper, or if you would like Toni to speak at an event - contact Toni King at 832-519-8664 Thank you for listening and be sure to tell your friends about Medicare Moments! Blessings! Toni KingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Don't let fear hold you back from expanding your business! The under-65 market is brimming with opportunities. That's why we're debunking 5 common myths about the ACA market to help you get started.    Read the text version   Contact the Agent Survival Guide Podcast! Email us ASGPodcast@Ritterim.com or call 1-717-562-7211 and leave a voicemail.   Resources: 6 Reasons Insurance Agencies Selling Medicare Products Should Sell ACA: https://ritterim.com/blog/6-reasons-insurance-agencies-selling-medicare-products-should-sell-aca/ 8 Reasons Why Insurance Agents Should Sell ACA Plans: https://lnk.to/SNNOSG ACA 101 Selling Under-65 Health Insurance: https://lnk.to/chQNkw FAQs About ACA Certification and Training: https://ritterim.com/blog/faqs-about-aca-certification-and-training/ FAQs About Selling On-Exchange & Off-Exchange Under-65 Plans: https://ritterim.com/blog/faqs-about-selling-on-exchange-off-exchange-under-65-plans/ How to Become Certified for ACA Marketplace Sales with Federally Facilitated Marketplace (FFM) Training: https://ritterim.com/blog/how-to-become-certified-for-aca-marketplace-sales-with-federally-facilitated-marketplace-ffm-training/ How Much Can Agents Make Selling Under-65 Insurance?: https://lnk.to/TlGBGH Key Changes for ACA Open Enrollment 2025 ft. Ross Baker from HealthSherpa: https://lnk.to/UXgO5Q Lawsuit Changes DACA Recipients' Affordable Care Act Eligibility: https://ritterim.com/blog/lawsuit-changes-daca-recipients-affordable-care-act-eligibility/ Meet Your Sales Team: https://ritterim.com/meet-your-sales-team/ Ritter Docs Site: https://docs.ritterim.com/ Simplify Marketplace Enrollments with HealthSherpa: https://lnk.to/2chDBN   References: “Eligibility for the Premium Tax Credit.” IRS, Internal Revenue Service, https://www.irs.gov/affordable-care-act/individuals-and-families/eligibility-for-the-premium-tax-credit/. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025 FAQs for Marketplace Agents and Brokers, CMS,  https://www.agentbrokerfaq.cms.gov/s/. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025. “Find out What Immigration Statuses Qualify for Coverage in the Marketplace.” HealthCare.Gov, https://www.healthcare.gov/immigrants/immigration-status/. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025. “General Resources.” CMS.Gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, https://www.cms.gov/marketplace/agents-brokers/general-resources. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025. “Learn What to Do If You Already Have Medicare Health Coverage.” HealthCare.Gov, https://www.healthcare.gov/medicare/medicare-and-the-marketplace/. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025. “The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.” Democrats.Senate.Gov, https://www.dpc.senate.gov/healthreformbill/healthbill04.pdf. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025. “Welcome to the Health Insurance Marketplace®.” HealthCare.Gov, https://www.healthcare.gov/. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.   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.

Medicare proposes a 2.4% pay increase for inpatient hospitals next year. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will end some federal Medicaid spending for state programs. And, the ongoing merger between UnitedHealth Group and home health company Amedisys heads to mediation with the Department of Justice. Those stories and more coming up on today's episode of the Gist Healthcare podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.

Here are 3 big things you need to know—   One — Ford Motor Company has announced that it would allow car shoppers to buy its 2024-25 vehicles at the discounted price the automaker offers to its employees. Called "From America, For America," the promotion was unveiled on the same day a new 25% U.S. tariff on foreign vehicles took effect.   Two ----  Former heart surgeon and TV star Dr. Mehmet Oz was confirmed Thursday to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The 64-year-old will manage health insurance programs for roughly half the country, with oversight of Medicare, Medicaid or Affordable Care Act coverage.   And number three —   The TSA's deadline to have a REAL ID license is just over a month away.  Starting May 7th, Americans will need to have a REAL-ID compliant driver's license to take domestic and international flights.  If you don't have one, you'll need a passport or secondary ID to travel through security checkpoints. Unless, of course, they postpone this deadline yet again.

In our news wrap Thursday, President Trump will fire several members of his National Security Council after he met in the Oval Office with conservative activist and conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer, the Senate confirmed Dr. Mehmet Oz to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and a string of violent storms across the Midwest and South killed at least six people. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Subscribe to UnitedHealthcare's Community & State newsletter.Health Affairs' Senior Deputy Editor Rob Lott interviews Dr. Meena Seshamani, the incoming Maryland Secretary of Health, to discuss her time as the director of Medicare at the Centers of Medicare & Medicaid Services and what the future holds in her new role. Currently, more than 70 percent of our content is freely available - and we'd like to keep it that way. With your support, we can continue to keep our digital publication Forefront and podcasts free for everyone. Subscribe to UnitedHealthcare's Community & State newsletter.

For this episode, we're going back to a familiar villain from podcast-past because  unfortunately, healthcare villains have a habit of staying relevant. This is a guy who made his fame by cozying up to Oprah while schilling diet pills, supplements, and medical conspiracy theories – it's Doctor Oz, who is now Trump's nominee for Director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. That's right, the man who has previously claimed that there are deadly levels of arsenic in apple juice, that most olive oil is fake, that “Reparative Therapy” can cure homosexuality, and that hydroxychloroquine cures COVID, is pretty close to running our largest public health systems. Today I'm talking with Dr. Diljeet Singh of Physicians for a National Health program about what that means for you and the country at large, and how we can do something about it!  NOTE: At the Medicare for All Podcast, we've had a brief, unplanned hiatus due to pesky technical issues – and the fact that Trump is keeping us busy in our organizing work – but we are very excited to be back! I'm flying solo right now while my regular cohost Ben is saving the environment at his 9 to 5 organizing job, but that feels like important work as well, so we're going to give him a pass and send him our love! https://www.youtube.com/live/3ZUE4sOTI_g?si=WGg97KnP-UxktIsu Our guest for this episode was the brilliant Dr. Diljeet Singh! She's a women's health advocate, an integrative gynecologic oncologist, and the President of Physicians for a National Health Program. Dr. Singh received her medical degree from Northwestern University and her master's degree from the Harvard School of Public Health. She completed an obstetrics and gynecology residency at Johns Hopkins and a gynecologic oncology fellowship at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. She completed her doctoral degree in public health on cost analysis at the University of Texas School of Public Health and an associate fellowship in integrative medicine at the University of Arizona. Dr. Singh and our friends at Physicians for a National Health Program are going all out to let folks know about the serious danger Dr. Oz poses to our national health! Check out the videos from their Dr. Oz Shadow Hearing below: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLO8yDO3B42TdHs6GC-PcLez2ZHfZ4CfTN&si=Q3YMJR1IEvr9uHX1 Even though it is likely that the Senate will make it official later this month, as of April 1st, Dr. Oz still hasn't been confirmed, so if you're listening to this in the next couple weeks, you may still be able to call your Senators to ask them to come to their senses! Reach their offices through the Capitol Hill switchboard: (202) 224-3121. Follow & Support the Pod! Don't forget to like this episode and subscribe to The Medicare for All Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform! This show is a project of the Healthcare NOW Education Fund! This show is a project of the Healthcare-NOW Education Fund! If you want to support our work, you can donate at our website, healthcare-now.org.

  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 Senate Finance Committee just advanced the nomination of Dr. Mehmet Oz to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), bringing his confirmation one step closer to reality. In this bonus episode, Jen Taylor-Skinner is joined by Nourbese Flint, president of All* Above All, for a critical conversation about what's at stake. CMS oversees vital programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act—making its leadership role one of the most powerful in shaping national healthcare policy. Dr. Oz, widely known for promoting unscientific treatments and holding controversial views, raises serious concerns—particularly for reproductive justice and the health of marginalized communities. Nourbese shares her perspective on the qualifications this role demands and reflects on the legacy of past CMS leaders, such as Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. We discuss the broader implications of Dr. Oz's potential confirmation, including its impact on maternal health and the risks posed to vulnerable populations. Our conversation also explores the importance of grassroots resistance and political engagement in holding policymakers accountable. Nourbese offers strategies for community action and underscores why staying informed and involved is more important than ever. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's Friday, March 21st, A.D. 2025. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 125 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com. I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Adam McManus 1,300 people killed in Syria last week More than 1,300 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in the past week in Syria, reports Open Doors. The BBC reported that a UK-based monitor has identified that “830 civilians were killed in ‘massacres' targeting Alawites on the west coast on Friday and Saturday.” Based in the Middle East, the Alawites are a sect of Islam that venerates a Muslim imam known as Ali. Former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, known for his brutal dictatorship, is an Alawite himself, as was his father. The recent violence began with pro-Assad forces who attacked soldiers associated with the new government of Syria. Isaiah 59:7 says, “Their feet rush into sin; they are swift to shed innocent blood. They pursue evil schemes; acts of violence mark their ways.” Although the violence doesn't seem to be targeting Syrian Christians, followers of Jesus are scared in the midst of the violence. That's why on Sunday, March 9, many churches did not hold their Sunday services. Trump dismantles Department of Education President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to start dismantling the Department of Education. TRUMP: “Today we take a very historic action that was 45 years in the making. In a few moments, I will sign an Executive Order to begin eliminating the Federal Department of Education once and for all. (applause) Everybody knows it's right.” Immediately after the signing, Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, the chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said in a post on X that he will “submit legislation” to accomplish Trump's goal of shutting down the Department of Education “as soon as possible.” Attorney General Pam Bondi investigating Tesla attacks as terrorism On Tuesday morning, five Tesla vehicles were set on fire in Las Vegas with Molotov cocktails and shot with a gun at a Tesla Collision Center.  That was the tenth such attack on Teslas since Trump's inauguration on January 20th, reports Fox News.  The Left has also violently targeted Teslas or Tesla dealerships in Salem, Oregon, Loveland, Colorado, Owings Mills, Maryland, Littleton, Massachusetts, Tigard, Oregon, North Charlston, South Carolina, Seattle, Washington, Dedham, Massachusetts, and Kansas City, Missouri. Attorney General Pam Bondi called the recent spate of arson attacks and vandalism against Tesla vehicles "nothing short of domestic terrorism" and promised harsh punishments for perpetrators if they are caught, reports ABC News. There's been a clear uptick in attacks on Teslas and Tesla dealerships since President Donald Trump took office and empowered Elon Musk to oversee a new Department of Government Efficiency that's slashing government spending. Appearing on Fox News, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was direct. LEAVITT: “President Trump condemns this violence. He is determined to restore law and order in our country, and he will ensure that the harshest penalties are pursued for those who are engaging in this vicious violence that we have seen targeted at this American company, Tesla, dealerships, Tesla employees and also innocent Americans who have chosen to drive these vehicles, many of them, ironically, are likely Democrats. “There is a major double standard here. The Democrats used to be the greatest cheerleaders for electric vehicles and for Tesla, the company, until Elon Musk decided to support and vote for Donald Trump. “So, the Trump Derangement Syndrome from the Left is on true display with these attacks. It is getting dangerous, and the White House wholeheartedly condemns it, and we applaud Attorney General Pam Bondi for investigating these acts as domestic terrorism, because that is what they are.” Will Dr. Oz support abortion and transgenderism now? Senate confirmation proceedings are underway for Dr. Mehmet Oz, President Donald Trump's choice for Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services administrator. Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri is seeking answers about the TV personality's past liberal stances on abortion and transgender issues, reports LifeSiteNews.com. As recently as 2019, Oz had attacked abortion bans because he disputed that the heartbeat begins at six weeks gestation despite scientific proof. Appearing on The Breakfast Club radio show, Oz also indicated that fetal viability was the only reasonable benchmark for gestational protection. OZ: “If the child was viable outside the womb, then you don't want to kill that child. If the child was not going to be able to survive outside the mom, then the mom runs the show. This is a hard issue for everybody. I get it. But just being logical about it, if you think that the moment of conception, you've got a life, then why would you even wait six weeks?” Later, Dr. Oz made this remark. OZ: “If someone, deep in their heart, feels that the moment of conception is a human life, and they just can't deal with that life being harmed, they got to be heard. They can't get ignored. But that doesn't mean that's what the rule of the land is.” Plus, in 2010, Oz emerged as a critical, early backer of “transitioning” gender-confused minors, running an hour-long special about “transgender children” that promoted a 15-year-old girl who had undergone a double mastectomy at age 14 and an eight-year-old boy being raised as a girl named “Josie.” Over the course of his 2022 Senatorial campaign, Oz backtracked on both issues, declaring himself “100% Pro-Life” and denying that he supported transitioning minors, claiming that his hosting of the opposite position did not constitute endorsement. Steve Lawson: “I have sinned grievously.” And finally, former Pastor Steven Lawson, age 73, a prominent figure in the Reformed/Calvinist movement, has acknowledged that he has “sinned grievously,” speaking out for the first time about the September 20th scandal that removed him from ministry, reports The Christian Post.  Once a teaching fellow at Ligonier Ministries and the dean of Doctor of Ministry Studies at The Master's Seminary, Lawson, a married man, allegedly had a 5-year affair with a woman in her late 20s. In a series of now-deleted X posts, Phil Johnson, Director of Grace to You with John MacArthur, said last September that Lawson only informed the elders at Trinity Bible Church after "the girl's father had confronted Steve and threatened exposure. This was not a noble confession.” In an X post this past Wednesday, Lawson wrote: “I have sinned grievously against the Lord, against my wife, my family, and against countless numbers of you by having a sinful relationship with a woman not my wife. I am deeply broken that I have betrayed and deceived my wife, devastated my children, brought shame to the name of Christ, reproach upon His church, and harm to many ministries.” Lawson added, “I have been undergoing extensive counseling for the last five months to face the hard questions I need to address. I have dealt with sin issues that have been painfully exposed in my heart. I have submitted myself in weekly accountability to two pastors and to the elders of a local congregation, who have shepherded my soul.” 1 Timothy 3:1-2 says, “Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach.” Close And that's The Worldview on this Friday, March 21st, in the year of our Lord 2025. Subscribe by Amazon Music or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

The Senate confirmation hearing for Dr. Mehmet Oz, the nominee for Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-highwire-with-del-bigtree--3620606/support.

The Rich Zeoli Show- Full Episode (03/14/2025): 3:05pm- Earlier this week, the House of Representatives passed a continuing resolution to fund the government through September. The Senate will consider the CR Friday afternoon. After initially telling reporters that Democrats would not help Republicans overcome the 60-vote filibuster threshold, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said he will vote in favor of cloture to prevent the government from shutting down at midnight on Friday. House Democrats are decrying Sen. Schumer's decision—with rumors swirling that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez may be considering a primary challenge. Sen. Schumer is up for re-election in 2028. 3:10pm- Will the Senate vote in favor of funding the government through September? According to Politico, a government shutdown may be in the Trump Administration's best interest—as the Attorney General and Office of Management of Budget will determine what federal activities are essential based on guidance that dates back to the Carter Administration. This would allow for DOGE to slash the size of government with even greater ease. 3:30pm- Speaking from the Justice Department in Washington, D.C., President Donald Trump condemned the DOJ's past weaponization—which he noted targeted him and other individuals deemed to be political rivals by the law enforcement agency. Trump stated, “we must be honest about the lies and abuses that have occurred within these walls. Unfortunately, in recent years, a corrupt group of hacks and radicals within the ranks of the American government obliterated the trust and goodwill built up over generations.” 4:00pm- This week, several conservative commentators were “swatted”—which occurs when someone purposefully deceives an emergency response operator, reporting a serious crime and ultimately causing police units to storm another person's address. Relatedly, Supreme Court Justice Amy Cooney Barrett's sister was recently the victim of a bomb threat—with the suspect explicitly citing his disdain for the Justice's judicial philosophy. 4:10pm- Speaking from the Justice Department in Washington, D.C., President Donald Trump condemned the DOJ's past weaponization—which he noted targeted him and other individuals deemed to be political rivals by the law enforcement agency. Trump stated, “we must be honest about the lies and abuses that have occurred within these walls. Unfortunately, in recent years, a corrupt group of hacks and radicals within the ranks of the American government obliterated the trust and goodwill built up over generations.” 4:40pm- While speaking with Jake Tapper on CNN, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-NY) expressed frustration with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's (D-NY) decision to break the filibuster and allow for the Republican continuing resolution bill to pass, averting a government shutdown. Does AOC plan to primary Schumer in 2028? 5:05pm- Dr. Victoria Coates— Former Deputy National Security Advisor & the Vice President of the Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy at The Heritage Foundation—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to discuss the Trump Administration's continued efforts to end the war in Ukraine. She's the author of the book: “The Battle for the Jewish State: How Israel—and America—Can Win” which features a forward from Senator Ted Cruz. 5:20pm- The Senate voted 62-38 to end the filibuster and proceed to amendment votes on the House's continuing resolution bill. None of the amendments are expected to pass and the Senate is expected to pass the bill as is later today. 5:25pm- While appearing on The Breakfast Club with Charlamagne tha God, comedian Bill Burr compared billionaire Elon Musk to Adolf Hitler—accusing Musk of doing a Nazi salute and wondering why progressives aren't doing more to try to stop him. 5:40pm During his confirmation hearing, President Donald Trump's nominee to serve as Administrator of Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services ...

The Senate Finance Committee got its chance March 14 to question Mehmet Oz, President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the vast Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the largest agency within the Department of Health and Human Services. Oz, with his long history in television, was as polished as one would expect, brushing off even some more controversial parts of his past with apparent ease. In this special bonus episode of “What the Health?,” KFF Health News' Rachana Pradhan and Stephanie Armour join Julie Rovner to recap the Oz hearing. They also provide an update on the progress of nominees to lead the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President Donald Trump will deliver remarks at the Department of Justice Friday afternoon to rally support for his administration's tough-on-crime agenda. “President Trump will visit the Department of Justice to give remarks on restoring law and order, removing violent criminals from our communities, and ending the weaponization of justice against Americans for their political leanings,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.Dr. Mehmet Oz, Trump's pick to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, testifies before the Senate Finance Committee.Hamas said on Friday it had agreed to free an American-Israeli dual national if Israel begins the next phase of ceasefire talks towards a permanent end to the war, an offer Israel dismissed as "psychological warfare".

Mehmet Oz is President Donald Trump's pick to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a massive agency that oversees health coverage for more than 100 million Americans, including older adults, those with low incomes and children. Oz is a cardiothoracic surgeon and former professor at Columbia University who became a household name when he started appearing on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in 2004 and then hosted his own show, “The Dr. Oz Show,” from 2009 to 2022. On Friday, Oz will face federal lawmakers in a Senate hearing as he seeks confirmation to run CMS, an agency that has a more than trillion-dollar budget and could face spending cuts in the budget year ahead. Today on “Post Reports,” health accountability reporter Lauren Weber explains why he may face questions about his past, his investments and possible conflicts of interest.Today's show was produced by Elana Gordon. It was edited by Peter Bresnan with help from Maggie Penman and Lynh Bui. It was mixed by Sam Bair. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

The Trump administration's efforts to downsize the federal government continue, with both personnel and programs being cut at the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Social Security Administration. Meanwhile, the fight over cuts to the Medicaid program for those with low incomes heats up, as Republicans worry that more of their voters than ever before are Medicaid beneficiaries. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Anna Edney of Bloomberg News join KFF Health News' Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Jeff Grant, who recently retired from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services after 41 years in government service. Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week they think you should read, too: Julie Rovner: NBC News' “‘You Lose All Hope': Federal Workers Gripped by Mental Health Distress Amid Trump Cuts,” by Natasha Korecki. Shefali Luthra: The New York Times' “15 Lessons Scientists Learned About Us When the World Stood Still,” by Claire Cain Miller and Irineo Cabreros. Alice Miranda Ollstein: The Atlantic's “His Daughter Was America's First Measles Death in a Decade,” by Tom Bartlett. Anna Edney: Bloomberg News' “India Trade Group Blasts Study Linking Drugs to Safety Risks,” by Satviki Sanjay. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mayor Wu joined for the first hour to discuss testifying in front of Congress and answer listener questions. ACLU of MA's Carol Rose discusses hiring freezes at local educational institutions like MIT and Harvard.Donald Berwick, former administrator of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, currently a lecturer of healthcare policy at Harvard Medical School, discusses Republican-backed cuts to Medicaid under their current budget proposal.Boston Globe business columnist Shirley Leung discusses the progressives trying to ditch big brands like Amazon and Target

Republicans are looking to cut as much as $880 billion from Medicaid, a federal program that provides healthcare for 72 million Americans. Distinct from Medicare, which covers seniors, Medicaid includes coverage for low income people, the disabled, substance abuse programs, nursing home care, and the Affordable Care Act, among other kinds of care. Nearly half of all births in the U.S. are covered by Medicaid, and polls show enormous support for the program across political parties. Donald Trump has said that cuts to Medicaid are off the table, but congressional Republicans' proposed budget to pay for the president's signature $4.5 trillion dollar tax cut relies on massive cuts to the program. We'll talk to experts about the future of Medicaid. Guests: Larry Levitt, executive vice president, Kaiser Family Foundation Joanne Kenen, journalist In-residence, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health Kristof Stremikis, director of market analysis and insight, California Health Care Foundation, independent nonprofit focused on improving healthcare for Californians Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, former administrator, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services; served as administrator during the Biden administration from 2021-2025

Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency is quickly expanding its reach through the federal government.It recently accessed systems at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Musk and his team now are looking at key payment and contracting systems for Medicare and Medicaid.That was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.On X, Musk said he believes quote "big money fraud is happening." Medicare insures older people. Medicaid offers insurance to low income people and those with disabilities.These two health insurance programs serve tens of millions of people, and they consume a huge part of federal and state budgets. So how could DOGE impact these services? For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.orgEmail us at considerthis@npr.orgLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

P.M. Edition for Feb. 5. Representatives from Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency have been reviewing data at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. WSJ reporter Anna Wilde Mathews tells us what we know about the kind of data they're looking at, and why. Plus, President Trump signs an executive order banning transgender girls and women from participating in school and college sports. We hear from WSJ White House correspondent Natalie Andrews about the impact of the order. And Google announces a rollback of its diversity hiring targets. Alex Ossola hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices