The recent cyberattack on Change Healthcare exposed fissures in the American health care system that are still reverberating - impacting patients and providers alike months after it was exposed. As hospitals, physicians, and other providers get back on their feet, they're also improving their cyber defenses to stay one step ahead of increasingly persistent hackers. This crisis also sparked conversations among policymakers weighing the implementation of new regulations on health care entities,...

Good health care depends on good health coverage, particularly for the most vulnerable. The Affordable Care Act expanded Medicaid eligibility and created exchanges where many Americans could access health insurance, often at a subsidized price. These new pathways to affordable coverage led to the uninsured rate dropping to record lows. Unfortunately, those recent gains in coverage and access now face new hurdles. After the end of the Covid public health emergency, states began a process of...

The Change Healthcare cyberattack on February 21st upended a huge slice of the U.S. health care system, virtually crippling all aspects of the patient care continuum when the clearinghouse’s services were hacked. That is because Change Healthcare processes 15 billion claims totaling more than $1.5 trillion a year and may handle 50 percent of all medical claims in the country. The impact has been devastating for many patients, hospitals, and providers, particularly those already operating...

There are two Americas - rural and urban – particularly when you look at access to health care.   With roughly 60 million people, or one in five Americans, living in small communities from coast to coast, how do we ensure patients have access to the care they need when they need it? And what policies can help bridge the gap?  Former Senator Heidi Heitkamp has dedicated her life to representing the interests of rural America and fighting to save this way of life. She currently serves as...

GUEST:  Dr. Jonathan Perlin, President and CEO, The Joint Commission  IN THIS EPISODE:   The Joint Commission is possibly the most impactful health care quality and performance organization in the world. With the rise of AI and concerns growing over issues like environmental sustainability, its mission has never been more critical. Dr. Jonathan Perlin, in his second year at the helm of The Joint Commission, is on a quest to reshape safety and performance measurement and its impact on care...

IN THIS EPISODE: For the past 15 years, drug shortages have been a persistent problem for hospitals and thepatients they serve – and extreme cases can even lead to rationing, delaying, or cancelingtreatments or procedures. Tackling the drug shortage crisis is a complicated issue requiring creative solutions. That’s whereCivica comes in – a non-profit pharmaceutical company created by hospitals and health systemsto address these critical shortages. In this episode, Chip speaks with Civica’s...

Guest:Phillip Morris, Partner & Leads Strategic Insights Practice, LSG In this episode:It is only January, but the campaign season is already in full swing. From the White House tocontrol of Congress - power in Washington is up for grabs. In this episode, Chip Kahn talks withPhillip about what issues matter most to voters and where health care fits into that list ofpriorities. Topics they examine include: Most important issues to likely voters in this year's election - inflation, the...

Chip and Dr. Liz Fowler, Deputy Administrator of CMS and Director of the agency’s Center forMedicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI), discuss CMMI’s mission to improve healthoutcomes, overcome the obstacles to health equity, and reduce care costs. They look back onwhat CMMS has accomplished in its first 10 years, what we have learned from thisexperimentation, and the future of care and payment innovation.Topics they examine include: CMMI’s successes over the last decade and what programs have...

In this episode:   As we recognize Rural Hospital Week 2023, Chip and Alan Morgan, CEO of the National Rural Health Association, discuss the importance of having medical care 30 miles or 30 minutes away and the battle to maintain patients’ access to vital services in small communities across the country. They also examine the ways lawmakers can throw a lifeline to hospitals struggling to keep their doors open. Topics include:  Growing health care workforce shortage in rural areas Rural...

In this episode: Chip and Dr. Sammie Mosier, SVP & Chief Nurse Executive at HCA Healthcare, discuss the growing health care workforce crisis in health systems – from how it is affecting care at the bedside to developing cutting-edge programs aimed at training the next generation of nurses. Topics they examine include:  COVID-19’s lasting impact on nursing Using innovative care models and virtual nursing to improve patient care  Ways to increase enrollment at nursing schools Prioritizing...

In this episode: Chip and Marty Bonick, President and CEO of Ardent Health Services, discuss how cutting-edge technology is reshaping the health care system - by treating patients like consumers, and doing it while improving quality and cutting costs. Topics they examine include: Prioritizing patient centered care and cost containment  Embracing disruptors - Using technology to make care more accessible  Impact of AI, machine learning on the patient experience Transforming from a hospital...

Chip and Dr. Lynn Blewett put a spotlight on Medicaid, which is now the largest government-funded health program in the nation – covering more people than even Medicare. Crucial topics they discuss include: The current state of the Medicaid program and where it is headed in the future. Medicaid redetermination has led to more than a million people being disenrolled from the program. What is the redetermination process and why has it risen to such importance this year? Significance of health...

In this episode:  Chip sits down with Wendell Primus, former Senior Policy Advisor on Budget and Health Issues to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, to discuss:    The current state of the Affordable Care Act – have the effects met the expectations when the law passed 13 years ago?  The lasting impact of recently passed drug reform legislation on Medicare and beneficiaries  Many are pushing for health care price transparency – will it be transformative?    How insurer consolidation – both vertical and...

In this episode: What is prior authorization and how does the process work in the real-world. Startling results of a recent American Medical Association physician survey highlighting the negative impact of prior authorization on patient care: 94% of physicians report that prior authorization delayed access to necessary care for patients; 89% report prior authorization had a negative impact on patient outcomes – sometimes even leading to death.  Effects of additional administrative burden...

In this episode: Why non-compete clauses are important in health care setting. How proposed rule from Federal Trade Commission (FTC) banning employers from using non-compete clauses on employees could impact patients’ access to care. The additional burden new non-compete rule could have on tax-paying systems. Effect of FTC’s increased scrutiny on health systems integration. Repercussions of slowing integration on access to hospital care in rural areas. Guest: Dr. Subbu Ramanarayanan chairs...

In this episode: What are the prospects of McCarthy Speakership? Functionality of Washington with divided government?    Comparing similarities/differences between the House in the late 1990s and now.   Discuss Speaker Gingrich’s experience leading a Republican House and how he dealt with health care while balancing the budget and attempting to reform entitlements.   Speaker Gingrich’s outlines his vision for the future of American health care.   How hospitals can prioritize preventative...

Chip speaks to Sunitha Reddy about how Medicare Advantage (MA) Abuse can be more than an inconvenience for patients – it can be harmful.

As we celebrate to Rural Hospital Week 2022, Chip speaks with Brock, who spent a large part of his career as a small-town hospital administrator, about how Congress can provide a lifeline to providers in small communities and protect access to care for millions of Americans.

In this episode: The Joint Commission’s role in working to reduce the health care workforce shortage. How TJC is addressing health equity moving forward. How hospital measurement is used to assure patients that their hospitals are safe and providing quality care.  Guest: Dr. Jonathan Perlin, M.D., Ph.D., M.S.H.A., M.A.C.P., F.A.C.M.I., President and CEO, The Joint Commission The Joint Commission is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year; at the helm is Dr. Jon Perlin, previously of HCA...

In this episode:  How the Sarah Cannon Cancer Center’s integrated care model allows for high quality patient care close to home.  The research being done at Sarah Cannon, including finding the potential cure for sickle cell disease.  Hospitals are safe and patients should not put off cancer screenings – they save lives.  Guest: Dr. Dax Kurbegov, Vice President and Physician-in-Chief of Clinical Programs of the Sarah Cannon Cancer Center  The Sarah Cannon Cancer Center offers patients the...

The overturning of Roe V Wade has far reaching implications for hospitals and health care providers. Hospitals have a duty to care for every patient that walks through their emergency room, however that care may create a gray area that conflicts with new state laws on abortion. Hospitals are in every community across the country and will continue to care for women with very real and dangerous conditions in need of care. Tom Barker is a partner at Foley Hoag and focuses his practice on...

Our country is facing a doctor shortage of nearly 124,000 physicians in just 2 years and the impact on patient access could be devastating. The problem is especially acute in economically disadvantaged areas, like California’s Inland Empire which is comprised of San Bernadino and Riverside Counties east of Los Angeles. The Inland Empire is also now the home of the California University of Science and Medicine, a unique institution built on a public private partnership. CUSM was created to...

Hospitals have learned a lot about treating COVID-19 since the world first learned of the novel disease at the end of 2019. Integrated hospital systems worked together to share knowledge and best practices to treat this disease at unprecedented speeds and the advancements continue to come. Out of these advancements is a new normal for our hospitals. Chip spoke with Dr. Michael Cuffe and Prof. Martin McKee about what hospitals are experiencing now and how governments in both the UK and US can...

Rachel Watson is a survivor. Last year Rachel and her husband David fell ill with COVID-19. Though David recovered without intervention, Rachel needed extreme measures. When HCA Florida West Marion Hospital received Rachel she was immediately placed on oxygen, but it wasn’t enough. She was transferred to another HCA Florida facility, HCA Florida North Florida and placed on an ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) machine where she remained for 89 days. The family credits hospital...