Podcast
Health:Further
Hosted by Marcus Whitney & Vic Gatto · EN
Every week, healthcare VCs and Jumpstart Health Investors co-founders Vic Gatto and Marcus Whitney review and unpack the happenings in US Healthcare, finance, technology and policy. With a firm belief that our healthcare system is doomed without entrepreneurship, they work through the mud to find the jewels, highlight headwinds and tailwinds, and bring on the smartest guests to fill in the gaps.
28episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
188 - Chinese Robot Beats Human, AI Beats Doctors, UAE Exits OPEC
2w ago01:07:51Tap to summarizeVic and Marcus cover Jerome Powell remaining on the Federal Reserve board and concerns around Fed independence, global instability including the UAE exiting OPEC and weakening international institutions, and hyperscaler dominance with strong earnings from Google, Amazon, and Microsoft driven by AI and cloud growth; they discuss venture funding trends including brain-computer interfaces and clinical AI models, FDA adoption of AI to accelerate clinical trials, and policy shifts including the withdrawal of Casey Means’ nomination and Cigna exiting ACA markets; the episode also explores payer performance, Humana’s partnership with Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus Drugs, pharma consolidation led by Eli Lilly, and rising acquisition costs in biotech; they examine societal impacts of reduced human interaction due to technology, crypto instability and DeFi bailouts, and major AI developments including OpenAI’s slowing growth, legal challenges, China blocking Meta’s acquisition of Manus, and the accelerating gap between AI systems and human expertise in medicineLinksStory 1: Fed Meeting3:04 - Powell to Remain on Fed Board, Citing Legal Pressure From Trump WSJStory 2: OPEC 5:45 - U.A.E.’s OPEC Exit Deals Major Blow to Cartel Amid Middle East Oil Squeeze WSJStory 3: Cloud providers 9:35 - Google Profit Jumps 81% as Cloud Business Booms WSJ12:49 - Amazon Posts Double-Digit Growth Anchored by Booming Web Services WSJ13:15 - Microsoft Reports Strong Cloud Growth, but Questions About AI Returns Persist WSJStory 4: VC 15:54 - Axoft Raises $55M Series A to Advance Brain-Computer Interface Technology CityBiz18:11 - Photon: $16 Million Raised To Modernize Prescription Infrastructure And Return Transparency To Patients Pulse 2.019:22 - Aidoc banks $150M backed by Goldman Sachs to scale clinical AI foundation model Fierce HealthcareStory 5: FDA Looking to RWD 24:30 - FDA Turns to AI to Speed Up Clinical Trials WSJStory 6: Surgeon General 26:23 - Trump Withdraws Nomination of Casey Means for Surgeon General NYTStory 7: Payors29:54 - Cigna to exit ACA market, pursue strategic alternatives for eviCore unit Fierce Healthcare31:01 - Centene swings to $1.5B profit as Medicaid business improves even as ACA membership falls by 2 million Fierce Healthcare34:24 - Humana teams with Mark Cuban's Cost-Plus Drug Company Healthcare FinanceStory 8: UHS36:13 - Universal Health Services' Q1 2026 earnings growth dampened by volume hits Fierce HealthcareStory 9: Pharma37:36 - Eli Lilly to Buy Ajax Therapeutics for Up to $2.3 Billion WSJ39:06 - Sun Pharma to Buy U.S. Healthcare Firm Organon in $11.75 Billion Deal WSJ40:47 - There’s a Revolution in Cancer. But Can Big Pharma Afford It? WSJStory 10: 43:20 - We’re All Talking to Each Other Less Than We Did a Decade Ago WSJStory 11: Robinhood50:00 - Robinhood Profit Rises on Boost From Prediction Markets, Gold Subscriptions WSJStory 12: Aave51:48 - Crypto Rushes to Bail Out Decentralized Lender Targeted by Hackers WSJStory 13: AI Diagnosing Patients56:23 - In real-world test, an AI model did better than ER doctors at diagnosing patients NPRN/A - Performance of a large language model on the reasoning tasks of a physician ScienceStory 14: OpenAI58: 11 -OpenAI Misses Key Revenue, User Targets in High-Stakes Sprint Toward IPO WSJ1:00:20 - OpenAI Sued by Seven Families Over Mass Shooting Suspect’s ChatGPT Use WSJ1:01:35 - Elon Musk Testifies He Was a ‘Fool’ to Fund OpenAI WSJStory 15: China1:02:41 - China Bans Meta’s Acquisition of Manus on National Security Grounds WSJ1:03:53 -
Transcribe →187 - Trump Legalizes Medical Marijuana, China Beat Nvidia Without Chips, Gene Therapy Restores Hearing
3w ago00:57:59Tap to summarizeVic and Marcus recap insights from the Health Evolution Summit, focusing on high-value networking versus weak conference content, then break down major economic and policy developments including Kevin Warsh’s expected appointment as Fed Chair, the end of the investigation into Jerome Powell, and shifts in Fed governance. They cover venture activity across AI healthcare, biotech resurgence, and crowded revenue cycle startups, alongside new accelerators backed by Anne Wojcicki. Policy wins include FDA gene therapy breakthroughs, marijuana reclassification, and faster CMS coverage pathways. The episode dives into payer performance with improved MLR trends, ongoing health system struggles, and biotech deal momentum led by Eli Lilly. They explore AI’s growing role in healthcare, including dementia care and OpenAI launching clinical tools, while also unpacking infrastructure pressures from data center demand, chip innovation, and inference growth. The episode closes with geopolitical tensions in AI, highlighting Nvidia vs China debates, the rise of DeepSeek, and rapid advancements in robotics performance. LinksStory 1: Kevin Warsh - Fed5:12 - Warsh Pledges Independence at Fed Hearing WSJ6:11 - DOJ drops investigation into Fed’s Powell Roll CallStory 2: VC 8:36 - Amperos Health secures $16M in series A funding, unveils AI-native denial management solution Fierce Healthcare9:37 - Tortugas comes out of its shell with $106M to fund 4 phase 2-stage neuro drugs licensed from Asia Fierce Healthcare11:59 - Courier Health scores $50M to scale CRM technology Mobi Heath12:53 - Ethermed: $8.5 Million Series A Brings Total Funding To $15 Million+ To Scale AI Prior Authorization Platform Pulse 2.0 13:19 - Esther and Anne Wojcicki back new healthcare accelerator, fund TechCrunchStory 3: 1st Gene Therapy14:54 - FDA Approves First-Ever Gene Therapy to Restore Hearing WSJStory 4: Marijuana reclassified16:51 - Trump Administration Reclassifies Marijuana as Less Dangerous Drug WSJStory 5: RAPID18:44 - CMS and FDA announce RAPID Medicare coverage for breakthrough medical devices Healthcae FinanceStory 6: Payor Financial Reports20:43 - UnitedHealth Shows Signs of Turnaround With Strong Quarterly Results WSJ21:58 - Molina controls costs in Q1 but future Medicaid spending in doubt Healthcare Dive 22:33 - Elevance perks up in 2026 though Medicare Advantage payout could ding profits Healthcare DiveStory 7: CHS Reports Loss23:11 - Flagging first-quarter volumes dragged CHS’ earnings Healthcare DiveStory 8: Pharma Rundown23:58 - Boston Scientific Net Grows Sharply WSJ24:56 - Two Drugs Stir Hope for Treatment of Deadly Pancreatic Cancer NYT25:41 - After Lilly’s $7B Kelonia deal, are there any in vivo CAR-T biotechs left to buy? Fierce HealthcareStory 9: Pharma Rundown26:58 - New York Sues Coinbase, Gemini Over Crypto Exchanges’ Prediction Markets WSJStory 10: AI for Dementia32:03 - For Dementia Patients, AI Can Be a Good, Non-Judgmental Listener WSJStory 11: OpenAI33:44 - OpenAI launches ChatGPT for Clinicians, a free AI tool for physicians, NPs and pharmacists Fierce Healthcare37:03 - OpenAI's GPT-5.5 is here, and it's no potato: narrowly beats Anthropic's Claude Mythos Preview on Terminal-Bench 2.0 Venture BeatStory 12: Datacenters and Infrence39:17 - Oracle’s Deluge of AI Debt Pushes Wall Street to the Limit WSJ43:38 - Intel Shares Jump 20% as AI Agents Drive Big Growth WSJ44:22 - Google Introduces Specialized Chip for New Wave of AI Computing WSJ47:06 - Dwarkesh Podcast w/ Jensen - YouTube51:54 - Deepseek on X - XStory 13: Robot Marathon56:05 - Chinese Robot Beats Human Best Time in Half-Marathon, After a Stumble WSJ
Transcribe →186 - How AI Agents Are Quietly Rewriting Jobs, Healthcare, and the Economy
4w ago01:01:02Tap to summarizeVic and Marcus break down a surge in AI development, starting with Vic’s hands-on experience building autonomous agents and what it reveals about the future of work, productivity, and identity. They discuss the growing gap between economic growth and job creation, the psychological impact of AI on workers, and parallels to past industry disruptions. The episode covers venture activity in healthcare, including AI-native operating systems, fertility innovation, and value-based care startups, alongside policy updates like digital health reimbursement models and system-wide labor tensions. They examine the expanding role of GLP-1 drugs beyond weight loss, major pharma momentum, and the increasing convergence of AI and healthcare. The conversation shifts to infrastructure challenges with data centers, global competition, and regulatory friction, before diving into rapid AI advancements across OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and robotics, ending with a broader reflection on purpose, identity, and adapting in an accelerating world.LinksStory 1: Economic Rundown12:32 -The Economy Is Growing, Jobs Aren’t. Why That Might Be OK. WSJ18:50 - Process to Refund Tariffs to Begin Next Week WSJ19:22 - U.S. Economy Remains Resilient in Face of Iran War, Banks Say WSJStory 2: VC 20:06 - Keebler Health secures $16M in series A funding for AI-powered risk adjustment platform Fierce Healthcare20:36 - AI-Enabled Fertility Care and Longevity Provider ONTO Health Closes $20 Million Series funded by ARTIS and Humania YahooN/A - Helical raises $10M seed for virtual pharma AI lab Axios21:05 - Ultralight Raises $9.3M Seed Round SaaS News22:32 - Joyful Health Raises $17M in Series A Funding for FinTech FinSms Story 3: FDA Peptides23:01 - FDA moves toward easing restrictions on certain peptides Healthcare DiveStory 4: ACCESS23:56 - CMS accepts more than 150 providers, digital health firms for ACCESS model Healthcare DiveStory 5: BSW Exits ACA & Medicaid25:38 - Baylor Scott & White Health Plan to depart individual market, Medicaid this year Fierce HealthcareStory 6: Walmart Better Care27:59 - Walmart expands digital health platform’s weight loss offerings, including GLP-1 prescribing Healthcare DiveStory 7: UC Health Strike28:19 - UC Health workers plan open-ended, system-wide strike for May 14 Fierce HealthcareStory 8: J & J30:28 - J&J’s First-Quarter Sales Grow on Cancer-Drug Strength WSJStory 9: Lilly Acq31:32 - Lilly makes preclinical ADC specialist CrossBridge its latest acquisition in vague $300M deal Fierce Healthcare Story 10: ?32:34 - (The New York Times) Online and in Doctors Offices. People are Finding that GLP-1sStory 11: Web 335:28 - Elon Musk’s X Money Stands to Disrupt Payments and Pressure PayPal38:18 - Charles Schwab Begins Rollout of Spot Bitcoin, Ethereal trading PlatformStory 12: Anthropic39:38 - Anthropic Adds Novartis CEO to Board WSJ40:42 - Anthropic Releases Claude Opus 4.7 to Remind Everyone How Great Mythos Is GizmodoStory 13: Open AI 43:14 - OpenAI unveils GPT‑5.4‑Cyber, an AI model for defensive cybersecurity 9to5Mac43:40 - OpenAI’s big Codex update is a direct shot at Anthropic’s Claude Code The Verge OpenAI unveils GPT‑5.4‑Cyber, an AI model for defensive cybersecurity - 9to5MacVergeStory: 14 Data Center Fights45:29 - Elon Musk’s xAI Sued by NAACP Over Memphis Data Center WSJ47:49 - Maine Lawmakers Pass Ban on Large Data Centers WSJ48:38 - AI Is Using So Much Energy That Computing Firepower Is Running Out WSJStory 15: Gemini 51:02 -Google launches a Gemini AI app on Mac The Verge51:59 - DeepMind launches Gemini Robotics-ER 1.6 to meet precise physical AI demands SilconAngle
Transcribe →185 - AI Is Creating Jobs While Breaking Security and Reshaping Healthcare
Apr 1100:56:27Tap to summarizeVic and Marcus break down revised GDP data and slowing economic growth, rising concerns around private credit exposure across banks and pensions, and the long-term decline in labor force participation driven by aging demographics and immigration policy. They discuss the evolving job market as AI creates new roles and skill demands, while also examining venture activity including Yuzu Health’s funding and broader digital health investment trends. The episode covers major healthcare policy shifts like Medicare Advantage rate changes, California’s stance on private equity in medical practices, and health system performance driven by scale. They also explore breakthroughs in osteoarthritis treatments, ongoing challenges with nurse burnout and workforce retention, and increasing cybersecurity risks in healthcare platforms. The conversation expands into pharma developments, GLP-1 market expansion, and direct-to-consumer healthcare models. Finally, they dive deep into AI’s accelerating impact, including data center pushback, emerging policy frameworks, quantum security risks, and the implications of next-generation AI models capable of exposing widespread system vulnerabilities.LinksStory 1: Economic Rundown1:07 - US economy grew a sluggish 0.5% in fourth quarter, government says, downgrading previous estimate AP1:47 - Insurers’ $1 Trillion Buildup in Private Credit Is Leaving Regulators in the Dust WSJ4:04 - Why More People Are Dropping Out of the Job Market WSJ6:20 - The New Jobs Being Created by AI WSJStory 2: Q1 VC Growth & AI firms enter Health8:27 - Yuzu Health Raises $35M in Series A Funding FINSMES9:46 - Q1 2026 funding overview: Capital continues concentrating and four other market signals Rock Health12:02 - Anthropic acquires stealth AI startup Coefficient Bio in $400M deal: reports Fierce HealthcareStory 3: CA Limiting PE in Healthcare13:18 - California AG Urges Walling Off Medical Practices From Private Equity Rob Bonta stakes out a strict position on private equity’s roe in healthcare WSJStory 4: HHS moves19:05 - CMS finalizes higher Medicare Advantage rates for 2027 in gift to insurers Healthcare Dive20:57 - Federal Agency Unveils Three Potential Osteoarthritis Treatments NYTStory 5: Advocate Improved Financials22:45 - Advocate Health improves to 4% operating margin, $4.6B bottom line across 2025 Fierce HealthcareStory 6: Nurse Job Satisfaction24:55 - Nurses' job satisfaction stumbles after post-pandemic gains: survey Fierce HealthcareStory 7: Hims Cyber Attack27:35 - Hims & Hers says limited data stolen in social engineering attack Healthcare DiveStory 8 - 2 Acquisitions29:20 - Gilead to buy cancer biotech Tubulis for more than $3 billion Stat29:56 - Neurocrine to Buy Soleno, Nabbing Drug for Relentless Hunger Disorder WSJStory 9 - GLP-1 wars30:54 - Novo Nordisk Launches Higher-Dose Wegovy Weight-Loss Shot in U.S. WSJ31:23 - Eli Lilly launches oral GLP-1 drug across US through Lilly Direct, telehealth providers Fierce Healthcare Story 10 - Using AI for Health Data Analysis32:11 - I Uploaded My Blood Work to AI. Am I Oversharing? WSJStory 11 - Q-Day Getting Close35:11 - Cloudflare targets 2029 for full post-quantum security CloudflareStory 12-OpenAI Advising World Governments while States Resist Data Centers 38:09 - Industrial Policy for the Intelligence Age: Ideas to Keep People First OpenAI41:48 - These Cities and States Are Taking Aim at Data Centers WSJStory 13 - Anthropic Glasswing & Mythos45:00 - Anthropic Set to Preview Powerful ‘Mythos’ Model to Ward Off AI Cyberthreats WSJ49:43 - Anthropic Teams Up With Its Rivals to Keep AI From Hacking Everything Wired
Transcribe →184 - How AI Created a Billion-Dollar Company With Just 2 People
Apr 401:01:15Tap to summarizeVic and Marcus recap the Jumpstart Health Summit, including a workshop where non-technical founders built full AI-driven products and an agentic investment bank in under 48 hours, followed by key discussions from the summit on healthcare transformation, AI infrastructure, venture capital evolution, and leadership changes at Jumpstart Health. They break down major economic signals including declining job openings, stock market performance, and rising risks in private credit markets, then analyze healthcare policy shifts targeting hospital pricing practices and UnitedHealthcare’s push into AI-driven member tools. The episode also covers major pharma momentum led by Eli Lilly across acquisitions, GLP-1 advancements, and AI-powered drug discovery, alongside emerging trends in crypto-backed mortgages, agentic commerce, and Coinbase’s expanding role in financial infrastructure. They close with a deep dive into AI disruption, highlighting a two-person billion-dollar company, open-source model acceleration, security risks, and breakthroughs that could reshape hardware demand and the future of work.LinksStory 1 Jobs and Equity market11:37 - U.S. Job Openings and Hiring Fell in February WSJ18:10 - Here’s What Worked During a Rough Quarter for Markets WSJStory 2 Private credit watch19:17 - What Banks Stand to Lose From the Private-Credit Mess WSJStory 3 VC rundown23:14 - WHOOP Secures $575M, Reaches $10B Valuation MedCityStory 4 DOJ v NY Pres25:21 - Justice Department Files Antitrust Lawsuit Against NewYork-Presbyterian WSJStory 6 UHG launches AI Companion30:12 - UnitedHealthcare launches Avery, a generative AI companion for members Fierce HealthcareStory 7 1st Reimbursement for Robot Companion32:22 - Intuition Robotics secures Medicaid coverage for social AI robot ElliQ in Washington State Fierce HealthcareStory 8 Eli Lilly moves37:21 - Eli Lilly to Buy Centessa Pharmaceuticals for Initial $6.3 Billion WSJ37:55 - Eli Lilly Gets Speedy FDA Nod for Oral GLP-1 Drug, a Competitor to New Novo Nordisk Pill MedCity38:52 - Eli Lilly reaches $2.75 billion deal with Insilico to bring AI-developed drugs to the global market CNBCStory 9 Web3 rundown39:54 - Fannie Mae to Accept Crypto-Backed Mortgages for the First Time WSJ41:54 - Coinbase’s AI payments system joins Linux Foundation, gathers support from Google, Stripe, AWS and others Coindesk45:57 - Coinbase clears key regulatory hurdle in bid to bolster its stablecoin business CNBC Story 10 1st $B - 2 person AI startup is healthcare47:24 - How A.I. Helped One Man (and His Brother) Build a $1.8 Billion Company NYTStory 11 Antropic50:27 - Anthropic Races to Contain Leak of Code Behind Claude AI Agent WSJ51:19 - Claw Code Launches Open-Source AI Coding Agent Framework With 72,000 GitHub Stars in First Days 24-7Story 12 Google54:00 - Google announces Gemma 4 open AI models, switches to Apache 2.0 license ArsTechnica56:30 - Google now lets you direct avatars through prompts in its Vids app TechCrunch57:00 - Google’s TurboQuant Breakthrough Just Rewrote the AI Playbook Yahoo
Transcribe →183 - AI Agents Are Coming for Your Job Faster Than Anyone Expected
Mar 2801:00:11Tap to summarizeVic and Marcus discuss rising energy costs and their ripple effects across the economy, declining tourism, and ongoing financial pressure tied to global instability. They break down major healthcare funding deals including telehealth weight loss platforms and AI governance in health systems, along with payer struggles and pharmaceutical acquisitions. The episode explores legal shifts around social media liability and Section 230, contrasting platform responsibility with internet infrastructure. They cover policy updates in Medicaid and rural hospital funding, trends in tokenized financial markets, and AI developments across healthcare, enterprise, and consumer platforms. The conversation closes with a deep dive into the evolution of AI agents, digital workers, and the shift toward autonomous systems that could redefine how individuals and companies operate. LinksStory 1 - Energy prices2:34 - How Americans Are Navigating Higher Energy Costs on Every Front WSJStory 2 - VC Rundown5:42 - GLP-1 unicorn raises $200 million from Tom Brady, others Axios7:48 - Qualified Health locks in $125M in fresh funding to scale enterprise AI at health systems Fierce HealthcareStory 3 - Section 230 Challenged9:16 - Meta and YouTube Lose Landmark Social-Media Addiction Trial WSJ16:24 - Supreme Court Limits Liability for Internet Service Providers WSJStory 4 - Peds Wrap-around payment modelStory 5 - Cash available for Rural Health systems23:27 - Rural hospitals could apply for temporary interest-free construction, renovation loans under new bipartisan bill Fierce HealthcareStory 6 - Higmark results24:45 - Highmark reports $175M net loss for 2025 as financial headwinds batter health plan Fierce HealthcareStory 7 - 2 Pharma Deals25:10 - Merck Reaches Nearly $6 Billion Deal for Cancer Biotech Terns WSJ26:03 - Gilead Sciences gains opportunity for immune system reset with $1.7B Ouro acquisition MedCity Story 8 - Dance therapy27:33 - Tango Therapy: How the Dance of Passion Is Helping Parkinson's Patients NYTStory 9 - Tokenized Stocksl29:04 - NYSE Partners With Securitize to Develop 24/7 Tokenized Securities Platform WSJStory 10 - OpenEvidence expands product offereing29:53 - OpenEvidence rolls out AI medical coding feature Fierce HealthcareStory 11 - Optum using AI to reduce Fraud32:05 - A look at how Optum Rx is using AI to address pharmacy fraud, waste and abuse Fierce HealthcareStory 12 - OpenAI moving to enterprise33:56 - OpenAI Scraps Sora Video Platform Months After Launch WSJ35:23 - OpenAI abandons yet another side quest: ChatGPT’s erotic mode TechCrunch37:46 - OpenAI sweetens private equity pitch amid enterprise turf war with Anthropic, sources say ReutersStory 13 - Google’s Gemini coming to Siri41:59 - New details on Apple-Google AI deal revealed, including Gemini changes: 9to5 macStory 14 - Google releases Figma Competitor44:52 - I 'Vibe Designed' a Website in Minutes Using Google Labs' Stitch Tool CNet
Transcribe →182 - Why Healthcare Costs Are About to Flip Everything You Know
Mar 2101:09:15Tap to summarizeVic and Emily Evans discuss the Fed holding rates and the declining influence of monetary policy, Turquoise Health’s $40M raise and the shift toward payment infrastructure, and the broader slowdown in healthcare spending growth. They explore consumer-driven healthcare models, political tensions around insurance and affordability, and upcoming policy shifts. The episode also covers vaccine policy changes, cancer immunotherapy efforts, CMS’s new wearable-driven care model, the rise of ketamine prescriptions, crypto regulation clarity, tokenized markets, AI’s expanding role in healthcare and business, and the growing challenge of trust in an era of synthetic media.LinksStory # 1 Fed Meeting00:59 - Fed Holds Rates Steady as Iran War Clouds Outlook WSJStory # 2: Price transparency deals 6:05 - Turquoise Health raises $40M to power healthcare contracts, payments Fierce HealthcareStory # 3 Payers still in Crosshairs19:56 - Democratic senators detail plans to take on 'Big Insurance' Fierce HealthcareStory # 4 Vaccine Drama27:18 - Federal court blocks RFK Jr.’s moves to upend US vaccine policy, Healthcare Dive27:29 - Health Groups Hailed a Vaccine Ruling, but Their Relief May Be Short-Lived NYT29:34 - HHS Has a Potential Solution for Cancers That Keep Coming Back: Vaccines WSJStory # 5 ACCESS program31:24 - Discussion of the ACCESS program CMS websiteStory # 6 Sutter’s expansion37:01 - Sutter, Allina Health to form $26B nonprofit system Story # 7 Ketamine risks38:56 - She Hoped Ketamine Would Rewire Her Brain. She Didn’t Live to See It Work. WSJStory # 8 Tokenizing Equities42:24 - SEC and CFTC unveil new crypto guidance declaring most digital assets are not securities The Block46:26 - Story # 9 Maven Intelligence49:39 - Maven Clinic expands AI capabilities with genAI agent built on OpenAI, Google LLMs Fierce HealthcareStory # 10 MS v. OpenAI52:53 - Microsoft Looking To Sue OpenAI Over New Amazon Deal: Here's Why Free PressStory # 11 1st AI Actor1:02:45 - Val Kilmer Resurrected by AI to Star in ‘As Deep as the Grave’ Movie Variety
Transcribe →181 - AI, Tokenized Markets, and Why Healthcare Is Carrying the U.S. Job Market
Mar 1400:45:01Tap to summarizeVic and Marcus discuss the latest macro forces shaping healthcare and technology, starting with inflation trends, rising oil prices, and how geopolitical tensions involving Iran could impact global markets and supply chains. They examine how healthcare has become the primary driver of U.S. job growth while questioning whether the industry can sustain the broader labor market long term. The conversation covers venture funding activity including AI healthcare startups, maternal health investments, and the growing debate over massive venture rounds in the AI era. They also analyze major industry developments such as CVS and Aetna resolving Medicare Advantage investigations, the acquisition of Talkspace by UHS to expand behavioral health services, and Novo Nordisk’s ongoing struggles in the GLP-1 market. The episode closes with a wide-ranging discussion on tokenized financial markets, the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure, big tech’s increasing control over healthcare through platforms like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon, and how AI may become the new front door to healthcare access.Story # 1 CPI, War & Healthcare jobs1:50 - Inflation Holds Steady, but Iran War Threatens to Boost Prices WSJ4:33 - Escalating Hormuz Crisis Raises Specter of Prolonged Closure WSJ6:05 - Health Care Has Become the Lifeblood of the Labor Market NYTStory # 2 VC deals10:17 - New Medicaid-focused doula provider Malama launches with $9.2M Fierce Healthcare12:17 - Amigo AI Raises $11M to Close the Gap Between Healthcare Demand and Clinical Capacity AlleyWatch12:59 - Nitra Rakes In $187M to Simplify the Business of Running a Healthcare Practice MedCityStory # 3 Changes (again) at FDA21:07 - Vinay Prasad, controversial FDA leader, to again depart agency Healthcare DiveStory # 4 Aetna settlement22:52 - Aetna to pay $117.7M to settle Medicare Advantage upcoding allegations: DOJ Fierce HealthcareStory # 5 Health Systems Bullish23:59 - Despite insurers' expense pains, Tenet Healthcare is securing healthy commercial rates through 2027 Fierce Healthcare25:29 - Why UHS Is Acquiring Talkspace for $835M MedCityStory # 6 Novo27:48 - Novo Nordisk to Sell Weight-Loss Drugs Through Hims & Hers WSJ29:07 - FDA Warns Novo Nordisk of Unreported Side Effects Tied to GLP-1 Patients WSJStory # 7 Tokenizing Wall Street29:47 - Nasdaq Partners With Kraken in Plan for 24/7 Tokenized Stock Trading WSJ31:31 - Tokenized Stocks Are Coming to a Market Near You: Five Things to Know WSJStory # 8 Big Tech AI in Healthcare33:18 - Oracle Shares Jump as AI Demand Outpaces Supply WSJ35:17 - Microsoft unveils Copilot Health as an AI health companion for consumers Fierce Healthcare37:32 - CVS, Humana & More Are Turning to Google’s AI Models MedCity40:15 - Amazon One Medical CMO: AI Is the Front Door to Healthcare MedCity
Transcribe →180 - AI Is Restructuring the Global Economy Faster Than Anyone Expected
Mar 700:58:41Tap to summarizeMarcus and Vic break down a turbulent week across geopolitics, markets, technology, and healthcare, starting with escalating conflict involving Iran and the economic volatility rippling through global markets. They examine rising uncertainty in the economy, the growing push for European tech independence from U.S. platforms, and how reliability concerns are driving companies toward self-hosted AI models. The conversation moves into financial risk as private credit giants like Blackstone face redemption pressure, the legal chaos surrounding $130B in tariff refunds, and several major healthcare venture deals including Sage, Third Way Health, KeyCare, and Grow Therapy. They also explore policy shifts such as RFK Jr.’s push to add nutrition to medical education, payer industry developments including potential sanctions against Elevance, leadership changes at Cigna, CVS partnering with Google for a new consumer health platform, and Eli Lilly going direct to employers with obesity drugs. The episode closes with a deep dive into crypto’s accelerating integration with traditional finance, OpenAI’s Pentagon controversy and the lukewarm reception to GPT-5.4, and a broader look at how companies from Oracle to Morgan Stanley to Colgate are restructuring their workforces around AI.LInksStory # 1 Economy Volatility5:59 - Stock Market Today: Dow Drops 1.6%, Oil Pushes Above $80 WSJ11:37 - Blackstone Played Down Private-Credit Risks. Now It’s Been Hit. WSJ17:02 - Judge Orders Government to Begin Refunding More Than $130 Billion in Tariffs WSJStory # 2 VC deals19:56 - Sage: $65 Million Raised For AI-Powered Senior Care Platform Pulse 2.020:24 - Third Way Health Secures $15M to Streamline Front-Office Operations for Medical Practices MedCity21:07 - KeyCare raises $27.4M to scale Epic-integrated virtual care platform Mobi Health22:28 - Grow Therapy Raises $150M to Expand Employer, Health System Partnerships MedCityStory #3 Medical Shools add Nutrition 23:59 - How Kennedy Is Trying to Revamp Medical School NYT26:21 - Dozens of medical schools meet RFK Jr.'s call for greater nutrition education Fierce HealthcareStory # 4 Payor Rundown31:10 CMS threatens Elevance with Medicare Advantage sanctions Healthcare Dive30:07 - Cigna Names Brian Evanko CEO as David Cordani Retires WSJ31:10 - CVS unveils Health 100, its new Google-powered consumer engagement platform Fierce Healthcare Story # 4 Lilly Extends Advantage 33:36 - Eli Lilly launches its direct-to-employer platform for obesity drugs Fierce HealthcareStory #5 Web3 migrating into Traditional Finance34:53 - Kraken Becomes First Crypto Firm to Win Access to Fed’s Core Payments System WSJ39:01 - NYSE owner invests in crypto exchange OKX at $25bn valuation X40:04 - Trump sides with crypto firms in trillion-dollar battle with banks over stablecoin yield CNBCStory #6 Open AI47:09 - OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Defends Pentagon Work to Staff, Calls Backlash ‘Really Painful’ WSJ49:05 - OpenAI introduces GPT-5.4 with more knowledge-work capability ArsTechnicaStory #7 AI Corp Reorgs53:26 - Oracle Reportedly Plans Thousands Of Layoffs Amid Growing AI Spend Stockwits54:56 - Morgan Stanley Lays Off 2,500 Employees Across All Divisions WSJ56:09 - The AI Evangelist Shaking Up a 220-Year-Old Toothpaste Maker WSJ
Transcribe →179 - Anthropic vs The Pentagon | The AI Showdown That Could Reshape Government Technology
Feb 2800:51:50Tap to summarizeVic and Marcus unpack a chaotic week across AI, markets, healthcare, and crypto. They begin with a viral Substack post outlining a “2028 Global Intelligence Crisis” that triggered market volatility and reignited debate over mass white-collar job displacement. They examine Block’s decision to cut more than 40% of its workforce amid AI-driven efficiency gains and debate whether entrepreneurship will replace traditional employment. The conversation moves through new AI startups transforming medtech sales and credentialing, automation in healthcare front offices and pathology, and escalating Medicaid and ACA policy shifts that could impact deductibles and medical debt. They discuss ongoing GLP-1 coverage battles, pharma competition between Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, and enforcement actions against payer ghost networks. The episode also covers stablecoin growth, Coinbase’s expansion into U.S. stock trading, and the rise of agent-to-agent AI payments. They close with a high-stakes clash between the Trump administration and Anthropic over military AI use, exploring brand integrity, national security, and the future relationship between AI companies and the federal government.LinksStory #1 AI Fears Shake Market1:25 - THE 2028 GLOBAL INTELLIGENCE CRISIS Substack7:32 - Jack’s announcement XStory #2 VC Deals13:57 - MedScout Raises $10M and Launches AI Agents for MedTech Commercial Teams Healthcare Dive 15:24 - Altman-backed startup Verifiable rolls out AI agent to automate credentialing Fierce Healthca17:24 - Third Way Health raises $15M for front-office AI Axios18:12 - Coral Care Raises $13M to Scale In-Home Pediatric Therapy MedCityStory #3 Feds Pause $ for MN18:49 - Vance Announces Pause of Nearly $260 Million in Minnesota Medicaid Funding WSJ22:54 - CMS unveils new initiatives aimed at cracking down on healthcare fraud Fierce Healthcare Story #4 Health costs Rise & State Law Changes24:27 - New A.C.A. Plans Could Increase Family Deductibles to $31,000 NYT25:26 - State lawmakers seek restraints on wage garnishment for medical debt Fierce HealthcareStory #5 Payer Legal Fights28:00 - Worker did not plausibly argue obesity was a disability, 1st Circuit finds Healthcare Dive30:44 - New York secures more than $2.5 million from EmblemHealth over ghost networks Healthcare FinanceStory #6 Novo Turn aournd or not?31:29 - Novo Nordisk Shares Plunge After Obesity Drug Fails to Beat Zepbound WSJ32:32 - Eli Lilly’s Zepbound Gets FDA OK for Multi-Dose Pen WSJStory #7 Web3 Wakes up33:51 - Circle Internet’s Quarterly Profit Surges on Stablecoin Demand WSJ36:50 - Coinbase Pursues ‘Everything Exchange’ Concept With US Stock Trading Debut PYMNTSStory #8 Health AI expansions40:20 - OpenEvidence releases AI-integrated dialer feature to expand its reach with clinicians, Fierce Healthcare41:21 - Labcorp expands PathAI pact to roll out digital pathology platform in US Healthcare DiveStory #9 Anthroopic42:20 - Hegseth gives Anthropic until Friday to back down on AI safeguards, Axios44:19 - Statement from Dario Amodei on our discussions with the Department of War Website
Transcribe →