In this episode, Vic and Marcus cover a wide-ranging set of topics shaping today’s healthcare and economic landscape. They discuss Vic’s personal milestone of becoming an empty nester before diving into Marcus’s experience at a roundtable with HFMA and KPMG, where healthcare leaders confronted the friction between innovation and operational reality. They explore the challenges hospitals face in adopting change amidst massive fixed infrastructure costs, the impact of America’s downgraded credit rating on capital markets, and an alarming trend of weak U.S. government bond auctions. They also unpack the Walmart layoffs, Bitcoin’s surge, AI-driven venture capital, and IPO activity. Policy highlights include Trump’s Medicaid work requirements bill, soda bans in SNAP, and mounting financial pressure on nonprofit health systems. The episode closes with a discussion of America’s deteriorating youth health and the continued unraveling of emergency department infrastructure.

Links:

6:14 - U.S. Loses Last Triple-A Credit Rating WSJ

10:12 - Weak Auction of Government Debt Jolts Markets WSJ

12:04 - America’s Fiscal Situation Threatens the Good Mood on Wall Street WSJ

13:37 - Walmart to Cut 1,500 Corporate Jobs in Restructuring WSJ

14:31 - Bitcoin hits new record high above $111,000 as rally marches on CNBC

17:32 - Dazos raises $25M for customer relationship management platform Mobi Health News

19:00 - Rad AI: $8 Million Raised To Develop Generative AI Solutions For Radiology Pulse 2.0

19:59 - Biostate AI raises $12M Series A Axios

20:52 - Hinge Health raises $437 million in its IPO Axios

21:58 - Austin’s Reign as a Tech Hub Might Be Coming to an End WSJ

25:14 - - SEC Chair Signals Investor Access to Private Markets Could Soon Broaden WSJ

28:53 - Revolut CEO raises $250m for AI-powered VC firm QuantumLight Sifted

36:20 - Trump’s ‘beautiful’ bill spans more than 1,000 pages. Here’s what’s inside it AP

39:52 - Here are some of the changes to the House bill unveiled Wednesday night. NYT

46:56 - These Democratic governors are trying to curb health care for unauthorized immigrants NPR

48:54 - 4 Key Takeaways from a New White House Report on Children’s Health NYT

53:29 - In Approving Soda Ban for Food Stamps, U.S.D.A. Reverses Decades of Policy NYT

55:11 - CMS deploying more coders, 'advanced systems' to audit all Medicare Advantage contracts Fierce Healthcare

56:15 - Senators reintroduce bill that seeks to reform prior authorization in Medicare Advantage Fierce Healthcare

59:23 - Judge shuts down drugmakers’ 340B rebate plans, for now Healthcare Dive

1:00:35 - New Evernorth program to cap out-of-pocket costs for Wegovy, Zepbound a

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In this episode, Vic speaks with Mark Durante, founder of RiseUP Medical, about the cutting-edge world of biologics and regenerative medicine. They explore how biologics like PRP, PRF, stem cells, and exosomes are being applied in areas such as neuropathy, orthopedic injuries, aesthetics, and sexual health. Mark explains the science behind cell therapies, including mesenchymal stem cells and Wharton's Jelly, and discusses RiseUP’s role in bridging labs and physicians to expand treatment options. They also review recent peer-reviewed studies focused on diabetic and chemo-induced neuropathy and discuss how regenerative treatments may complement or reduce the need for pharmaceuticals and surgery. Mark shares his personal journey from heart failure and near-disability to recovery through biologics, turning his experience into a mission to advance access and innovation in this space.

Rize UpMedical: website

Mark Durante: LinkedIn

Published Research discussed in the show:

• Exploring the Role of Mesenchymal Stem Cell–Derived Exosomes in Diabetic and Chemotherapy‐Induced Peripheral Neuropathy, Molecular Neurobiology (2024).
• Improvements in Diabetic Neuropathy with Topical Human Mesenchymal Stem Cell Conditioned Media, American Journal of Biomedical Science & Research (2024).
• Wharton’s Jelly Tissue Allograft for Connective Tissue Defects Surrounding Nerves in the Tarsal Tunnel: A Retrospective Case Series, Reports by MDPI (2024).

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In this episode, Vic and Marcus cover a sweeping range of major developments in healthcare, policy, and the economy. They dive deep into the UnitedHealth Group crisis, discussing the CEO resignation, DOJ investigation, and stock collapse. They analyze inflation data, Microsoft layoffs, and U.S.-China trade pauses, while also breaking down emerging trends in biotech, AI-driven drug development, hospital discharge tech, and venture capital movement. The hosts explore RFK Jr.'s impact on CMS policy, Medicaid cuts, Roundup controversies, IPO market challenges, and gene-editing breakthroughs—all framed by their signature lens on innovation, impact, and policy shifts.

Links:

6:13 - Surprise U.S.-China Trade Deal Gives Global Economy Reprieve WSJ

9:07 - Mild April Inflation Captures Early Stages of Tariff Effects WSJ

9:57 - Microsoft Slashing Thousands of Workers, Including Management Jobs WSJ

11:16 - Clarium lands $27M to fortify hospital supply chains Axios

12:09 - Olio Secures $11M to Scale Care Coordination Platform HIT

13:30 - J&J, Eli Lilly join $85M financing for newly unveiled gene editing biotech Stylus Fierce Healthcare

15:19 - Somite, a developer of foundation models for the human cell, raised $47m in Series A. X

16:35 - Cohere Health lands $90M series C round to expand AI use cases Fierce Healthcare

17:24 - Pathos AI raises $365M at $1.6B valuation Axios

18:21 - State of Private Markets: Q1 2025 Carta

23:07 - CMS proposes crackdown on 'money laundering' provider tax policies Modern Healthcare

24:25 - Drugmakers Avoid Worst-Case Pricing Scenario for Now WSJ

25:14 - Trump Leadership: If You Want Welfare and Can Work, You Must NYT-Op

28:15 - $715B Medicaid cut passes House committee in reconciliation bill Healthcare Finance

30:23 - Trump Officials Balk at RFK Jr.’s Attack on Pesticides WSJ

31:17 - CMS Innovation Center Strategy to Make America Healthy Again CMS website

36:48 - UnitedHealth CEO Is Out, Sending Shares Plummeting WSJ

40:08 - UnitedHealth Group Is Under Criminal Investigation for Possible Medicare Fraud WSJ

51:25 - Kaiser Permanente sees 16.1% year-over-year Q1 revenue growth following Risant acquisitions Fierce Healthcare

51:46 - Omada Health Files to Go Public: Will It Be Successful? MedCity

53:06 - Eli Lilly Says Trial Patients Lost More Weight on Zepbound Than Rival’s Wegovy WSJ

53:44 - Bayer Shares Jump After Results Beat Expectations on Pharma Strength WSJ

54:10 - GSK Makes a Big Liver Disease Move With $1.2B Deal for Phase 3-Ready MASH Drug 54:10 - MedCity News

54:57 -

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