Radio Advisory

Hosted by Advisory Board

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Episodes

332

Latest episode

Aug 2026

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EN-US

About the show

A top podcast for healthcare leaders, with over two million downloads, Radio Advisory is your weekly download on how to untangle the industry's most pressing challenges to help leaders like you make the best business decisions for your organization. From unpacking major trends in care delivery—like site-of-care shifts and the rise of high-cost drugs—to demystifying stakeholder dynamics, to shining a spotlight on priorities that may get overlooked, we're here to help. Our hosts and seasoned researchers talk with industry experts to equip you with knowledge to confront today's unanswered questions in healthcare. New episodes drop every Tuesday. | www.advisory.com

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60 recent

August 18, 202635 min

[Encore] Why all providers should be watching what’s happening in pediatrics

(This episode originally aired on February 3, 2026. Stay tuned towards the end of the conversation for an update on the state of pediatric hospitals midway through 2026.) Pediatric hospitals are one of the most important segments in the industry to watch right now. Although children’s hospitals make up only 5% of total hospital market share, more than 40% of U.S. children rely on Medicaid, leaving pediatric organizations disproportionately exposed as the Medicaid-related provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act take effect. The pressures inside pediatric care were mounting even before this moment. After years of outperforming adult hospitals, children’s hospitals have seen margins fall from double digits to just 1% last year. Rising bad debt, higher supply and labor costs, a rapid shift toward lower margin outpatient care, and emerging challenges like declining birth rates and vaccine policy upheaval have created a perfect financial storm. While some of these dynamics are unique to pediatrics, the sector also offers an early warning signal for the rest of healthcare — and an opportunity to translate lessons across both worlds. In this episode, host Abby Burns and Advisory Board expert Vidal Seegobin break down why pediatric leaders must simultaneously manage immediate-term margin pressure, prepare for a more ambulatory-dominant model, and futureproof their organizations amid shifting demographics. Vidal also shares actionable steps leaders can take now, along with the critical lessons pediatric hospitals offer the wider healthcare ecosystem. We’re here to help: 5 insights on the state of pediatric hospitals today 12 things CEOs need to know in 2026 The State of the Healthcare Industry in 2026 Read Advisory Board's 2026 research agenda 3 trends shaping healthcare in 2026 (and how to respond) 278: Dr. Emily Oster on fighting misinformation and rebuilding trust in healthcare 277: Patient distrust is costing you. Here’s how to rebuild it. Learn how outpatient shifts can impact your organization by using Advisory Board’s Market Scenario Planner tool. Sponsor link: Q&A: How e-prescribing for vaccines may help close patient care gaps A transcript of this episode as well as more information and resources can be found on RadioAdvisory.advisory.com.

August 11, 202627 min

[Encore] How data‑savvy strategic planners will define the next era of health system growth

(This episode originally aired on March 17, 2026.) As health systems pursue growth beyond traditional avenues, the role of the strategic planner is becoming increasingly complex. High level directional data is no longer enough — achieving meaningful, differentiated growth now requires leveraging granular, sophisticated data to inform investment decisions. In this episode, host Rachel Woods sits down with Advisory Board experts Sebastian Beckman and Ellie Wiles to explore how health systems can rethink strategic planning for 2026 and beyond. Together, they unpack what it should actually look like to democratize data, why data governance matters just as much as data access, and how service line leaders can partner with planners to make faster, more precise, margin savvy decisions. We’re here to help: Tools | Get in touch with a representative to learn more about Advisory Board's Market Intelligence tool Podcast | 289: What are health systems doing in 2026? Results from our survey are in. Playlist | Radio Advisory Provider Strategy and Financial Outlook Playlist Case Study | How UT Southwestern closed genomic testing gaps in prostate cancer care Sponsor link: How UCHealth lowered population-level obesity rates in their region

August 4, 202634 min

309: Regional health plans attempt a financial turnaround

For years, regional health plans benefited from powerful tailwinds: Medicare Advantage growth, Medicaid expansion, and a prospering ACA marketplace. But many of those growth engines have stalled, just as new pressures emerged: rising utilization, runaway spend, pricing uncertainty and more scrutiny from patients and policy makers. The result is a dramatically different financial reality for health plans. In 2024, only eight of 33 Blues plans reported positive operating margins. In this episode, host Rae Woods sits down with Jared Landis, Vice President of Advisory Board's Health Plan Research practice, to unpack how regional plans got here and the three-year turnaround strategy regional and Blues plans are now pursuing. Together, they explore the market forces that upended the payer playbook, the operational and pricing changes plans are making to stabilize performance, and how AI-enabled transformation could reshape the future of the insurance business. Stay tuned to the end of the episode for an update on the Rural Health Transformation Program, including a key deadline this fall. We’re here to help: Episode | Ep. 257: Paul Markovich on new builds, breakups, and bold healthcare bets Episode | 305: “The work isn’t easy, but it’s clear”: How healthcare leaders are responding to the market Episode | 302: CMS announced the 2027 MA final rate. What do payers and providers need to know? Playlist | Radio Advisory Provider Strategy and Financial Outlook playlist Expert Insight | Can health plans turn their MA business around this year? Research | Health plan strategy Report | Rural health transformation funds: Where they're really going Ready-to-Use Slides | Health Plan Market Explorer Webinar | Understanding health plan decision-makers Sponsor link: Precision in motion: How digital tools support diabetes care providers A transcript of this episode as well as more information and resources can be found on RadioAdvisory.advisory.com.

July 28, 202626 min

308: How digital health innovation is centering the patient, with Rock Health

In this episode, Abby Burns welcomes back Megan Zweig, CEO of Rock Health Advisory, to answer audience questions submitted during Advisory Board's Research Summit in Carlsbad, California. Together, they explore how health systems are engaging with the explosion in consumer-generated data, the role of medtech and pharma in AI-enabled innovation, and why AI enablement may be able to unlock personalized care for a wider range of patients. We’re here to help: Episode | 304: Boom, bust, or bubble? Rock Health weighs in on digital health funding in 2026 Playlist | Radio Advisory Tech and AI playlist Playlist | Radio Advisory Provider Strategy and Financial Outlook playlist Research | AI in healthcare: Evaluating promising use cases Research | Truly personalized care is possible. Here's how to make it a reality. Rock Health H1 2026 funding and market overview: Durable roots, shifting routes | Rock Health Want to see a live recording of Radio Advisory? Register for an Advisory Board summit and get the insights your organization needs to navigate uncertainty and build lasting resilience. Advisory Board members: Action requested! Help shape Advisory Board’s next research agenda by taking our quick survey — share your priorities and challenges to ensure our research reflects what matters most to healthcare leaders like you. Nearly 70% of adults ages 65 and over skipped the latest COVID vaccine. Learn how health systems can treat vaccine uncertainty as a routine care gap — not patient resistance — by reading Advisory Board’s expert insight . A transcript of this episode as well as more information and resources can be found on RadioAdvisory.advisory.com.

July 21, 202628 min

307: The oncology trends every healthcare leader should watch

Oncology is simultaneously one of healthcare's greatest success stories and one of its biggest financial challenges. Cancer care continues to benefit from breakthroughs in precision medicine and early detection, even as oncology spending is projected to approach $200 billion by 2029. At the same time, cancer programs are facing rising patient volumes, growing demand for advanced therapies, and mounting pressure to improve access and affordability. In this episode, hosts Abby Burns and Chloe Bakst welcome oncology expert Gaby Marmolejos to break down the trends shaping cancer care in 2026 and beyond. Together, they explore improvements in community-based access to advanced therapies, the promise of multi-cancer early detection testing, and the reimbursement challenges threatening program sustainability. We’re here to help: Playbook | Cell and gene therapy programs: How to launch, optimize, and deliver CGTs sustainably Roundtable referenced | Advisory Board Oncology Roundtable: Trends and tech you can’t ignore Webinar | The top 4 trends in oncology today Report | Prioritizing equity in cancer treatment: Emerging ideas Episode | 270: Service line snapshot: What every health leader needs to know Episode | Ep. 209: Predicting what oncology will look like in 2030 Help shape Advisory Board’s next research agenda by taking our quick survey — share your priorities and challenges to ensure our research reflects what matters most to healthcare leaders like you. A transcript of this episode as well as more information and resources can be found on RadioAdvisory.advisory.com.

July 14, 202627 min

306: VBC in 2026: What’s now and what’s next?

Value-based care is entering its accountability era. Participation in value-based arrangements continues to grow, even as financial pressures weigh down on both providers and payers. But CMMI is setting a clear tone about what it expects from stakeholders moving forward: results. Host Abby Burns sits down with Advisory Board experts Clare Wirth, Payton Grimes, and Rhea Jain to explore what’s changed — and what hasn’t — in value-based care. From Medicare Advantage turbulence to the push for specialist engagement and greater downside risk, the group breaks down what leaders need to know about how the value-based care landscape is evolving. We’re here to help: Expert Insight | VBC in 2026: What was, what’s now, and what’s next Ready-to-Use Resource | Your guide to CMMI’s 25+ innovation models Case Study | Astera and Vantris are disrupting oncology with condition-based bundles Case Study | HOPCo’s total cost of care approach to VBC in MSK care Case Study referenced | How Optum Health defines and upholds value in specialty care Episode | Ep. 243: What’s now and what’s next in value-based care Playlist | Value-Based Care Roundtable | HOME - Advisory Board VBC Roundtable: How to deliver the next era of VBC Help shape Advisory Board’s next research agenda by taking our quick survey — share your priorities and challenges to ensure our research reflects what matters most to healthcare leaders like you. A transcript of this episode as well as more information and resources can be found on RadioAdvisory.advisory.com.

June 30, 202631 min

305: “The work isn’t easy, but it’s clear”: How healthcare leaders are responding to the market

After years of uncertainty, many healthcare executives say they’ve experienced more change in the past five years than in their entire careers. Policy shifts, evolving patient expectations, and rapid advances in AI are all colliding at once — forcing leaders to rethink how they operate and where they invest. But here’s the surprising part: the overwhelming sentiment isn’t panic. It’s clarity. In this episode, host Rachel (Rae) Woods sits down with Advisory Board researchers Morghen Philippi and Marisa Nives to share what they’re hearing from months of research conversations with leaders across the ecosystem. Together, they offer a grounded look at how peers, partners, and competitors are thinking right now — where leaders are aligned, where they’re making different bets, and what they’re prioritizing next. We’re here to help: Episode | Ep. 303: The hard truths behind the fight for commercial volumes Episode | Ep. 232: The rise of ICHRAs: Why some employers are turning to the individual market Playlist | Strategy and Financial Outlook playlist Report | 12 things CEOs need to know in 2026 Report | Survey insights: The 5 trends redefining health system strategy in 2026 Tool | Check out Advisory Board’s Market Scenario Planner and other Advisory Board analytics and data tools to inform your strategy for growth, cost control and more. Ready-to-Use Slides | Market outlook for individual and small group health insurance Webinar | How to embrace a proactive (not reactive) approach to change Q&A with a clinical pharmacist: Reimagining diabetes care A transcript of this episode as well as more information and resources can be found on RadioAdvisory.advisory.com.

June 23, 202636 min

304: Boom, bust, or bubble? Rock Health weighs in on digital health funding in 2026

Digital health funding is heating up—but where are the dollars going? And what does it mean for health systems’ digital health strategies? In this live episode, recorded at Advisory Board’s Research Summit, host Abby Burns sits down with Megan Zweig, President and CEO of Rock Health Advisory, for an update on what’s going on in the world of digital health funding. Together, they unpack what investment activity looks like and explore questions around what constitutes an investable thesis in 2026, how health systems are—or could be—engaging in the startup ecosystem, and what it takes to be a good incubation partner. We’re here to help: Episode | 298: Battle of the bots? Separating AI hype from value in revenue cycle Episode | 254: Stop searching for the “perfect” AI product and do this instead Playlist | Radio Advisory Tech and AI playlist Playlist | Radio Advisory Provider Strategy and Financial Outlook playlist Research | AI in healthcare: Evaluating promising use cases Rock Health Want to see a live recording of Radio Advisory? Register for an Advisory Board summit and get the insights your organization needs to navigate uncertainty and build lasting resilience. The role of pharmacists in cardiometabolic care A transcript of this episode as well as more information and resources can be found on RadioAdvisory.advisory.com.

June 16, 202636 min

303: The hard truths behind the fight for commercial volumes

As health systems anticipate greater downward pressures on margins in the months and years to come, they’re homing their growth strategies accordingly. As we’ve been saying in our research the past couple of years, “sustainability” is now the name of the game. Here’s the conundrum: our research also shows that 90% of systems are betting on the same growth plays as their competition. And more and more, those bets converge on a common goal: win more commercial volumes. In this episode, host Abby Burns sits down with Advisory Board experts Shay Pratt and Emily Heuser to unpack the three main avenues health systems are exploring to win commercial volumes: ambulatory care, service lines, and direct-to-employer contracting. For each, they explore a “hard truth” and corresponding mindset shift leaders must face as they weigh what it will take to generate margin-accretive growth. We’re here to help: Ambulatory research | Ambulatory care Market trends research | Market trends and growth strategy Service line research | Service lines and specialty care Episode | 290: How data savvy strategic planners will define the next era of health system growth Playlist | Provider Strategy and Financial Outlook playlist Tool | Check out Advisory Board’s Market Scenario Planner and other Advisory Board analytics and data tools to inform your strategy for growth, cost control and more. Learn more about Advisory Board’s 2026 summit series. A transcript of this episode as well as more information and resources can be found on RadioAdvisory.advisory.com.

June 9, 202628 min

302: CMS announced the 2027 MA final rate. What do payers and providers need to know?

CMS continues to pull on the levers it has at its disposal to rein in national healthcare spend, including rulemaking around Medicare Advantage. In April, CMS announced the final rate for MA plans for CY2027, after a controversial proposed rule generated animated pushback — and a fair bit of panic — among payers. In this episode, host Abby Burns speaks with Alex Balmes, Vice President of Actuarial Services at Optum, to unpack what did — and didn’t — end up in the final rate announcement, and what that signals for the future of the Medicare Advantage program. Together, they explore the components of the final rate that are most important for payers and providers to pay attention to, respectively, and why. Also in the 2027 final announcement, but not discussed in this episode: four measures are being added or updated in Star ratings calculations (Colorectal Cancer Screening; Care for Older Adults – Functional Status Assessment; Concurrent Use of Opioids and Benzodiazepines (COB); Polypharmacy: Use of Multiple Anticholinergic Medications in Older Adults (Poly-ACH)) and three are being removed (Care for Older Adults – Pain Assessment, Medication Reconciliation Post-Discharge, Medication Therapy Management (MTM) Program Completion Rate for Comprehensive Medication Review (CMR)) We’re here to help: Read the 2027 CMS Announcement | 2027 | CMS Episode | 286: A Medicare Advantage reset — and what comes next Ready-to-Use Slides | Medicare Advantage market outlook Stay informed | Healthcare policy updates Tool | Policy Scenario Impact Calculator Connect with an Optum Advisory expert | Optum Learn more about Advisory Board’s 2026 summit series. A transcript of this episode as well as more information and resources can be found on RadioAdvisory.advisory.com.