Radio Advisory

After more than a decade of effort, healthcare still struggles with the same consumer pain points: affordability, access, and trust. Despite investments in price transparency, virtual care, and navigation tools, the patient experience remains fragmented, leaving leaders to wonder whether healthcare consumerism ever truly delivered on its promise.

In this episode, host Rae Woods invites Advisory Board experts Devin Airey, Shay Pratt, and Natalie Trebes to take a candid look at why the consumer revolution stalled, what consumerism tactics healthcare leaders need to let go of, and where the industry should double down heading into the next decade.

We’re here to help:

Report | 6 insights on consumer preferences in healthcare

Report | Setting up your ambulatory network for the future

Expert Insight | 3 strategies to boost healthcare consumer engagement

Expert Insight | 3 trends shaping healthcare in 2026 (and how to respond)

Playlist | Radio Advisory Provider Strategy and Financial Outlook playlist

Subscribe to The Daily Briefing, a must-read daily newsletter for thousands of healthcare executives across the nation

A transcript of this episode as well as more information and resources can be found on RadioAdvisory.advisory.com.

What has price transparency data taught us about healthcare prices? Price transparency laws were originally put in place to make it possible for patients to act like consumers. We’re not there yet. But as federal requirements and enforcement tighten, health plans and providers are sharing more and better data, giving us a clearer picture of the price of care across services, organizations, and markets.

In this episode, host Abby Burns sits down with CEO of Revelar Analytics, Maria Nikol, to better understand how and why leaders across the industry should leverage price transparency data to help them navigate mounting financial pressures. Maria shares concrete examples of how organizations are using the data to defend rates, uncover underpayment, and prepare for rate negotiations — while also breaking down common data pitfalls and why interpretation matters. They also discuss recent and proposed policy changes and what they mean for healthcare leaders in 2026 and beyond.

We’re here to help:

Infographic | Real-time transparency

Report | 4 steps for successful risk contracting with payers

Expert Insight | 3 ways to make VBC contracting easier

Learn more | Revelar Analytics l Price Transparency l Home Page

2026 State of Healthcare Procurement: Cost, Quality, Resilience

A transcript of this episode as well as more information and resources can be found on RadioAdvisory.advisory.com.

The U.S. healthcare system is approaching a major inflection point. Nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts are set to take effect in January 2027, driven by new work requirements, more frequent eligibility checks, and tighter limits on state financing.

While the policy changes are months away, their consequences are already clear: millions of Americans are at risk of losing coverage, and provider organizations — many operating on margins near zero — will absorb the downstream impact through rising uncompensated care.

In this episode, hosts Rae Woods and Abby Burns are joined by former Optum Executive Director of Product and Strategy Sunay Shah to help healthcare leaders move from “scramble” to strategy. Drawing on lessons from past Medicaid shifts, including redeterminations and state level work requirement experiments, they explain why administrative disenrollment —not ineligibility — is the biggest threat facing patients and providers alike.

Together, they break down what health systems can do now to keep eligible patients covered: redesigning workflows earlier in the patient journey, using technology more thoughtfully, partnering with community organizations, state agencies, and operational support partners, and rebuilding trust with patients during moments of vulnerability.

We’re here to help:

Episode | 288: Health policy update: VBC, site-neutral payments, and 340B

Playlist | Radio Advisory health policy playlist

Ready-to-Use Resource | Your guide to CMMI’s 25+ innovation models

Expert Insight | How policy changes will impact your bottom line

White Paper | Navigating the next era of Medicaid

On-Demand Webinar | Adapting to the changes in Medicaid policies

Want to learn more about how Optum can help? Connect with our team today

Register today for the 2026 Advisory Board Summit in Washington, D.C.

2026 State of Healthcare Procurement: Cost, Quality, Resilience

A transcript of this episode as well as more information and resources can be found on RadioAdvisory.advisory.com.

In this bonus episode of Radio Advisory, managing producer Chris Phelps and host and executive producer Rae Woods compare notes from the 2026 ViVE digital health conference. They break down what stood out on the main stage and the show floor—from where AI is over and under hyped, to why point solutions keep falling short, to what it actually takes to scale technology in healthcare. They also surface the big questions they still have about the healthcare industry’s digital future.

We’re here to help:

Podcast | Ep. 294: Live from ViVE: How payers can reduce friction when the rules change

Podcast | 276: The AI gold rush is changing how humans (and clinicians) make decisions

Research | How to succeed using AI: Lessons from 4 leading organizations

Expert Insight | Inside CMS' final rule changes for 2026

Podcast | Ep. 205: Live from ViVE 2024: Four leaders on how technology is redefining clinical work

A transcript of this episode as well as more information and resources can be found on RadioAdvisory.advisory.com.

Payers are operating at the center of converging pressures: rising costs, accelerating utilization, heightened public scrutiny, and a wave of CMS reforms that are reshaping expectations around transparency, interoperability, prior authorization, and accountability. Medicare Advantage has become the front line for these shifts—exposing tensions between regulatory oversight, margin compression, and growing demands for better member and provider experiences.

Against this backdrop, health plans are being asked to do more with less—while proving real value through measurable outcomes, trust, and access.

In this episode, recorded in February at the ViVE digital health and healthcare innovation conference, Rae Woods moderates a conversation with payer and technology leaders on how AI and data are being used to reduce payer–provider friction, rethink prior authorization, and improve the member experience—without losing sight of accountability or return on investment.

Panelists include:

Ali Khan, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Medicare at Aetna (a CVS company)

Kay Judge, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Medicare at Blue Shield of California

Syed Mohiuddin, MD, Head of Healthcare, Anthropic

We’re here to help:

Podcast | 276: The AI gold rush is changing how humans (and clinicians) make decisions

Research | How to succeed using AI: Lessons from 4 leading organizations

Expert Insight | Inside CMS' final rule changes for 2026

Learn more about the ViVE conference

Register today for the 2026 Advisory Board Summit in Washington, D.C.

Updating COVID-19 management protocols may help address long-term impacts

A transcript of this episode as well as more information and resources can be found on RadioAdvisory.advisory.com.