Radio Advisory

(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

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.

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.

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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

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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.

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.

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.