HITshow Daily: December 16, 2025 (Tuesday)
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Today on HITshow:
Pressure is coming from multiple directions. The VA moves to eliminate tens of thousands of unfilled positions while reorganizing management, enhanced ACA premium subsidies set to expire in two weeks with no extension in sight, and Humana faces renewed Medicare Advantage scrutiny. Plus: a new analysis suggests some hospitals may have been overpaid through Change Healthcare relief, and a Bright Spot on virtual cancer care at Tampa General that hints at where hybrid oncology is heading.
HOST: RHONDA BROOKS
📍 Strategy & Transformation — Teresa Vaughn
The VA is moving to eliminate tens of thousands of unfilled positions and pair that with a management reorganization aimed at reducing bureaucracy and pushing more authority to local leaders. The ripple effect hits the same labor markets where the VA operates, potentially shifting competition, wage pressure, and retention dynamics in nearby communities.
📍 Healthcare Policy & Advocacy — Peter Betterworth
A new House Republican healthcare plan does not include an extension of the enhanced Affordable Care Act premium subsidies currently set to expire on December 31. If the cliff hits, many consumers could see meaningful premium increases starting January 1, potentially leading to more coverage churn, self-pay exposure, and strain on front-end financial counseling.
📍 Healthcare Policy & Advocacy — Anika Shah
Humana is facing renewed scrutiny after an investigation raised questions about how the company used internal research and selective framing in arguments supporting Medicare Advantage benefits. The scrutiny lands in a broader climate where MA is being examined more aggressively around utilization management, denials, coding, and value claims.
📍 Finance & Capital — Logan Stokes
A new analysis suggests some hospitals may have been overpaid through CMS accelerated and advance payments meant to stabilize cash flow during the Change Healthcare disruption. If policymakers decide relief mechanisms overshot in certain cases, that could lead to conversations in 2026 about recoupment, audit attention, or rethinking disruption relief structure.
📍 Digital Health — Jalen Cross (Bright Spot)
Tampa General Hospital Cancer Institute is partnering with Reimagine Care on a virtual cancer care model designed to support patients between visits, reduce avoidable hospitalizations, and strengthen day-to-day navigation through treatment. The model extends hospital-based specialty care into the home with virtual touchpoints, symptom monitoring, and faster escalation paths.
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