News You Can Use – June 2026

This month’s episode of “News You Can Use” on Healthcare NOW Radio features news from the month of June 2026.

The show that gives you a quick insight into the latest news, twists, turns, and debacles going on in healthcare with my friend and co-host Craig Joseph, MD (@CraigJoseph) Chief Medical Officer at Nordic Consulting Partners and myself, where every diagnosis comes with a side of humor. We hope you stay curious, stay engaged, and keep seeking the truth in healthcare in a world that thrives on information.

Buckle up as we dive into the ER of excitement, the ICU of irrationality, and the waiting room of wacky wisdom in this month’s show that features a review of:

• ADA published article kerfuffle
• ACA Enrollment
• ER that turns you away
• ECG Analysis for predictive capability
• OpenAI publishing
• Bomb Disposal called to French Hospital

Healthcare never disappoints. Just when we think I’ve seen peak absurdity, the industry somehow finds another gear. This week delivered everything from scientific censorship and disappearing insurance coverage to emergency rooms that apparently operate on a “cash before chest compressions” business model. Somewhere in between, AI quietly reminded us why it might genuinely change medicine, assuming we don’t spend all our time arguing about who published what paper first.

The prize for “How to Turn a Minor Story into International News” goes to the American Diabetes Association. Conference attendees were reportedly thrown out for distributing copies of an editorial that the ADA had, wait for it, already published in its own journal. Congratulations to the ADA leadership you’ve successfully accessed the Streisand Effect. If your goal is to make sure nobody reads something, confiscating it in public is an oddly ineffective strategy.

Meanwhile, millions of Americans are quietly losing Affordable Care Act coverage as subsidies disappear, forcing many back to the emergency department as their only healthcare safety net. That would be depressing enough, but we discovered that not every building with a giant “Emergency Room” sign is actually obligated to treat you. Some facilities have found a legal loophole. If they don’t participate in Medicare, Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) doesn’t apply. Translation? No money, no emergency care. It’s legal, apparently. It’s also a spectacular way to destroy public trust.

Meanwhile, the much-publicized Nature paper claiming superiority over OpenAI’s medical tool quickly ran into fierce criticism from OpenEvidence questioning the methodology. It’s a timely reminder that “peer-reviewed” doesn’t mean “beyond question.” Healthy skepticism remains one of medicine’s most valuable clinical skills.

AI That Sees What We Can’t

Thankfully, the week wasn’t all dystopian healthcare. AI continues to demonstrate why we can be optimistic about the future. New research shows algorithms detecting subtle ECG patterns completely invisible to even experienced cardiologists, identifying serious heart disease before humans can spot it. That’s not replacing clinicians, but rather giving us superpowers.

An Explosive Ending

And finally (with thanks to Mr HISTalk), because healthcare apparently insists on ending every week with an unbelievable story, a French emergency department had to call the bomb squad after discovering a World War I artillery shell lodged somewhere no military historian ever expected to find one. I’ve worked in emergency medicine long enough to know that truth really is stranger than fiction, but even I wouldn’t have had that on my bingo card.

We hope you enjoy our take on the latest news and developments in healthcare and want to help you keep untangling the web of information, dodging the sensational pitfalls, and emerging victorious, albeit a little dizzy, on the other side. In the end, the stories we uncover, and the discussions we ignite, all shape the narrative of our shared future. We want to hear from you, especially if you have topics covered or questions you’d like answered. You can reach out directly via the contact form on my website, or send a message on LinkedIn to Craig or me.

Until next time keep solving healthcare’s mysteries before they become your emergencies and stay healthy, stay skeptical, and for heaven’s sake, check who’s listed as your emergency contact.

This article was originally published on the Dr. Nick – The Incrementalist blog and is republished here with permission.

News You Can Use gives you a quick insight into the latest news, twists, turns and debacles going on in healthcare with Dr. Nick and Dr. Craig and where every diagnosis comes with a side of side-splitting humor. Your hosts are Dr Nick a long-time host, innovator and healthcare wizard who can prescribe a digital dose of innovation to cure even the most ailing operational inefficiencies. And Dr. Craig Joseph is the healthcare guru who can diagnose both patient and software glitches with equal precision, making sure hospitals run smoother than a well-oiled robot doc.

So buckle up, because we’re diving into the ER of excitement, the ICU of irrationality, and the waiting room of wacky wisdom.

Stay curious, stay engaged, and keep seeking the truth in a world that thrives on information. Because in the end, the stories we uncover, and the discussions we ignite, they all shape the narrative of our shared future.

And keep laughing at the absurdity, keep rolling your eyes at the headlines, and keep spreading the news like your favorite gossip. Who knows, maybe someday you’ll be the breaking news story we’re all talking about!

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