News You Can Use – November 2025

Loans, Hormones, Measles

This month’s episode of “News You Can Use” on Healthcare NOW Radio features news from the month of November 2025.

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:

• Data without direction
• Measles wildfires
• CMS and OPPS & Ambulatory Surgical Center Final rule
• Menopause relief alternatives
• Nursing degrees no longer professional

Once again, our minds are officially blown at the end of another busy month in the Healthcare Universe. We opened our discussions with a federal government rule that fails ot account for the challenges and unintended consequences. Apparently, advanced nursing and occupational therapy degrees are no longer considered “professional” for loan purposes. Because nothing says “we support our healthcare workforce” like making it more expensive for them to get educated while physicians, bless their hearts, remain the anointed “professionals.” But as Craig notes, this blessing is a mixed bag since they now have a ceiling on their loan amount available to the tune of $200,000 for their 4-year program. Now, while we know what you are thinking, as we thought the same thing…. that seems like a lot of money, maybe even plenty enough, we are disappointed to report that it does not cover the current, let alone future, medical school debts being accrued. This, of course, ensures that future doctors will increasingly come from wealthy families, because who doesn’t want a healthcare system designed by and for all the rich kids? It’s a masterclass in logic, really.

Then we waded into the glorious swamp of menopause relief. Good news, everyone! The black box warning on Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) has finally been tossed into the dumpster fire where it belongs. For years, women were scared away from a treatment with massive benefits for bone, heart, and overall health because of a single, flawed study. It’s like refusing to use a fire extinguisher because one model from the 70s occasionally leaked. Now there are some new non-hormonal drugs, which are fine, but we are not putting our money on the HRT alternative therapies.

The government giveth confusing loan rules, and the government taketh away ridiculous warnings. A true rollercoaster of competence.

We stared into the abyss of measles, which is making a comeback because, apparently, vaccines are now optional like avocado on toast. Canada lost its measles-free status because vaccination rates dropped, and the US is gleefully sprinting down the same path. We also tackled the latest CMS OPPS and Ambulatory Surgical Center Final published rules, a regulatory labyrinth so incomprehensible that understanding it probably violates the laws of physics. Amongst the big pieces in here was the disappearance of the “In Patient Only” Rule (IPO) being eliminated by Jan 1, 2028. This might help simplify following the delightfully simply named, but never endingly complex fractal “Two-midnight” rule (2MN).

And our final pearl of wisdom? “Data without direction” is useless. Telling a patient they’re at high risk for a heart attack and then just logging off is the healthcare equivalent of yelling “Your house is on fire!” and then running away. The tech is there; the common sense, not so much.

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.

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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