News You Can Use – October 2025

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

• The HLTH Conference and Pickleball
• Medicare Advantage for Idiots
• AI Listening to Everything
• Pope Leo weighs in on AI Ethics
• Mandatory Concierge Fees for General Practice

AI Writes My Chart, Medicare Denies My Care, and I Pay a Subscription Fee for Both

This week I got the thrilling news that my primary care practice has gone “concierge.” Apparently, this is the new term for “pay us an annual fee for the privilege of still not being able to get an appointment for eight months.” I’m not getting a doctor’s cell number or a golden stethoscope; I’m basically being charged for the same level of access I had before, which was roughly equivalent to trying to get backstage at a Beyoncé concert. It feels less like a premium healthcare experience and more like junk fees. Meanwhile, Craig went to a health tech conference in Sin City that was totally bro-tastic, featuring a dizzying array of AI startups all promising to solve everything by listening to you—whether you like it or not.

Speaking of AI, it’s the glitter of the healthcare world right now. It’s getting on everything, and it’s bloody hard to get rid of. The big promise is the “AI scribe,” a magical tool that listens to your doctor’s appointment and writes your note. Craig is all for it, arguing that if the bar for physician documentation is currently on the floor, then a note filled with 20% hallucinated AI-generated fiction is still an improvement. Personally, I think sending this error-riddled first draft straight into your permanent medical record is a bad idea. It’s not intelligence; it’s a fancy next-word predictor that might casually add you’re allergic to oxygen. The Pope even weighed in on AI ethics, which, frankly, is when you know things have gotten intense.

We wrapped up by diving into the dystopian nightmare that is Medicare Advantage, brilliantly eviscerated by John Oliver (covered in Healthcare UnCovered and PNHP).

The system creates the most perverse incentive imaginable: insurers make more money by not providing your care. It’s a masterclass in profiting from denial.

So, to recap: we’re being forced into fee-based “concierge” models for less care, our medical records are being written by error-prone algorithms, and our seniors are in a health plan that rewards saying “no.” The future of healthcare is here, and it’s a cosmic prank that’s not even a little bit funny.

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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