As the year winds down, PULSE CHECK is casting an eye outside of Washington and on what’s coming next for health care. And that's why this week's conversation is with one of the industry's big thinkers — Jeff Goldsmith, who grapples with these questions as a health care futurist and Navigant advisor.

Jeff sat down with POLITICO’s Dan Diamond to discuss what a futurist does and how his predictions have panned out (starts at the 1:20 mark), the trend toward hospital consolidation and what providers are doing right and wrong (9:00), where the health care industry stands and the signals being sent by Washington, D.C. (17:45), and a lightning round on what’s next for major sectors (28:00).

At the end of the episode, listen to a special excerpt from POLITICO MONEY, Ben White’s new podcast on politics, finance and economics, with this week’s episode focused on Republicans' tax bill fight. (Starts at the 31:10 mark).

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Stories and book referenced on the podcast: Dan's story on 'McHospitals': https://www.politico.com/agenda/story/2017/11/08/hospital-chains-dominate-health-care-000574 Jeff's 1981 book, "Can Hospitals Survive": https://www.amazon.com/Can-Hospitals-Survive-Jeff-Goldsmith/dp/0870942484

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