GLP-1s such as semaglutide and tirzepatide, originally formulated

Medicare is a government-sponsored health insurance program

for Americans age 65 and over. But much like health insurance from an employer,

it requires some decision making on the part of the enrollee. On today’s

episode of the HiFi Health News Podcast, Erika Grotto speaks with Deepak Goyal,

MD, an executive medical director at South Dakota-based Monument Health. Goyal

provides advice for people choosing their first Medicare plan and explains some

common terminology.

The U.S. is the only wealthy country in the world without a universal healthcare system, and a 2024 Gallup poll shows that 62% of Americans would like to have one. In this episode, Canadian cardiologist and epidemiologist Christopher Labos, MD discusses the differences between the healthcare systems in the U.S. and Canada, as well as some surprising similarities.

Dawn Crump discusses the issues her family has faced in finding memory care for her aging mother. She describes the difficulty of finding affordable care, the complexities of the Medicaid application process and nursing home staff shortages as well as the physical and mental toll on family members. 

Zeev Neuwirth, MD discusses the challenges in primary care and potential strategies to address them.

If you’re looking at your financial health heading into the new year, don’t forget to factor in the cost of your physical health. On today’s episode, Laura Adams, author and host of the “Money Girl” podcast, offers advice to make sense of healthcare in personal finance.

Dr. Daniel Semenza of the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center discusses the ripple effects of gun violence.

Dr. Daniel Semenza, director of interpersonal violence research at the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center at Rutgers University, talks about the intersection of gun violence and public health and reveals what society gets wrong in its discussion of the subject.

Dr. Kamal Golla, a urologic oncologist, emphasizes the importance of understanding a cancer diagnosis and prognosis, as well as the potential side effects and risks of treatment, when considering the financial aspects of cancer treatment. In this episode, he describes how patients may be able to tailor their treatment plans and other moves they can make to ensure their period of treatment goes smoothly from a financial standpoint.

The cost of healthcare is rising, and more and more patients are avoiding getting necessary care because they’re concerned they can’t afford it. In this episode, we talk with Shawn Stack of the Healthcare Financial Management Association about what to do when a big bill arrives and how to find resources for affordable care.