U.S. national health spending hit $4.9 trillion in 2023, a figure that’s on par with the entire economies of major countries and large multinational corporations. For context, Germany’s economy was valued around $5 trillion in 2024, and forecasters predict India will reach the $5 trillion mark by 2026. In the corporate world, investors have speculated that tech giants like Nvidia or Amazon could achieve $5 trillion market valuations in coming years. Amid these global benchmarks, America’s $4.9 trillion health spending underscores just how large and influential healthcare is in the U.S. economy. The spending, detailed in the latest CMS report…
Author: Abhay Panchal
Gastro Health has opened the IR Center of Greater Cincinnati, a specialized facility offering advanced hemorrhoid treatments. Established in partnership with The Urology Group and Radiology Associates of Northern Kentucky, the center combines a doctor’s office and a surgical suite, where interventional radiologists perform hemorrhoid embolization. This minimally invasive procedure blocks abnormal blood vessel connections in the rectum, providing long-lasting relief from rectal bleeding caused by internal hemorrhoids.
Recent controversies over anesthesia reimbursement have underscored the precarious balance between insurers’ cost-cutting measures and the necessity of fairly compensating providers for complex gastrointestinal (GI) procedures. Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield and Kaiser Foundation Health Plan both recently reversed planned reimbursement changes after pushback from providers and patients. These policies would have tied anesthesia payments more closely to compressed physician work time values, potentially undervaluing long, intricate procedures like endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP).
International researchers have identified distinctive bacterial signatures in the gut microbiome that may lead to new, noninvasive diagnostics for inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), specifically ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD). Using metagenomic data from nearly 6,000 fecal samples across multiple ethnicities, the team pinpointed certain bacterial species consistently associated with IBD, including enrichments like Escherichia coli and Bacteroides fragilis in CD patients. Notably, these microbiome-based markers remained stable even during inactive disease phases, suggesting their reliability as disease indicators.
A clinical trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) has led to the FDA granting a Breakthrough Therapy Designation to Jemperli (dostarlimab), an immunotherapy drug from GSK, for treating a specific subset of rectal cancer patients. The trial focuses on patients with mismatch repair-deficient (MMRd) or microsatellite instability-high (MSI) tumors. By using immunotherapy alone—without surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation—researchers achieved a 100% remission rate in all 42 participants, with no evidence of disease persisting for up to four years and counting. This approach spares patients from the life-altering side effects of standard treatments, such as infertility and incontinence, greatly improving…
Congress has unveiled a year-end legislative package that nearly eliminates a looming Medicare physician payment cut. Instead of the planned 2.8% reduction, physicians will see a 2.5% positive adjustment starting January 1, 2025. The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) applauds this decision but emphasizes that more reforms, such as aligning payment updates with inflation and revisiting budget neutrality rules, remain priorities for the coming year.
Telehealth groups are urgently calling on Congress to preserve Medicare’s pandemic-era virtual care policies, which are set to expire at year’s end. A stopgap funding deal that would have extended these flexibilities for two years was derailed by President-elect Donald Trump and his allies, who objected to its cost and called on Republicans to reject it. Without swift legislative action, the looming “telehealth cliff” on January 1 could leave seniors without key remote care options.
Armed with $9.4 million in Series A funding and strong clinical and industry connections, Satisfai Health plans to launch Certai for research applications in 2025, then expand into broader clinical use. The company’s technologies come at a critical juncture, with diagnostic endoscopy volumes on the rise and IBD incidence increasing. By applying AI to granular, pixel-level data invisible to the human eye, Satisfai Health seeks to accelerate treatment efficacy, ease physician workloads, and open the door to predictive analytics and more targeted therapeutic approaches—signaling a new era in GI care.
Telehealth provider Ro will begin offering single-dose vials of Eli Lilly’s newly approved obesity drug, Zepbound, aiming to streamline access for patients. Starting next year, individuals will be able to receive the injectable treatment through Ro’s online platform, which connects consumers directly to doctors, pharmacists, and prescription services without traditional in-person visits. Zepbound, a once-weekly injectable designed to help with significant weight loss, joins a rapidly expanding class of obesity medications that includes established names like Wegovy.
The role of a GI hospitalist—gastroenterologists dedicated exclusively to inpatient care—is gaining prominence in healthcare systems. This model enhances efficiency by allowing outpatient gastroenterologists to focus on their practices while ensuring that hospitalized patients receive specialized, immediate attention. GI hospitalists manage acute conditions such as gastrointestinal bleeding, perforations, and obstructions, providing timely interventions that can be critical for patient outcomes. The unpredictable nature of inpatient care requires these specialists to be adaptable and prepared for a dynamic work environment.