Social prescribing is an emerging movement in healthcare, where providers may recommend personalized doses of arts and culture as part of a comprehensive care plan.

Fierce Healthcare’s Anastassia Gliadkovskaya sat down with two leaders in this space to discuss the power of the arts and their role in the next generation of mental health treatment.

To learn more about the topics in this episode: 
Breaking down barriers with adaptive recreation
Industry Voices—Let's treat loneliness like other public health crises
Elevance Health research outlines ways health plans can fight loneliness in MA beneficiaries

Social prescribing is an emerging movement in healthcare, where providers may recommend personalized doses of arts and culture as part of a comprehensive care plan.
Fierce Healthcare’s Anastassia Gliadkovskaya sat down with two leaders in this space to discuss the power of the arts and their role in the next generation of mental health treatment.
To learn more about the topics in this episode: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/hospitals/podnosis-breaking-down-barriers-adaptive-recreation" data-cke-saved-href="https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/hospitals/podnosis-breaking-down-barriers-adaptive-recreation">Breaking down barriers with adaptive recreation</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/providers/industry-voices-lets-treat-loneliness-other-public-health-crises" data-cke-saved-href="https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/providers/industry-voices-lets-treat-loneliness-other-public-health-crises">Industry Voices—Let's treat loneliness like other public health crises</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/payers/some-ways-health-plans-can-fight-loneliness-ma-beneficiaries-elevance-research" data-cke-saved-href="https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/payers/some-ways-health-plans-can-fight-loneliness-ma-beneficiaries-elevance-research">Elevance Health research outlines ways health plans can fight loneliness in MA beneficiaries</a></li>
</ul>

Podnosis: the pulse of the healthcare industry. Every week, journalists from Fierce Healthcare dive into some of the industry’s biggest trends. We talk to the experts about what’s important now so you can prep for the future. Hear about all things healthcare, from physician practices to hospital chains and insurance giants—and those that mix all three—plus the tech they use, disruptors looking to compete and people moving the sector forward. Follow Podnosis on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon or wherever you get your podcasts.

Podnosis: the pulse of the healthcare industry. Every week, journalists from Fierce Healthcare dive into some of the industry’s biggest trends. We talk to the experts about what’s important now so you can prep for the future. Hear about all things healthcare, from physician practices to hospital chains and insurance giants—and those that mix all three—plus the tech they use, disruptors looking to compete and people moving the sector forward. Follow Podnosis on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon or wherever you get your podcasts.

Podnosis

Podnosis: the pulse of the healthcare industry. Every week, journalists from Fierce Healthcare dive into some of the industry’s biggest trends. We talk to the experts about what’s important now so you can prep for the future. Hear about all things healthcare, from physician practices to hospital chains and insurance giants—and those that mix all three—plus the tech they use, disruptors looking to compete and people moving the sector forward. Follow Podnosis on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon or wherever you get your podcasts.

A closer look at social prescribing and the impact of the arts on our health

Dermatology may not be a specialty traditionally associated with high costs, but that is changing, in part because of the rise of new biologic drugs. Specialty medications are rapidly driving up dermatology spending, with some estimates showing utilization growing more than 30% year over year, a pace that rivals other high-cost therapeutic areas.

Could strong health outcomes be achieved with a less expensive approach? Zest Health is a value-based dermatology startup that treats skin conditions as chronic diseases and aims to align care with long-term patient needs. The company emphasizes education, lifestyle changes and over-the-counter interventions, while using high-cost biologics more selectively when clinically appropriate.

To explore how dermatology arrived at this moment, and what a different model could look like, Senior Writer Anastassia Gliadkovskaya sits down with Olivia Deitcher, founder and CEO of Zest Health.

To learn more about the topics in this episode: 
Fueled by new launches, US drug prices poised to continue trending upward: Cowen report
Championing equity in skin of color dermatology

Dermatology may not be a specialty traditionally associated with high costs, but that is changing, in part because of the rise of new biologic drugs. Specialty medications are rapidly <a href="https://navitus.com/wp-content/uploads/Navitus_2024-Drug-Trend-Report-_Full-Report-6.pdf">driving up</a> dermatology spending, with some estimates showing utilization growing <a href="https://www.ajmc.com/view/specialty-drug-costs-drive-medicare-part-d-dermatology-expenditures">more than 30%</a> year over year, a pace that rivals other high-cost therapeutic areas.
Could strong health outcomes be achieved with a less expensive approach? Zest Health is a value-based dermatology startup that treats skin conditions as chronic diseases and aims to align care with long-term patient needs. The company emphasizes education, lifestyle changes and over-the-counter interventions, while using high-cost biologics more selectively when clinically appropriate.
To explore how dermatology arrived at this moment, and what a different model could look like, Senior Writer Anastassia Gliadkovskaya sits down with Olivia Deitcher, founder and CEO of Zest Health.
To learn more about the topics in this episode:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/despite-anxiety-over-price-controls-us-drug-pricing-poised-continue-trending-upward-2025">Fueled by new launches, US drug prices poised to continue trending upward: Cowen report</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/providers/championing-equity-skin-color-dermatology">Championing equity in skin of color dermatology</a></li>
</ul>

Bringing down costs in dermatology  

Dual-eligible members are often described as the most complex population in health care, and many health plans continue to struggle with how best to support them. In this sponsored episode of Podnosis, Darin Buxbaum, co-founder and CEO of Wider Circle, joins host Chris Hayden to discuss why traditional engagement and enrollment models frequently miss the mark.

Buxbaum explains how a lack of trust, fragmented Medicare and Medicaid alignment, and broker-driven approaches contribute to high churn and poor member experiences. He also outlines why community-based, peer-led engagement can be more effective, citing published research and real-world results that show stronger retention and lower inpatient utilization.

The conversation explores the growing urgency created by CMS rules requiring exclusively aligned enrollment and what those changes mean for Medicare Advantage and Medicaid managed care organizations. Health plan leaders will gain insight into how to stabilize members, prepare them for alignment and build trust-based relationships that support better care and stronger performance. Listen to the full interview to learn how community can become a strategic advantage.

Dual-eligible members are often described as the most complex population in health care, and many health plans continue to struggle with how best to support them. In this sponsored episode of Podnosis, Darin Buxbaum, co-founder and CEO of Wider Circle, joins host Chris Hayden to discuss why traditional engagement and enrollment models frequently miss the mark.
Buxbaum explains how a lack of trust, fragmented Medicare and Medicaid alignment, and broker-driven approaches contribute to high churn and poor member experiences. He also outlines why community-based, peer-led engagement can be more effective, citing published research and real-world results that show stronger retention and lower inpatient utilization.
The conversation explores the growing urgency created by CMS rules requiring exclusively aligned enrollment and what those changes mean for Medicare Advantage and Medicaid managed care organizations. Health plan leaders will gain insight into how to stabilize members, prepare them for alignment and build trust-based relationships that support better care and stronger performance. Listen to the full interview to learn how community can become a strategic advantage.

Wider Circle’s CEO shares how trust, alignment and peer support can improve outcomes for dual-eligible members.

Why trust and community matter for dual-eligible care (Sponsored)

The buzz around artificial intelligence in healthcare hasn’t waned, and for major companies to keep up, they must invest in key applications. For the biggest firms, that translates to hundreds of use cases in practice and testing.

At Elevance Health, that work is grounded in a key mantra: keep the member at the center. 

In this episode of "Podnosis," Senior Writer Paige Minemyer sat down with Ratnakar Lavu, chief digital information officer at Elevance Health, to discuss where the insurer is seeing success and how it’s building ethical guardrails for AI development.

To learn more about the topics in this episode: 
A look inside Elevance Health's artificial intelligence strategy
Elevance Health offers employees AI skills training in collaboration with OpenAI
ECRI flags misuse of AI chatbots as a top health tech hazard in 2026
CMS wants to speed up tech innovation and AI for patients, setting major goalposts in 2026
2026 Outlook: Setting the standard for health AI programs

The buzz around artificial intelligence in healthcare hasn&rsquo;t waned, and for major companies to keep up, they must invest in key applications. For the biggest firms, that translates to hundreds of use cases in practice and testing.
At Elevance Health, that work is grounded in a key mantra: keep the member at the center.&nbsp;
In this episode of "Podnosis," Senior Writer Paige Minemyer sat down with Ratnakar Lavu, chief digital information officer at Elevance Health, to discuss where the insurer is seeing success and how it&rsquo;s building ethical guardrails for AI development.
To learn more about the topics in this episode:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/payers/look-inside-elevance-healths-artificial-intelligence-strategy">A look inside Elevance Health's artificial intelligence strategy</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/payers/elevance-health-offers-employees-ai-skills-training-collaboration-openai">Elevance Health offers employees AI skills training in collaboration with OpenAI</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/health-tech/ecri-flags-misuse-ai-chatbots-top-health-tech-hazard-2026">ECRI flags misuse of AI chatbots as a top health tech hazard in 2026</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/ai-and-machine-learning/cms-trying-speed-tech-innovation-and-ai-patients-major-goalposts-set-2026">CMS wants to speed up tech innovation and AI for patients, setting major goalposts in 2026</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/ai-and-machine-learning/2026-outlook-setting-standard-health-ai-programs">2026 Outlook: Setting the standard for health AI programs</a></li>
</ul>

A closer look at social prescribing and the impact of the arts on our health

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