In this week’s Monday News Drop, Co-hosts Bo Brabo and Luke Carignan, along with ASHHRA Executive Director, Jeremy Sadlier, break down the biggest healthcare HR trends and policy changes shaping the road to 2026—what HR leaders need to watch, prepare for, and take action on now. From telehealth reimbursement cliffs to workplace violence standards and double-digit benefit increases, this episode arms you with a strategic playbook for the year ahead.

🔍 Key Topics Covered

1. The 2026 Telehealth Cliff
Major Medicare telehealth flexibilities expire on January 31, 2026, unless Congress acts. HR teams must evaluate which roles, programs, and services rely on telehealth revenue and prepare contingency plans. Telehealth remains essential for rural healthcare access, care continuity, and patient convenience—making this deadline one of the most urgent risk points for 2026.

2. New Workplace Violence Prevention Standards Coming
California’s OSHA will finalize its workplace violence prevention standard by December 31, 2026, setting the stage for national adoption. Even if you’re not in California, expect other states to follow. HR leaders should begin preparing now, focusing on safety protocols, staff training, and readiness for tighter regulatory oversight.

3. The Coming 10% Benefits Cost Surge
Employer benefit costs are projected to surpass 10% increases, driven by GLP-1 medications and catastrophic claim trends. Traditional cost-shifting to employees has reached its limit. HR must pivot to precision benefit design, using data to tailor plan eligibility, target high-cost categories, and protect affordability.

4. Physician Payment Cuts & Retention Challenges
CMS’s 2026 rule includes a 2.5% “efficiency adjustment,” triggering tension between rising admin burden and lower physician compensation. HR will need to rely on non-monetary strategies—flexible scheduling, administrative relief through AI, and culture improvements—to retain clinical talent.

5. Hospital at Home Stability Through 2030
With a five-year extension secured, HR should stop treating Hospital at Home roles as pilots and begin building permanent job codes, staffing models, and career pathways for home-based acute care teams. This is now a core component of the care delivery ecosystem.

6. The Employer Network Problem
As healthcare delivery narrows into high-performance networks, employees increasingly report, “I can’t find a doctor in my network.” HR must ensure access aligns with the organization’s own employee health plans and proactively manage communication around provider availability.

🎧 Why Listen?

This episode gives healthcare HR professionals a clear, actionable forecast of what’s coming—and how to build a strategy before the pressure hits. If you’re preparing budgets, workforce plans, or leadership updates for 2026, this is your essential Monday briefing.

From Our Sponsor(s)...

Optimize Pharmacy Benefits with RxBenefits
Elevate your employee benefits while managing costs. Did you know hospital employees fill 25% more prescriptions annually than other industries? Ensure cost-effective, high-quality pharmacy plans by leveraging your hospital’s own pharmacies. Discover smarter strategies with RxBenefits.

Learn More here - https://rxbene.fit/3ZaurZN

Support the show

In one of our most eye-opening conversations yet, Bo Brabo and Luke Carignan sit down with clinical pharmacist Langley Kyle to unpack the truth behind GLP-1 medications—Wegovy, Ozempic, Zepbound, tirzepatide, and their compounded counterparts. Whether you're an HR leader, benefits strategist, or simply trying to understand why GLP-1s dominate workplace conversations, this episode breaks it all down with clarity, expertise, and a surprising amount of laughter.

From skyrocketing utilization to social-media-driven demand, Langley reveals what she’s seeing across employer plans nationwide…and what’s coming next.

💡 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1️. Why GLP-1 Coverage Is So Complicated
Only 20–30% of self-insured employers currently cover weight-loss GLP-1s. Langley explains why cost, demand, and new FDA indications (sleep apnea, cardiovascular risk reduction, MASH) are forcing employers to rethink their approach.

2️. Compounded GLP-1s: Benefits, Risks, and the FDA Crackdown
With compounding pharmacies filling the gap during shortages, Langley outlines the regulatory gray zones, quality concerns, and why the FDA is beginning to tighten oversight.

3️. The Retention Strategy No One Expected
Luke and Bo share firsthand experiences using compounded tirzepatide—and reveal why GLP-1 coverage may soon become a powerful recruitment and retention tool, particularly in healthcare organizations competing for scarce talent.

4️. The Real Problem: Maintenance vs. Cure
Most members stay on GLP-1s long-term. Langley discusses behavior change, wellness integration, and why employers must pair medication access with coaching, nutrition, and lifestyle programs to create sustainable health outcomes.

5️. The Future of Pharmacy Costs
From oral GLP-1s to AI-accelerated drug development, the trio explores how innovation—and litigation—may reshape pricing, access, and plan design over the next decade.

💬 Quote to Remember:
“GLP-1s aren’t going anywhere. The conversation just keeps getting louder.”

🎧 Why This Episode Matters
GLP-1s are no longer a fringe benefit topic. They are transforming employee expectations, affecting plan costs, and reshaping how HR leaders think about population health. Langley’s insights provide a roadmap for making smarter, more sustainable decisions in 2025 and beyond.

From Our Sponsor(s)...

Optimize Pharmacy Benefits with RxBenefits
Elevate your employee benefits while managing costs. Did you know hospital employees fill 25% more prescriptions annually than other industries? Ensure cost-effective, high-quality pharmacy plans by leveraging your hospital’s own pharmacies. Discover smarter strategies with RxBenefits.

Learn More here - https://rxbene.fit/3ZaurZN

Support the show

In this week’s Monday News Drop, co-hosts Bo Brabo and Luke Carignan dive into one of healthcare’s most persistent and pressing issues — the national nursing shortage. But this time, they go deeper than headlines to ask the hard question: Is it really a “trend,” or just a long-term problem we keep failing to solve?

Bo and Luke trace the roots of the shortage through decades of reports and research, revealing that the so-called “hot topic” isn’t new — it’s been part of America’s healthcare conversation for years. Together, they unpack why solutions haven’t stuck and explore how operations, education, and compensation must all evolve to make a real difference.

💡 In This Episode You’ll Learn:

🩺 Why the Nurse Shortage Isn’t New:
Bo uncovers 15 years of headlines proving this workforce crisis has been ongoing, highlighting how awareness alone doesn’t equal progress.

⚙️ The 28% Problem:
Luke references a past guest’s insight — only 28% of a nurse’s time is spent on direct patient care — and discusses how operational inefficiencies continue to drive burnout and turnover.

🎓 Workforce Innovation at VCU Health:
A spotlight on Virginia Commonwealth University’s proactive model for workforce development, where over 90% of nursing graduates stay and work in-state. Bo and Luke explore how academia and healthcare systems can collaborate to close workforce gaps.

🤖 The Role of AI in Talent Strategy:
The hosts discuss how artificial intelligence can accelerate recruitment, improve retention, and help hospitals compete for top nursing talent — if used strategically.

💬 A Thought-Provoking Takeaway:
“You can’t fix the national nurse shortage alone, but you can control your organization’s piece of the puzzle.”

And because it’s Thanksgiving week, the duo keeps it light too — reflecting on gratitude, football rivalries, and what the world might look like if humans really could live 200 years.

From Our Sponsors...

Optimize Pharmacy Benefits with RxBenefits
Elevate your employee benefits while managing costs. Did you know hospital employees fill 25% more prescriptions annually than other industries? Ensure cost-effective, high-quality pharmacy plans by leveraging your hospital’s own pharmacies. Discover smarter strategies with RxBenefits.

Learn More here - https://rxbene.fit/3ZaurZN

Streamline HR Compliance with oneBADGEhealthcare
Simplify screening, credentialing, and compliance for healthcare HR. oneBADGEhealthcare from ISB Global offers a tailored solution to keep your workforce compliant and efficient. Built for healthcare leaders, it’s your all-in-one compliance tool.

Get Started here - https://isbglobalservices.com/onebadgeunitedstates/ashhra/

Support the show