1. Microplastics found in human brains: How you can minimize exposure (September 3)

Levels of microplastics in human brain samples collected earlier this year were significantly higher than the levels seen eight years ago, according to a recent preprint study. Here's how experts say you can reduce your risk of exposure.

2. A look at why Walgreens is closing so many VillageMD clinics (March 6)

In a shift from its earlier expansion plans, Walgreens is now closing many of its VillageMD primary care clinics in several markets as part of a large-scale cost-cutting initiative. Advisory Board's Colleen Wagner and Eliza Dailey explain what these closures mean for both retailers' and traditional providers' healthcare goals.

3. SCOTUS' Chevron decision: How it will impact healthcare (July 9)

The Supreme Court of the United States earlier this year overturned the Chevron doctrine, which required courts to defer to federal agencies' interpretation of ambiguous laws. Advisory Board's Natalie Trebes, Vidal Seegobin, Susan McDonald, and Max Hakanson explain how this could impact healthcare and highlight what they'll be watching in the post-Chevron era.

4. Another one bites the dust: What Walmart's retreat from healthcare means for providers (May 21)

Walmart Health's shuttering confirms what incumbents have known all along: healthcare ain't easy. Advisory Board's Vidal Seegobin unpacks Walmart Health's closure and what this departure from healthcare means for traditional providers.

5. CMS is recalculating all MA Star Ratings for 2024. Here's why. (June 17)

CMS in June announced that it will review all Medicare Advantage Star Ratings for 2024, after two court cases found the agency improperly modified the way it assesses quality. Advisory Board's Mallory Kirby details the impact of this recalculation — and notes three ways health plans should respond.

6. What CMS' prior authorization rule means for providers, payers, and more (January 19)

CMS in January finalized a new rule that aims to streamline the prior authorization process — a move that some healthcare organizations say could "improve patient access to care and help clinicians focus on patient care rather than paperwork." Advisory Board's Sally Kim unpacks the rule's implications for various stakeholders and poses three concerns for future implementation.

7. JPM 2024 just wrapped. Here are the key insights — and our related resources. (January 23)

In January, leaders from more than 400 organizations descended on San Francisco for J.P. Morgan's 42nd annual healthcare conference to discuss some of the biggest issues in healthcare today. Here's how Advisory Board experts are thinking about Modern Healthcare's 10 biggest takeaways — and our top resources for each insight.

8. Doctors vs. AI: Who is better at making diagnoses? (December 3)

According to a new study published in JAMA Network Open, doctors who used ChatGPT did not perform better when making a diagnosis compared to doctors who only used conventional resources. However, ChatGPT alone performed significantly better than both groups of doctors. Advisory Board's John League and Sarah Roller detail how organizations can prepare physicians for an AI-assisted future.

9. How an Alabama Supreme Court decision could impact IVF (February 22)

The Alabama Supreme Court in February ruled that frozen embryos qualify as people and that a person can be held liable for destroying them, a decision that experts say could have a significant impact on patients' ability to receive in vitro fertilization treatments. Advisory Board's Emily Heuser, Kaci Plattenburg, and Gaby Marmolejos outline three ways this ruling demonstrates the far-reaching implications of the Dobbs v. Jackson decision.

10. Over 77% of physicians are employed. Here's how that's shaping healthcare. (April 16)

Over 77% of physicians are employees of hospitals, health systems, or other corporate entities, according to a new report from the Physicians Advocacy Institute and Avalere Health. Advisory Board's Eliza Dailey highlights the three biggest trends in the report — and explains how they will impact the physician employment landscape.