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Richard Helppie's Common BridgeAuthor: Richard Helppie
The problems we have in the country are solvable, but not solvable the way were approaching them today, because of partisan politics. Richard Helppie, a successful entrepreneur and philanthropist seeks to find a place in the middle where common sense discussions can bridge the current great divide. Language: en-us Genres: News, News Commentary, Politics Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Episode 326- The Cost Squeeze In Health Care. With Rob Casalou
Episode 326
Friday, 24 July, 2026
This episode of The Common Bridge is part of a special 21‑part series of interviews recorded with healthcare leaders from across Michigan during the 2026 Mackinac Policy Conference, in partnership with the Michigan Health and Hospital AssociationHealth care isn’t just a line item anymore, it’s the issue that keeps showing up in every hallway conversation. From the 2026 Mackinac Policy Conference, we sit down with senior health care executive Rob Casalou to get a clear-eyed view of what’s pressuring hospitals in Michigan and across the country, and why the usual policy debates are starting to miss the real story. We compare what Rob sees across multiple states, from Michigan’s purple-state gridlock to places like Iowa, where lawmakers are moving to penalize inappropriate insurance claim denials. We get specific about how “denials” can shift from legitimate documentation checks into a strategy that delays payment and inflates administrative costs. We also talk about why states as different as California and Idaho still end up wrestling with the same core topics: 340B drug pricing, site-neutral payments, hospital-based reimbursement, and the challenge of explaining any of it in plain English that connects to patients and communities. Then we zoom out to the bigger warning lights. Rob explains why HR1 and upcoming Medicaid revenue hits, combined with simultaneous changes to 340B and site-neutral rules, could put some hospitals at real risk. We also ask the question that keeps coming up in Michigan health care finance: if Medicare and Medicaid now represent the bulk of patients, how do we modernize those programs instead of constantly cutting around the edges while carrying the administrative costs of a fragmented system? If you care about Michigan health care policy, hospital sustainability, and what actually drives costs, listen through and share it with someone who still thinks this is just about “waste.” Subscribe, leave a review, and send us your take: what’s the first fix you’d make?Support the showEngage the conversation on Substack at The Common Bridge!
