255: Is healthcare really recession-proof?

When experts warn that the economy could be headed for a recession, people working across different corners of the economy get nervous. People working in healthcare, maybe less so. That’s because of a longstanding idea that healthcare is impervious to recession. Okay, maybe that’s overstating it. Healthcare is less susceptible than other industries. But did this notion hold up during the pandemic? During the Great Recession? More importantly, will it hold up now? This week on Radio Advisory, host Rachel (Rae) Woods invites Advisory Board Research Vice Presidents Shay Pratt and Vidal Seegobin to debate the question: Is healthcare really recession-proof? We are not economists, we are healthcare experts. So throughout the conversation, they reflect on how past dislocations affected the healthcare industry, and what leaders can—and can’t—learn from these events to help them interpret the current turbulence. Plus, stay tuned to the end of the episode for a policy update on the ripple effects of Secretary Kennedy’s recent shakeup of the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee. We’re here to help: Listen: Ep. 244: What’s happened in Washington (so far) and what policy changes we’re bracing for Read: Healthcare policy updates Read: How the Great Recession impacted inpatient utilization Read: Could a recession be good for healthcare? Some economists think so. Additional resources related to the Advisory Committee on Immunization practices: Meet the new members of CDC's vaccine advisory panel Understanding the ACIP and How Vaccine Recommendations are Made in the US 4 ways to improve site-of-care transitions for sickle cell patients How VCU built an 'inescapable' Adult Sickle Cell Medical Home to improve inpatient to outpatient transitions of care 4 keys to success in the New England Sickle Cell Institute's outpatient program for adult sickle cell patients Health policy playlist Modeling Reemergence of Vaccine-Eliminated Infectious Diseases Under Declining Vaccination in the US | Infectious Diseases | JAMA | JAMA Network A transcript of this episode as well as more information and resources can be found on RadioAdvisory.advisory.com.