Health:Further

Vic and Marcus break down a surge in AI development, starting with Vic’s hands-on experience building autonomous agents and what it reveals about the future of work, productivity, and identity. They discuss the growing gap between economic growth and job creation, the psychological impact of AI on workers, and parallels to past industry disruptions. The episode covers venture activity in healthcare, including AI-native operating systems, fertility innovation, and value-based care startups, alongside policy updates like digital health reimbursement models and system-wide labor tensions. They examine the expanding role of GLP-1 drugs beyond weight loss, major pharma momentum, and the increasing convergence of AI and healthcare. The conversation shifts to infrastructure challenges with data centers, global competition, and regulatory friction, before diving into rapid AI advancements across OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and robotics, ending with a broader reflection on purpose, identity, and adapting in an accelerating world.

Links
Story 1: Economic Rundown
12:32 -The Economy Is Growing, Jobs Aren’t. Why That Might Be OK. WSJ
18:50 - Process to Refund Tariffs to Begin Next Week WSJ
19:22 - U.S. Economy Remains Resilient in Face of Iran War, Banks Say WSJ
Story 2:  VC 
20:06 - Keebler Health secures $16M in series A funding for AI-powered risk adjustment platform Fierce Healthcare
20:36 - AI-Enabled Fertility Care and Longevity Provider ONTO Health Closes $20 Million Series funded by ARTIS and Humania Yahoo
N/A - Helical raises $10M seed for virtual pharma AI lab Axios
21:05 - Ultralight Raises $9.3M Seed Round SaaS News
22:32 - Joyful Health Raises $17M in Series A Funding for FinTech FinSms 
Story 3:  FDA Peptides
23:01 - FDA moves toward easing restrictions on certain peptides Healthcare Dive
Story 4:  ACCESS
23:56 - CMS accepts more than 150 providers, digital health firms for ACCESS model Healthcare Dive
Story 5:  BSW Exits ACA & Medicaid
25:38 - Baylor Scott & White Health Plan to depart individual market, Medicaid this year Fierce Healthcare
Story 6:  Walmart Better Care
27:59 - Walmart expands digital health platform’s weight loss offerings, including GLP-1 prescribing Healthcare Dive
Story 7:  UC Health Strike
28:19 - UC Health workers plan open-ended, system-wide strike for May 14 Fierce Healthcare
Story 8:  J & J
30:28 - J&J’s First-Quarter Sales Grow on Cancer-Drug Strength WSJ
Story 9:  Lilly Acq
31:32 - Lilly makes preclinical ADC specialist CrossBridge its latest acquisition in vague $300M deal Fierce Healthcare 
Story 10:  ?
32:34 - (The New York Times) Online and in Doctors Offices. People are Finding that GLP-1s
Story 11: Web 3
35:28 - Elon Musk’s X Money Stands to Disrupt Payments and Pressure PayPal
38:18 - Charles Schwab Begins Rollout of Spot Bitcoin, Ethereal trading Platform
Story 12: Anthropic
39:38 - Anthropic Adds Novartis CEO to Board WSJ
40:42 - Anthropic Releases Claude Opus 4.7 to Remind Everyone How Great Mythos Is Gizmodo
Story 13: Open AI 
43:14 - OpenAI unveils GPT‑5.4‑Cyber, an AI model for defensive cybersecurity 9to5Mac
43:40 - OpenAI’s big Codex update is a direct shot at Anthropic’s Claude Code The Verge
OpenAI unveils GPT‑5.4‑Cyber, an AI model for defensive cybersecurity - 9to5MacVerge
Story: 14  Data Center Fights
45:29 - Elon Musk’s xAI Sued by NAACP Over Memphis Data Center WSJ
47:49 - Maine Lawmakers Pass Ban on Large Data Centers WSJ
48:38 - AI Is Using So Much Energy That Computing Firepower Is Running Out WSJ
Story 15:  Gemini 
51:02 -Google launches a Gemini AI app on Mac The Verge
51:59 - DeepMind launches Gemini Robotics-ER 1.6 to meet precise physical AI demands SilconAngle

What is Health:Further?

Every week, healthcare VCs and Jumpstart Health Investors co-founders Vic Gatto and Marcus Whitney review and unpack the happenings in US Healthcare, finance, technology and policy. With a firm belief that our healthcare system is doomed without entrepreneurship, they work through the mud to find the jewels, highlight headwinds and tailwinds, and bring on the smartest guests to fill in the gaps.