Becker’s Healthcare Podcast

Becker’s Healthcare Podcast


Payer Consolidation, AI Arms Races, and the Future of Prior Authorization with Jakob Emerson

December 18, 2025

In this episode, Jakob Emerson, Associate News Director, Becker’s Healthcare, discusses consolidation across the Blue Cross Blue Shield system, rising friction between payers and providers over coding and denials, and how AI and upcoming CMS prior authorization rules are reshaping the payer landscape.