AI Powered Surgical Robots, Semaglutide Reduces Admissions, & Reduced Competition in Small Business Market (ZorroCard Round Up 11/19/24)

Hey all,

I’m joining you from Washington, D.C. where I’ll be speaking on an IRA panel this morning. Make sure to check out the video of the Johns Hopkins robot. Enjoy the rundown!

Jacob Brody (Co-Founder & CEO, ZorroCard)

Surgical Robots Trained with Videos (Johns Hopkins University)

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have successfully trained a surgical robot to perform procedures by watching videos of experienced surgeons, achieving skill levels comparable to human doctors. This advancement in imitation learning could lead to autonomous surgical robots capable of executing complex operations. However, the robot hasn’t been programmed to think it’s smarter than everyone else in the operating room, so it can’t fully replace surgeons just yet. Full Article

Semaglutide 2.4 mg Reduces All-Cause Hospital Admissions (Medscape)

A recent analysis from Novo Nordisk’s SELECT trial shows that semaglutide 2.4 mg significantly reduces all-cause hospital admissions, indicating potential healthcare cost savings. This reinforces semaglutide’s growing reputation not just as a weight-loss drug but as a powerful tool for improving overall health outcomes. This is a surprise to precisely nobody. Full Article

Decline in Group Health Insurance Providers (Benefits Pro) 

A recent U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report reveals a significant decline in the number of insurers offering group health insurance to employers between 2011 and 2022. This reduction in market participants has led to increased market concentration, potentially limiting employer options and impacting premium costs. We saw this at ZorroCard as we were shopping for a small business health plan. Full Article