Debating AI, ICHRA, and the Employer Exit (with Teira Gunlock & Dr. Eric Bricker)

Blake Madden
Blake Madden
May 12, 2026

In this latest episode of Claims Denied, Hospitalogy’s Blake Madden pulls in two co-hosts — Teira Gunlock, CEO of First Stop Health, and Dr. Eric Bricker, Chief Medical Officer of AHealthcareZ — and the crew battle it out!

Three topics. No script. Just healthcare’s messiest debates.

Listen as Tiera, Eric, and Blake get deep into AI regulation and whether EMRs need to be forced open. They jump into ICHRA vs. captives and why small/mid employers keep getting crushed on renewals. And you won’t want to miss when Tiera pushes back on whether any of this is actually good for patients vs. just good for employers, the federal government, and everyone else trying to pass the healthcare cost hot potato (the “not it” dynamic).

They even get philosophical about what work even looks like when intellectual labor gets commoditized. 

Oh, and Eric lost a chicken the day he and Blake were supposed to meet for lunch. So there’s that. 

For expert analysis on healthcare M&A, strategy, finance, and markets, join 68K+ readers of Blake Madden’s Hospitalogy newsletter. Subscribe here: https://hospitalogy.com/

Like our podcast? Listen to previous episodes here: https://hospitalogy.com/podcast/⁠ 

Be sure to leave us a review, and share our podcast with colleagues.

First Stop Health: https://www.firststophealth.com/ 

AHealthcareZ: https://www.ahealthcarez.com/

Follow Teira Gunlock on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teiragunlock/

Follow Dr. Eric Bricker on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericbrickermd/ 

Follow Blake Madden on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blakecmadden/ 

Blake Madden
Blake Madden