Weekly roundup
Here’s what you missed last week!
🏛️ Policy & Payers
No Surprises Act dispute resolution is driving costs and could raise premiums.
Aetna expands claims reviews for commercial and Medicare members starting Sept. 1.
NCQA forms an AI working group to guide plans and providers on high-risk AI.
AM Best downgrades health insurers’ outlook to negative.
Johns Hopkins leaves UnitedHealthcare’s network after contract talks fail.
📈 Business & Tech
💡 Marketing & Growth
⭐ Just for Fun
The Deep Dive
Social media tips that actually move the needle for derm
Reels drive ~50% of time on Instagram; show up with short explainers, clear CTAs, and evidence.
Short-form video rules the feed, but trust still wins. YouTube and Facebook are the most-used platforms among U.S. adults, with about half using Instagram, so most practices can reach core patients without chasing every app. And Meta confirms Reels alone now accounts for ~50% of time spent on Instagram, so plan for vertical video as your default.
Platform | Use Cases | Tips & Ideas |
Instagram (≈50% of U.S. adults) | Short Reels (30–60s), carousels, Stories; good for education and awareness months. | Add FAAD to bio; tag @AADskin/@AADmember; ride AAD campaigns. Disclose sponsored posts per FTC. |
YouTube (most-used overall) | Evergreen explainers (4–8 min) + Shorts for FAQs. | Use chapters + CTAs to book visits. Cite sources in description. Keep health claims evidence-based. |
Facebook (strong 30+ demo) | Reviews, events, local reach; short native video. | Boost posts in your ZIPs. Pixel use is under HIPAA scrutiny (check with counsel). |
TikTok (≈1/3 of adults; younger) | Myth-busting, behind-the-scenes, quick skin tips (15–45s). | Stitch with inaccurate clips to correct politely; disclose in-video; never post identifiable patient info. |
Why does it matter? Patients increasingly discover health info on social platforms, and over half of U.S. adults say they at least sometimes get news from social media, which shapes perception long before a referral is booked. Visibility by real dermatologists matters because most popular “derm” content on Instagram isn’t from board-certified dermatologists. The upside, however, is that physicians with active professional social accounts are associated with higher patient ratings on review sites.
What’s trending right now?
Instagram’s new Reposts + “Friends” tab elevate what patients’ friends are engaging with. | Repost your best mole-check PSA, then ask staff and happy patients to repost it too. Add a DM button CTA for “spot check” scheduling. Avoid PHI in comments or screenshots. |
Weekly Reels formats rotate fast; Later’s tracker lists what’s hot right now. | Map a trending format to education: “3 derm myths I hear weekly” or “Things I’d do for KP.” Use Meta’s royalty-free Sounds for any sponsored posts. |
TikTok Shop is beauty-heavy and fueling product discovery (lip stains, SPF, devices). | Host a short LIVE Q&A on sunscreen or acne care, then link to a clinic landing page or SPF accessories you actually stock. Don’t market Rx. Disclose any paid ties. |
“Clinical skincare” boom + ‘sciencewashing’ backlash keeps growing. | Run a weekly Myth vs Reality series with one peer-reviewed link in the caption and a simple “what to do instead.” This positions you as the sober voice. |
YouTube Shorts momentum (70B daily views) + Remix tools let you respond to trending clips. | Remix a viral “hack” with your on-screen correction and a 1-line takeaway. Add a pinned comment that links to your full explainer and online booking. Follow YouTube’s medical-misinfo rules. |
YouTube Health labels for licensed clinicians spotlight authoritative channels. | Apply for the label, then tag every video with condition terms patients search. Use Playlists for acne, skin cancer, hair loss. Link AAD resources in descriptions. |
Duet/Stitch culture on TikTok remains the default way to correct or co-create. | Duet an inaccurate skincare clip with “Derm explains in 20s.” Keep tone kind; route personal questions to the patient portal. |
Outbound engagement & micro-virality (smart commenting on creators’ posts) pays off. | Each week, leave 3 helpful comments on local creators’ skincare posts. Add one fact and one resource link. It’s lightweight demand gen. |
Skin-cycling content stays sticky across platforms. | Post a 4-tile carousel or 45-second Short: Night 1 exfoliate, Night 2 retinoid, Nights 3–4 barrier repair. Pin a “sensitive skin” variant. |
Instagram Broadcast Channels are rising for “insider” updates. | Launch a channel for: last-minute openings, post-laser care tips, and month-by-month skin checks. Invite new patients during intake. |
⚠️ Guardrails you’ll want in every caption and bio
Disclose partnerships clearly per the FTC Endorsement Guides. Put the disclosure where people can’t miss it.
Be careful with trackers/pixels. A federal court vacated the 2024 HHS OCR web-tracking bulletin, but risk remains; get counsel’s go-ahead before retargeting.
Social Media Playbook
Pick 1-2 platforms. For example, Instagram for Reels; YouTube for search-friendly education. Avoid platform sprawl.
Build a 4-week calendar. Leverage seasonal topics (e.g., Skin Cancer Awareness Month, back-to-school acne), plus two evergreen FAQs weekly.
Template the format. with a hook, one takeaway, one action. Add on-screen text and alt-text in captions; link to an AAD or practice page.
Close the loop. Pin a review link; ask satisfied patients to share feedback on third-party sites, following FTC guidance.
Measure what matters. Track profile visits, DMs for scheduling, and conversions from your link-in-bio... vanity views don’t pay rent. If you test ads, keep claims clinical and cited per FTC health-claims guidance.
If you only do one thing this week, film three 45-second Reels answering the week’s top questions (e.g., tretinoin routine, seborrheic keratoses, sunscreen myths) and post them with FAAD in your bio, local hashtags, and an appointment CTA. Then republish as a YouTube Short.
Bottom line: Show up where patients already are (YouTube, Instagram), teach simply, disclose clearly, and protect privacy. Consistent, credible posts from board-certified voices outperform trends over time.
The Toolkit
Things to check out this week
📄 Article You Need: Read the Pew Research Center Social Media Fact Sheet to sanity-check channel focus. It shows YouTube and Facebook are most-used by U.S. adults, and ~½ use Instagram—useful for setting posting priorities.
🛠️ Tool You Should Try: Run your site through Blacklight by The Markup to detect pixels, trackers, and session recording before you experiment with retargeting or new embeds.
🎧 Event Alert: MGMA Leaders Conference — Sept 28–Oct 1, 2025 (Orlando). Good mix of revenue-cycle, benchmarking, and ops sessions for practice leaders.
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That’s it for this week.
This one was super fun. Hope you enjoyed it too.
