Health & Veritas

Howie and Harlan are joined by Sachin Jain, CEO of the nonprofit Scan Health Plan, who argues that the managed care industry must dramatically reorient itself towards patient care. Harlan looks at the long-term health effects of the L.A. wildfires and an effort to replace the widely used body-mass index; Howie reflects on the growing mistrust of doctors and its connection to declining vaccination rates. Links: Wildfires and Health "Los Angeles wildfires: Firefighters face several more critical hours of Wednesday's dangerous winds" "Health Effects Attributed to Wildfire Smoke" "Long-term exposure to wildfire smoke associated with higher risk of death" Redefining Obesity "Definition and diagnostic criteria of clinical obesity" "Move aside BMI: There's a better way to define obesity, commission finds" "New obesity definition sidelines BMI to focus on health" "New Obesity Definition Challenges Current Use of B.M.I." Toward a More Humane Managed Care Industry Scan Health Plan Sachin Jain: "The Path Forward for the Health Insurance Industry" Sachin H. Jain: "The path forward for the US Health Insurance Industry begins with saying "We Are Sorry" Sachin Jain: "In 2025, I urge you to start seeing things clearly" Sachin Jain: "What It Really Takes to Listen to Patients" "Lyft is driving patients to see their doctors and saving insurers big money" Trust and Vaccinations "Americans' Ratings of U.S. Professions Stay Historically Low" "Childhood Vaccination Rates Were Falling Even Before the Rise of R.F.K. Jr." "Falling Child Vaccinations" Health & Veritas Episode 95 with Peter Hotez "Meta to end fact-checking, replacing it with community-driven system akin to Elon Musk's X" Learn more about the MBA for Executives program at Yale SOM. Email Howie and Harlan comments or questions.

The hosts tackle the widespread dissatisfaction with the U.S. healthcare system, highlighting alarming polling data. They discuss how perverse incentives in insurance impact patient care and dive into the troubling implications of ultra-processed foods on health. A poignant conversation addresses the Surgeon General's insights on alcohol and cancer risks, challenging popular beliefs about moderate drinking. The rising population of cancer survivors sparks debate on the need for coordinated long-term care, while recent fraud cases in healthcare raise ethical concerns.

Howie and Harlan are joined by Yale physician Dana Dunne, who leads a new coaching program designed to help medical students develop a lifelong orientation toward growth and building knowledge. Harlan reports on a new generation of AI that can diagnose patients more consistently than human doctors; Howie explains how the state of Connecticut wiped out medical debt for thousands of low-income residents. Links: AI Diagnosis "Superhuman performance of a large language model on the reasoning tasks of a physician" "Reasoning Foundations of Medical Diagnosis: Symbolic logic, probability, and value theory aid our understanding of how physicians reason" (1959) Coaching Medical Students Yale School of Medicine: The Yale System Yale School of Medicine: Longitudinal Coaching Program "Developing Master Adaptive Learners: Implementation of a Coaching Program in Graduate Medical Education" "Risky Business: Psychological Safety and the Risks of Learning Medicine" Amy C. Edmondson: Psychological Safety Review: The Fearless Organization Medical Debt "Governor Lamont Announces Nearly 23,000 Connecticut Residents Will Have $30 Million in Medical Debt Erased Under First Round of State's Newly Launched Partnership With Nonprofit" "CT cancels $30M in medical debt for thousands of residents" "Disparities in Medical Debt Among U.S. Adults with Serious Psychological Distress" "63% of workers unable to pay a $500 emergency expense, survey finds. How employers may help change that" White House Fact Sheet: Biden-⁠Harris Administration Announces New Actions to Reduce Medical Debt and Address Illegal Medical Debt Collection Practices Learn more about the MBA for Executives program at Yale SOM. Email Howie and Harlan comments or questions.

Howie and Harlan are joined by Jaewon Ryu, CEO of Risant Health, a nonprofit company that brings together integrated health systems with the goal of spreading the adoption of value-based care. Harlan reports from the annual Cardiovascular Clinical Trialists Forum on progress toward faster and more effective clinical trials; Howie reflects on the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Links: Clinical Trials "Artificial Intelligence in Cardiovascular Clinical Trials" Jaewon Ryu Wikipedia: Integrated Delivery System Geisinger: Fresh Food Farmacy "Geisinger opens a new $5.8 million senior-focused primary care center in Pottsville" "Kaiser Permanente Unit to Acquire North Carolina Hospital System" "Value-Based Care: What It Is, and Why It's Needed" The Killing of Brian Thompson "What We Know About the UnitedHealthcare C.E.O.'s Killing and the Suspect" "A Very Un-American Response to the Murder of Brian Thompson" Learn more about the MBA for Executives program at Yale SOM. Email Howie and Harlan comments or questions.

Aaron Kesselheim, a physician, attorney, and Harvard Medical School professor, discusses the evolving landscape of healthcare regulation. He shares his insights on the implications of the end of Chevron deference for Medicare drug coverage and emphasizes the necessity of interdisciplinary expertise in policy-making. Kesselheim recounts his resignation from an FDA advisory committee over concerns regarding an Alzheimer's drug approval, highlighting transparency issues. He also advocates for stronger NIH funding and improved drug pricing negotiation to foster biomedical innovation.

Vin Gupta, a physician and chief medical officer at Amazon Pharmacy, shares insights on the Biden administration's proposal to cover obesity drugs under Medicare. He highlights the potential benefits and challenges of this initiative, including its impact on health equity. Gupta also discusses Amazon Pharmacy’s innovative RxPass subscription service designed to improve medication access. His reflections on military service and the role of AI in healthcare add depth, revealing how technology can enhance patient care and medication management.

Howie and Harlan are joined by investor and entrepreneur Halle Tecco to discuss her work connecting the worlds of technology and healthcare, and her latest venture, which allows women to freeze their eggs for future use for free if they donate half of them to a couple in need. Harlan checks in from the annual meeting of the American Heart Association; Howie discusses his concerns about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s appointment as secretary of health and human services. Links: American Heart Association Meeting "Tirzepatide Reduces LV Mass and Paracardiac Adipose Tissue in Obesity-Related Heart Failure" "Intensive Lifestyle Intervention, Cardiac Biomarkers, and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Diabetes: LookAHEAD Cardiac Biomarker Ancillary Study" "Accelerometer-Measured Sedentary Behavior and Risk of Future Cardiovascular Disease" Halle Tecco Halle Tecco: Blog Halle Tecco: Investing in Digital Health Startups Course "This power couple bought bitcoin in 2013, and just donated all their gains to a cancer hospital" Rock Health Natalist Cofertility RFK Jr. "What to know about RFK Jr.'s views on food, vaccines, abortion, and the FDA" "How a Kennedy built an anti-vaccine juggernaut amid COVID-19" "With Trump coming into power, the NIH is in the crosshairs" "RFK Jr.'s Inside Job" "How RFK Jr.'s MAHA movement could shake up public health" Learn more about the MBA for Executives program at Yale SOM. Email Howie and Harlan comments or questions.

Howie and Harlan are joined by Rahul Rajkumar, founder and CEO of Accompany Health, which provides a team of providers for patients who are on both Medicare and Medicaid. Harlan reflects on a visit to China and the healthcare ramifications of proposed legislation that would force U.S. biotech companies to cut ties with some Chinese partners. Howie provides an update on healthcare-related measures on state ballots in last week's election. Links: China and the Biosecure Act "Congress takes up a series of bills targeting China, from drones to drugs" "U.S. Drugmakers Are Breaking Up With Their Chinese Supply-Chain Partners" Accompany Health Accompany Health Medicare: Dual-Eligibles Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans "Medicaid Enrollees by Enrollment Group" "Justice Department sues to block UnitedHealth Group's $3.3 billion purchase of Amedisys" "10 Reasons Why Medicare Advantage Enrollment is Growing and Why It Matters" Healthcare on the Ballot "7 states vote to protect abortion rights, while efforts to expand access in Florida, Nebraska and South Dakota fail" "Marijuana and Drug Policy on the Ballot" "Massachusetts voters reject proposal to legalize certain psychedelic drugs" Learn more about the MBA for Executives program at Yale SOM. Email Howie and Harlan comments or questions.

Howie and Harlan discuss health and healthcare headlines, including generational shifts in doctors' approach to work, a promising vaccine for norovirus, the latest on the bird flu outbreak, and the struggles of corporate-backed primary care companies. Links: Norovirus CDC: Norovirus "Bivalent norovirus mRNA vaccine elicits cellular and humoral responses protecting human enteroids from GII.4 infection" "Doctors trial world's first mRNA vaccine against vomiting bug norovirus" "Who Didn't Get a Second Shingrix Shot? Implications for Multidose COVID-19 Vaccines" Work-Life Balance "Young Doctors Want Work-Life Balance. Older Doctors Say That's Not the Job." "State of Women in Medicine: History, Challenges, and the Benefits of a Diverse Workforce" Bird Flu "CDC Confirms Human H5 Bird Flu Case in Missouri" STAT: H5N1 Bird Flu Primary Care Goes Corporate "Why Large Corporations Are Entering Primary Care" "Cigna Turns $739 Million Profit Despite $1 Billion Loss On VillageMD" Prescription for the Future: The Twelve Transformational Practices of Highly Effective Medical Organizations E. coli "E. coli Outbreak Linked to Onions Served at McDonald's" "How disease detectives' quick work traced deadly E. coli outbreak to McDonald's Quarter Pounders" CDC: Outbreaks of E. coli infections Elon Musk's Grok AI Platform "Elon Musk wants you to submit medical data to his AI chatbot" Learn more about the MBA for Executives program at Yale SOM. Email Howie and Harlan comments or questions.

Howie and Harlan are joined by Stephen Knight, president and managing partner of the healthcare and technology venture capital firm F-Prime Capital, to discuss his varied career and the breakthroughs he has helped enable. Howie and Harlan discuss AI in medicine and what a second Trump administration could mean for healthcare. Links: Respiratory Illnesses, AI, and the Physician Shortage CDC: Respiratory Illnesses Data Channel "Capabilities of Gemini Models in Medicine" "Yale New Haven Health partners with AI company on ambient listening tech" Stephen Knight F-Prime Capital Genentech F-Prime Capital: Stories and Ideas "How AIDS Activists Fought for Patients' Rights" VC: An American History Bluebird Bio F-Prime Capital: Orchard Therapeutics Severe Combined Immunodeficiency "Pfizer to Acquire FoldRx Pharmaceuticals" Beam Therapeutics Trump and Healthcare Project 2025: Policy Agenda "Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s 'Make America Healthy Again' Draws Wellness Influencers to MAGA" Video: Trump on Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on X Video: the Trump rally at Madison Square Garden Learn more about the MBA for Executives program at Yale SOM. Email Howie and Harlan comments or questions.