Explore every episode of the podcast Fixing Healthcare Podcast

In this Unfiltered episode of Fixing Healthcare, Drs. Robert Pearl and Jonathan Fisher join cohost Jeremy Corr to explore one of medicine’s least discussed forces: how professional culture gradually reshapes physician identity.

The conversation begins with relationships using an unlikely touchpoint: FX’s Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette. Using marriage, friendship, doctor-patient dynamics and colleague trust as a launching point, Pearl and Fisher examine how stress, burnout and emotional spillover affect the people clinicians care about both at home and at work. Fisher draws on his retreat work with healthcare professionals to explain why slowing down, reconnecting socially and stepping outside the clinical environment are often prerequisites for restoring empathy and perspective.

Midway through, the discussion deepens into the powerful theme introduced through the popular SHOWTIME show Billions: the way workplace environments subtly redefine who people become over time. In medicine, that process can begin as early as the first weeks of training. Small acts of conformity, repeated decisions at the edge of one’s values and cultural reinforcement gradually shift how physicians think, behave and ultimately define themselves.

The result is a larger question that runs through the entire episode: How do clinicians preserve their humanity, relationships and deepest values inside a system that often rewards speed, hierarchy and productivity over reflection and connection?

Finally, Jeremy’s closing question on behalf of patients helps to push both physicians to confront a national reality: when specialist access takes months, compassion must be communicated quickly and system design must improve the patient experience itself.

For listeners who connected with Jonathan’s discussion of physician recovery, reflection and emotional renewal, check out his upcoming ASPIRE physician retreat, a CME-accredited experience for healthcare professionals, taking place June 12-14 in Boone, North Carolina. Use code ASPIRE15 for 15% off registration.

For more unfiltered conversation, listen to the full episode and explore these related resources:

• ‘Just One Heart’ (Jonathan Fisher’s newest book)
• ‘ChatGPT, MD’ (Robert Pearl’s newest book)
• Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (Robert Pearl’s newsletter)

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Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple Podcasts or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #211: How medical culture slowly reshapes physician identity appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this Diving Deep episode, Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr connect two forces that are beginning to reshape the future of medicine: healthcare’s worsening economic inefficiency and the rise of physician-built generative AI tools.

The conversation opens with a provocative interpretation of the latest U.S. jobs reports. While healthcare has become the nation’s primary engine of employment growth, Dr. Pearl argues that this is not a sign of strength. It is evidence that medicine continues to meet rising demand by adding labor instead of improving productivity. In his view, that failure to modernize is driving higher costs for employers, families and government programs while setting the stage for inevitable disruption.

From there, the discussion shifts to what that disruption could look like. Pearl outlines how generative AI could improve chronic disease monitoring, reduce unnecessary hospital stays and detect inpatient decline earlier than current workflows allow. These advances, he argues, would lower costs not by rationing care but by improving outcomes.

The second half of the episode turns to one of the most practical and exciting developments in generative AI: vibe coding. Here, Pearl explains how physicians can now use plain-English prompts to create customized digital tools that reflect their own clinical judgment and practice preferences. Rather than relying on static handouts or generic patient portals, doctors could build affordable applications that monitor patients continuously between visits and intervene earlier when problems arise.

Taken together, the episode puts forth a clear thesis: healthcare’s worsening economics are not a sign of resilience. They are a sign that medicine has failed to modernize. What’s more: generative AI, especially through vibe coding, may be the most practical path to higher-quality, lower-cost care.

For more, tune into this month’s episode and check out the links below.

Helpful links

• US Jobs Report Spotlights Healthcare’s Inefficiency, Signals Disruption (Forbes)
• How Vibe Coding Will Reshape Medical Practice (Forbes)
• Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (RobertPearlMD.com)

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Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine.” Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on X and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #210: Healthcare’s productivity crisis & how vibe coding could help appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this week’s episode of Medicine: The Truth, hosts Jeremy Corr and Dr. Robert Pearl balance two sides of American healthcare: the encouraging scientific advances that could help people live longer and healthier lives, and the growing affordability and trust crises threatening patients across the country.

The conversation opens on an optimistic note. Dr. Pearl highlights new Yale research showing that aging is far less deterministic than many Americans assume. Rather than a steady and unavoidable decline, the study found that nearly half of adults over 65 improved physically, cognitively or both over a 12-year period.

He pairs that story with new cardiovascular guidance from the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association, which shifts prevention toward a much longer time horizon and argues that earlier LDL management could prevent a significant share of heart attacks and strokes later in life.

The episode then pivots to the mounting financial and institutional pressures facing patients, hospitals and public-health agencies. From rising medical debt and medication nonadherence to declining vaccine trust, hospital cost inflation and the political barriers keeping GLP-1 drugs unaffordable in the United States, the discussion captures both the promise and the fragility of healthcare in 2026.

Here are the other major storylines from episode 105:

• Supplements fail the evidence test: Pearl reviews clinical trial data showing that commonly used supplements such as fish oil, garlic, turmeric, cinnamon and red yeast rice performed no better than placebo in lowering LDL, reinforcing the continued value of lifestyle interventions and low-cost statins.
• Medical costs continue to destabilize families: New Gallup-linked research shows that 82 million Americans are already making sacrifices to pay medical bills, from skipping meals to delaying retirement.
• Drug unaffordability worsens medication adherence: A new KFF survey finds that nearly 60% of Americans worry about affording prescriptions, with 43% reporting they have not taken medications as prescribed because of cost.
• Generative AI adoption surges among physicians: According to a new AMA survey, 81% of doctors now use generative AI in clinical practice, most commonly for documentation, literature summaries and chart support.
• Hospitals face intensifying economic pressure: The American Hospital Association reports that care delivery costs rose 7.5% last year, driven by higher labor expenses, drug prices, supply inflation and sicker patients.
• Trust in vaccine authorities continues to erode: Following the legal challenge to RFK Jr.’s overhaul of the federal vaccine advisory committee, new polling shows trust in federal vaccine recommendations has fallen sharply.
• Newborn preventive care is now affected by distrust: Pearl warns that refusal of vitamin K shots, hepatitis B vaccination and antibiotic eye ointment at birth is rising, reversing decades of scientific progress and reintroducing preventable newborn risks.
• Alzheimer’s blood tests show progress, but not prediction: New FDA-cleared blood tests can help identify Alzheimer’s disease as the likely cause of current dementia, but Dr. Pearl explains why they remain far less useful for predicting disease years before symptoms begin.
• The fax machine may finally be dying: In one of the episode’s lighter moments, Dr. Pearl notes that CMS is moving to phase out fax-machine communication across HIPAA-covered entities, a long-overdue modernization step that could save taxpayers nearly $1 billion annually.
• Residency match reaches record size: The 2026 residency match was the largest in history, with more than 48,000 applicants competing for over 44,000 positions.
• Early heat waves carry serious health consequences: With unusual March heat across parts of the country, Dr. Pearl explains why early-season heat is especially dangerous, increasing risks of dehydration, kidney injury, cardiovascular strain and mental health emergencies.
• GLP-1 drugs go generic abroad while U.S. prices stay high: As Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster GLP-1 medications go generic in India and other global markets, Dr. Pearl contrasts international pricing with U.S. costs and argues that congressional inaction on drug pricing remains one of healthcare’s clearest failures.

Tune in for more fact-based analysis and practical perspective on the healthcare stories shaping medicine today.

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Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine” about the impact of AI on the future of medicine.

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on X and LinkedIn.

The post MTT #105: New science on aging, rising medical debt & healthcare’s fax problem appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

Dr. John Whyte has spent his career at the intersection of medicine, media and public policy. Now, as CEO of the American Medical Association, he hears firsthand what physicians, patients and health leaders are most concerned about and what they expect from the future of healthcare.

That perspective makes him an ideal guest for Season 11 of Fixing Healthcare with cohosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr.

This season’s guests bring more than impressive résumés and large social-media followings. They bring insight into what people across the country are actually talking about: the fears they express, the questions they ask and the expectations they carry into exam rooms, boardrooms and online conversations.

Whyte has held leadership roles at the FDA and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. He later became chief medical officer at WebMD and chief medical expert for Discovery Channel. In each position, he has focused on translating complex medical issues into clear, actionable information.

In this conversation, he shares what he is hearing now and why the answers will require both cultural and structural change.

• Three concerns dominate for physicians. Whyte opens by identifying what he hears most often across the country: frustration with prior authorization and payment incentives in Medicare and Medicaid, anxiety about scope-of-practice changes, and uncertainty about how physicians should lead (rather than react to) the rapid rise of digital health and generative AI.
• Medicaid disruption and impact on children. Whyte explains that policy changes at both federal and state levels could leave vulnerable populations without coverage or access to care. He emphasizes that nearly half of U.S. children rely on Medicaid.
• Payment models and physician autonomy. The discussion explores tensions between fee-for-service, Medicare Advantage and value-based approaches. Whyte argues that physicians must retain meaningful choice in how they practice and get paid, even as consolidation and employment models reduce autonomy.
• Generative AI as “augmented intelligence.” Whyte notes that more than 80% of physicians now use AI tools professionally, largely for documentation and communication tasks. The real opportunity, he says, lies in improving diagnosis, personalization and continuous monitoring.
• Home as the future site of care. From wearables to smart diagnostic devices, Whyte envisions a shift away from episodic office visits toward continuous monitoring and preventive care.
• Outcome-based reimbursement. Pearl asks whether paying for outcomes could unlock broader adoption of AI-enabled tools. Whyte acknowledges the promise but highlights practical challenges, including patient complexity, burnout and the risk that efficiency gains could simply lead to higher patient volumes.
• The evolving physician-patient relationship in the AI era. With a growing share of patients using generative AI before appointments, Whyte encourages clinicians to view digitally informed patients as partners. Open dialogue, trusted sources and shared decision-making, he argues, will define effective care in the years ahead.

There’s so much more to this episode. Tune in to find out what physicians and patients should expect from the future of medicine.

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Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn

The post FHC #209: What the AMA’s new CEO is hearing from doctors & patients right now appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this Unfiltered episode of Fixing Healthcare, Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr sit down with cardiologist and mindfulness expert Dr. Jonathan Fisher for a wide-ranging conversation about leadership, strategy and the future of physician influence in American medicine.

The discussion begins with a challenge to a popular point of view: that empathy, transparency and trust make for an effective leader in medicine. While those qualities matter, Dr. Pearl argues that healthcare also requires strategic thinking, operational discipline and the ability to align people around a common direction. In medicine, says Dr. Fisher, many physicians are taught how to care for patients but not how to lead organizations.

From there, the conversation expands into the deeper reasons doctors so often remain subordinate to administrators, why burnout makes strategy harder to execute and why the economics of healthcare continue to reward treatment more than prevention.

Some of the key ideas discussed:

• Empathy is necessary, but not sufficient. Healthcare often treats empathy and trust as the highest forms of leadership. Pearl argues that great leaders also need strategic thinking, financial understanding and operational skill.
• Doctors are rarely trained to lead. Fisher and Pearl discuss how physicians are taught to avoid mistakes and follow established pathways, not necessarily to take strategic risks.
• Burnout undermines strategy. A burned-out workforce may struggle to understand, trust or implement leadership goals. Fisher notes that wellness programs can help individuals cope, but they cannot substitute for fixing the systemic forces driving exhaustion.
• Primary care remains undervalued. Pearl argues that fee-for-service medicine fails to reward prevention. Until payment models shift toward capitation and long-term disease control, primary care will continue to be under-supported despite its central importance.
• Strategy without implementation goes nowhere. The group explores the difference between setting a vision and making it real. Pearl argues that healthcare too often suffers from one or the other: plans with no execution or action without coherent strategy.
• Physicians need broader leadership development. To reclaim influence over the future of medicine, doctors will need more than clinical expertise. They will need training in finance, organizational behavior, incentives and the mechanics of large-scale change.
• The future of medicine will be collaborative. As generative AI takes on more algorithmic tasks, doctors who succeed will not be the ones who resist change but those who learn to combine clinical judgment, human connection and technological support.
• Pressure changes performance. Using examples from the Winter Olympics, Fisher explains how elite performers can “freeze” when stress overrides instinct. The same phenomenon can happen in medicine when clinicians are forced into high-stakes moments without the right preparation or support.
• Machines don’t freeze. That observation leads to one of the episode’s most provocative questions: if AI and robotics continue to improve, will certain technical tasks eventually be performed more reliably by machines than by humans under pressure?
• Competition should lead to unity, not division. In the closing segment, the discussion broadens from sports to society with a question from Jeremy Corr, offering the patient’s point of view. Pearl argues that high-level competition should ultimately strengthen collective purpose, whether in athletics, healthcare or public life.

For more unfiltered conversation, listen to the full episode and explore these related resources:

• ‘Just One Heart’ (Jonathan Fisher’s newest book)
• ‘ChatGPT, MD’ (Robert Pearl’s newest book)
• Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (Robert Pearl’s newsletter)

* * *

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple Podcasts or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #208: Why empathy alone won’t fix healthcare leadership appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this Diving Deep episode, Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Cor return to a question listeners have been asking for months: What role will generative AI realistically play in American healthcare?

Dr. Pearl opens the discussion around three urgent threats that, if ignored, may soon become too large and too expensive to solve:

1. The affordability cliff
2. The chronic disease crisis
3. The risk of training doctors for the wrong future

This examination offers a stark warning about healthcare’s lack of flexibility. Unlike most industries, medicine cannot quickly reconfigure its workforce, adopt new care models or cut costs without years of delay. That rigidity, Pearl argues, is what makes the current moment so dangerous. By the time healthcare leaders respond to major problems, those problems often have already deepened into crises.

The episode’s second half explores whether generative AI could help avert that future. Pearl argues that the technology is already capable of improving chronic disease management, reducing medical errors and extending care into patients’ homes. The larger barrier is no longer technical but cultural.

To illustrate that divide, Pearl uses HBO’s hit show The Pitt to examine how medicine still frames AI as either a helpful tool or an existential threat rather than what it could be: a valuable clinical partner. He credits the show for capturing physicians’ skepticism and enthusiasm but argues that it misses the more important question: not whether AI is perfect, but whether it performs better than clinicians working alone in a system already riddled with error.

Looking further ahead, Pearl argues that when it comes to GenAI taking on clinical tasks once exclusive to humans, the Rubicon has already been crossed. Major health systems are beginning to use generative AI for clinical intake and treatment planning. Large technology companies are building patient-facing health tools tied to personal medical data. And states such as Utah are already testing whether AI can safely handle parts of chronic disease care without direct physician oversight.

Taken together, these developments point toward a new future for medicine. Primary care physicians may spend less time on routine algorithmic tasks and more time on complex patients. Specialists may become more procedural as outpatient evaluation shifts. And health systems that want to benefit from these changes will need to move away from fee-for-service and toward value-based care.

For more on these developments, tune into this month’s episode and check out the links below.

Helpful links

• Three Healthcare Threats That Will Soon Become Too Big To Solve (Forbes)
• What The Pitt Gets Right And Wrong About Generative AI In Medicine (Forbes)
• GenAI Will Replace Much Of What Clinicians Do — It’s Already Happening (Forbes)
• Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (RobertPearlMD.com)

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Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine.” Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #207: Three major healthcare threats GenAI can help solve appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this week’s episode of Medicine: The Truth, hosts Jeremy Corr and Dr. Robert Pearl unpack a wide range of developments shaping healthcare in America today, including the TrumpRx drug discount program.

From new legislation affecting telehealth and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to the rapid spread of measles and growing public concern about vaccine policy, this month’s discussion highlights the policy decisions and scientific debates influencing medicine right now.

The episode opens with the latest federal legislation passed to avert a government shutdown. While healthcare was not the central focus of this particular political battle, the bill contains several provisions that affect medical practice. These include extensions for telehealth coverage and hospital-at-home programs, reforms targeting PBM transparency and new requirements designed to address “ghost networks” in Medicare Advantage provider directories.

Dr. Pearl explains that while these provisions represent incremental progress, they are unlikely to solve the larger problems driving healthcare costs and access challenges in the United States.

Here are the other major storylines from episode 104:

• Healthcare costs remain nation’s top concern: A new KFF poll finds that healthcare expenses rank above food, housing and utilities as the economic issue Americans worry about most.
• Prior authorization frustrations grow: Many patients report delays or denials of care due to insurance requirements, highlighting persistent tension between insurers, physicians and patients.
• Drug pricing debates continue: Pearl examines a new prescription drug website initiative and explains why it may have limited impact compared with broader policy proposals such as “most favored nation” pricing.
• Telehealth’s uncertain future: Although the latest legislation extends certain pandemic-era flexibilities, the lack of a permanent solution leaves virtual care programs in limbo.
• PBM reforms move forward slowly: New policies aim to increase transparency and reduce incentives tied to drug list prices, though Pearl notes that meaningful change will depend on future implementation.
• Site-neutral payment gains attention: A provision requiring unique identifiers for outpatient services could pave the way for policies that eliminate higher reimbursement for hospital-owned facilities providing identical care.
• Measles outbreaks surge: Nearly a thousand cases have already been reported in 2026, with the overwhelming majority occurring among unvaccinated children.
• Trust in the CDC declines: Polling shows confidence in the agency has dropped significantly following changes to vaccine recommendations.
• Independent vaccine review groups emerge: Medical organizations and states are forming new committees to evaluate vaccine evidence as federal guidance becomes more contested.
• Early colon cancer deaths rise: The death of actor James Van Der Beek at age 48 highlights the growing incidence of colorectal cancer among younger adults and the importance of earlier screening.
• FDA confusion over a new flu vaccine: The agency initially declined to review Moderna’s mRNA-based flu vaccine before reversing course and agreeing to evaluate it ahead of the next flu season.
• Younger Americans face worsening health trends: New claims data suggest chronic disease is appearing earlier among millennials and Gen Z, driven by lifestyle factors and reduced connection to primary care.
• Wearable data reveal health disparities: Apple Watch data show significant differences in resting heart rates across states, reflecting variations in lifestyle, access to care and public health conditions.

As the episode concludes, Dr. Pearl warns that growing political conflict around vaccines and biomedical research risks undermining public trust in science. The consequences, he argues, could shape American medicine for decades to come.

Tune in for more fact-based analysis and discussion of the biggest stories in healthcare.

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Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of the new book “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine” about the impact of AI on the future of medicine.

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn

The post MTT #104: TrumpRx, rising measles cases & the politics of vaccine science appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

Season 11 of Fixing Healthcare continues its shift away from the traditional top-down model of interviewing CEOs, policymakers and medical leaders to focus this week on something new, different and fascinating: listening to the generation that is inheriting this American healthcare system.

In this episode, Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr speak with Grace Lynn Keller, VP at Executive Podcast Solutions, former Miss America contestant and the show’s first-ever Gen Z guest.

Grace brings a rare vantage point: Professionally, she is immersed in conversations with healthcare executives. Personally, she is part of the generation that consumes health information through social media, wearables and AI tools. For healthcare professionals, the conversation offers an important lens on how Gen Z gathers health information, how they decide when to seek care and what they expect from clinicians, insurers and government leaders.

One insight stood out immediately. When asked where she would turn first with a non-emergency symptom, Grace answered without hesitation: ChatGPT.

Her answer signals how much the healthcare landscape is changing. While Gen Z may turn to generative AI for initial medical advice, that is only one piece of a broader shift. In this conversation, Grace outlines how her generation is redefining health, prevention and trust. Key insights include:

• Verification Over Blind Trust. Gen Z does not simply accept what it reads online. Grace describes a culture of cross-referencing, double-checking and comparing sources across platforms before acting.
• Prevention As Identity. Her generation emphasizes whole foods, ingredient awareness and minimizing processed products. Health is considered a long-term lifestyle investment rather than reactive medical intervention.
• Wearables As Standard Equipment. Smart watches and rings are commonplace. Continuous data on sleep, movement, heart rate and hormonal cycles shape daily decisions and reinforce prevention.
• Convenience And Cost Sensitivity. Time away from work, co-pays and scheduling delays influence care decisions. If reliable AI-based treatment were available for routine conditions, many Gen Zers would use it immediately.
• Mental Health As Mainstream. Therapy is normalized. Work-life balance is considered protective, not indulgent. “Mental health days” may frustrate older generations but are viewed as necessary boundaries by younger workers.
• Skepticism Of Bureaucracy. Insurance complexity is a major frustration. Deductibles, out-of-pocket maximums and opaque pricing create confusion for first-time independent users.
• Demand For Transparency. Grace compares healthcare to e-commerce: if nearly every other industry offers clear pricing and frictionless purchasing, why not medicine?
• Alcohol And Cultural Moderation. Among her peers, alcohol consumption is more situational and less habitual. Health-conscious decision-making extends beyond diet and exercise.
• Education Gaps. Public school health education was limited largely to sex ed and anti-drug messaging. She sees schools as the only scalable venue to improve health literacy nationwide.

There’s so much more to this episode. Tune in to find out what the next generation of patients expects from doctors, nurses and healthcare leaders.

Helpful links

• “From TikTok to Telehealth: 3 Ways Medicine Must Evolve to Reach Gen Z” (Fulcrum)
• “Why younger patients turn away from doctors & toward GenAI” (Fixing Healthcare podcast)
• “Healthcare Regulators’ Outdated Thinking Will Cost American Lives” (Forbes)
• “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Doctors and Patients Can Take Back Control of American Medicine” (Pearl’s newest book)

* * *

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #206: What Gen Z expects from healthcare & why it matters appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this Unfiltered episode of Fixing Healthcare, hosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr sit down with cardiologist and mindfulness expert Dr. Jonathan Fisher for a wide-ranging conversation on leadership, culture and team performance, inspired by lessons from the movie F1.

What begins as a discussion about racing quickly becomes a deep exploration of how high-performing teams operate under pressure. In the movie (and in real Formula 1 racing), success depends not on a single star driver but on flawless coordination, communication and shared accountability. The same, the trio argues, is true in healthcare where patient outcomes increasingly depend on the strength of teams, not individual brilliance.

From there, Drs. Pearl and Fisher focus on how leaders are developed, how to handle disruptive personalities, how to align departments and how physicians can prepare for long-term career success in a rapidly changing healthcare landscape that includes the rise of generative AI.

• Healthcare is a team sport. Like an F1 pit crew, modern medical teams operate in high-stakes, time-sensitive environments. Excellence requires clarity of roles, rehearsal, debriefing and mutual trust not just individual skill.
• Leadership can be learned. Charisma helps, but effective leadership is less about personality and more about behavior. Empathy, emotional regulation and intentional communication are skills that can be developed with practice.
• Delivery often matters more than content. Fisher emphasizes the gap between what leaders intend to communicate and what their teams hear. Non-verbal cues (posture, tone, eye contact and “prosody”) often determine whether a message lands.
• Curiosity over judgment. When faced with disruptive or “toxic” behavior, leaders must stay regulated, address unacceptable actions clearly and then seek to understand the underlying drivers.
• Culture flows from leadership. If an entire department resists change, the issue often centers on the department’s leader. Alignment requires clarity of values, expectations and consequences … and sometimes difficult conversations.
• Excellence requires transparency. High-performing organizations define standards, measure outcomes and make performance visible. Coaching and incentives must align with expectations.
• Physician leaders need training not just promotion. The group discusses how brilliant clinicians are often elevated into leadership roles without preparation, and why formal leadership development is essential for healthcare’s future.
• Planning for succession matters. Pearl points out that great leaders build a “bench.” Teams should be structured to endure transitions, not collapse when one individual exits.
• The future of medicine will reward human skills. As generative AI takes on more algorithmic tasks, communication, empathy and leadership will become even more essential competencies for physicians.

Throughout the episode, Dr. Fisher reminds listeners that leadership is not about dominance or perfection. It is about presence, self-awareness and the willingness to understand how others think, feel and respond. For more unfiltered conversation, listen to the full episode and explore these related resources:

• ‘Just One Heart’ (Jonathan Fisher’s newest book)
• ‘ChatGPT, MD’ (Robert Pearl’s newest book)
• Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (Robert Pearl’s newsletter)

* * *

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple Podcasts or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #205: What ‘F1’ movie teaches us about leadership in medicine appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this week’s episode of Medicine: The Truth, hosts Jeremy Corr and Dr. Robert Pearl examine a sweeping set of developments shaping American healthcare. From the first state-approved use of generative AI to prescribe medications without human oversight to rising healthcare costs, from worsening vaccine misinformation to the stubborn persistence of preventable disease, this show focuses on biggest stories in medicine today.

The episode opens with a groundbreaking and controversial pilot program in Utah that allows a generative AI system to renew prescriptions for chronic disease without physician involvement.

From there, the conversation turns to the relentless rise in healthcare spending. New federal data show Americans now spend more than $15,700 per person annually on medical care, with costs growing twice as fast as the economy.

While insurance coverage remains high for now, Pearl warns that expiring subsidies, Medicaid restrictions and rising premiums are already pushing millions out of coverage. For many families, healthcare affordability has become a top issue and, increasingly, a political fault line heading into the midterm election cycle.

Here are more major storylines from MTT episode 103:

• Exercise as medicine for depression: A large meta-analysis finds that regular exercise can be as effective as antidepressant medication for many patients.
• Trump’s healthcare plan fades quickly: Pearl explains why the president’s proposal disappeared from the headlines.
• Measles returns in force: Cases are nearing 1,000 and outbreaks concentrated in under-vaccinated communities.
• Vaccine battles intensify under RFK Jr.: New appointments to federal advisory committees raise alarm among scientists, as anti-vaccine voices gain influence.
• Chronic disease remains America’s top killer: Cardiovascular disease continues to claim nearly one million lives annually.
• Generative AI’s biggest promise: Pearl makes the case that AI-driven, at-home monitoring could finally transform chronic disease management.
• Cancer trends turn ominous: Colorectal cancer deaths among Americans under 50 are rising sharply, becoming the leading cancer killer in this age group.
• Genetics vs. lifestyle revisited: New research suggests genetics may account for half of lifespan variation but lifestyle still determines how many of those years are lived in good health.
• High-deductible health plans: New data show cancer patients with high-deductible insurance have significantly higher mortality.
• GLP-1 weight-loss pills arrive: The first oral GLP-1 drug launches to record demand.
• A devastating flu season for children: Despite the availability of safe vaccines, pediatric flu deaths reach alarming levels among unvaccinated kids.

As the episode closes, Dr. Pearl delivers a stark warning about the resurgence of pseudoscience in medicine. Tune in for more fact-based coverage and analysis of healthcare’s biggest stories.

* * *

Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of the new book “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine” about the impact of AI on the future of medicine.

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn

The post MTT #103: Can generative AI safely prescribe medicine on its own? appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

This Diving Deep episode with Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr looks at U.S. healthcare across three time horizons: past, present and future.

The hosts use 2025 as a case study in disruption without reform, 2026 as a year of mounting pressure and near-term transition, and the coming decade as a period when generative AI will fundamentally reshape how medicine is practiced.

Dr. Pearl argues that despite political upheaval, executive orders, agency shakeups and constant headlines, American healthcare ended the year largely unchanged. Just more expensive and less trusted. He walks through five domains where chaos dominated but improvement failed to materialize. The throughline? Intense disruption produced little structural change in care delivery, affordability or outcomes.

The conversation shifts from stagnation to pressure. Pearl identifies two forces that make inaction increasingly risky: the midterm elections and accelerating healthcare costs. He outlines how that pressure is likely to shape behavior across the system — not through sweeping reform, but through targeted, politically visible moves.

Pearl describes how generative AI could alter medicine at a profound level, especially through the convergence of AI and surgical robotics. He argues that autonomous surgery, once the realm of science fiction, is now technologically plausible and could upend long-standing hierarchies between cognitive and procedural specialties.

Helpful links

• Healthcare In 2025: A Year Of Chaos, Confusion — But Little Improvement (Forbes)
• Healthcare In 2026: How Much Change Should We Expect? (Forbes)
• Will Your Next Surgeon Be A Robot? (Forbes)
• Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (RobertPearlMD.com)

* * *

Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine.” Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #204: Why healthcare chaos didn’t lead to change & what comes next appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

As part of Season 11 of Fixing Healthcare, which spotlights influential voices with large followings and direct insight into how real people experience medicine, Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr welcome back medical historian Dr. Lindsey Fitzharris for her third appearance on the show, this time joined by her husband and creative partner, illustrator Adrian Teal.

Together, Lindsey and Adrian bring a rare combination of scholarly depth, storytelling and massive digital reach. Lindsey’s work on medical history has captivated millions across books, television and social platforms, while Adrian’s instantly recognizable art has built a massive following online. Their latest collaboration is the children’s book Dead Ends: Flukes, Flops & Failures That Sparked Medical Marvels, which sits at the center of this wide-ranging and unexpectedly personal conversation.

The episode begins with a deceptively simple premise: medicine advances not in straight lines but through failure. Lindsey explains her long-standing fascination with scientific dead ends and why medicine often hides them from public view. Dead Ends, she says, was written to show children (and adults) that changing guidance is not a sign of incompetence, but evidence of learning in real time.

Adrian adds that humor, exaggeration and even “gross-out” visuals aren’t just entertainment. They’re how curiosity is sparked and how complex medical ideas become memorable.

The discussion unfolds across centuries of medical missteps and breakthroughs.

Lindsey and Adrian share favorite stories from the book, including early experiments with galvanism, the guillotine’s unexpected medical legacy and how inventions routinely escape the intentions of their creators.

One standout example is Martin Couney, an outsider who used a Coney Island sideshow to fund incubator care for premature infants. His invention would go on to save thousands of lives even though the medical establishment initially dismissed the technology.

Shifting from history to the present, Lindsey and Adrian reflect on what past failures teach us about regulation, ethics and risk today. While modern safeguards exist for good reason (many historical experiments exploited vulnerable populations) the group wrestles with how to encourage responsible innovation without freezing progress. They also explore how public trust erodes when scientific uncertainty is poorly communicated, especially in a media environment where misinformation travels faster than nuance.

The most personal segment arrives when Lindsey discusses her own breast cancer diagnosis, alongside Adrian’s experience with prostate cancer. Their stories ground the episode firmly in Season 11’s focus on lived experience.

For listeners interested in how history, art and personal experience illuminate today’s healthcare debates, this episode offers a vivid reminder that progress is rarely tidy and never inevitable.

For more unfiltered conversation, listen to the full episode and explore these helpful links.

Helpful links

• Children’s book: Dead Ends: Flukes, Flops & Failures That Sparked Medical Marvels
• Book: The Butchering Art
• Book: The Facemaker
• ChatGPT, MD (Pearl’s newest book)

* * *

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #203: Dead ends, failures & the unlikely path to medical progress appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

Dr. Robert Pearl’s latest opinion poll, part of his “Monthly Musings” newsletter, asked readers about their health goals and habits for 2026 (note: studies show most Americans have already quit their resolutions for the year). The result? People want to eat better, workout more and lose weight. And yet, the behaviors that lead to those outcomes are cited as the most difficult things to maintain: good sleep, time management, stress reduction.

In this episode, Pearls joins cohost Jeremy Corr and cardiologist and burnout expert Jonathan Fisher for an “Unfiltered” conversation about why so many resolutions, intentions and goals fail.

The conversation quickly evolves into an evidence-based exploration of human behavior, motivation and the modern forces working against sustained change.

Drawing on psychology, neuroscience and lived experience, the trio explores why knowledge alone rarely changes behavior, how digital environments hijack attention and emotion, and why willpower may be the most overrated concept in self-improvement.

Along the way, the conversation touches on doom scrolling, burnout, fear, parenting in a digital age and the quiet erosion of habits that support mental and physical health. The result is a candid and deeply human examination of why change is so hard … and what might actually help.

Some of the key ideas discussed:

• Resolutions don’t fail because people are ignorant or lack willpower. Most people already know what they “should” do to improve their health or happiness. The real challenge is not information, but the gap between intention and action.
• Willpower is a fragile strategy. The group challenges the idea that success depends on moral strength or discipline. Instead, they emphasize designing environments and systems that make healthy choices easier.
• Doom scrolling as emotional regulation. Dr. Fisher describes how endless scrolling often isn’t about boredom, but about managing discomfort, anxiety or feeling low.
• Identity shapes behavior more than goals. Habits are easier to sustain when they align with how people see themselves. Someone who identifies as “an athlete” behaves differently than someone who is merely trying to exercise more.
• Burnout is both systemic and personal. While organizational pressures matter, Jonathan argues that individual boundaries, values and behavior patterns also play a role in chronic exhaustion and disengagement.
• Fear is rising. Robbie reflects on the paradox of growing anxiety despite improvements in crime rates, employment and longevity — and points to social isolation as a key driver.
• Phones are changing how we relate to each other. Jeremy raises the now-familiar sight of groups sitting together while staring at screens. The three discuss what this means for connection, attention and the ability to tolerate boredom, especially for children watching adults model behavior.

In classic Unfiltered fashion, the episode resists easy answers. Instead, it invites listeners to rethink how change actually happens: not through sheer determination, but through awareness, structure and a more honest understanding of human nature.

For more unfiltered conversation, listen to the full episode and explore these related resources:

• ‘Just One Heart’ (Jonathan Fisher’s newest book)
• ‘ChatGPT, MD’ (Robert Pearl’s newest book)
• Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (Robert Pearl’s newsletter)

* * *

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple Podcasts or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #202: Willpower, doom scrolling & the illusion of control appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this week’s episode of Medicine: The Truth, hosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr look closely at the stories and controversies shaping U.S. healthcare at the start of 2026.

From a severe flu season and resurgent vaccine-preventable diseases to drug pricing, autism research and the growing role of AI in medicine, the episode offers a data-driven look at where American healthcare is headed.

The show opens with warnings about infectious disease. A dangerous H3N2 flu strain is driving hospitalizations, particularly among children, while measles and whooping cough outbreaks continue to spread among unvaccinated populations.

To Dr. Pearl, these trends do not appear random. They reflect falling vaccination rates, weakened public-health messaging and growing political interference at federal agencies tasked with protecting the public.

From there, the conversation turns to vaccine policy itself. Recent changes at the CDC (including a sharply reduced childhood vaccine schedule and new recommendations against universal newborn hepatitis B vaccination) raise serious concerns. Pearl explains why comparisons to countries like Denmark (with its reduced vaccine schedule) are deeply misleading, and why abandoning universal vaccination in a fragmented U.S. healthcare system risks reversing decades of progress.

Here’s a look at other must-know stories from this episode of Medicine: The Truth:

• Positive vaccine evidence: New CDC data show significant reductions in emergency visits among children who received COVID vaccines, reinforcing their safety and effectiveness.
• Pandemic lessons for children: Pediatric obesity rose during COVID lockdowns, while mental health outcomes improved after schools reopened, underscoring the tradeoffs of prolonged closures.
• Drug pricing deals with manufacturers: The administration’s agreements with pharmaceutical companies apply narrowly to government purchases and exclude many high-cost drugs, limiting their overall impact.
• First oral GLP-1 approved: The FDA cleared the first pill version of a GLP-1 weight-loss drug, offering convenience but likely remaining unaffordable until prices fall closer to $200 per month.
• Autism research update: Rising autism prevalence is driven largely by broader diagnostic criteria and awareness. Large studies continue to show no link to vaccines or acetaminophen, while new research points to strong genetic factors and distinct autism subtypes.
• ACA exchange subsidy uncertainty: Congress has yet to prevent looming premium increases for millions of exchange enrollees. Pearl argues for avoiding coverage cliffs and capping household contributions as a share of income.
• Polypharmacy in seniors: One in eight Medicare Part D beneficiaries now takes eight or more medications, increasing the risk of side effects, falls and hospitalizations in a fragmented system.
• New dietary guidelines: Federal recommendations now emphasize animal protein alongside stronger warnings against sugar and ultra-processed foods, a shift that may conflict with earlier public-health messaging.
• AI’s expanding role in healthcare: OpenAI’s tools increasingly integrate health data from electronic records and consumer apps, signaling how quickly generative AI is becoming part of medical decision-making.
• Medicare and AI oversight: Traditional Medicare is moving toward AI-assisted prior authorization for certain procedures, a response to fraud and low-value care that Pearl says is inevitable as costs continue to rise.

Tune in to Medicine: The Truth for more fact-based coverage and analysis of healthcare’s biggest stories.

* * *

Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of the new book “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine” about the impact of AI on the future of medicine.

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post MTT #102: Vaccines under fire, rising disease & the cost of politics in medicine appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

Mark Cuban approaches healthcare the same way he approaches every industry he enters: by assuming something essential is missing and then asking who benefits from keeping it that way. In American medicine, he believes that missing ingredient is transparency. Not better messaging, not smarter incentives, but simple visibility into how prices are set, who gets paid and who gets taken advantage of.

Cuban is a lifelong healthcare outsider. He is a billionaire entrepreneur, NBA championship team owner and longtime Shark Tank investor. That’s what makes him the perfect guest for Season 11 of Fixing Healthcare with cohosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr.

This season’s guests have massive online audiences, but their value isn’t just reach. It’s their ability to listen closely to what millions of patients are experiencing, then translate those insights back into the broader medical conversation. Few guests embody that better than Cuban.

He has quickly become one of the system’s most incisive critics by paying attention to what patients, employers and clinicians repeatedly say is broken. That mindset led to the creation of Cost Plus Drugs, a pharmacy built on an idea that sounds radical only because healthcare has drifted so far from it. Show patients the actual cost of a medication, add a flat 15% markup and eliminate the opaque middlemen who thrive in the dark.

In this conversation, Cuban explains how a cold email from a physician opened his eyes to how hidden pharmaceutical pricing had become and why opacity itself became the opportunity.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE INTERVIEW

• Why drug prices are detached from reality. Cuban breaks down how widely used medications, including GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars per month despite far lower manufacturing costs. The driver, he argues, is not innovation or scarcity, but a system dominated by pharmacy benefit managers whose rebate structures reward insurers and intermediaries while excluding patients.
• How patients bear the greatest financial harm. With concrete examples, Cuban explains how people in deductible phases, especially those on ACA plans, often pay full retail prices while rebates flow elsewhere. Costs are spread across millions of plan holders, but the financial pain lands on the people who actually need care.
• Why healthcare’s complexity is intentional. From fax machines to prior authorization delays, Cuban argues that administrative friction is not accidental. It protects incumbents, drains clinician time and forces providers into the role of “subprime lenders,” all while patients struggle to navigate a system designed to obscure accountability.
• What he tells CEOs behind closed doors. Cuban outlines the first questions he asks corporate leaders about their pharmacy benefits, why most are not receiving the rebates they believe they are and how audits are often structured to reveal as little as possible. Transparency, he says, is the first step toward leverage.
• A blueprint beyond pharmaceuticals. The discussion extends into hospitals, insurance design and employer-based coverage, including Cuban’s work on cost-plus wellness contracts that publish negotiated rates so others can replicate them. His goal is not dominance. It is forcing the system to respond by making its incentives visible.

Throughout the episode, Cuban’s message is blunt and consistent. Healthcare does not need more jargon, better marketing or marginal tweaks. It needs sunlight. Once pricing, incentives and risk are exposed, many of the system’s most entrenched practices become much harder to justify.

* * *

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #201: Mark Cuban’s blunt diagnosis of what’s broken in healthcare appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this Diving Deep episode, the 200th of episode of Fixing Healthcare, cohosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr explore three interconnected themes:

1. The biggest driver of America’s healthcare crisis.
2. The transformative (and still largely untapped) potential of generative AI.
3. The strategic leadership physicians must embrace if they hope to regain control of their profession and the care their patients receive.

The show opens with a metaphor Pearl has returned to repeatedly in his writing: healthcare’s “invisible gorilla.” Borrowed from classic research on inattentional blindness, the image captures how policymakers, employers and healthcare leaders fixate on insurance mechanics (premiums, subsidies, deductibles) while missing the far larger problem in plain sight: the soaring cost of delivering medical care itself.

From there, the conversation traces how this cost crisis ripples across society. Employers struggle to absorb rising premiums. Workers face higher out-of-pocket costs and job instability. Rural hospitals teeter on the edge of closure. And short-term fixes — from benefit design changes to temporary bailouts — fail to address the underlying mathematical problem.

The hosts then turn to generative AI, not as a billing or documentation solution, but as a clinical force that could reshape care delivery and tremendously lower costs. They examine how genAI could help clinicians manage exploding medical knowledge, prevent errors, personalize inpatient care and extend high-quality monitoring into patients’ homes, particularly for chronic disease.

Finally, the episode widens the lens to leadership and strategy. Drawing lessons from Nvidia and the technology sector, Pearl and Corr explore why medicine’s fragmented, short-term responses have cost physicians influence and what it would take to rebuild leverage through collaboration, accountability and value-based care.

Taken together, the episode sets out to answer a defining question: With pressure mounting across the healthcare system, will medicine act strategically or wait until the crisis leaves no other choice?

Helpful links

• What Nvidia Can Teach Doctors About Strategy, Survival (Forbes)
• 5 Ways GenAI Will Transform Medicine — If Clinicians Embrace It (Forbes)
• US Healthcare’s Biggest Problem: Overlooking The $5 Trillion Gorilla (Forbes)
• Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (RobertPearlMD.com)

* * *

Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine.” Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #200: Healthcare’s cost crisis, GenAI’s promise + medicine’s leadership gap appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

As 2025 comes to a close, we’re flashing back to one of the year’s most listened-to episodes of Fixing Healthcare. This week, a special reading from Dr. Robert Pearl’s bestselling book “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine.”

This encore episode includes audio from Chapter 11, titled “The Road to AI-Empowered Healthcare,” followed by Chapter 11.5, a bold and thought-provoking response written by ChatGPT itself. Together, these chapters offer a vision of the future that, as Jeremy Corr notes, is “analogous to looking at a baby and trying to describe the adult who will follow.”

Looking back, it’s striking how prescient both the human author and large language model turned out to be. Their commentary on the economic, political and cultural roadblocks to AI adoption feels more timely than ever, especially amid today’s headlines.

In Chapter 11, Pearl lays out the promise of Healthcare 4.0, a future in which generative AI empowers patients and doctors alike to reduce inefficiencies, improve care and reclaim the human side of medicine. Chapter 11.5, penned by ChatGPT, offers a clear-eyed critique, cautioning against overreliance on tech and warning that change requires more than just innovation. It demands leadership.

This flashback offers listeners a rare opportunity to hear a dialogue (human and machine) on what it will take to transform American medicine.

HELPFUL LINKS

• ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine (Amazon)
• A list of Malcolm Gladwell’s 25 book recommendations (link)
• Robert Pearl’s Monthly Musings on American Healthcare newsletter (link)

* * *

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple Podcasts or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #199: Revisiting ‘The road to AI-empowered healthcare’ from ChatGPT, MD appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

After the Thanksgiving holiday, Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr sit down for an “Unfiltered” discussion about gratitude with cardiologist and burnout expert Dr. Jonathan Fisher.

While the discussion begins with an exploration of the science and value of gratitude, the episode then expands into an analysis of cultural trends in medicine, mental health, and the tension between individual autonomy and collective belonging. With insights drawn from emotion research, Jonathan’s own experience, and even sci-fi television, this episode touches on everything from evolutionary psychology to electronic health records — and from Lord of the Rings to generative AI.

Some of the key ideas discussed:

• Gratitude is a mindset, a personality trait and, most importantly, a practice. Drawiong on research from Dr. Barbara Fredrickson and others to explain how gratitude triggers upward emotional spirals, helping people tap into optimism, empathy and self-trust.
• When life is falling apart, gratitude alone isn’t the answer. In moments of crisis, trying to force a feeling of gratitude can backfire. Instead, we should begin by choosing where to place our attention, cultivating stillness and gradually train our minds to experience positive emotions again.
• The real enemy of gratitude might be distraction. With much of our attention hijacked by devices, media and negativity bias, Americans today often lack the sustained focus required to feel or express authentic gratitude.
• There’s wisdom (and warning) in a ‘hive mind.’ The group discusses the Apple TV series Pluribus, in which a virus links humans into a hive mind of total empathy and consensus. While peaceful, the world loses all individuality, sparking a conversation about the tension between belonging and autonomy in medicine, society and self.
• A lesson from Samwise Gamgee: In a heartfelt final segment, Jeremy draws on Lord of the Rings to reflect on the importance of standing by loved ones in dark times. Jonathan responds with insight into isolation, empathy and the power of human connection — even when people seem lost.

For more unfiltered conversation, listen to the full episode and explore these related resources:

• ‘Just One Heart’ (Jonathan Fisher’s newest book)
• ‘ChatGPT, MD’ (Robert Pearl’s newest book)
• Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (Robert Pearl’s newsletter)

* * *

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple Podcasts or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #198: The surprising science of gratitude & the cost of conformity appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this week’s episode of Medicine: The Truth, hosts Jeremy Corr and Dr. Robert Pearl examine a wide range of stories shaping American health. From new research on the lifesaving effects of health insurance to troubling vaccine policy changes in Washington, this episode offers an objective and insightful look at what’s working, what’s failing and what lies ahead.

The show opens with a study that functions as a natural experiment on health coverage. When the IRS sent letters warning uninsured Americans about Affordable Care Act penalties, researchers found a striking result: those who signed up for insurance had significantly lower mortality over the next two years. For Dr. Pearl, the takeaway is clear. As political battles over insurance subsidies begin, the stakes are measured in lives saved and lives lost.

From there, the hosts turn to the second round of Medicare drug price negotiations under the Inflation Reduction Act. Cuts as large as 85% will save billions of dollars, but Pearl warns that negotiating prices alone cannot fix America’s drug-pricing problem. The root issue, he notes, is the ability of manufacturers to extend monopolies for years through patent thickets, evergreening and litigation strategies that delay competition. Until those practices change, the United States will continue paying far more than any other nation.

Here are more pressing stories from this month’s episode of Medicine: The Truth:

• Expiring ACA subsidies: Enhanced marketplace subsidies for 24 million Americans are scheduled to sunset, threatening large premium hikes.
• Private insurance costs: Covering a family of four now averages $27,000 per year. Employers may shift even more of the burden onto employees.
• U.S. health spending vs peer nations: America spends nearly $14,000 per person on healthcare, far above any comparable nation, yet underinvests in preventing and managing chronic disease complications.
• Measles resurgence: Falling vaccination rates and permissive school exemptions have made measles endemic again, with outbreaks in multiple states.
• Biosimilars and insulin pricing: The FDA plans to streamline biosimilar approvals by focusing on molecular similarity rather than repeated clinical trials.
• COVID infections during pregnancy: A Massachusetts study of nearly 18,000 births found higher rates of neurodevelopmental diagnoses in children whose mothers had COVID while pregnant.
• Social media and mental health: In a small study, young adults who reduced daily social media use from two hours to 30 minutes saw sharp drops in anxiety and depression.
• Obesity trends and GLP-1s: New Gallup data show adult obesity declining slightly from 40% to 37% since 2022, with the largest gains among women ages 40 to 64 (a popular demographic for drugs like Ozempic).
• Estrogen therapy reconsidered: The FDA has removed its black box warning from estrogen-containing products after new evidence showed substantial cardiovascular, bone and cognitive benefits when started near menopause.

As the episode continues, Dr. Pearl highlights fascinating findings on peanut allergies and preterm birth disparities, looks at the likelihood of a severe flu season with the new H3N2 strain and a stern warning about the politicization of vaccine decisions.

* * *

Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of the new book “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine” about the impact of AI on the future of medicine. All profits from the book go to Doctors Without Borders.

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn

The post MTT #101: From measles outbreaks to GLP-1 hype, the data every patient should know appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

The Draper name is synonymous with Silicon Valley risk-taking. For decades, venture capitalist Tim Draper made bold bets on breakthrough technologies long before they went mainstream (see: Bitcoin). Today, two members of the next generation — siblings Jesse and Adam Draper — are directing that same appetite for innovation toward one of America’s most troubled industries: healthcare.

Jesse, founding partner at Halogen Ventures, focuses on the “future of family,” backing companies that support women, parents and caregivers (nurses, in particular). Adam, founder of Boost VC, invests in frontier breakthroughs and “sovereign health” technologies with outsized potential. Together, they spend their days reviewing hundreds of pitches from entrepreneurs trying to solve real-world problems. And in this episode, they share what they believe patients and consumers are seeking most.

This is Season 11 of Fixing Healthcare, which is dedicated to elevating voices with large public followings: people who, through their work, hear directly from communities, consumers and healthcare professionals. Neither Draper sibling is a healthcare insider. But both bring a candid, outside-in perspective shaped by global innovation, millennial tech culture and thousands of conversations with founders.

Across the interview, the siblings highlight what they believe entrepreneurs are betting on: globalized innovation, new regulatory models and technologies that bypass traditional bottlenecks. Adam points to places like Prospera, a special economic zone in Honduras where companies develop treatments they can’t test in the U.S., while Jesse cites early-stage breakthroughs like Kangaroo’s artificial womb and tools that help families piece together trustworthy scientific evidence. Both describe a rising pattern of medical tourism driven by patients who feel the U.S. system is too slow, too fragmented and too expensive.

Jesse also delivers the episode’s most memorable moment, describing ChatGPT as a “best friend” she consults for everything from parenting decisions to symptom interpretation. Her approach — asking AI to cite real studies and synthesize global data — reflects a generational shift in how people gather information long before seeing a doctor.

In his closing remarks, Dr. Robert Pearl praises their patient-centered instincts while adding the guardrails often missing from Silicon Valley conversations. Innovation can save lives, he notes, but only when safety and cost stay in balance. Excess regulation slows progress, yet unchecked enthusiasm fuels hype and high-priced products that add little value.

The central challenge, he argues, is building a healthcare system bold enough to welcome breakthrough ideas and disciplined enough to ensure they improve outcomes and lower costs, not just generate revenue.

Helpful links

• “Japan has created the first artificial womb” (Engineerine)
• Prospera, Roatán ZEDE (background and news)
• “Healthcare Regulators’ Outdated Thinking Will Cost American Lives” (Forbes)
• “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Doctors and Patients Can Take Back Control of American Medicine” (Pearl’s newest book)

* * *

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #197: Artificial wombs & medical tourism – Draper siblings on healthcare’s next wave appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

For this Thanksgiving week, we’re revisiting an important and emotionally charged episode from the first season of “Medicine: The Truth.” = When this episode debuted in 2020, the podcast was called “Coronavirus: The Truth,” which began when readers of Dr. Robert Pearl’s newsletter, “Monthly Musings on American Healthcare,” started asking for much-needed facts and context surrounding the pandemic.

It was a moment hard to fathom now. Covid cases were climbing fast, the nation was exhausted and vaccines weren’t yet available. Fear and frustration were everywhere. Five years later, with vaccines protecting all but the most vulnerable, it’s worth remembering just how uncertain and divisive the world felt heading into those holidays.

A big question people wanted answered was whether they should change their Thanksgiving plans. Dr. Anthony Fauci had urged Americans to avoid big gatherings. The reaction was immediate and intense. Polls showed three in four people were less excited about the holidays than the year before. Families were fighting over safety. Many felt hopeless and isolated. Against that backdrop, listeners asked the question weighing on millions: Should we gather at all?

In this rerun, Dr. Robert Pearl revisits the facts that mattered most at the time: why drug makers were pausing some vaccine and treatment trials, what was happening on college campuses and why premature births had unexpectedly declined during lockdowns. He explains why he expected 500,000 Covid deaths, a number that shocked listeners in 2020 but ultimately proved accurate (by half).

The episode also dives into deeper issues that shaped the national mood. Most of all, it captures the anger and divisiveness that blanketed the country. A tension that continues today.

There is much our nation can learn today from the experiences of five years ago. This Thanksgiving rerun offers a powerful reminder of where we were and how far we’ve come.

* * *

Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of the new book “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine” about the impact of AI on the future of medicine. All profits from the book go to Doctors Without Borders.

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn

The post FHC #196: Revisiting Thanksgiving 2020 at Covid’s peak appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

This special episode of Unfiltered departs from its usual cadence and lineup as cardiologist Jonathan Fisher is joined this week by his wife, oncologist Dr. Julie Fisher.

Together with hosts Jeremy Corr and Dr. Robert Pearl, the group embarks on a candid, unscripted conversation that begins with a literal and metaphorical climb. Julie and Jonathan recount their joint ascent of Mount Everest (Julie’s idea, not Jonathan’s) and then quickly moves into deeper terrain: the persistence of sexism in medicine.

In this important conversation, Julie opens up about her experiences as a woman in a field where hierarchy and status remain firmly entrenched. She offers a nuanced yet unflinching account of the barriers she’s faced, from inappropriate comments and dismissiveness to more insidious forms of bias in academic and clinical settings. She describes the pressure to be more nurturing, friendly, likeable and even more accessible to patients than male colleagues. And yet, when it came time to seek a promotion, Julie was told these skills – which were both encouraged and expected – weren’t valued as much as significantly as other skills (namely, getting published in academic medical journals).

To this day, these unequal pressures undermine a woman’s ability to lead with authority, to express frustration or to achieve equal footing in the medical profession.

Though born from a partnership between husband and wife, this Unfiltered episode invites a broader reckoning in medicine. It is a chance to look closely and honestly at questions of power, perception and equality in American healthcare.

For more unfiltered conversation, listen to the full episode and explore these related resources:

• Breast cancer diagnoses rising fastest among young women (Charlotte Talks interview with Julie Fisher)
• ‘Just One Heart’ (Jonathan Fisher’s newest book)
• ‘ChatGPT, MD’ (Robert Pearl’s newest book)
• Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (Robert Pearl’s newsletter)

* * *

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple Podcasts or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #195: Dr. Julie Fisher on medicine, marriage & misogyny appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

Before TikTok myth-busting and Instagram reels took over the health education space, Dr. Jen Gunter dominated Twitter (now “X”) as medicine’s fiercest advocate for women’s health.

Dr. Gunter built a massive following by calling out dangerous pseudoscience, exposing sexism in medicine and championing evidence‑based care. In this flashback episode of Fixing Healthcare, we revisit a standout conversation from Season 5 (air date: March 15, 2021). This one feels especially relevant during the show’s current Season 11, which highlights medical influencers who hear directly from millions of patients and can reflect those concerns and conversations back to us.

With more Americans relying on influencers for answers about their bodies, brains and overall health, this rerun brings back the voice of an original myth‑buster: a physician who helped build the very space that others now occupy.

Dr. Gunter, a board‑certified OB‑GYN and bestselling author of The Vagina Bible and The Menopause Manifesto, continues to use her platforms to challenge misleading products, expose medical gaslighting and normalize conversations surrounding women’s bodies. Her newest book, Blood: The Science, Medicine, and Mythology of Menstruation, takes aim at decades of cultural myth and medical misinformation about periods with the aim of replacing shame with science.

In this episode, she speaks with Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr about:

• the harm caused by pseudoscience and wellness influencers.
• the ways sexism shapes the medical system and patient care.
• why clinicians must fight misinformation as fiercely as disease itself.

This timely flashback pairs perfectly with recent Season 11 conversations featuring Dr. Danielle Jones and Dr. Joel Bervell, two leaders in the next generation of medical myth‑busting. Listen to this episode and ask yourself: What has changed in the 4.5 years since Gunter’s original interview? What hasn’t?

* * *

Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine.” All profits from the book go to Doctors Without Borders.

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on X and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #194: A flashback to Dr. Jen Gunter’s fearless fight for truth in women’s health appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

When this podcast launched in March 2020 as Coronavirus: The Truth, hosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr set out to give listeners clear science and accurate analysis during a moment of chaos. Now, 100 episodes later, as Medicine: The Truth, the duo sit down and revisit the most important medical stories of the past five years, explaining what the nation learned, what it didn’t and what urgent questions remain.

The episode opens where the show began: the early days of COVID-19, when exponential spread of the virus threatened to overwhelm U.S. hospitals. Pearl walks through the original goals of public-health measures like masking and social distancing. He reflects on what the country got right, what it got wrong, and why communication failures around testing and vaccines deepened distrust that still affects medicine today.

But as the crisis evolved, so did the podcast. What began as a weekly pandemic explainer shifted into a broader analysis of why the United States spends more on healthcare than any other wealthy nation, yet it delivers worse outcomes.

In this episode, the conversation moves from reflections on the pandemic to a look at some of the show’s longest-running themes: clinician burnout, workforce shortages and a healthcare system struggling to meet rising demand.

Alongside the difficult news that lingers in American healthcare, episode 100 also highlights genuine progress: breakthroughs against Alzheimer’s and colon cancer, advances in prevention and diagnosis, and a growing role for generative AI.

Pearl explains how GenAI could save hundreds of thousands of lives, reduce medical errors, increase healthcare affordability and alleviate clinician burnout. But, none of this will happen unless the financial incentives shift away from fee-for-service and toward value.

Pearl closes with a simple message: crises will return, and science can save lives. However, success will require Americans to follow the research rather than be distracted by politics. To prepare for the next pandemic, he argues that the nation must better control chronic disease, rely on scientifically validated clinical evidence, and reward superior clinical outcomes, rather than simply the volume of care provided.

The first 100 episodes of what is now Medicine: The Truth serve as clear and powerful reminders of the dedication and courage of doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals. But they also warn of how easy it can be for the American healthcare system to lose its way.

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Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of the new book “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine” about the impact of AI on the future of medicine. All profits from the book go to Doctors Without Borders.

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn

The post MTT #100: From COVID-19 to ChatGPT, a close look at the last 5 years    appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this Diving Deep episode of Fixing Healthcare, cohosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr examine two pressing topics: the hidden causes of patient mistrust in doctors and the top reasons healthcare startups fall short.

The episode begins with a striking question: Why don’t Americans trust their doctors anymore?

For most of the past century, physicians were among the most trusted professionals in America. But recent Gallup data reveals that just 44% of Americans now rate their care as “good” or “excellent,” and trust in physicians’ honesty and ethics has fallen to its lowest level in over 20 years.

While COVID-19 and political division may seem like obvious culprits, Pearl traces the real cause to an inflection point back more than two decades ago. That’s when medicine’s greatest challenge shifted from treating short-term illnesses to managing chronic diseases, conditions that require time, coordination and repeated follow-up.

Instead of adapting, the system stagnated. Doctors remained siloed in fee-for-service models that reward volume over outcomes. Insurers rationed access. Appointments became harder to get. Visits were rushed. Misdiagnoses rose. And patients began to feel abandoned.

In the second half of the episode, the hosts turn to the topic of healthcare innovation and why so many startups fail to live up to their promise. Despite record funding, the graveyard of failed startups keeps growing.

Pearl outlines the five most common pitfalls but also offers hope. Startups that understand patient needs, partner with clinicians and understand the system’s reimbursement models can still succeed.

HELPFUL LINKS

• The Hidden Reason For Americans’ Declining Trust In Their Doctors (Forbes)
• How To Avoid 5 Common Mistakes Healthcare Startups Make (Forbes)
• Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (Robert Pearl’s newsletter)

* * *

Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine.” All profits from the book go to Doctors Without Borders.

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #193: What’s fueling medical mistrust & why startups fail appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

With Dr. Jonathan Fisher’s upcoming Ending Clinician Burnout Global Summit (Nov. 6–7) just around the corner, hosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr revisit one of the trio’s most powerful Unfiltered conversations ever.

When this episode first aired a year ago, burnout among doctors was at crisis levels, fueled by long hours, bureaucratic burdens and a culture that rewarded perfectionism over self‑care.

Dr. Fisher, a cardiologist, mindfulness expert and organizational well‑being leader, brought both science and empathy to the discussion. The group explored how systemic challenges — such as burnout, the loss of physician autonomy and the growing influence of private equity — are reshaping the trajectory of medical careers.

Listeners concerned about clinician wellness will gain fresh perspective ahead of this year’s summit, where Dr. Pearl’s bestselling book ChatGPT, MD will be featured as a guide to how AI‑empowered physicians can reclaim time, reduce burnout and refocus their energy on what matters most: caring for patients.

• The burnout epidemic. Dr. Fisher reflects on how increasing administrative burdens, declining autonomy and career dissatisfaction have led many physicians to leave the field or seek non-clinical roles.
• Restoring meaning and fulfillment. Drs. Pearl and Fisher discuss the importance of restoring meaning to physicians’ work by offering leadership opportunities and emphasizing the creative, humanistic aspects of medicine.
• The role of leadership in medicine. Drawing from his experience as CEO at Kaiser Permanente for 18 years, Dr. Pearl highlights how leadership training can empower doctors to take control of their practice.
• Balancing career and personal life. Both Fisher and Pearl emphasize the difficulty of balancing the demands of a medical career with personal fulfillment.

For more unfiltered conversation, listen to the full episode and explore these related resources:

• ‘Just One Heart’ (Jonathan Fisher’s newest book)
• ‘ChatGPT, MD’ (Robert Pearl’s newest book)
• Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (Robert Pearl’s newsletter)

* * *

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple Podcasts or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #192: Flashback to ‘burnout and the physician career arc’ appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

Season 11 of Fixing Healthcare continues its exploration of medicine’s rising influencers with a conversation that reveals how patients can advocate for themselves, how doctors can confront bias they don’t even realize they have, and how storytelling on TikTok is changing medical education.

Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr welcome Joel Bervell, a Ghanaian-American physician, resident in training, Peabody award winner and social media star. Known to millions on TikTok and Instagram as the “Medical Mythbuster,” Bervell shares how he uses short-form video content to expose racial and cultural bias in medicine, challenge misinformation and make complex science more engaging for the next generation of healthcare professionals and patients alike.

Bervell kicks off the conversation by identifying three of the most common and compelling questions he hears from his followers:

1. What should I ask my doctor to make sure I feel heard?
   Bervell explains that many patients, especially those from marginalized communities, worry about being dismissed or misunderstood during doctor visits. What physicians may view as “basic” questions often reflect deeper fears about not being taken seriously. He reminds listeners that the “curse of knowledge” in medicine can cause clinicians to forget what it feels like to lack expertise and power in the exam room.
2. How can I best advocate for a loved one receiving care?
   From hospitalizations to end-of-life decisions, Bervell says he frequently receives messages from people unsure how to support a friend or family member facing a serious health challenge. These questions reveal the deep emotional labor patients and families take on, as well as the need for better health literacy tools and guidance from clinicians.
3. How do race and background affect the care I receive?
   Every day, Bervell is inundated with personal stories from people of color who feel ignored, disbelieved or mistreated in medical settings. His content sheds light on how bias, systemic inequality and flawed clinical guidelines contribute to these experiences. He also highlights the lack of formal education around these topics in many medical schools (a gap he’s working to fill with his mythbusting videos).

Throughout the episode, Bervell and the hosts explore the tension between clinical intent and patient perception, the power of storytelling in medical education, and the critical role of representation both in medical school and in the media.

Dr. Pearl closes the conversation by telling Bervell, “We’ve had clinical experts, leaders of national societies and presidential candidates on our Fixing Health Care podcast, and I can tell you I’ve learned more from you today than from any guest that I can think of in the past … I’m sure our listeners have enjoyed the show, and they too are much smarter when it comes to healthcare now than they were before you began.”

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Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #191: Dr. Joel Bervell on medical bias & the power of storytelling appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

This Halloween-themed episode of Medicine: The Truth finds hosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr confronting the real horrors haunting American medicine today.

When Corr asks what scares him most, Dr. Pearl doesn’t hesitate: it’s the chaos, confusion and politicization that have replaced science and reason. From vaccine policy to drug and insurance pricing to Medicaid cuts, Pearl explains how bad decisions by government and industry leaders are endangering lives.

The conversation begins with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s newly appointed vaccine advisory committee, whose erratic decisions could jeopardize national immunization efforts and patient trust. It moves quickly to Donald Trump’s claim that Tylenol use during pregnancy causes autism. Pearl explains why the claim is biologically implausible, breaks down the real risks of acetaminophen overdose, and warns of the harm caused when political figures replace data with personal belief.

The hosts then turn to Mississippi’s infant mortality crisis, where a lack of OB-GYNs and the state’s refusal to expand Medicaid have pushed death rates to record highs. It’s a chilling illustration, Pearl says, of what happens when ideology trumps compassion.

From there, the episode moves through a series of pressing stories:

• Affordable Care Act turmoil: Subsidies that keep exchange plans affordable are set to expire, threatening coverage for millions and sending premiums soaring by up to 15%.
• Private equity in emergency rooms: A new study shows higher mortality rates in PE-owned hospitals, where cost-cutting has replaced patient safety.
• A new oral GLP-1 pill: Novo Nordisk’s weight-loss drug could improve convenience but only if pricing reflects fairness, not greed.
• Cardiovascular disease data: Despite progress, heart disease remains America’s top killer, with worsening risk factors across income groups.
• Generic approval for mifepristone: The FDA’s move to expand access to abortion medication marks a rare policy victory for evidence-based care.
• Music as medicine: Brazilian researchers find that music before heart imaging reduces anxiety and lowers blood pressure (an example of low-cost care with real impact).
• HPV-linked cancer breakthrough: New AI-driven blood tests may detect head and neck cancers years before symptoms arise.
• Obesity and cancer: Death rates tied to obesity have quadrupled in two decades, rising fastest among women and rural Americans.

As the episode continues, Dr. Pearl highlights grim data on America’s declining health outcomes compared to other wealthy nations, the spread of Chagas disease across U.S. states, and the crushing cost of employer-based insurance. Together, these stories reveal a nation spending more, living shorter and losing faith in its medical institutions. A scary story, indeed.

* * *

Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of the new book “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine” about the impact of AI on the future of medicine. All profits from the book go to Doctors Without Borders.

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn

The post MTT #99: The frightening state of U.S. medicine as politics replace science appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

Season 11 of Fixing Healthcare continues its exploration of medicine’s new voices and rising influencers with an eye-opening conversation about sexuality, vaccinees and misinformation. Today’s guest, originally from rural Texas, joins the show from the other side of the world.

Cohosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr welcome Dr. Danielle Jones, better known to millions as Mama Doctor Jones. An OB-GYN by training, Jones has built a worldwide following on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram, and now brings her perspective from New Zealand, where she lives and practices today.

This season isn’t just about guests with massive online audiences. It’s about what happens when those influencers listen. By engaging directly with millions of patients, they hear first-hand what people are curious about, confused by or struggling with—and then translate those voices back into the larger medical conversation.

This season highlights guests with massive online audiences. But their value isn’t just in reach, it’s in their ability to listen closely to what millions of patients are saying, then translate those insights back into the wider medical conversation.

From the start, Jones makes clear why she’s become a trusted voice for so many.

Her mission isn’t just to provide facts, but to help people distinguish what is real from what is not, a skill that’s more urgent than ever in an era of viral misinformation. Drawing on her roots in rural Texas, Jones describes how she had to unlearn many of the taboos she grew up with before becoming comfortable talking openly about abortion, contraception and sexual health.

Key topics in this conversation:

• The power of online health education. Jones explains how she flips the tactics of disinformation campaigns to spread accurate medical knowledge, making it “work for the good guys.”
• Persistent myths about contraception. She addresses head-on the false claim that birth control causes infertility, emphasizing that age (not contraception) drives fertility challenges.
• HPV vaccines and cultural pushback. Dr. Jones discuss how misogyny and paternalism fuel opposition to one of the safest, most effective vaccines ever developed.
• Supporting teens navigating sexuality. Jones describes how she avoids judgmental “ready/not ready” labels, instead encouraging self-reflection, autonomy and safety.
• Menopause and hormones. She calls out predatory marketing and misinformation around hormone therapies, urging clearer communication about the real risks and benefits.
• A global lens. Living in New Zealand has given Jones new perspective on how cultural context shapes both medical care and public health trust.

Tune in for the full interview and join the conversation on social media.

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Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #190: TikTok’s favorite OB-GYN reveals what millions of women really ask their doctors appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this revealing episode of Unfiltered, cohosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr sit down with cardiologist Dr. Jonathan Fisher to explore a hidden source of suffering in modern medicine: imposter syndrome.

Together, Pearl and Fisher take a vulnerable and nuanced look at the internal doubts that haunt even the most accomplished clinicians. Drawing on Fisher’s research and personal experience, the pair examine how imposter syndrome takes root during medical training and grows amid hierarchical workplaces, unrealistic expectations and a culture of stoicism. Left unaddressed, it can lead to shame, fear and isolation —emotions that rarely surface in traditional conversations about burnout.

Throughout the episode, Fisher and Pearl describe the difference between healthy humility and harmful self-doubt. They consider how training environments, competitive mindsets and systemic pressures may perpetuate imposter feelings. They also reflect on how leaders and organizations can help create psychological safety by sharing personal struggles, reframing failure and building community.

More than a psychological phenomenon, imposter syndrome offers a lens through which to understand the broader crisis of physician wellbeing. As Dr. Fisher notes, combating it starts with telling the truth and making space for others to do the same.

For more unfiltered conversation, listen to the full episode and explore these related resources:

• ‘Just One Heart’ (Jonathan Fisher’s newest book)
• ‘ChatGPT, MD’ (Robert Pearl’s newest book)
• Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (Robert Pearl’s newsletter)

* * *

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple Podcasts or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #189: Diving deep into imposter syndrome in medicine appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this Diving Deep episode of Fixing Healthcare, cohosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr explore two urgent shifts reshaping the patient-doctor relationship in American medicine.

First, they tackle a generational divide that’s growing wider by the year. Gen Z and Millennial patients (now 40% of healthcare consumers), are increasingly turning away from traditional medical providers. Distrust in institutions, a preference for shared decision-making and frustration with outdated communication methods are driving these younger patients to seek answers elsewhere.

Pearl outlines what physicians must do to bridge the gap. Listen more, collaborate often and meet younger patients where they are: digitally, flexibly and with empathy. If doctors don’t evolve, patients will look elsewhere.

And increasingly, “elsewhere” means artificial intelligence. That leads to the second half of the episode, where Pearl maps out a new reality: for the first time in history, patients can climb the ladder of medical expertise with help from GenAI. Large language models like ChatGPT and Claude are enabling patients to move beyond awareness and application into true analysis, synthesis and even innovation.

Pearl explores what this means for clinical care. Will patients one day use GenAI to monitor chronic conditions like diabetes or asthma on their own? Could AI triage symptoms, suggest follow-ups or even nudge lifestyle changes more effectively than a rushed primary care visit?

These questions are no longer theoretical. As Pearl warns, clinicians must either guide the change or risk being sidelined by it.

HELPFUL LINKS

• 3 Ways Doctors Can Win Back Gen Z, Millennial Patients (Forbes)
• Will GPT-5, Claude, Gemini Break Doctors’ Monopoly On Medical Expertise? (Forbes)
• Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (Robert Pearl’s newsletter)

* * *

Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine.” All profits from the book go to Doctors Without Borders.

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #188: Why younger patients turn away from doctors & toward GenAI appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this episode of Medicine: The Truth, Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr dig into growing public distrust in the two government agencies charged with protecting Americans’ health: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Recent shakeups, including the resignation of top leaders and staff reductions, highlight just how politicized these organizations have become. Pearl doesn’t mince words. He calls the situation “chaotic and unscientific,” warning that the politicization of vaccine policy under the Kennedy administration could undermine decades of scientific progress and further erode public trust in medical guidance.

He walks listeners through what changed, why it matters and what might happen next—including how states and medical societies are beginning to defy federal policy by issuing their own vaccine recommendations.

Other key topics discussed:

• New vaccine restrictions under RFK Jr.: COVID vaccines now limited to high-risk individuals under 65, with added barriers for children under 18.
• Loss of expert oversight: RFK Jr. fired all 17 members of the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel, replacing them with politically aligned individuals, some lacking immunization expertise.
• Fragmented guidance: For the first time in 30 years, national medical societies have issued their own vaccine guidelines that contradict CDC policy.
• mRNA research halted: A $500M grant program supporting mRNA vaccine innovation has been canceled, threatening progress in cancer, autoimmune disease and rare conditions.
• A clear explainer on mRNA tech: Pearl delivers a step-by-step explanation of how mRNA vaccines are developed and why they’re safer, faster and potentially life-saving in pandemics and cancer prevention.
• RFK Jr.’s false claims: Pearl debunks Kennedy’s assertion that mRNA vaccines are the “deadliest ever made,” calling it one of the most unscientific claims in recent memory.
• Draft autism report warning: Pearl criticizes an upcoming government report on autism that he expects will repackage discredited vaccine-autism links.
• Food industry appeasement: The “Make America Healthy Again” agenda is criticized for lacking concrete actions on nutrition policy, instead promising more studies of already well-documented problems.
• Medicare funding risks: If federal deficits continue, automatic cuts could slash Medicare by $500B between 2027–2034, which would further destabilize the system.
• Price transparency report: A new analysis from Trilliant Health reveals 9-to-1 variation in what insurers pay for the same surgery, even within the same state or hospital.
• Tech & dementia risk: A meta-analysis of 37 studies finds that older adults using smartphones, computers and the internet may have a reduced risk of cognitive decline, possibly due to reduced social isolation.
• Stalking & heart disease: Women who are stalked or file restraining orders have a significantly higher risk of heart attacks and strokes (up to 70% more) due to prolonged stress and fear.
• Flu shots & allergies: A listener asks about egg allergy risk. Pearl reassures listeners that even in patients with anaphylaxis history, flu vaccines are safe and strongly recommended.
• HPV awareness gap: More than one-third of U.S. adults haven’t heard of HPV, and over half don’t know it causes oral and cervical cancer—despite a highly effective vaccine.
• Child mortality shame:S. babies and children are nearly twice as likely to die before adulthood compared to peers in other wealthy nations.
• Screwworm fly case: A Maryland man becomes the first confirmed U.S. case this year after travel to El Salvador. Pearl explains the biology behind this gruesome but rare parasite.

Tune in to hear Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr cut through the noise with their signature mix of clarity, candor and evidence-based analysis. Once again, the duo exposes misinformation, challenges political spin and helps listeners make sense of what’s really going on.

* * *

Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of the new book “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine” about the impact of AI on the future of medicine. All profits from the book go to Doctors Without Borders.

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn

The post MTT #98: Can patients and doctors still trust the CDC, FDA? appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this candid episode of Unfiltered, cohosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr sit down with cardiologist Dr. Jonathan Fisher to examine why so many clinicians feel trapped between rising bureaucracy and shrinking autonomy.

Together, they detail what it will take to build a system that serves both patients and physicians. Drawing on Fisher’s experiences in small private practice and in a large health system, the trio explores RVUs and metric overload, private equity’s growing footprint and the treadmill effect driving burnout.

They then turn to solutions: team-based care, capitation/value-based models and new primary-care designs (from direct primary care to micro-IPAs). In the second half of the episode, the conversation widens from lifespan and health span to “joy span,” arguing for practical, low-cost ways to strengthen social connection, meaning and wellbeing without overburdening clinicians.

Later, a listener question prompts a timely discussion of Gen Z and younger millennials who avoid traditional primary care, and how medicine must adapt communication, access and expectations to meet people where they are.

For more unfiltered conversation, listen to the full episode and explore these related resources:

• ‘Just One Heart’ (Jonathan Fisher’s newest book)
• ‘ChatGPT, MD’ (Robert Pearl’s newest book)
• Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (Robert Pearl’s newsletter)

* * *

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple Podcasts or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #187: Autonomy, burnout & the future of medical care appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

FHC #186: From rare diseases to rural America, Optum’s CEO talks healthcare’s future

In this special return to Season 10, which focused on transformative technologies in medicine, Fixing Healthcare hosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr interview Dr. Patrick Conway, CEO of Optum, a $250 billion division of UnitedHealth Group. A pediatrician and former CMS leader, Dr. Conway has spent his career driving innovation at the intersection of medicine, policy and business.

Conway argues that healthcare stands on the brink of a transformation driven by artificial intelligence, breakthrough therapies, prevention strategies and big data analytics. As CEO of Optum (one of the most influential players in U.S. medicine, employing over 310,000 people worldwide), Conway explains how his organization is using technology and integration to improve quality, lower costs and expand equity.

Here are five key insights from the episode:

1. AI will be like the internet: changing everything.
   Conway predicts generative AI will rapidly move beyond administrative tasks into clinical decision-making, diagnosis and personalized training for physicians. He shares a story of diagnosing a child’s rare disorder and imagines how AI could make such insights instantaneous for every doctor.
2. Prevention is the ultimate cost-saver.
   Chronic disease prevention, he says, is America’s greatest healthcare challenge. Apps, gamification and continuous monitoring could replace the outdated “come back in four months” model. Managing hypertension and diabetes in real time could radically lower costs and improve lives.
3. Big data enables personalized care at scale.
   Optum uses analytics to stratify patients (such as “dual eligibles” living with multiple chronic conditions) and deliver tailored interventions at home. Conway recounts how one 91-year-old patient, once hospitalized eight times a year, went to zero admissions after joining Optum at Home.
4. Value-based care must expand faster.
   Optum already assumes full financial risk for 5 million patients, but Conway argues the majority of Americans deserve this model. Capitation aligns incentives around outcomes, quality and cost, and generative AI could accelerate its adoption, even in rural communities.
5. Drug costs remain unsustainable.
   Here, Conway is blunt. U.S. drug prices are too high, with GLP-1 drugs costing eight to 10 times more than abroad. Optum has committed to 100% rebate pass-through. It has also eliminated many prior authorizations and shifted its entire pharmacy business to lower-cost generics and biosimilars.

After the interview, Dr. Pearl tells Corr that he was struck by the Optum CEO’s optimism about generative AI and its role in reshaping healthcare, noting that Conway sees beyond administrative savings to its potential for improving clinical outcomes and managing chronic disease. Pearl noted Conway’s clear commitment to capitation and value-based care; what Pearl called his “North Star.” Pearl concluded that Conway is a mission-driven leader, highly capable of pushing UnitedHealth Group to accelerate change, and urged him to move faster than feels comfortable in scaling prevention, AI and integrated care.

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Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #186: Optum CEO on AI, big data & preventing disease appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this Diving Deep episode of Fixing Healthcare, cohosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr tackle two timely topics shaping the future of American medicine.

First, the pair explore a growing concern among health policy experts and clinicians alike: Is the U.S. medical system headed for economic collapse? Dr. Pearl outlines three troubling trends in support of this concern. Ballooning healthcare costs, an unsustainable rise in medical employment (without associated gains in quality), and the accelerating burnout and exit of practicing physicians. Together, these forces threaten to push American healthcare off a cliff.

More alarming still, the traditional “exit ramps” that once helped the system avoid disaster — federal borrowing, employer cost-shifting and physician overwork — are rapidly disappearing. With options dwindling, Pearl and Corr consider what comes next: Will private equity lead a wave of cost-cutting? Will crisis force rationing? Or could new technology offer a better way forward?

That question sets the stage for part two of the episode: a deep dive into generative AI’s future in medicine. Pearl describes two emerging paths: one led by tech startups developing FDA-approved tools to manage disease, and another championed by physicians who teach patients how to use existing large language models for self-care and symptom triage. Both models aim to reduce costs and improve outcomes. But each comes with tradeoffs.

Throughout the episode, Pearl encourages clinicians to lead (not follow) the adoption of GenAI. Whether American healthcare descends into austerity or rises toward innovation, the decisions made now will shape the system’s trajectory for decades to come.

HELPFUL LINKS

• These 3 Medical Trends Predict A Massive Healthcare Crisis (Forbes)
• With OpenAI Set To Launch GPT-5, Here’s How To Monetize Healthcare GenAI (Forbes)
• Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (Robert Pearl’s newsletter)

* * *

Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine.” All profits from the book go to Doctors Without Borders.

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #185: A System in crisis, a technology in waiting appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this episode of Medicine: The Truth, Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr cover a whirlwind of headlines, from a White House push to tie U.S. drug prices to wealthy-nation benchmarks (with tariff threats) to a Big Tech pledge to make medical records truly interoperable. They also unpack what ACA exchange enrollees should expect in 2026 as cost-sharing subsidies teeter and insurers file double-digit premium hikes.

On care delivery, the hosts examine the direct primary care + HSA shift: what it could improve, and where it might widen disparities. They then turn to the FDA’s accelerated approvals, gene-therapy turmoil and why scientific independence matters.

Other key topics discussed:

• Kids’ health: Hand-foot-and-mouth disease basics (spread, home care, when to call) and a rare, deadly flu-related encephalopathy — another reason childhood flu vaccination matters.
• Cancer prevention: How hepatitis B/C control, metabolic health and alcohol use drive (and can prevent) liver cancer.
• Exercise clarity: Why 7,000 steps/day delivers nearly all the health gains long credited to 10,000.
• Lyme 101: Ticks, timelines, treatment (and why prompt checks for bites are protective).
• Pharma’s DTC pivot: Drugmakers selling directly via telemedicine, and what that means for GLP-1 access and brand bias.
• Rural stability: A new $50B Rural Health Fund aimed at offsetting Medicaid-related shortfalls for hospitals.
• Maternal health: 56% of new moms miss recommended postpartum visits, even as one-third of maternal deaths occur after discharge.
• CTE explainer: What we know (and don’t) about repetitive head trauma and long-term brain disease.

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Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of the new book “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine” about the impact of AI on the future of medicine. All profits from the book go to Doctors Without Borders.

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn

The post MTT #97: Drug prices, Big Tech EHR promises & the 7,000-step surprise appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In the first episode of Fixing Healthcare’s 11th season, cohosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr speak with Dr. Uché Blackstock, an emergency physician, bestselling author and health equity expert.

This season turns the spotlight on voices from social media, offering insights into what patients actually want from the U.S. healthcare system. Dr. Blackstock (whose online following is both massive and deeply engaged) shares the concerns she hears most often: fears about rising insurance premiums, confusion around preventive screenings and frustration with a system that feels inaccessible, dismissive or even dangerous for many women and people of color.

Dr. Blackstock is the founder and CEO of Advancing Health Equity and author of Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine, a memoir that blends personal history with data and policy analysis. In her conversation with Dr. Pearl and Jeremy Corr, she highlights several ways the U.S. healthcare system must change to better serve all patients:

Bridging The Access Gap
Dr. Blackstock discusses the urgent need to expand access to preventive care, particularly for groups at higher risk of being overlooked or underserved. She emphasizes the role of health literacy, equitable coverage, and primary care investment in closing these gaps, especially in communities where hospitals and clinics remain out of reach.

Rebuilding Trust
From maternal mortality to COVID response, Dr. Blackstock explains how structural racism, sexist bias and historical injustice continue to shape patient outcomes. She urges clinicians and institutions to take these realities seriously, listen more closely to patients’ concerns and build relationships rooted in dignity and respect.

Rethinking The System Itself
Rather than settle for incremental fixes, Dr. Blackstock calls for a complete overhaul of American medicine. She argues we must reduce administrative waste, center community-based care, and treat universal access to healthcare as a moral and civic imperative. She believes Gen Z, with its strong values, optimism and technological fluency, may be the generation to lead that change.

Throughout the episode, the conversation returns to a central question: What does it mean to be seen, heard and cared for in today’s healthcare system. And how can we ensure everyone receives that kind of care?

Tune in for the full interview and join the conversation on social media.

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Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #184: Dr. Uché Blackstock on racism, sexism and fixing medicine appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this Diving Deep episode of Fixing Healthcare, cohosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr tackle two of the most pressing questions in healthcare today, each focused on the future of medical practice in the era of generative AI.

First, the hosts explore the controversial question: Will AI replace doctors? Dr. Pearl argues that, despite recent advances in AI that now outperform physicians in a growing number of diagnostic tasks, the answer is “no.” He explains why the healthcare system’s worsening physician shortage, its rising costs and patients’ enduring need for human connection all point to a future in which doctors remain essential.

However, he warns that clinicians won’t be immune to the pressures GenAI brings. If the technology is controlled by insurers or private equity firms, it will likely be used to speed up visits and reduce costs, not improve care. To avoid that outcome, Pearl urges physicians to lead AI’s integration into medicine, organizing into high-performing groups and shaping how the tools are used. Otherwise, he cautions, GenAI won’t replace doctors. But it will make their jobs miserable.

Later in the episode, the conversation turns to medical education. Pearl argues that U.S. medical schools are falling dangerously behind in preparing students for the AI revolution. While colleges and universities across the country are rapidly integrating generative AI into undergraduate curricula, most medical schools still rely on outdated teaching methods that emphasize memorization rather than application of information in clinical practice.

Pearl calls for an urgent overhaul of faculty training and curricular design, encouraging hands-on exercises where students use GenAI as a clinical partner. With this foundation, students can engage in diagnostic reasoning, design care plans, and collaborate with AI tools to improve patient outcomes. Without these changes, he warns, tomorrow’s physicians may be ill-equipped to lead in a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape.

Together, these topics speak to some of the greatest fears – and greatest opportunities – in the medical profession today. Listen to the episode to hear the full conversation and decide for yourself.

HELPFUL LINKS

• GenAI Won’t Replace Doctors, But It Could Make Them Miserable (Forbes)
• In The AI Revolution, Medical Schools Are Falling Behind U.S. Colleges (Forbes)
• Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (Robert Pearl’s newsletter)

* * *

Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine.” All profits from the book go to Doctors Without Borders.

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #183: Will GenAI replace docs? How should medical schools respond? appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this episode of Medicine: The Truth, co-hosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr examine a wide range of healthcare headlines. From the Supreme Court’s ruling on preventive care to heat-related deaths, experimental diabetes treatments and the continued unaffordability of life-saving drugs, this episode focuses on biggest stories in medicine today.

It opens with a breakdown of the Supreme Court’s recent 6–3 decision on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV. While the ruling preserves access to services recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, Pearl warns that it introduces new risks.

“When politics or finances enter the healthcare world, clinical outcomes suffer,” says Pearl. He draws parallels to the ousting of experts on the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel and highlights the danger of eroding scientific independence.

Pearl then turns to a longstanding pain point in American healthcare: prior authorization.

While insurer companies claim this process guarantees safe, necessary care, studies show it often delays treatment or leads patients to abandon care altogether. Despite new promises from more than 50 insurers to streamline their processes by 2027, Pearl offers words of caution.

“Although this pledge sounds like a major commitment, clinicians remain doubtful Clinicians remain doubtful … And, of course, 2027 is two years away.”

Other key topics discussed in this episode include:

• Statin underuse: Research shows that prescribing statins to all eligible Americans could prevent 39,000 deaths and 165,000 major cardiac events annually, saving up to $25 billion a year.
• CT scan overuse: New data show that frequent surveillance scans for cancer recurrence do not improve survival and may lead to physical, psychological and financial harm.
• Cancer screening clarity: Only four cancers (breast, lung, cervical and colorectal) have strong evidence supporting screening. For the rest, benefits remain unproven or may be outweighed by risks.
• Colon cancer detection: FIT tests are as effective as colonoscopy in low-risk patients, especially those ages 40–49. Yet screening rates remain far too low.
• Heat-related health threats: Climate-driven “heat domes” pose rising risks to children, the elderly and patients with chronic disease.
• New HIV drug dilemma: The FDA approved an injectable PrEP option with a near-perfect success rate. However, at a staggering $28,000+ annual cost, it may remain out of reach for most.
• FDA under scrutiny: Accelerated approvals are allowing high-cost drugs to enter the market despite safety concerns. Pearl discusses the recent deaths of two children treated with a $3.2 million drug for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
• Experimental type 1 diabetes cure: A new stem cell therapy enabled 10 out of 12 patients to stop insulin injections. But lifelong immunosuppression and likely high costs may limit uptake.
• Autism breakthrough: New genetic analysis identifies four distinct ASD subtypes, helping pave the way for earlier diagnosis and personalized support strategies.
• Alarming pediatric trends: Childhood obesity and mental health issues have risen sharply in the last 17 years. Climate change is also driving a spike in tick-related illnesses in children.
• Obesity science simplified: A global study confirms it’s not lack of exercise driving obesity—it’s excess calories, particularly from ultra-processed, high-fat foods.

The episode closes with a hard truth: U.S. healthcare spending is expected to exceed 20% of GDP by 2033. “Despite spending more, we’re not seeing improvements in outcomes,” Pearl says. He promises to revisit this issue in a future episode of Diving Deep.

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Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of the new book “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine” about the impact of AI on the future of medicine. All profits from the book go to Doctors Without Borders.

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn

The post MTT #96: Cancer confusion, obesity clarity & a $3M drug failure appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In a special episode of Fixing Healthcare, Jeremy Corr turns the mic once more to cohost Dr. Robert Pearl, inviting him to reflect on Season 10, marking the duo’s most ambitious deep-dive into the technologies transforming American medicine.

Over the past nine episodes, Corr and Pearl welcomed leading thinkers in health tech, including high-profile executives from Microsoft, Google, Oracle and Nvidia; the CEOs of Zocdoc and Hippocratic AI; pioneers of generative AI like investor Vinod Khosla; and renowned physician-leaders like Drs. Eric Topol and Maria Ansari.

This week, Corr and Pearl offer listeners a wide-angle view of what they learned … and what comes next.

Pearl begins by identifying four major “eras” of healthcare technology. The first was defined by anatomic understanding and miracle drugs. The second brought powerful machines like CT and MRI. The third saw the arrival of EHRs and the internet, technologies that failed to meet expectations. The fourth era, he says, began on “November 30th of 2022, with the release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT.”

Since then, Pearl notes, generative AI has at least doubled in power annually. “By the time the current cohort of medical students complete their training,” he says, “generative AI will be at least 30 times more powerful than today. That’s the equivalent of your car going as fast as an airplane.”

Corr asks Pearl to walk through what stood out most from the season’s interviews. Pearl highlights Dr. Topol’s focus on “precision preventive care,” David Feinberg’s vision of AI as a personal assistant, and Vinod Khosla’s belief that “AI won’t replace 80% of doctors, but it will replace 80% of what doctors do.” Others predicted tech-enabled call centers, hospital-at-home programs, and smarter EHRs that anticipate a clinician’s needs.

Before the episode ends, Corr asks Pearl to summarize his own top three technologies for the next five to 10 years. Pearl’s answer mirrors — but also expands upon — his earlier appearance in episode #170. Here are the three innovations he believes will have the greatest impact:

1. Large language models (LLMs): Pearl believes tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude will soon be able to monitor patients with chronic illnesses in real time, helping them identify when medication adjustments or clinical interventions are needed (without requiring an in-person visit).
2. AI-enabled telemedicine: When paired with generative AI, telemedicine will evolve from a one-to-one model to a one-to-many approach. Pearl envisions a future in which doctors can oversee and manage care for dozens — or even hundreds — of discharged patients simultaneously, responding quickly to those who need the most attention.
3. AI-powered assistants: Tools like DeepSeek will spark a new generation of digital healthcare agents trained on real clinician–patient interactions. These assistants will handle triage, chronic disease management and home monitoring, making expert-level care more accessible, scalable and affordable than ever before.

Pearl ends with a bold forecast: “I’m convinced that over the next five to 10 years, the combination of dedicated clinicians and empowered patients and generative AI technology will achieve clinical outcomes that are exponentially better than what any of the three could achieve alone.”

Click play to hear this wide-ranging wrap-up to Season 10, including predictions for medicine’s future and a call to action for patients, clinicians and tech innovators alike.

* * *

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #182: How GenAI, telemedicine and AI assistants will reshape medicine appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this introspective episode of Unfiltered, cohosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr sit down once again with cardiologist Dr. Jonathan Fisher to explore the emotional and psychological dimensions of medical treatment — this time from the perspective of a physician as a patient.

Prompted by Dr. Fisher’s own recent orthopedic surgery, the discussion examines the complexities and uncertainties patients face when deciding on medical interventions. Fisher candidly shares his reflections on the importance of setting clear expectations, the role of empathy in patient care, and the profound isolation and vulnerability experienced during his own recovery.

The episode expands into a broader dialogue about hope, optimism and honesty in medical care, particularly in oncology. Pearl and Fisher debate the balance between providing realistic expectations and maintaining patient optimism, highlighting how the right mindset can significantly influence healing and recovery.

Finally, in response to a listener’s thoughtful question, the hosts explore how medical specialties metaphorically influence a physician’s worldview and approach to patient care, underscoring the profound interplay between personal experience and professional practice.

For more candid, unfiltered conversation, listen to the full episode and explore these related resources:

‘Just One Heart’ (Jonathan Fisher’s newest book)

‘ChatGPT, MD’ (Robert Pearl’s newest book)

Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (Robert Pearl’s newsletter)

* * *

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple Podcasts or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #181: When the doctor becomes the patient appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this episode of Fixing Healthcare’s “Diving Deep,” co-hosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr examine two pressing healthcare issues through thoughtful Q&A: the impact of Trump’s healthcare promises on policy and the hidden psychological bias that impedes everything from tariff decisions to chronic disease management.

First, the hosts discuss President Donald Trump’s bold healthcare promises, including significantly lowering prescription drug prices, reversing chronic diseases and leveraging generative AI to transform American medicine. With midterm elections looming, Pearl emphasizes the urgency for real policy action rather than rhetoric. On drug pricing, he notes the significant legislative and regulatory hurdles facing Trump’s proposed solutions, such as Most-Favored-Nation (MFN) pricing. Regarding food quality and obesity, Pearl addresses RFK Jr.’s criticism of ultra-processed foods and urges the administration to move beyond symbolic reports to concrete policies, including front-of-package labeling, taxation of unhealthy foods, and stricter food additive regulations. Additionally, Pearl highlights the administration’s enthusiasm for generative AI, advocating for real-world applications to manage chronic conditions and enhance diagnostic accuracy, while cautioning against potential disconnects caused by outdated FDA processes and insufficient investment in innovation.

Later in the episode, the hosts delve into the hidden psychological traps impacting chronic disease management, particularly the Dunning-Kruger effect, a cognitive bias causing individuals to overestimate their competence. Pearl explains how this bias affects healthcare providers, resulting in clinical inertia, where doctors overestimate their control over patients’ chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. This often leads to inadequate disease management and avoidable complications like heart attacks and strokes. Pearl suggests several strategies for overcoming this bias, including objective self-assessment against national benchmarks, proactive investigation of treatment gaps, and the use of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT to enhance patient engagement and clinical responsiveness.

This episode of “Diving Deep” underscores the importance of transitioning from political and professional promises to tangible healthcare improvements, highlighting both the potential and pitfalls in current healthcare strategies.

HELPFUL LINKS

• Talk Is Cheap: Now Trump Must Deliver On His Healthcare Promises (Forbes)
• The Hidden Link Between Tariffs, Vaccines, Chronic Disease (Forbes)
• Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (Robert Pearl’s newsletter)

* * *

Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine.” All profits from the book go to Doctors Without Borders.

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #180: Diving Deep into healthcare politics & the biases blocking chronic disease care appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

With Dr. Robert Pearl traveling abroad this week to keynote a major conference on patient data transparency, the Fixing Healthcare team is revisiting one of its most popular episodes: an Unfiltered conversation with Dr. Zubin Damania (aka ZDoggMD), originally recorded three years ago in the lead-up to Independence Day.

At the time of the recording, America was grappling with the aftermath of a deadly mass shooting at the Highland Park parade in Illinois. Cohost Jeremy Corr, near the end of the episode, asks Drs. Pearl and Damania how America — despite its ideals of freedom and democracy — continues to struggle with societal divides, mental illness and isolation. Corr drew on a quote from founding father Thomas Jefferson to set the stage: “Yes, we did produce a near-perfect republic. But will they keep it? Or will they, in the enjoyment of plenty, lose the memory of freedom? Material abundance without character is the surest way to destruction.”

In his response, and throughout the episode, Dr. Damania emphasizes that the key to overcoming these challenges lies in embracing authenticity, promoting community connection, and helping people discover and realize their purpose.

“We have a crisis of meaning. And the question we ought to be really trying to process is how do we bring back a sense of meaning?”

Damania argues passionately for authenticity in medicine, believing that openness, transparency, and emotional honesty are vital for both patient care and physician satisfaction.

As the Fourth of July approaches once again, this replay encourages listeners to reflect on how authentic relationships and a commitment to community can enhance not only medical care but societal cohesion overall. Tune in for a thought-provoking reminder of how fostering authenticity and empathy can strengthen medicine and our broader society.

* * *

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple Podcasts or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #179: An unfiltered look back at independence, authenticity in medicine appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this episode of Medicine: The Truth, co-hosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr explore significant updates and controversies in healthcare, from battles over vaccine recommendations to skyrocketing healthcare costs and promising cancer research.

The CDC recently clashed with Robert Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services, over Covid-19 vaccine recommendations. Kennedy declared no additional Covid booster shots necessary for healthy children and pregnant women, sparking immediate backlash. Pearl clarifies the complexity here, explaining Kennedy’s claims are politically charged rather than scientifically supported.

In economic news, healthcare costs for a family of four reached an alarming average of $35,000 per year, nearly triple the amount 20 years ago. With healthcare expenses rising 6% annually — far outpacing wages and inflation — Pearl highlights the growing financial strain on American families.

On a brighter note, groundbreaking research has demonstrated the powerful impact of exercise on cancer survival. A robust international study revealed structured exercise programs significantly reduced the risk of cancer recurrence and death, underscoring lifestyle medicine’s vital role in patient outcomes.

Other key topics discussed in this episode:

• Measles epidemic slowing as vaccinations increase
• New RSV vaccine dramatically reduces infant hospitalizations
• Soaring economic cost of opioid addiction and the financial benefits of treatment
• Promising results from at-home cervical cancer screening
• Implications of NIH budget cuts, including termination of crucial HIV/AIDS vaccine research
• Concerns around hospital profits amid rising healthcare expenses
• The growing threat of a “brain drain” in medical science as U.S. scientists increasingly seek positions abroad
• Final annual data confirming soaring new drug costs
• Billy Joel’s diagnosis with normal pressure hydrocephalus and what it means
• Elon Musk and controversies surrounding ketamine use

Tune in as Dr. Pearl and Jeremy Corr bring clarity and in-depth analysis to the headlines, scientific breakthroughs and policy decisions shaping American healthcare.

* * *

Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of the new book “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine” about the impact of AI on the future of medicine. All profits from the book go to Doctors Without Borders.

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn

The post MTT #95: Politics vs. science—Who really controls America’s vaccines? appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this thought-provoking episode of Unfiltered, cohosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr sit down with cardiologist and physician well-being advocate Dr. Jonathan Fisher to explore the intersection of stress, gender and modern medicine—beginning with the surprising physiology of a literal broken heart.

Timed with Father’s Day, the conversation opens with reflections on masculinity and caregiving before pivoting into a deep dive on stress-induced cardiomyopathy (aka: “broken heart” syndrome). Dr. Fisher explains why this life-threatening condition disproportionately affects women, and why men, when they do suffer it, are twice as likely to die.

From there, the trio tackles mounting clinician stress, rising misinformation in the exam room and the role of AI in spreading fabricated claims. Throughout the episode, they examine the emotional toll carried by women in medicine, the persistence of diagnostic gender bias and the erosion of trust in clinical expertise.

As always, the episode ends with a thoughtful patient-centered question from Jeremy, this time about how clinicians and caregivers cope with emotional trauma and whether it’s healthier to compartmentalize or seek support from loved ones.

For more candid, unfiltered conversation, listen to the full episode and explore these related resources:

‘Just One Heart’ (Jonathan Fisher’s newest book)

‘ChatGPT, MD’ (Robert Pearl’s newest book)

Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (Robert Pearl’s newsletter)

* * *

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple Podcasts or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #178: Dying of a broken heart, literally appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this special episode of Fixing Healthcare, hosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr welcome Dr. Maria Ansari, CEO of The Permanente Medical Group, Northwest Permanente and Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group.

In this interview, Dr. Ansari offers a forward-looking perspective shaped by deep experience in value-based care and technological innovation. The conversation is part of Season 10’s focus on how technology—particularly generative AI—can reshape American medicine.

When asked about the three most transformative technologies of the next decade, Dr. Ansari reframes the question around three existential challenges in American healthcare: a shrinking clinical workforce, a rapidly aging population and the growing unaffordability of care. She then connects each challenge to a corresponding technological solution.

1. Easing workforce strain with ambient and generative AI.
   With an expected shortfall of 120,000 physicians by decade’s end, Dr. Ansari emphasizes the urgent need to “get doctors back to doctoring.” Kaiser Permanente has deployed ambient AI tools to more than 22,000 physicians, helping automate documentation and reduce inbox burden. Generative AI now drafts personalized responses to patient messages, allowing doctors to serve as editors rather than authors. And in oncology, AI tools already help match complex cancer cases with the most effective treatment options, accelerating the delivery of cutting-edge care.
2. Supporting aging populations with predictive analytics and remote care.
   As patients grow older and sicker, AI-driven tools like digital care navigators and remote monitoring systems are helping close the gap between provider capacity and patient needs. One standout example: Kaiser’s “Care Plus” program uses AI to predict emergency department visits and triage patients to home-based or ambulatory care, reducing avoidable hospitalizations. Dr. Ansari also highlights emerging tools like wearables and digital “twins” to support self-management of chronic conditions like heart failure and prediabetes.
3. Making care more affordable through prevention and personalization.
   Dr. Ansari argues that real cost savings in medicine come from avoiding diseases in the first place. With AI-powered early detection tools (such as those that analyze subtle breast imaging markers), The Permanente Medical Group identifies cancer risks invisible to the human eye. These technologies, paired with systems like advanced alert monitoring in hospitals, are saving thousands of lives annually by preventing complications before they arise.

Throughout the interview, Dr. Ansari is careful to position AI as “augmented intelligence,” a tool to enhance, not replace, human judgment. Whether improving medical education, empowering patients or reshaping the future of chronic disease, she calls for bold leadership and rapid adoption.

“If you want to have happy patients, you also have to have happy doctors,” she says, making a strong case for technology that supports both.

* * *

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #177: Inside TPMG’s bold AI strategy with CEO Maria Ansari appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this month’s Diving Deep episode of the Fixing Healthcare podcast, cohosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr tackle two major questions:

• How have the first 100 days of Presidents Obama and Trump shaped American healthcare—and where is Trump’s second term headed?
• What happens to medicine when artificial general intelligence (AGI) arrives, making generative AI as capable as human doctors?

The conversation begins with a comparison of the first 100 days of each president’s time in office. Dr. Pearl contrasts Obama’s focus on expanding access through the ACA with Trump’s emphasis on cutting costs by reducing federal spending. With Trump is back in the White House, what can Americans expect going forward? Pearl offers a clear-eyed assessment, drawing on past behavior, current executive orders, outside-the-box health agency appointments and campaign promises to project where healthcare may be headed next.

In the second half of the show, the cohosts shift to what may seem like a more futuristic question: what will it mean when machines match or exceed doctors in clinical reasoning, diagnosis and decision-making? But as Pearl explains, the arrival of AGI isn’t decades away. It’s coming soon and will be understood as a milestone rather than a tool, one that fits into the exponential evolution of GenAI. Here, Pearl examines what systems and cultures need to change to prepare for this fast-approaching change in medicine.

Together, these stories raise urgent questions about what’s driving American healthcare: Is it politics or technological progress? Listen to the full episode to hear both conversations and decide for yourself.

HELPFUL LINKS

• What Happens To Medicine When Machines Are As Good As Doctors? (Forbes)
• Obama And Trump’s First 100 Days Of Healthcare Policy: A Comparison (Forbes)
• Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (Robert Pearl’s newsletter)

* * *

Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine.” All profits from the book go to Doctors Without Borders.

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #176: What AGI means for medicine & what Trump means for healthcare appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this episode of Medicine: The Truth, co-hosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr unpack a troubling set of healthcare developments—from surging vaccine-preventable illnesses to steep hikes in drug costs and the looming threat of Medicaid cuts.

Measles cases have now topped 1,000, with Texas experiencing the worst outbreak since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000. Meanwhile, other infectious diseases like pertussis and influenza are resurging. Dr. Pearl explains how falling vaccination rates could soon lead to tens of thousands of preventable deaths.

The episode also addresses the latest federal budget proposal, which calls for massive cuts to government health programs, even as the U.S. faces new public health crises. Drug prices, already soaring, are now subject to additional stress from rising tariffs, putting more lifesaving medications out of reach.

It’s not all bad news. A major new study suggests that shingles vaccination may reduce dementia risk by 20%, offering a powerful argument for broader preventive care. And despite rising costs, opioid-related deaths are dropping—thanks in part to expanded access to naloxone and other life-saving treatments.

Other key topics covered in this episode include:

• Measles outbreak in Texas becomes the largest in 25 years
• Pertussis (whooping cough) cases double, marking a return to 1950s-era prevalence
• S. drug prices up 11.4% in the past year, with 25% of prescriptions going unfilled
• The Trump administration’s proposed $18 billion cut to the NIH and 3.6% CDC funding drop
• New at-home tests approved for HPV and common STDs
• Universal shingles vaccination may reduce dementia risk by 20%
• GLP-1 weight-loss pills are on the horizon
• New data reveal CT scans may be responsible for 100,000 cancer deaths
• Pig-to-human kidney transplants hit new survival milestones
• Smoking still contributes to 20% of all cancer cases
• Universal vaccine effort raises scientific and political concerns
• Autism’s true origins: What research does—and doesn’t—say
• Marijuana during pregnancy linked to preterm birth, low weight, mortality
• Five risk factors (including obesity and smoking) cut life expectancy by over a decade

Tune in as Dr. Pearl and Jeremy Corr bring clarity to the headlines and offer sharp insight into the policies, science and statistics shaping American healthcare.

* * *

Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of the new book “ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine” about the impact of AI on the future of medicine. All profits from the book go to Doctors Without Borders.

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn

The post MTT #94: Measles, meds & misinformation: Can we still trust American science? appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In this episode of Unfiltered, cohosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr are joined once again by cardiologist and physician wellness advocate Dr. Jonathan Fisher. The trio take an unfiltered look at physician burnout, asking whether the profession itself is pushing doctors to emotionally “split in two.”

The discussion covers a wide range of pressing issues, from declining reimbursements and ineffective wellness programs to the cultural expectation that doctors must suppress grief, frustration and empathy to survive the workday.

Dr. Fisher warns that this emotional compartmentalization resembles the plot of the dystopian show Severance, and he draws on both psychological research and personal experience to explain how it can corrode doctors’ professional fulfillment and personal lives.

Dr. Pearl counters with skepticism that systemic change will happen unless clinicians lead the charge, proposing a bold, clinician-run experiment in preventive care that could reshape incentives and eliminate bureaucratic friction.

For more, listen to the full episode and check out these helpful links:

‘Just One Heart’ (Jonathan Fisher’s newest book)

‘ChatGPT, MD’ (Robert Pearl’s newest book)

Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (Robert Pearl’s newsletter)

* * *

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple Podcasts or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #175: Burnout, Broken Systems & The Severed Self appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

In the latest episode of Fixing Healthcare, hosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr welcome Oliver Kharraz, founder and CEO of Zocdoc, for a conversation about the power of technology to eliminate one of medicine’s biggest pain points: access.

This interview, part of Season 10’s focus on transformative technology, spotlights Zocdoc’s role as a digital marketplace where patients can search for providers by specialty, insurance, availability and location. As Kharraz explains, Zocdoc aims to be the “connective tissue” of healthcare, streamlining care navigation while empowering both patients and providers.

Here are four key insights from the episode:

1. Regulatory red tape still strangles innovation: Kharraz recalls how outdated laws nearly shut down Zocdoc in its early days. Because federal regulations didn’t clearly address whether providers could be charged per appointment booked, Zocdoc was forced into a flat-fee model that stifled its growth. “It took us years to secure permission,” he says, but it proved that reform is possible when innovators persist.
2. AI will revolutionize patient access, starting with the phone. Zocdoc is rolling out Zo, an AI-powered phone assistant that autonomously handles 70% of inbound scheduling calls. Kharraz calls the phone “bad for business” because it wastes staff time, frustrates patients and leaves money on the table. Zo offers real-time, friendly and flexible support without hold times, dramatically improving the patient experience and ROI.
3. Healthcare needs a ‘Shopify,’ not a walled garden. According to Kharraz, most healthcare platforms create friction by forcing patients to juggle multiple logins and portals. Zocdoc’s model is open, decentralized and designed to integrate with EHRs, insurance systems and external platforms. It prioritizes ease and choice. “We’re not trying to be the only platform,” he says, “we’re trying to manage the complexity.”
4. The future is patient-centered, not provider-centric. Kharraz envisions a healthcare experience where patients receive proactive support — from appointment reminders to prescription refills — through augmentative AI that acts like a superhuman assistant. He’s optimistic that a more personalized, consumer-driven model is emerging. “This doesn’t come at the provider’s expense,” he says. “Both sides benefit when the right match is made.”

Kharraz has long championed patient-first thinking. This conversation not only explains how Zocdoc is improving access today, but where digital health innovation is headed next. Don’t miss it.

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Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post FHC #174: Zocdoc CEO says AI will cure healthcare’s scheduling chaos appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.