The Doctor's Lounge
Where scalpels meet systems — and physicians say what they really think. Co-hosted by Dutch Rojas, Anthony DiGiorgio, DO, with Anish Koka, MD, Dan Choi, MD, & Sanat Dixit, MD — candid talks on healthcare policy, reform, physician autonomy & patient care.
Episodes
In this engaging conversation, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya discusses his unique perspective as a health economist and the impact of his training on his approach to public health, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. He reflects on the Great Barrington Declaration, the importance of dissent in science, and the need for reform within the NIH to foster innovation and address the replication crisis in research. Dr. Bhattacharya emphasiz...
Benjamin Ryan was the only journalist in the courtroom for every day of the first detransition lawsuit to reach a jury verdict. In January 2025, a White Plains jury awarded $2 million to Fox Varian, who received a double mastectomy at age 16 after being diagnosed with gender dysphoria. Years later, she detransitioned and sued her psychologist and plastic surgeon.
What happened in that courtroom tells a bigger story about how America...
Guest: Ed Gaines, JD, CPC Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, Zotec Partners Honorary Member, American College of Emergency Physicians
Episode Summary:
If you're a hospital-based physician and you don't understand the No Surprises Act, you're missing the biggest shift in payment leverage in decades. Insurance companies estimated there would be 17,000 disputes. The actual number? Over 2.5 million. And physicians are winning 85-90% o...
What happens when a spine surgeon who's been in private practice since the Obamacare era sits down with doctors across the political spectrum? You get one of the most honest conversations about healthcare reform we've had.
Brian Gantwerker doesn't fit neatly into anyone's box. He's a private practice capitalist who thinks breaking up insurance companies is essential. He believes in "just pricing" for craniotomies (hint: it's more th...
Guest: Josh Umbehr, MD | Co-founder & CEO, Atlas MD | DPC Pioneer
Summary: In 2010, Josh Umbehr launched Atlas MD charging $50/month for unlimited primary care with no insurance billing. Other doctors said it wasn't sustainable. Fourteen years later, he runs a platform serving 1,800+ practices and built his own insurance company. This conversation covers the full journey: wholesale medication costs ($0.01/pill metformin), the $2...
Keywords
Alex Berenson, COVID vaccine, Medicaid fraud, autism services, healthcare, investigative journalism, MCOs, AI in healthcare, public health, healthcare policy
Summary
In this conversation, Anish Koka and Alex Berenson delve into critical issues surrounding the COVID vaccine, Medicaid fraud, and the financial incentives within autism services. They discuss the implications of investigative journalism in public health, the role ...
Summary
In this episode of the Doctor's Lounge, hosts Anish Koka, Anthony DiGiorgio, and Sanat Dixit delve into the complexities of healthcare policy, particularly focusing on recent statements made by former President Trump regarding healthcare reform. They discuss the implications of Trump's proposed 'Great Healthcare Plan,' which aims to lower drug prices and insurance premiums while in...
Keywords
healthcare, ACA subsidies, vaccine schedule, AI in healthcare, concierge medicine, food pyramid, healthcare policy, public health, physician autonomy, healthcare costs
Summary
In this episode, the hosts delve into the complexities of healthcare, discussing the ongoing saga of ACA subsidies, recent changes to vaccine schedules, and the implications of AI in healthcare. They expl...
Keywords
healthcare policy, Medicaid, ACA, fraud, social media, bureaucracy, primary care, immigration, healthcare reform, insurance
Takeaways
The One Big Beautiful Bill aimed to reform Medicaid and tighten eligibility checks.
Fraud in Medicaid has been highlighted by recent cases, particularly in Minnesota.
Work requirements for Medicaid recipients are seen as a reasonable eligibility c...
Keywords
electronic medical records, healthcare technology, EHR challenges, physician experience, digital health, healthcare regulations, EMR usability, healthcare innovation, patient care, medical technology, EHR, healthcare efficiency, physician ownership, diversity in medicine, medical education, healthcare bureaucracy, DEI, patient care, healthcare systems, physician burnout
Summary
Keywords
healthcare, MAID, patient autonomy, economic implications, GOP healthcare proposals, health savings accounts, dynamic pricing, Instacart, ethical dilemmas, healthcare systems
Summary
In this episode, the hosts discuss pressing issues in healthcare, focusing on the Canadian MAID program, the implications of patient autonomy, economic factors influencing healthcare decisions, and...
Keywords
healthcare, primary care, ER, cost reduction, pharmacy reform, 340B program, healthcare access, bureaucratic reform
Summary
The conversation focuses on the need to shift healthcare from emergency rooms to primary care, emphasizing cost reduction and improved access through reforms in pharmacy practices and bureaucratic processes.
Takeaways
Shifting health...
Keywords
healthcare, Medicaid fraud, DEI, vaccine safety, Eli Lilly, ACA, healthcare policy, trust in medicine, social determinants of health, healthcare reform
Summary
In this episode, the hosts discuss various pressing issues in healthcare, including Medicaid fraud, the impact of fraud on legitimate healthcare needs, and the ongoing debate about healthcare as a human right. They also ...
Summary
Dr. Anahita Dua is a vascular surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital who joins Dutch Rojas, Anish Koka, and Anthony Digiorgio to discuss her views on women's health and cardiovascular disease, the need for a broader understanding of women's health issues beyond reproductive health, and the problems female physicians face in medicine. We discuss the challenges of research funding, the impo...
Summary
In this episode of the Doctors' Lounge, the hosts discuss a range of topics centered around healthcare, including personal experiences with medical procedures, the importance of trust in healthcare providers, the economics of office-based surgeries, and the role of insurance companies in driving up costs. They reflect on the need for a more patient-centered approach to healthcare and express grat...
🎯 Why Listen:
Dive into a heated discussion on the future of healthcare, where leading physicians debate the merits of free market principles versus centralized healthcare planning. Discover why the current system may be failing and what can be done to steer it in a better direction.
👥 Co-Hosts:
Dutch Rojas – Founder, Bliksem Health
Anthony DiGiorgio, DO, MHA – Neurosurgeon, UCSF; health policy researcher
Anish Kok...
📌 Episode Overview:
In this episode, the co-hosts dive into the complexities of healthcare policy, discussing the impact of ACA subsidies, the role of insurance companies, and the potential for HSAs to empower patients. They explore the challenges of healthcare costs, the influence of government subsidies, and the need for a competitive marketplace.
👥 Co-Hosts:
- Anthony DiGiorgio, DO, MHA – Neurosurgeon, UCSF; healt...
Show Link: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/0003-4819-153-8-201010190-00274
Why Listen 👥
In this episode, the hosts delve into the complexities of the healthcare system, discussing the impact of large hospital systems as major employers, the broken window fallacy in healthcare, and the challenges of high premiums. They explore the historical context of certificate of need laws and site of service differentials, ...
Why Listen 👥
In this episode, the hosts delve into the complexities of healthcare costs, the impact of policy decisions, and the role of market forces in shaping the healthcare landscape. They discuss the consolidation of healthcare providers, the influence of insurance companies, and the challenges faced by independent practices. The conversation also touches on the COVID-19 pandemic, the response of public health of...
📌 Why Listen
Explore the complexities of the 340B program, its impact on healthcare systems, and the implications for both hospitals and independent clinicians. Understand the need for transparency and potential reforms to align the program with its original goals.
👥 Co-Hosts
- Anthony DiGiorgio, DO, MHA – Neurosurgeon, UCSF; health policy researcher
- Anish Koka, MD – Cardiologist, Philadelphia; healthcare po...
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