In this episode of Only Healthcare, we tackle the fundamental question: Why does the US spend more on healthcare than any other country yet rank last in outcomes?
Key Topics:
- The cost-outcome paradox – How $12,000 per capita spending leads to worst-in-class life expectancy and preventable death rates among developed nations
- System misalignment – Why emergency care dominates over preventative care, driving up costs while reducing effectiveness
- Administrative waste – The $600 billion to $2 trillion in wasteful spending caused by middlemen, lack of transparency, and disconnected care
- Patient empowerment strategies – Practical steps individuals can take to navigate the system, from research and advocacy to choosing integrated care models like Mayo Clinic and Kaiser
Despite the challenges, this isn't about bad medicine or bad people – it's about broken processes that can be fixed through transparency, accountability, and putting power back in the hands of patients and providers.
🎧 Listen now: onlyhealthcarepodcast.com
-
Chapters:
(00:00) Introduction
(01:00) US healthcare spending vs. outcomes data
(03:00) Emergency care cost drivers
(05:00) Insurance coverage and preventative care gaps
(08:00) Administrative waste and pharmaceutical pricing
(12:00) Successful healthcare models (Mayo Clinic, Kaiser, Cleveland Clinic)
(17:00) Patient advocacy and proactive health strategies
(22:00) Human toll and social determinants of health
Michael's LinkedIn
Randy's LinkedIn
Sponsored by:
Peek: A game-changing prescription shopping solution that allows its members to view all their prescription cost options across cash discount programs and their insurance in one easy-to-use platform. Peek is currently being offered to organizations to help both employees and plan sponsors save money on their prescription spend. https://peekmeds.com/.
Institute for Integrated Health (IIH): Health care benefits, insurance coverage regulations, and doing business in the healthcare industry can be complicated. At IIH, Dr. Randy Vogenberg and his team understand these unique challenges and provides strategic guidance customized to every client. To help overcome your unique challenges, IIH delivers education, planning and advisory on market trends, and U.S. health care market intelligence. The firm’s decades of proven success are due to strategic collaboration with associates from the business, clinical, and scientific communities. https://iih-online.com/.
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.