Why Healthcare Costs Keep Climbing

Send us Fan MailThe collapse of Dr. Casey Means’ nomination this week has sent shockwaves through the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) movement. While the tech world debates AI, healthcare is debating the “Saphier Pivot,” the Trump administration’s sudden shift from a radical MAHA outsider to a credentialed Fox News regular. With the Surgeon General’s office at a crossroads, we have to ask: is the role still a beacon of public health, or has it become the ultimate prize in the culture war?John Driscoll, Chairman of UConn Health and David E. Williams, President of Health Business Group, diagnose the state of the Surgeon General's office, examining what the rapid pivot to Dr. Nicole Saphier reveals about the limits of MAHA's political power, and whether the nation's most visible public health platform can still move the needle in an era of historic distrust in federal health agencies.🎙️⚕️ABOUT CARETALKCareTalk is a weekly podcast that provides an incisive, no B.S. view of the US healthcare industry. Join co-hosts John Driscoll (President U.S. Healthcare and EVP, Walgreens Boots Alliance) and David Williams (President, Health Business Group) as they debate the latest in US healthcare news, business and policy. GET IN TOUCHFollow CareTalk on LinkedInBecome a CareTalk sponsorGuest appearance requestsVisit us on the webSubscribe to the CareTalk NewsletterSupport the show⚙️CareTalk:  Healthcare. Unfiltered. is produced by Grippi Media Digital Marketing Consulting.

Send us Fan MailIs American healthcare collapsing?In this clip from our episode "How AI Could Save a Collapsing Healthcare System," host David E. Williams and Dr. Robert Pearl, Author of ChatGPT MD, break down why the current system is financially unsustainable and why physicians have never had the tools to fight back. Until now.Listen to the full episode here🎙️⚕️ABOUT DR. ROBERT PEARLRobert Pearl, MD served as CEO of The Permanente Medical Group (Kaiser Permanente) for 18 years and former president of The Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group, leading 10,000 physicians and 38,000 staff responsible for the care of 5 million Kaiser Permanente members on the west and east coasts. He is a clinical professor of plastic surgery at Stanford University School of Medicine and faculty at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, teaching healthcare strategy, technology, and leadership. Pearl is board certified in plastic and reconstructive surgery, with his medical degree from Yale and residency at Stanford.He is the author of three books: Mistreated: Why We Think We're Getting Good Healthcare—And Why We're Usually Wrong, a Washington Post bestseller (2017); Uncaring: How the Culture of Medicine Kills Doctors & Patients, a Kirkus star recipient (2021); and ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine (April 2024). All profits go to Doctors Without Borders.Pearl is a LinkedIn Top Voice in healthcare and host of the podcasts Fixing Healthcare and Medicine: The Truth, with two monthly newsletters reaching 50,000+ combined subscribers. He has presented at The World Healthcare Congress, the Commonwealth Club, TEDx, HLTH, NCQA Quality Talks, the National Primary Care Transformation Summit, and international conferences in Brazil, Australia, India, and beyond. His insights on generative AI have been featured in Associated Press, USA Today, Forbes, Fast Company, WIRED, Modern Healthcare, Medscape, Becker's Hospital Review, the Advisory Board, and the Journal of AHIMA.🎙️⚕️ABOUT HEALTH BIZ PODCASTHealthBiz is a CareTalk podcast that delivers in-depth interviews on healthcare business, technology, and policy with entrepreneurs and CEOs. Host David E. Williams — president of the healthcare strategy consulting boutique Health Business Group — is also a board member, investor in private healthcare companies, and author of the Health Business Blog. Known for his strategic insights and sharp humor, David offers a refreshing break from the usual healthcare industry BS.Need a Strategy Partner?For over 20 years, Health Business Group has helped healthcare software companies, tech-enabled services businesses, life sciences companies, and payers make smarter strategic decisions. Led by podcast host David Williams, the firm advises clients on sharpening AI positioning, entering new segments, and building commercial strategies for value-based care. See examples of our work hereGET IN TOUCHFollow CareTalk on LinkedInBecome a CareTalk sponsorGuest appearance requestsVisit us on the webSupport the show⚙️CareTalk:  Healthcare. Unfiltered. is produced by Grippi Media Digital Marketing Consulting.

Send us Fan MailAmerican employers now spend over $25,000 a year to cover a single family, and chronic disease is driving the system toward collapse. Yet medicine is still built around a doctor's office visit every three to four months.Dr. Robert Pearl, former CEO of the Permanente Medical Group, Stanford professor, and author of ChatGPT MD, joins host David E. Williams to make the case that generative AI is the only tool that can shift medicine from episodic to continuous care, and why without it, the chronic disease crisis will break American healthcare entirely.🎙️⚕️ABOUT DR. ROBERT PEARLRobert Pearl, MD served as CEO of The Permanente Medical Group (Kaiser Permanente) for 18 years and former president of The Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group, leading 10,000 physicians and 38,000 staff responsible for the care of 5 million Kaiser Permanente members on the west and east coasts. He is a clinical professor of plastic surgery at Stanford University School of Medicine and faculty at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, teaching healthcare strategy, technology, and leadership. Pearl is board certified in plastic and reconstructive surgery, with his medical degree from Yale and residency at Stanford.He is the author of three books: Mistreated: Why We Think We're Getting Good Healthcare—And Why We're Usually Wrong, a Washington Post bestseller (2017); Uncaring: How the Culture of Medicine Kills Doctors & Patients, a Kirkus star recipient (2021); and ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine (April 2024). All profits go to Doctors Without Borders.Pearl is a LinkedIn Top Voice in healthcare and host of the podcasts Fixing Healthcare and Medicine: The Truth, with two monthly newsletters reaching 50,000+ combined subscribers. He has presented at The World Healthcare Congress, the Commonwealth Club, TEDx, HLTH, NCQA Quality Talks, and international conferences in Brazil, Australia, and India. His insights on generative AI have been featured in Associated Press, USA Today, Forbes, Fast Company, WIRED, Modern Healthcare, Medscape, Becker's Hospital Review, the Advisory Board, and the Journal of AHIMA.🎙️⚕️ABOUT HEALTH BIZ PODCASTHealthBiz is a CareTalk podcast that delivers in-depth interviews on healthcare business, technology, and policy with entrepreneurs and CEOs. Host David E. Williams — president of the healthcare strategy consulting boutique Health Business Group — is also a board member, investor in private healthcare companies, and author of the Health Business Blog. Known for his strategic insights and sharp humor, David offers a refreshing break from the usual healthcare industry BS.Need a Strategy Partner?For over 20 years, Health Business Group has helped healthcare software companies, tech-enabled services businesses, life sciences companies, and payers make smarter strategic decisions. Led by podcast host David Williams, the firm advises clients on sharpening AI positioning, entering new segments, and building commercial strategies for value-based care. See examples of our work hereGET IN TOUCHFollow CareTalk on LinkedInBecome a CareTalk sponsorGuest appearance requestsVisit us on the webSupport the show⚙️CareTalk:  Healthcare. Unfiltered. is produced by Grippi Media Digital Marketing Consulting.

Send us Fan MailIs the era of just managing Parkinson's symptoms finally coming to an end?In this clip from our episode “How AI Is Helping The Fight Against Parkinson’s”, host David E. Williams and guest Gene Mack, CEO of Gain Therapeutics, share why the early signals from their lead drug candidate are too compelling to ignore.Listen to the full episode here🎙️⚕️ABOUT GENE MACKGene Mack serves as Chief Executive Officer and President of Gain Therapeutics. He joined the Company in April 2024 and brings 25 years of experience in the life sciences sector spanning clinical research, financing and capital markets, investing, corporate strategy and business development. Prior to joining Gain, Gene was CFO at privately held Imcyse SA between 2021 and 2023. Previous to Imcyse, Gene was CFO at OncoC4, a privately held biotechnology company that spun out of Merck & Co’s (MSD) $475 million acquisition of OncoImmune in 2020 where he had also been CFO. Before that, he has held the CFO role for several development- and commercial-stage biopharmaceutical companies, raising over $350 million in IPO and other equity transactions. Prior to his operational experience, Gene covered the biotechnology and life sciences sector as a senior publishing analyst at various investment banks, including Gruntal & Co, Lazard, Mizuho, and HSBC. Gene received both his B.S. in Biochemistry and M.B.A. in Finance from Fordham University.🎙️⚕️ABOUT HEALTH BIZ PODCASTHealthBiz is a CareTalk podcast that delivers in-depth interviews on healthcare business, technology, and policy with entrepreneurs and CEOs. Host David E. Williams — president of the healthcare strategy consulting boutique Health Business Group — is also a board member, investor in private healthcare companies, and author of the Health Business Blog. Known for his strategic insights and sharp humor, David offers a refreshing break from the usual healthcare industry BS.GET IN TOUCHFollow CareTalk on LinkedInBecome a CareTalk sponsorGuest appearance requestsVisit us on the webSubscribe to the CareTalk NewsletterSupport the show⚙️CareTalk:  Healthcare. Unfiltered. is produced by Grippi Media Digital Marketing Consulting.

Send us Fan MailFor decades, Parkinson's patients have been offered only symptom management. No drug has ever slowed the disease itself. A small clinical stage biotech may be about to change that.Gene Mack, CEO, Gain Therapeutics joins host David E. Williams to discuss the science behind a potential first disease modifying therapy for Parkinson's, how AI is accelerating drug discovery, and what it takes to build a biotech in one of the toughest capital markets in years.🎙️⚕️ABOUT GENE MACKGene Mack serves as Chief Executive Officer and President of Gain Therapeutics. He joined the Company in April 2024 and brings 25 years of experience in the life sciences sector spanning clinical research, financing and capital markets, investing, corporate strategy and business development. Prior to joining Gain, Gene was CFO at privately held Imcyse SA between 2021 and 2023. Previous to Imcyse, Gene was CFO at OncoC4, a privately held biotechnology company that spun out of Merck & Co’s (MSD) $475 million acquisition of OncoImmune in 2020 where he had also been CFO. Before that, he has held the CFO role for several development- and commercial-stage biopharmaceutical companies, raising over $350 million in IPO and other equity transactions. Prior to his operational experience, Gene covered the biotechnology and life sciences sector as a senior publishing analyst at various investment banks, including Gruntal & Co, Lazard, Mizuho, and HSBC. Gene received both his B.S. in Biochemistry and M.B.A. in Finance from Fordham University.🎙️⚕️ABOUT HEALTH BIZ PODCASTHealthBiz is a CareTalk podcast that delivers in-depth interviews on healthcare business, technology, and policy with entrepreneurs and CEOs. Host David E. Williams — president of the healthcare strategy consulting boutique Health Business Group — is also a board member, investor in private healthcare companies, and author of the Health Business Blog. Known for his strategic insights and sharp humor, David offers a refreshing break from the usual healthcare industry BS.GET IN TOUCHFollow CareTalk on LinkedInBecome a CareTalk sponsorGuest appearance requestsVisit us on the webSubscribe to the CareTalk NewsletterSupport the show⚙️CareTalk:  Healthcare. Unfiltered. is produced by Grippi Media Digital Marketing Consulting.

Send us Fan MailIf you or someone you love just received a cancer diagnosis, what are the first three things you need to know?In this clip from our episode “Can AI Help Us Finally Beat Cancer”, host John Driscoll and guest Dr. Sanjay Juneja, TheOncDoc, walk through the essential steps every cancer patient should take immediately after diagnosis.Listen to the full episode here🎙️⚕️ABOUT SANJAY JUNEJA, MDDr. Sanjay Juneja, a hematologist and medical oncologist widely recognized as “TheOncDoc,” is a trailblazer in healthcare innovation and a rising authority on the transformative role of AI in medicine. Garnering over 750k followers and 50 million views on social media, Dr. Juneja’s unique ability to simplify complex topics has earned him global acclaim. His debut podcast, Target Cancer: Podcast, amassed 4+ million downloads in over 120 countries within just two years, setting the stage for his current AI-focused series featuring world-renowned guests.Dr. Juneja’s accolades include being named Targeted Oncology’s inaugural 2024 Oncology Icon, an invitation to the White House’s 2023 Healthcare Leaders in Social Media Roundtable, and recognition as a 40 Under 40 honoree and one of the Capital Region’s Top 500 Most Influential Leaders for three consecutive years. His insights have been featured in The Washington Post, WIRED, Bloomberg, and PBS.In addition to founding TensorBlack, an educational platform specializing in AI applications in oncology, Dr. Juneja serves as Vice President of Clinical AI Operations at Tempus AI and a contributing writer + Technology council for Forbes.  He is credentialed by Harvard Medical School’s inaugural AI in Healthcare: From Strategies to Implementation Executive Education, and an Editorial Board Member for the peer-reviewed journal AI in Precision Oncology.🎙️⚕️ABOUT CARETALKCareTalk is a weekly podcast that provides an incisive, no B.S. view of the US healthcare industry. Join co-hosts John Driscoll (President U.S. Healthcare and EVP, Walgreens Boots Alliance) and David Williams (President, Health Business Group) as they debate the latest in US healthcare news, business and policy. GET IN TOUCHFollow CareTalk on LinkedInBecome a CareTalk sponsorGuest appearance requestsVisit us on the webSupport the show⚙️CareTalk:  Healthcare. Unfiltered. is produced by Grippi Media Digital Marketing Consulting.

Send us Fan MailA cancer diagnosis doesn't have to feel like a death sentence. The science is advancing faster than most people realize, and what patients know about their own diagnosis can change everything.Dr. Sanjay Juneja, TheOncDoc joins host John Driscoll to discuss why cancer is increasingly a manageable disease, how patient empowerment and early detection are shifting outcomes, and what everyone can do right now to reduce their cancer risk.🎙️⚕️ABOUT SANJAY JUNEJA, MDDr. Sanjay Juneja, a hematologist and medical oncologist widely recognized as “TheOncDoc,” is a trailblazer in healthcare innovation and a rising authority on the transformative role of AI in medicine. Garnering over 750k followers and 50 million views on social media, Dr. Juneja’s unique ability to simplify complex topics has earned him global acclaim. His debut podcast, Target Cancer: Podcast, amassed 4+ million downloads in over 120 countries within just two years, setting the stage for his current AI-focused series featuring world-renowned guests.Dr. Juneja’s accolades include being named Targeted Oncology’s inaugural 2024 Oncology Icon, an invitation to the White House’s 2023 Healthcare Leaders in Social Media Roundtable, and recognition as a 40 Under 40 honoree and one of the Capital Region’s Top 500 Most Influential Leaders for three consecutive years. His insights have been featured in The Washington Post, WIRED, Bloomberg, and PBS.In addition to founding TensorBlack, an educational platform specializing in AI applications in oncology, Dr. Juneja serves as Vice President of Clinical AI Operations at Tempus AI and a contributing writer + Technology council for Forbes.  He is credentialed by Harvard Medical School’s inaugural AI in Healthcare: From Strategies to Implementation Executive Education, and an Editorial Board Member for the peer-reviewed journal AI in Precision Oncology.🎙️⚕️ABOUT CARETALKCareTalk is a weekly podcast that provides an incisive, no B.S. view of the US healthcare industry. Join co-hosts John Driscoll (President U.S. Healthcare and EVP, Walgreens Boots Alliance) and David Williams (President, Health Business Group) as they debate the latest in US healthcare news, business and policy. GET IN TOUCHFollow CareTalk on LinkedInBecome a CareTalk sponsorGuest appearance requestsVisit us on the webSupport the show⚙️CareTalk:  Healthcare. Unfiltered. is produced by Grippi Media Digital Marketing Consulting.

Send us Fan MailWhy does it take five years to diagnose a child with a genetic disease when the answer is available in 48 hours?In this clip from our episode “How Genomics Is Transforming Rare Disease Care”, host John Driscoll and guest Katherine Stueland, CEO of GeneDx, expose one of the most frustrating gaps in pediatric medicine today.Check out the full episode here🎙️⚕️ABOUT KATHERINE STUELANDKatherine Stueland has dedicated her career to transforming healthcare by leading patient-centric businesses. Her career has spanned supporting the FDA approval of several rare disease therapeutics, the first protease inhibitor for HIV/AIDS and the first cancer immunotherapy, all in partnership with the powerful voices of patient advocates. Katherine has been a central figure in moving healthcare forward by integrating genomic information to enhance the accuracy and effectiveness of diagnosing cancer and rare diseases.In June 2021, Katherine was named President and CEO of GeneDx (Nasdaq: WGS), a company that emerged from the National Institutes of Health and today is transforming healthcare through genomic insights with a mission to empower everyone to live their healthiest lives through the power of genomics. GeneDx delivers personalized and actionable health insights to inform diagnosis, direct treatment and drive drug discovery. Since joining GeneDx, she focused the business on its industry-leading exome and genome testing and interpretation products, fueled by GeneDx Infinity™ the world’s largest genomic rare disease data set. Under Katherine’s leadership, GeneDx has nearly tripled its sequencing capacity, completing over 1 million exomes and genomes while achieving profitability.Recognized for these achievements, Katherine was named the 2026 TIME100 Health list, honoring the world’s most influential health leaders. In 2025 she was also named to CNBC Changemakers: Women Transforming Business List, and GeneDx was named of Fast Company Most Innovative Companies. In 2023, Fierce Pharma recognized Katherine as one of the most influential people in biotech.Katherine serves on the Board of Directors for the American Clinical Laboratory Association (ACLA), the national trade association for leading laboratories, advancing policies that improve patient outcomes, expand access to high-quality diagnostics, and enable personalized care. She also serves on the JED Foundation Leadership Council, a nonprofit organization that works to prevent suicide and protect the emotional health of young adults and teens as part of her lifetime commitment to help improve mental health. Katherine graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, with a bachelor’s degree in science and English literature.🎙️⚕️ABOUT CARETALKCareTalk is a weekly podcast that provides an incisive, no B.S. view of the US healthcare industry. Join co-hosts John Driscoll (President U.S. Healthcare and EVP, Walgreens Boots Alliance) and David Williams (President, Health Business Group) as they debate the latest in US healthcare news, business and policy.GET IN TOUCHFollow CareTalk on LinkedInBecome a CareTalk sponsorGuest appearance requestsVisit us on Support the show⚙️CareTalk:  Healthcare. Unfiltered. is produced by Grippi Media Digital Marketing Consulting.

Send us Fan MailOne in six children has a developmental delay, and it takes an average of five years to get a diagnosis for a genetic disease. But it doesn't have to. The technology to get answers in 48 hours already exists.Katherine Stueland, CEO, GeneDx joins host John Driscoll to discuss why rare genetic diseases are far more common than most people realize, how whole genome sequencing is transforming pediatric care, and what it will take to bring precision medicine to every child who needs it.🎙️⚕️ABOUT KATHERINE STUELANDKatherine Stueland has dedicated her career to transforming healthcare by leading patient-centric businesses. Her career has spanned supporting the FDA approval of several rare disease therapeutics, the first protease inhibitor for HIV/AIDS and the first cancer immunotherapy, all in partnership with the powerful voices of patient advocates. Katherine has been a central figure in moving healthcare forward by integrating genomic information to enhance the accuracy and effectiveness of diagnosing cancer and rare diseases.In June 2021, Katherine was named President and CEO of GeneDx (Nasdaq: WGS), a company that emerged from the National Institutes of Health and today is transforming healthcare through genomic insights with a mission to empower everyone to live their healthiest lives through the power of genomics. GeneDx delivers personalized and actionable health insights to inform diagnosis, direct treatment and drive drug discovery. Since joining GeneDx, she focused the business on its industry-leading exome and genome testing and interpretation products, fueled by GeneDx Infinity™ the world’s largest genomic rare disease data set. Under Katherine’s leadership, GeneDx has nearly tripled its sequencing capacity, completing over 1 million exomes and genomes while achieving profitability.Recognized for these achievements, Katherine was named the 2026 TIME100 Health list, honoring the world’s most influential health leaders. In 2025 she was also named to CNBC Changemakers: Women Transforming Business List, and GeneDx was named of Fast Company Most Innovative Companies. In 2023, Fierce Pharma recognized Katherine as one of the most influential people in biotech.Katherine serves on the Board of Directors for the American Clinical Laboratory Association (ACLA), the national trade association for leading laboratories, advancing policies that improve patient outcomes, expand access to high-quality diagnostics, and enable personalized care. She also serves on the JED Foundation Leadership Council, a nonprofit organization that works to prevent suicide and protect the emotional health of young adults and teens as part of her lifetime commitment to help improve mental health. Katherine graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, with a bachelor’s degree in science and English literature.🎙️⚕️ABOUT CARETALKCareTalk is a weekly podcast that provides an incisive, no B.S. view of the US healthcare industry. Join co-hosts John Driscoll (President U.S. Healthcare and EVP, Walgreens Boots Alliance) and David Williams (President, Health Business Group) as they debate the latest in US healthcare news, business and policy.GET IN TOUCHFollow CareTalk on LinkedInBecome a CareTalk sponsorGuest appearance requestsVisit us on the webSupport the show⚙️CareTalk:  Healthcare. Unfiltered. is produced by Grippi Media Digital Marketing Consulting.

Send us Fan MailWhat if food worked better than medication for managing diabetes?In this clip from our episode “Food As Medicine: From Trend to Treatment”, CareTalk host John Driscoll and guest Spencer Pratt, Chief Growth Officer at NourishedRx, share the clinical data behind their food as medicine approach to diabetes care.Check out the full episode here🎙️⚕️ABOUT SPENCER PRATTSpencer is Chief Growth Officer at NourishedRx. He is a leader in developing innovative frameworks and solutions for addressing social drivers of health, health equity, and population health.Prior to joining NourishedRx, Spencer held leadership roles at Unite Us and Carrot Health and established a consumer insights solution at Optum. He takes an innovative and customer-centric approach to ensure value creation and exceptional experience for healthcare organizations and members.🎙️⚕️ABOUT CARETALKCareTalk is a weekly podcast that provides an incisive, no B.S. view of the US healthcare industry. Join co-hosts John Driscoll (President U.S. Healthcare and EVP, Walgreens Boots Alliance) and David Williams (President, Health Business Group) as they debate the latest in US healthcare news, business and policy. GET IN TOUCHFollow CareTalk on LinkedInBecome a CareTalk sponsorGuest appearance requestsVisit us on the webSupport the show⚙️CareTalk:  Healthcare. Unfiltered. is produced by Grippi Media Digital Marketing Consulting.