MTT #99: The frightening state of U.S. medicine as politics replace science

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.