Health & Veritas Jonathan Cohn: Health Policy in the Age of MAHA
Jan 22, 2026
Jonathan Cohn, senior national correspondent and health policy writer known for Sick, discusses America’s struggle with universal healthcare and how access differs from insurance. He tackles the MAHA food agenda and shifts in dietary guidance. The conversation also covers data privacy controversies around medical records and recent trends in opioid deaths.
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Risk In Trusted Medical Data Networks
- Modern health-data exchange relies on automated connectors like Health Gorilla to move records between systems.
- That trust-based design risks abuse when requests labeled as 'treatment' are used to monetize patient records.
COVID Testing Sites Gained Record Access
- During COVID testing drives, some sites claimed 'treatment' status to gain broad access to patient records.
- Those sites could then pass records downstream and enable monetization without patients' knowledge.
Push For Stronger Food And Drug Rules
- Support sensible regulation of direct-to-consumer drug advertising to reduce misleading claims.
- Back policies that limit ultra-processed foods and promote whole foods in national guidelines.
