Health & Veritas Perverse Incentives in Healthcare and Other News
Jan 9, 2025
The hosts tackle the widespread dissatisfaction with the U.S. healthcare system, highlighting alarming polling data. They discuss how perverse incentives in insurance impact patient care and dive into the troubling implications of ultra-processed foods on health. A poignant conversation addresses the Surgeon General's insights on alcohol and cancer risks, challenging popular beliefs about moderate drinking. The rising population of cancer survivors sparks debate on the need for coordinated long-term care, while recent fraud cases in healthcare raise ethical concerns.
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Misaligned Incentives Corrode Medicine
- Public anger at the healthcare industry reflects systemic misaligned incentives rather than only individual wrongdoing.
- Harlan Krumholz warns that perverse incentives have stripped medicine of its mission and made it overly businesslike.
Cost Pressures Drove Insurance Complexity
- Rising costs pushed employers and insurers to create complex rules that frustrate patients.
- Howard Forman notes spending pressures prompted many of the insurance practices people resent today.
Incentivize Farm Reporting For H5N1 Control
- Strengthen farm surveillance and incentivize reporting to control H5N1 risks at the animal–human interface.
- Howard Forman urges funding for testing, vaccines, and protections for farmworkers, including undocumented workers.