NEJM Interviews

Robert Kocher, adjunct professor at Stanford and health-policy expert, discusses why U.S. blood-pressure control has stalled. He explores causes of low awareness, misaligned incentives, and short insurance tenures. He describes AI and EMR tools for real-time home BP monitoring and automated treatment workflows. Policy levers like payment models and copay changes are also examined.

Tara Eicher is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Biostatistics at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Stephen Morrissey, the interviewer, is the Executive Managing Editor of the Journal. T. Eicher, J. Quackenbush, and A. Ne’eman. Challenging Claims of an Autism Epidemic — Misconceptions and a Path Forward. N Engl J Med 2026;394:313-315.

Tara Sklar is the faculty director of the Health Law and Policy Program at the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law and associate director of telehealth law and policy at the University of Arizona College of Medicine–Tucson Arizona Telemedicine Program. Stephen Morrissey, the interviewer, is the Executive Managing Editor of the Journal. T. Sklar and B. Richman. Financing Telehealth — Moving Beyond Payment Parity. N Engl J Med 2026;394:211-213.

Rachel Sachs is a professor of law at Washington University in St. Louis. Stephen Morrissey, the interviewer, is the Executive Managing Editor of the Journal. S.B. Dusetzina and R.E. Sachs. Insurance Coverage and Pricing of Weight-Loss Drugs in the United States. N Engl J Med 2026;394:105-107. S. Gondi, A.S. Kesselheim, and B.N. Rome. Generic Liraglutide — Overlooked but Not Forgotten. N Engl J Med. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMp2515668.

Ambar La Forgia is an assistant professor in the Management of Organizations group at the University of California, Berkeley Haas School of Business. Stephen Morrissey, the interviewer, is the Executive Managing Editor of the Journal. A. La Forgia. From Patients to Consumers — The Corporatization of Ambulatory Care. N Engl J Med 2026;394:1-3.

Anne Zink is a lecturer and senior fellow at the Yale School of Public Health. Stephen Morrissey, the interviewer, is the Executive Managing Editor of the Journal. A.B. Zink, N.C. McCann, and R.P. Walensky. From Crisis to Action — Policy Pathways to Reverse the Rise in Congenital Syphilis. N Engl J Med 2025;393:2388-2391.

Reshma Ramachandran is an assistant professor of medicine at the Yale School of Medicine. Stephen Morrissey, the interviewer, is the Executive Managing Editor of the Journal. J.D. Wallach, J.S. Ross, and R. Ramachandran. Enhancing FDA Drug-Safety Surveillance — Beyond Releasing Daily Adverse-Event Data. N Engl J Med 2025;393:2284-2286.

Robert Huckman, a Harvard Business School professor and health care expert, dives into the complexities of business models aimed at keeping people healthy. He discusses how current payment incentives favor procedures over health outcomes, leading to a misalignment in goals. Huckman examines the challenges digital and chronic-care ventures face in securing funding for preventive services. He highlights the importance of social determinants, data sharing, and the need for innovative partnerships to create sustainable, health-focused business models.

Nishant Uppal, an instructor in medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, discusses the rise of venture capital investments by academic medical centers. He highlights how financial pressures from COVID and rising costs are pushing these institutions to diversify. Uppal explains the structure of venture capital funds and notes that many AMCs are investing in unrelated companies. He raises concerns about unclear returns and calls for better oversight and policy responses to financial pressures affecting healthcare.

Jane Zhu, an associate professor at Oregon Health and Science University, discusses Oregon's groundbreaking SB 951 law aiming to reduce corporate control in healthcare. She highlights concerns over the rapid corporatization of medical practices and the influence of profit motives on patient care. Zhu details the law's restrictions on management service organizations and operational control tied to corporate ownership. While supporters believe it safeguards physician autonomy, she acknowledges criticisms regarding potential risks for small practices and advises additional measures to curb hospital consolidation.