Healthcare Beans

Episode summary In this episode of Healthcare Beans , James speaks with Paula Muto, MD , founder of UBERDOC , about the barriers patients face in accessing specialty care and how direct-pay models may help reshape the healthcare system. Paula shares the story behind UBERDOC, discusses the growth of the platform, and reflects on broader themes including patient autonomy, price transparency, rural a...

In this conversation, I talk with Jason Scherer, the CEO and founder of VitaTek , to learn about the innovative approach his company takes in the medical device manufacturing industry. He shares insights on the challenges faced with bringing medical devices to market, the importance of technology in reducing healthcare costs, and the experiences of innovators in the field. The discussion also touc...

In this episode, I talk with Lindsey Kratzer about the self-insured employer market. This is a fast-growing market and employers are facing significant challenges with rising healthcare costs, countless healthcare vendors vying for their attention, fuzzy ROI assessments, and ultimately deciding how to best manage the health needs of the employee population and their families. Lindsey is the Founde...

In episode #16, I speak with Luká Yancopoulos, CEO and co-founder of Grapevine Technologies. Luka is an entrepreneur with a track record of innovation and consistent delivery in the healthcare industry. As CEO and one of the faces of the company, Luká is involved at every level of Grapevine’s operations: securing funding, innovating on the platform, and looking for ways to take the compa...

In episode 15, I speak with Leon Wisniewski about his company Health Cost Labs and their new product Billy – a consumer app that shows hospital prices by service and geographic area, and lets users shop around for the best price. Leo is passionate about bringing fair and transparent prices to healthcare. We talk about… Billy: a healthcare price app Recent healthcare price transparency...

In this episode, I speak with Dr. Yazan Abdullah, an internist who specializes in hormone replacement therapy and founder of Newport Health & Vitality . One interesting quote from Yazan: “Fee-for-service is the most ethical way to pay for healthcare” . Our conversation spans: Testosterone therapy and stigma Pursuing vitality in addition to longevity should be the goal for health-co...

In this episode, I speak to Claudia Armani, a health coach and founder of Claudia Armani Wellness and The Healthy Gourmet blog dedicated to simple and healthy Mediterranean recipes and lifestyle tips. She works with clients both in UK and around the world to help them let go of yo-yo dieting and improve their metabolic health. Our conversation spans: Claudia’s background and entry into health and...

In this episode, I speak with Bryan Guadagno – CEO and cofounder of It’s Skinny . We discuss the 9-calorie noodle, the health benefits of Konjac , the future of food technology, and the founder’s story. Our chat dives into consumer behavior modification and how that relates to healthcare spending in the United States. And here’s a Christmas pic of my wife, Parminder Haven....

In this episode, I talk with Michael Boerner (CEO of Engage Technologies ) about his company’s transformative mobile intelligence and patient education technology – connecting patients to a digital health platform with no app or user logins (e.g., NO FRICTION). We discuss the value and power of video storytelling, the importance of behavior change for disease prevention, new opportunit...

In this episode, I talk with Jonas Goldstein (Vice President of Strategy at VIM ) about value-based healthcare, risk-sharing arrangements, Medicare Advantage, direct-to-consumer healthcare, and point-of-care digital solutions. Here is a great article by Jonas in Physicians Practice that lays out the imperative to “lower the risk” in value-based healthcare in order to quickly expand acc...

Cityblock Health is a unicorn startup serving high quality healthcare to low-income communities.

Episode #5 of the Healthcare Beans podcast In the United States, caregiver burden is a really big problem. Episode takeaways: (1) Care-giving is very stressful work and roughly 48 million people in the US are spending about 28 hours per week caring for loved ones. (2) Patient health outcomes depend on your home environment. When you get sick, your future will depend on a caregiver. (3) A startup c...

Episode #4 of the Healthcare Beans podcast In the United States, privacy protections for health data are not as restrictive as most people think. Your doctor is not the only person who can access your data. In this episode I talk about: (1) how health data is used, (2) who has access to our health data, and (3) who benefits from sharing health data. Check out these links for background content on...

Episode #3 of the Healthcare Beans podcast In this episode, I argue against putting too much faith in good doctors. I know that sounds strange but a well organized care team is what really counts, and this is what people should expect from their local health system. I stress the importance of organized care delivery by sharing a story about my 73 year-old uncle who suffers from multiple chronic di...

Episode #2 of the Healthcare Beans podcast Keeping your annual wellness visit is a great way to safeguard your future health! In this episode, I talk about the importance of the annual wellness visit, and how health systems use data to prioritize patient outreach. Check out my earlier post on this topic (if you prefer to read instead of listening to a podcast). ~ James Transcript Hello everyone an...

Welcome to the first episode of the Healthcare Beans podcast! Many health systems and doctors get paid regardless of your health outcomes, and that needs to change. In this episode, I touch on the basics of how our healthcare is delivered, and how that’s changing into something better (we hope!). See these links for accountable care organizations and bundled payment models, which are two pri...