A Moment in Health with Dr. Ashish Jha

In this episode of A Moment in Health, Dr. Ashish Jha explains how 99% of new hepatitis B infections can be prevented with a universal newborn vaccine and critiques the recent ACIP decision to step away from that recommendation. He reviews a new New England Journal of Medicine study showing that one dose of the HPV vaccine is non-inferior to the traditional two-dose schedule, reducing barriers to...

In this episode of A Moment in Health, Dr. Ashish Jha highlights a striking new statistic: 40% of fully subsidized ACA enrollees had no insurance claims last year — a number far higher than the 15–20% typically seen in employer-based plans. He then reviews a major New England Journal of Medicine trial showing that a modified mRNA influenza vaccine reduced lab-confirmed flu infections by 35% compar...

In this episode of A Moment in Health, Dr. Ashish Jha highlights a striking data point: 13.1% of U.S. adolescents and young adults report using AI tools for mental health advice, with 93% saying the guidance was helpful. He reviews a 2022 study from Italy’s Marche region showing that improving ventilation in more than 10,000 classrooms reduced SARS-CoV-2 transmission by nearly 80%, underscoring th...

In this episode of A Moment in Health, Dr. Ashish Jha highlights a 24% decline in telehealth visits for Medicare beneficiaries following the October 1 government shutdown, driven by the sudden expiration of Medicare’s authority to pay for telehealth. He reviews a new JAMA randomized controlled trial on caffeinated coffee and atrial fibrillation. Dr. Stephanie Psaki, Distinguished Senior Fellow at...

In this episode of A Moment in Health, Dr. Ashish Jha highlights a troubling new data point: premature mortality among Americans ages 18 to 64 rose by 27.2% between 2012 and 2022, driven largely by opioid overdoses, early cardiovascular disease, violence, and the early COVID-19 years. He reviews a new Nature study showing that COVID-19 mRNA vaccines may boost the effectiveness of cancer immunother...

In this episode of A Moment in Health, Dr. Ashish Jha highlights that 66% of U.S. physicians now report using AI in their clinical practice, reflecting the technology’s rapid adoption across billing, documentation, and patient care. He reviews a new JAMA Network Open study showing that people with type 2 diabetes and opioid use disorder who took semaglutide (Ozempic) had roughly half the risk of o...

In this episode of A Moment in Health, Dr. Ashish Jha highlights that 70% of U.S. parents oppose removing public school immunization requirements, according to a new Kaiser Family Foundation poll—even as Florida becomes the first state to end immunization requirements for public schools. He reviews a large French registry study published in JAMA Network Open finding no link between first-trimester...

In this episode of A Moment in Health, Dr. Ashish Jha spotlights a sobering data point: 40,000 estimated hepatitis A cases in Gaza since the start of the war in October 2023. He reviews a JAMA Network Open study on chronic disease care in war-torn Tigray, Ethiopia, which found a dramatic decrease in the number of patients with conditions like diabetes who had access to treatment. Dr. Michael VanRo...

In this episode of A Moment in Health, Dr. Ashish Jha highlights that 51% of U.S. adults—about 125 million people—are overweight or obese with one or more chronic conditions. He reviews a new study examining the lifetime health effects and cost-effectiveness of GLP-1 drugs tirzepatide (Zepbound) and semaglutide (Ozempic). Dr. Andy Ryan, Professor of Health Services, Policy, and Practice, joins to...

In this episode of A Moment in Health, Dr. Ashish Jha highlights that private equity firms have invested an estimated $1 trillion into U.S. healthcare acquisitions over the past decade. He then reviews a new Annals of Internal Medicine study showing that private equity hospital buyouts are linked to staffing cuts in ICUs and emergency departments, with a 13% rise in mortality among Medicare patien...

In this episode of A Moment in Health, Dr. Ashish Jha highlights that about two-thirds of pregnant women report taking Tylenol during pregnancy, reviewing a large 2024 JAMA study from Sweden which found no meaningful association between acetaminophen use in pregnancy and autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability. Dr. Elizabeth Langen, professor of obstetrics at the University of Michigan, joins to...

In this episode of A Moment in Health, Dr. Ashish Jha highlights a sobering figure: 91,000 premature deaths in the U.S. each year are tied to air pollution from burning oil and gas—roughly 3% of all annual deaths. He then revisits a 2019 study that followed seniors with diabetes after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, finding a 40% spike in mortality in the month after the storms and lingering risk for...

In this episode of A Moment in Health, Dr. Ashish Jha highlights a major shift in U.S. food safety: federal surveillance of foodborne pathogens is being scaled back from eight to just two, raising concerns about missed threats from oysters, raw milk, and other emerging risks. He then examines a new BMJ study on the No Surprises Act, which finds patients’ out-of-pocket costs dropped by an average o...

In this episode of A Moment in Health, Dr. Ashish Jha spotlights a striking new number: a 15% expected median increase in ACA health insurance premiums by 2026, with even steeper out-of-pocket costs if enhanced federal subsidies expire. He then reviews a study on California’s transition to zero-emission vehicles, showing real-world health benefits of electric cars. Dr. Shankar Sundaram, Director o...

In this episode of A Moment in Health, Dr. Ashish Jha highlights increasing denial rates by health insurers for drug prescriptions, a sharp rise driven in part by expensive GLP-1 drugs for diabetes and weight loss. He then unpacks a JAMA study tracking U.S. healthcare spending by condition and county, with wide geographic spending variations driven as much by prices as by disease burden. Distingui...

In this episode of A Moment in Health, Dr. Ashish Jha spotlights a major shift in Medicare Advantage: UnitedHealth Group plans to drop 600,000 enrollees amid financial pressures, raising questions about the program’s size, costs, and overpayments. He then examines a new JAMA study on the VA Mission Act and its effects on access and quality of care for veterans. Dr. Richard Besser, pediatrician and...

In this episode of A Moment in Health, Dr. Ashish Jha shares a striking data point: 46% of Americans believe a recent federal health bill will hurt them and their families. He then spotlights a new New England Journal of Medicine study showing that ivermectin reduced malaria infections by 26% in Kenyan children, underscoring its value for parasitic diseases. Chair of Health Services, Policy and Pr...

In this episode of A Moment in Health, Dr. Ashish Jha shares a striking data point: 6.8 million veterans receive care each year through the VA Health System. He highlights a systematic review comparing the quality of care in VA versus non-VA settings, finding that VA care is generally as good or better compared to non-VA care. Senior Adviser to the Brown Pandemic Center Beth Cameron joins to discu...

In this episode of A Moment in Health, Dr. Ashish Jha unpacks the projection that the United States will spend $64.9 trillion on healthcare between 2025 and 2033. He highlights a major Danish study showing no link between aluminum in childhood vaccines and chronic diseases. Professor Erin Fuse Brown joins to explore whether the corporatization of healthcare—through private equity and profit-driven...

In this episode of A Moment in Health, Dr. Ashish Jha explains the significance behind the largest U.S. measles outbreak in 25 years, with 1,288 confirmed cases as of last week. He then highlights a major new study tracking two decades of U.S. childhood health trends and rising deaths due to firearms, substance use and suicide. Senior Adviser to the Pandemic Center and former South African Member...

In this episode of A Moment in Health, Dr. Ashish Jha highlights the steep administrative costs of Medicaid work requirements and breaks down a new study estimating that U.S. foreign aid programs via USAID have saved 90 million lives in the past two decades, with an additional 14 million lives at stake by 2030 if funding cuts persist. Professor of the Practice Stefanie Friedhoff joins to answer a...

In this episode of A Moment in Health, Dr. Ashish Jha illustrates the economic benefits of health insurance coverage and a new study linking adjuvanted vaccines for shingles and RSV to a lower risk of dementia. Senior Adviser to the Pandemic Center and former Gavi CEO Dr. Seth Berkley joins to discuss the consequences of the recent U.S. withdrawal of funding for Gavi, noting the cost-effectiveness...

In this episode of A Moment in Health, Dr. Ashish Jha discusses the effects of potential new rural hospital closures and a new study on an oral weight loss drug in patents with diabetes. Director of health policy studies at the Cato Institute Michael Cannon joins to examine whether expanding Medicaid actually improves health outcomes in the population — and why he believes the evidence is more unc...

In this episode of A Moment in Health, Dr. Ashish Jha analyzes new data on measles vaccination rates in U.S. counties and a new study evaluating the impact of air pollution on fetal brain development. Professor of the Practice and former Florida State Surgeon General Dr. Scott Rivkees joins to discuss the role states should play in ensuring access to vaccines, noting the erosion of public trust in...

In this episode of A Moment in Health, Dr. Ashish Jha breaks down new data showing how many Miami-Dade County residents get their health insurance through Medicaid or the Affordable Care Act and what proposed federal cuts could mean for them. He also discusses a new study on claim denials from Medicare Advantage patients. Behavioral scientist Dr. Sweta Chakraborty joins to explore how we can bette...