Why U.S. healthcare doesn't need more money—it needs a different system | Ezekiel Emanuel episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 9, 2026 · 26 MIN

Why U.S. healthcare doesn't need more money—it needs a different system | Ezekiel Emanuel

from Health Tech Nerds Radio · host Kevin O'Leary, Martin Cech

Ezekiel Emanuel helped write the ACA, and now he's thinking about what comes next. To those saying America needs to spend more on healthcare, he points to countries like Germany, Switzerland, Norway—all have universal coverage, their systems provide comparable care quality to the U.S., yet they spend considerably less. The issue isn't money—it's how the system is organized. On the reform timeline, he expects policy change to happen in the 2032 election cycle, when the Medicare trust fund starts coming into view. As for AI, he believes it will be a fully integrated piece of the clinical landscape by 2030, but should be part of value-based payment, not fee-for-service. He also shares his thoughts on the longevity craze... and mentions a standing bet with Bryan Johnson.Brought to you byUrsa Health: Join HTN, Atlas Oncology Partners, and Ursa Health on June 24 at 12pm ET to learn what it takes to scale specialty value-based care. Register: luma.com/htn-ursa-atlasLinks referencedZeke’s article in The Bulwark: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/democrats-must-fix-medicaid-not-just-undo-trump-bbb-damage-universal-coverage-seven-principles-reform-health-careFor more from Health Tech Nerds, subscribe to our weekly newsletters: https://www.healthtechnerds.com/subscribe

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Why U.S. healthcare doesn't need more money—it needs a different system | Ezekiel Emanuel

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