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The Cost Curve, Flu, and Other News

Health & Veritas

Release Date: 11/20/2025

An Ongoing Conversation about Health and Healthcare show art An Ongoing Conversation about Health and Healthcare

Health & Veritas

In the 200th episode of Health & Veritas, Harlan offers end-of-the-year reflections on medicine drawn from his editor’s notes in JACC (the Journal of the American College of Cardiology), and Howie provides updates on gun violence, flu, measles, and the health benefits of yoga. Show notes: Editor’s notes by Harlan Krumholz Gun violence, flu, and measles The benefits of yoga In the Yale School of Management’s , you’ll get a full MBA education in 22 months while applying new skills to your organization in real time. Yale's  offers a rigorous public...

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Basmah Safdar: Why Women Experience Illness Differently show art Basmah Safdar: Why Women Experience Illness Differently

Health & Veritas

Howie and Harlan are joined by Basmah Safdar, a Yale School of Medicine emergency physician and an expert on sex-specific differences in cardiovascular and microvascular health, which have important implications for the understanding and treatment of heart attacks, long COVID, and other conditions. Harlan reports on Australia’s ban on social media for kids, and a Medicare pilot program that will pay providers based on improved outcomes in chronic conditions. Howie unpacks the consequences of the CDC’s change to its recommendations for newborn hepatitis B vaccination. Show notes: Social...

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Sudhakar Nuti: Bringing Healthcare to the Unhoused show art Sudhakar Nuti: Bringing Healthcare to the Unhoused

Health & Veritas

Howie and Harlan are joined by Sudhakar Nuti to discuss his work improving healthcare for homeless New Yorkers, as a street-medicine doctor and a population-health leader at NYC Health + Hospitals. Harlan reports on a proposed law that would cut off funding for U.S. scientists who collaborate with colleagues in China; Howie provides updates on the measles outbreak and a leaked FDA memo claiming that COVID-19 vaccines have killed 10 children. Show notes: Science Across Borders Sudhakar Nuti Measles FDA Leak In the Yale School of Management’s , you’ll get a full MBA...

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Peter Hotez: Mapping the Anti-Science Machine show art Peter Hotez: Mapping the Anti-Science Machine

Health & Veritas

Howie and Harlan are joined by Peter Hotez, a vaccine expert and an outspoken opponent of health misinformation, to discuss vaccine skepticism and the forces—from wellness influencers to HHS secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—that amplify it. Harlan reports on research reinforcing the link between social media and mental illness; Howie highlights two potential areas of common ground with the administration’s health policy.  Show notes: Social Media and Mental Health Peter Hotez ACA Subsidies Site-Neutral Payment In the Yale School of Management’s ,...

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The Cost Curve, Flu, and Other News show art The Cost Curve, Flu, and Other News

Health & Veritas

Howie and Harlan discuss the outlook for U.S. healthcare spending over the next five years, the state of seasonal and avian flu, and an expensive AI-based cardiac test.  Show notes: Life expectancy and expenditures ACOs and cost savings World Prematurity Day AI concerns Bird flu   Cardiology and AI Free speech and drug promotion Medicare premiums In the Yale School of Management’s , you’ll get a full MBA education in 22 months while applying new skills to your organization in real time. Yale's offers a rigorous public health education for working...

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Jerry Avorn: Countering the Drug Marketing Machine show art Jerry Avorn: Countering the Drug Marketing Machine

Health & Veritas

Howie and Harlan are joined by Harvard internist Jerry Avorn to discuss his research on the pharmaceutical industry and his work promoting evidence-based prescribing. Harlan highlights new results from the American Heart Association meeting, including a one-time CRISPR-based therapy for high cholesterol; Howie reports on an outbreak of infant botulism. Show notes: Research from the American Heart Association Meeting Jerry Avorn   Infant Botulism In the Yale School of Management’s , you’ll get a full MBA education in 22 months while applying new skills to your...

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Ali Rahimi: A Cardiologist in Your Pocket show art Ali Rahimi: A Cardiologist in Your Pocket

Health & Veritas

Howie and Harlan are joined by cardiologist Ali Rahimi, the founder of ALYKA Health, which uses a personalized mobile app to help patients manage their heart health between doctor's visits. Harlan discusses new developments in GLP-1 obesity drugs, including untested microdose treatments; Howie reviews a landmark study investigating whether broad prostate cancer screening saves lives. Show notes: GLP-1 Drugs Ali Rahimi New Evidence on Prostate Cancer Screening and Breast Cancer Treatment In the Yale School of Management’s , you’ll get a full MBA education in 22...

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Nate Wood: Cooking Lessons for Better Health show art Nate Wood: Cooking Lessons for Better Health

Health & Veritas

Howie and Harlan are joined by Nate Wood, a Yale School of Medicine internist and trained chef, to discuss his work combining lifestyle guidance with hands-on training in making healthy, tasty food. Harlan shares new guidance on what counts as a healthy blood pressure; Howie provides an update on rising health insurance costs. Links: Blood Pressure Obesity Drugs Culinary Medicine Health Insurance Costs .

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Akiko Iwasaki: What Have We Learned About Long COVID? show art Akiko Iwasaki: What Have We Learned About Long COVID?

Health & Veritas

Howie and Harlan are joined by Yale School of Medicine immunologist Akiko Iwasaki, a leading authority on vaccines and long COVID. Harlan reflects on America’s crisis of trust in federal agencies; Howie provides some good news about bird flu.  Links: Losing Trust Akiko Iwasaki Bird Flu .

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Rajlakshmi Krishnamurthy: Coordinated Care, Better Care show art Rajlakshmi Krishnamurthy: Coordinated Care, Better Care

Health & Veritas

Howie and Harlan are joined by Rajlakshmi Krishnamurthy, the Yale School of Medicine's associate dean for population health, to discuss her work building holistic systems for care at multiple institutions. Harlan discusses healthcare headlines including the launch of "TrumpRX"; Howie reports on a new study taking a novel approach to understanding the impact of the COVID-19 vaccine. Links: Healthcare Headlines Population Health The COVID-19 Vaccine .

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More Episodes

Howie and Harlan discuss the outlook for U.S. healthcare spending over the next five years, the state of seasonal and avian flu, and an expensive AI-based cardiac test. 

Show notes:

Life expectancy and expenditures

“How does U.S. life expectancy compare to other countries?”

ACOs and cost savings

“After Fifteen Years, is Value-Based Care Succeeding?”

Health & Veritas Episode 115: Farzad Mostashari: Aligning Incentives to Fix Primary Care

World Prematurity Day

WHO: World Prematurity Day 2025

WHO: World Prematurity Day Key Messages

WHO: Preterm birth

AI concerns

“‘It keeps me awake at night’: machine-learning pioneer on AI’s threat to humanity”

“Why neural net pioneer Geoffrey Hinton is sounding the alarm on AI”

“AI pioneer: ‘The dangers of abuse are very real’”

“‘Malicious use is already happening’: machine-learning pioneer on making AI safer”

“Fathers of the Deep Learning Revolution Receive ACM A.M. Turing Award”

“Deep learning”

Bird flu

“First U.S. case of human bird flu in 9 months confirmed in Washington state”

Cleveland Clinic: Bird Flu (Avian Influenza)

“Flu in numbers: NHS faces one of worst winters ever, officials warn, amid concern over mutated strain”

“New flu virus mutation could see 'worst season in a decade'“

“Australia posts record-breaking flu numbers as vaccination rates stall” 

FDA: Influenza Vaccine Composition for the 2025-2026 U.S. Influenza Season

Cardiology and AI

“Coronary CT angiography evaluation with artificial intelligence for individualized medical treatment of atherosclerosis: a Consensus Statement from the QCI Study Group”

“Medicare will pay more than $1,000 for AI to analyze a heart scan. Is that too much?”

Free speech and drug promotion

“High-Engagement Social Media Posts Related to Prescription Drug Promotion for 3 Major Drug Classes”

Health & Veritas Episode 195: Jerry Avorn: Countering the Drug Marketing Machine

Medicare premiums

“Medicare premiums to jump 10% heading into 2026”

“Social Security Announces 2.8 Percent Benefit Increase for 2026”

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid: 2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles


In the Yale School of Management’s MBA for Executives program, you’ll get a full MBA education in 22 months while applying new skills to your organization in real time.

Yale's Executive Master of Public Health offers a rigorous public health education for working professionals, with the flexibility of evening online classes alongside three on-campus trainings.

Email Howie and Harlan comments or questions.