Hey Friends,
I’ve spent over two decades inside the belly of the beast. First as a traditional internal medicine physician, then as a hospice doctor, and for the last several years, talking with all of you here on Earn and Invest.
I’ve seen the healthcare system from almost every angle. And I have a confession to make: The system isn’t broken. It’s working exactly as it was designed to. It’s just not designed to heal you anymore. It’s designed to extract wealth from you.
To celebrate the release of my brand new book, The Healthcare Heist, I decided to do something a little different for this week’s solo episode. I’m pulling back the curtain and breaking down ten harsh, uncomfortable realities about American healthcare—and offering a blueprint for how we, the actual stakeholders, can wage a revolution to take it back.
If you’ve ever felt like a number in a waiting room, or wondered why a simple prescription costs more than your mortgage, this episode is for you.
Here is a look at what we’re diving into:
Part I: The Hijacking (Things 1–5)
In the first half of the episode, we look at how third-party organizations have inserted themselves between the only two entities that actually matter: the patient and the clinician.
Thing 1: You Are Leverage. At its core, medicine requires two people: someone who needs help, and someone who knows how to help. Third parties have weaponized your vulnerability and your doctor’s empathy to extract immense wealth.
Thing 2: Big Pharma is Cooking the Books. Think they’re spending billions on life-saving innovation? Think again. They rely heavily on government-funded basic science, then make minor “me-too” tweaks to existing drugs just to extend patents and protect profit margins.
Thing 3: Big Insurance’s Twisted Incentive. We know about the endless pre-authorization denials. But did you know an Obamacare rule meant to cap insurance profits actually backfired? By requiring insurers to pay out 90% of premiums on care, the only way for insurers to make their 10% cut a bigger dollar amount was to let the total cost of healthcare skyrocket.
Thing 4: The EMR Pipe Dream. Electronic Medical Records were promised to reduce costs and medical errors. Instead, they’ve cost billions, caused massive physician burnout, and enriched tech companies while doing nothing for patient health.
Thing 5: Venture Capital is Selling You Out. Private equity firms are buying up practices and hospitals. Their fiduciary duty is to investors, not the Hippocratic Oath. They strip the value, degrade the care, and leave the wreckage behind.
Part II: The Misconceptions & The Solution (Things 6–10)
We then pivot to the cultural myths holding us back, and how we can bridge the gap to build something better.
Thing 6: The Malpractice Myth. Two-thirds of malpractice cases are dropped before trial, and of those that do go to court, 90% find no medical error. Yet, the fear of litigation forces doctors to practice “defensive medicine”—ordering billions in unnecessary tests just to protect themselves.
Thing 7: The Intimacy Gap. In the exam room, patients share their deepest vulnerabilities, while doctors remain entirely objective and guarded. This one-sided relationship stifles true connection.
Thing 8: Shared Stakeholders Rule the Day. If patients and caregivers united, we would be unstoppable. That’s exactly why the system tries to divide us—blaming rising costs on doctor salaries to keep us from looking at the real culprits.
Thing 9: Every Revolution Starts with a Story. To close that intimacy gap, providers have to start sharing their stories, frustrations, and humanity. Think of it like Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle, but for the medical industry.
Thing 10: We Need a Revolution. Incremental legislation won’t save us. The corporate interests are too entrenched. True change will only happen when patients and providers stand together and demand a total rewrite of the system.
A Personal Note & A Request
Writing The Healthcare Heist has been a labor of love, but more importantly, a labor of necessity. If you want to support the show and ensure that I can continue writing about the things that matter to our community, please consider picking up a copy of the book today. In the publishing world, early support is everything, and it allows me to keep a seat at the table to advocate for all of us.
I also want to hear from you. What has been your worst experience trying to navigate the medical system? If you’re a provider, where do you feel the system is squeezing you the most?
Listen to the episode, and then hit reply to this post or email me directly with your stories, struggles, or even your critiques of my arguments. Let’s start the conversation.
Until next time... let’s take the system back.
— Doc G
What would you say to an 18-year-old who’s considering a career in medicine?