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PODCAST

The Doctor"s Lounge

The Doctor"s Lounge

Where scalpels meet systems — and physicians say what they really think.Co-hosted by Dutch Rojas, Anthony DiGiorgio, DO, with Anish Koka, MD, Dan Choi, MD, & Sanat Dixit, MD — candid talks on healthcare policy, reform, physician autonomy & patient care.

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All Episodes

00:50:57

Outpatient Brain Surgery: How Buffalo Built America's...

The Doctor"s Lounge ·

2026/04/26

Episode SummaryAnish and Anthony are joined by Dr. Elad Levy — Professor and Chair of Neurosurgery at the University at Buffalo, holder of the L. Nelson Hopkins Endowed Chair, and one of the country's most prolific physician innovators — for a wide-ranging conversation on how he and his partners built Atlas Surgery Center, the only physician-owned outpatient neurosurgery center in the United States, now performing roughly 3,000 cases a year including outpatient angiograms, carotid stenting, brain

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00:37:12

The Intellectual Case Against Medicare: Buchanan,...

The Doctor"s Lounge ·

2026/04/25

Anish and Dr. DiGiorgio dig into the intellectual debate that preceded the 1965 passage of Medicare, focusing on the economists — James Buchanan, Gordon Tullock, Friedrich Hayek, Ludwig von Mises, Milton Friedman, and George Stigler — whose arguments against centralized healthcare proved remarkably prescient. They trace how Buchanan's public choice theory (political actors behave as self-interested economic actors) and Tullock's concept of rent seeking (firms spending capital to capture government

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00:57:47

Rural Health Myths, Mark Cuban's HSA Gambit, and How...

The Doctor"s Lounge ·

2026/04/19

Back from hiatus, Anish and Dr. DiGiorgio swap travel notes on Japan and San Diego before diving into Anish's recent Substack piece mapping emergency cardiac care access across the United States — where 98% of Americans live within 90 minutes of a PCI-capable hospital, a level of coverage no peer country (including Canada) comes close to matching. They extend the analysis to thrombectomy-capable stroke centers, trauma coverage, and what it really means when the Commonwealth Fund ranks the US last

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00:59:06

From Tehran to the C-Suite: Biotech CEO Ali Mortazavi...

The Doctor"s Lounge ·

2026/04/03

Guest: Ali Mortazavi | CEO, Tangram Therapeutics (formerly E-Therapeutics), London, UKEpisode Summary:Ali Mortazavi is not your typical biotech CEO. A computer scientist by training, former professional chess player, and veteran of financial markets, he invested in an RNAi company in 2012 — and then, by his own admission, made the crazy decision to become its CEO with zero background in biology, chemistry, or medicine.What followed is a 14-year education in the brutal realities of drug development —

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00:56:55

Dr. DiGiorgio Goes to Washington: Site Neutrality,...

The Doctor"s Lounge ·

2026/03/31

Episode SummaryDr. DiGiorgio returns from testifying before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, the third in a series of hearings on healthcare costs covering the provider landscape. The two break down the major policy levers discussed in his testimony — site-neutral payment, Stark Law reform, physician-owned hospitals, and Certificate of Need laws — and why so many obviously good solutions remain politically untouchable. They also dig into the rural access gap, the failure of the

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00:59:14

The Cost of Dissent: How a Viral Newsweek Op-Ed Led...

The Doctor"s Lounge ·

2026/03/15

Kevin Bass, PhD, joins Anish and Dr. DiGiorgio to tell the story of how a viral Newsweek op-ed apologizing for his support of COVID lockdowns and mandates set off a chain of events that ended in his dismissal from Texas Tech's MD/PhD program. Kevin walks through the internal emails, sham professionalism hearings, and rigged dismissal process he uncovered through FERPA records requests — and his ongoing federal and state lawsuits alleging First Amendment retaliation. The conversation then shifts to

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00:55:27

The Shah's Spleen, Quality Metrics, Health Insurance...

The Doctor"s Lounge ·

2026/03/09

Dr. Anish Koka and Dr. Anthony DiGiorgio open with the little-known medical story behind the death of the Shah of Iran — how Mohammed Reza Pahlavi came to be operated on in Cairo in 1980 by legendary cardiovascular surgeon Michael DeBakey, and how the "comforting explanation" bias may have contributed to his death from a post-operative abscess rather than his underlying cancer. The case, drawn from a piece by Dr. Li Zhao (NYU Langone), launches a broader conversation about anchoring bias in medicine

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00:58:22

Dr. Mary Talley Bowden Battles the Health System

The Doctor"s Lounge ·

2026/02/28

In this conversation, Dr. Mary Talley Bowden shares her experiences as an independent physician during the COVID-19 pandemic, detailing her courageous battle against health systems and the Texas Medical Board. She discusses the challenges faced by healthcare professionals, the impact of politics on medical practices, and the importance of patient care and medical freedom. Dr. Bowden emphasizes the need for changes in healthcare policies, including the repeal of mandates and the promotion of

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01:11:23

The Week in Review and Understanding the Medicaid...

The Doctor"s Lounge ·

2026/02/21

Episode Title: The Medicaid Data Dump: $1.7 Billion in Billing From Shell Companies and Why Nobody Stopped ItGuest: Samir Unni | Biomedical Engineer, former Palantir healthcare data lead, currently working on federal data modernization effortsChapters00:00 Introduction and Technical Difficulties02:47 Reflections on Jay Bhattacharya's Insights06:04 Navigating Polarization in Science08:50 Moderna's Flu Vaccine Controversy11:56 Understanding the FDA's Refusal to File14:58 The Medicaid Data Dump and Its

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01:08:13

NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya

The Doctor"s Lounge ·

2026/02/14

In this engaging conversation, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya discusses his unique perspective as a health economist and the impact of his training on his approach to public health, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. He reflects on the Great Barrington Declaration, the importance of dissent in science, and the need for reform within the NIH to foster innovation and address the replication crisis in research. Dr. Bhattacharya emphasizes the necessity of a culture shift in science, advocating for

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01:05:46

The $2 Million Verdict: Inside the First Detransition...

The Doctor"s Lounge ·

2026/02/07

Benjamin Ryan was the only journalist in the courtroom for every day of the first detransition lawsuit to reach a jury verdict. In January 2025, a White Plains jury awarded $2 million to Fox Varian, who received a double mastectomy at age 16 after being diagnosed with gender dysphoria. Years later, she detransitioned and sued her psychologist and plastic surgeon.What happened in that courtroom tells a bigger story about how American medicine got here, why Europe is walking it back, and what happens

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00:47:45

Ed Gaines: How Independent Physicians Finally Got...

The Doctor"s Lounge ·

2026/02/06

Guest: Ed Gaines, JD, CPC Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, Zotec Partners Honorary Member, American College of Emergency PhysiciansEpisode Summary:If you're a hospital-based physician and you don't understand the No Surprises Act, you're missing the biggest shift in payment leverage in decades. Insurance companies estimated there would be 17,000 disputes. The actual number? Over 2.5 million. And physicians are winning 85-90% of them.Ed Gaines has been fighting for physician payment for 32

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01:07:46

Dr. Gantwerker: Medicare Advantage, Private Practice,...

The Doctor"s Lounge ·

2026/02/01

What happens when a spine surgeon who's been in private practice since the Obamacare era sits down with doctors across the political spectrum? You get one of the most honest conversations about healthcare reform we've had.Brian Gantwerker doesn't fit neatly into anyone's box. He's a private practice capitalist who thinks breaking up insurance companies is essential. He believes in "just pricing" for craniotomies (hint: it's more than $2,000). He thinks Medicare was actually a great payer—until

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01:07:06

The DPC Revolution: Dr. Josh Umbehr on Making...

The Doctor"s Lounge ·

2026/01/30

Guest: Josh Umbehr, MD | Co-founder & CEO, Atlas MD | DPC PioneerSummary: In 2010, Josh Umbehr launched Atlas MD charging $50/month for unlimited primary care with no insurance billing. Other doctors said it wasn't sustainable. Fourteen years later, he runs a platform serving 1,800+ practices and built his own insurance company. This conversation covers the full journey: wholesale medication costs ($0.01/pill metformin), the $2M it takes to start insurance, why Singapore's model works, and why

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00:44:51

Journalist Alex Berenson: Fraud and Abuse with Autism...

The Doctor"s Lounge ·

2026/01/25

KeywordsAlex Berenson, COVID vaccine, Medicaid fraud, autism services, healthcare, investigative journalism, MCOs, AI in healthcare, public health, healthcare policySummaryIn this conversation, Anish Koka and Alex Berenson delve into critical issues surrounding the COVID vaccine, Medicaid fraud, and the financial incentives within autism services. They discuss the implications of investigative journalism in public health, the role of Managed Care Organizations (MCOs), and the potential future of

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01:00:56

The Trump Healthcare plan, AI in Medicine, Medical...

The Doctor"s Lounge ·

2026/01/19

Send us a textSummaryIn this episode of the Doctor's Lounge, hosts Anish Koka, Anthony DiGiorgio, and Sanat Dixit delve into the complexities of healthcare policy, particularly focusing on recent statements made by former President Trump regarding healthcare reform. They discuss the implications of Trump's proposed 'Great Healthcare Plan,' which aims to lower drug prices and insurance premiums while increasing price transparency. The conversation highlights the need for deeper

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65:18

The ACA Subsidies, New Vaccine Schedules, Ezekiel...

The Doctor"s Lounge ·

2026/01/10

Send us a text Keywords healthcare, ACA subsidies, vaccine schedule, AI in healthcare, concierge medicine, food pyramid, healthcare policy, public health, physician autonomy, healthcare costs Summary In this episode, the hosts delve into the complexities of healthcare, discussing the ongoing saga of ACA subsidies, recent changes to vaccine schedules, and the implications of AI in healthcare. They explore the pros and cons of concierge medicine and the recent shift in dietary guidelines, e...

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60:38

TDL Year End Review: the Big Beautiful Bill...

The Doctor"s Lounge ·

2026/01/04

Send us a text Keywords healthcare policy, Medicaid, ACA, fraud, social media, bureaucracy, primary care, immigration, healthcare reform, insurance Takeaways The One Big Beautiful Bill aimed to reform Medicaid and tighten eligibility checks. Fraud in Medicaid has been highlighted by recent cases, particularly in Minnesota. Work requirements for Medicaid recipients are seen as a reasonable eligibility check. The expiration of ACA subsidies has led to increased healthcare costs for many. So...

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63:10

The Failure of the Electronic Medical Record in...

The Doctor"s Lounge ·

2025/12/21

Send us a text Keywords electronic medical records, healthcare technology, EHR challenges, physician experience, digital health, healthcare regulations, EMR usability, healthcare innovation, patient care, medical technology, EHR, healthcare efficiency, physician ownership, diversity in medicine, medical education, healthcare bureaucracy, DEI, patient care, healthcare systems, physician burnout Summary In this episode of Doctors' Lounge, the conversation revolves around the challenges and ...

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65:01

Diving Deeper into The Canadian MAID Program and GOP...

The Doctor"s Lounge ·

2025/12/13

Send us a text Keywords healthcare, MAID, patient autonomy, economic implications, GOP healthcare proposals, health savings accounts, dynamic pricing, Instacart, ethical dilemmas, healthcare systems Summary In this episode, the hosts discuss pressing issues in healthcare, focusing on the Canadian MAID program, the implications of patient autonomy, economic factors influencing healthcare decisions, and the GOP's proposals for health savings accounts. They also explore the concept of dynami...

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51 results

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