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 consolidation—can truly reduce costs without sacrificing care quality.

Dr. Jha discusses:

• National Health Expenditure Projections, 2024–33: Despite Insurance Coverage Declines, Health To Grow As Share Of GDP — Health Affairs
• Aluminum-Adsorbed Vaccines and Chronic Diseases in Childhood: A Nationwide Cohort Study — Annals of Internal Medicine

Erin Fuse Brown is a Professor of Health Services, Policy, and Practice at the Brown University School of Public Health. Her areas of research and expertise include health law and policy, health care finance, health care consolidation and prices, the Affordable Care Act, single-payer and public option health reforms, ERISA preemption of state health laws, consumer financial protections for patients against surprise medical bills and medical debt. She also serves as a consultant to the National Academy for State Health Policy to provide legal and policy resources and draft model laws for its Center for Health System Costs, funded by Arnold Ventures.

Dr. Ashish K. Jha is the dean of the Brown University School of Public Health.

Music by Katherine Beggs, additional music by Lulu West and Maya Polsky