More Health, Less Healthcare

Peter Boland PhD

Are you ready to rethink what health really means—and what it takes for us to achieve it? Welcome to the “More Health. Less Healthcare” Podcast, your front-row seat to a revolution in American healthcare, inspired by the game-changing book by Peter Boland.   Healthcare doesn’t have to be defined by endless bills, mounting debt, and a system that prioritizes profits over people. What if there’s a better way that means more health for everyone, fewer unnecessary costs, and a renewed sense of fairness in how care is delivered?   The “More Health. Less Healthcare” podcast takes you inside the heart of a growing movement: one that values equity, transparency, collaboration, and, above all, real outcomes for real people. Hosted by thought leaders committed to making a difference, each episode starts with a bold question: Are we ready to do the right thing, for the right reasons, at the right price?   Drawing from over 100 real-life case examples and interviews, this podcast isn’t just another critique of what’s broken. It’s your practical playbook for solutions that work—proof of concept that eradicating health disparities and cutting out waste can lead to healthier communities, a stronger economy, and a more ethical society.   Learn how the hidden cost of inequity in American healthcare is draining hundreds of billions of dollars from our economy every year, and how millions of Americans endure the crushing burden of medical debt. Discover why up to a third of all healthcare spending in the U.S.—a staggering $1.4 trillion each year—has no benefit for patients and only adds to the harm. The “More Health. Less Healthcare” podcast uncovers these hard truths and turns them into a call for accountability and courage.   We face a crucial choice: keep overspending on sickness care or rebalance our priorities to invest in real health creation. COVID-19 revealed the glaring gaps in our system and the disproportionate impact on minority communities, bringing discrimination and broken incentives to the forefront. The podcast tackles these issues head-on, with stories and strategies from those leading the way on public health, end-to-end care coordination, and the rebuilding of trust in our healthcare institutions.   Why do traditional healthcare financing models fail us? How can we redirect wasted resources to programs that create health? What can individuals, practitioners, and policymakers do right now to drive systemic change, eliminate unnecessary care, and refocus on community-based solutions?   Each episode is a masterclass in what it means to be accountable for the health of our communities. We draw on the wisdom of healthcare’s past, rooted in Hippocrates’ timeless principle—first do no harm, then try to prevent it—and update it for the 21st century. Our guests bring you groundbreaking ideas and proven methods to advance equity, commit to health creation, and embrace transparency and fairness as the guiding values of a new era.   Don’t miss the conversations that matter from how to slash 26-46% of healthcare waste, to making public health programs robust statewide and nationwide, to amplifying voices that have turned health equity from an ideal into a reality.   Whether you’re a patient, a clinician, a policymaker, or someone who simply cares about the future of health in America, “More Health. Less Healthcare” is your go-to resource for hope, honest dialogue, and practical steps toward a fairer, healthier tomorrow. Subscribe now and join the national conversation about how we value health, the urgent reforms we need, and how—with the right leadership and commitment—we can all experience more health and less healthcare.

  1. The Hidden Costs of Motherhood and the Need for Systemic Change in Maternal Care

    Jun 10

    The Hidden Costs of Motherhood and the Need for Systemic Change in Maternal Care

    In this thought-provoking episode of Author Podcasts, Peter Boland introduces the "More Health, Less Healthcare" series by asking a bold question: What if our healthcare system isn't truly designed to create health, but rather to respond to illness? Using maternal health as a lens, Peter Boland explores the disconnect between what we claim to value and what our system actually delivers. A Shortage of Health, Not Medical Care: Despite leading the world in healthcare spending, the U.S. continues to struggle with outcomes in life expectancy, chronic disease, and especially maternal health.Maternal Health as a Mirror: Our approach to maternal health reveals what our society truly values and exposes gaps in investment and design.We Know What Works: Stable housing, nutritious food, consistent maternity care, mental health support, and reliable primary care are proven solutions, yet often treated as optional rather than essential.A System Built for Sickness: The U.S. pays generously for complications and crisis interventions, but invests only cautiously in prevention and early, continuous support.The Hidden Tax on Motherhood: Many costs and stresses facing mothers and families are embedded in how we design coverage and assign accountability—not just "bad luck," but predictable outcomes of the system.Changing Incentives Is Key: Real change requires revisiting payment models, benefit design, and the deep incentives embedded in our health care organizations.From Pilots to Practice: It's not enough to run small experiments—maternal health needs to be central to the mission, operations, and leadership accountability. Peter Boland closes with an invitation: If we can’t organize our healthcare system around something as fundamental as maternal health, how can we claim to be serious about health in any other area?

    13 min
  2. Stop Doing This! Where is Your Organization “Weathering” People?

    May 27

    Stop Doing This! Where is Your Organization “Weathering” People?

    This week on More Health, Less Healthcare, Peter Boland shines a spotlight on a concept that rarely appears in our benefit dashboards but shapes the lives of our patients, members, and colleagues daily: weathering. What is Weathering? As Peter Boland defines, weathering is what happens when people spend years inside systems—healthcare, employment, social services—that treat their bodies as expendable while blaming them for poor outcomes. It’s the cumulative, grinding effect of: Racism, sexism, and povertyChronic stress and bureaucratic hurdlesUnstable housing and low-wage workYou see it in the 35-year-old who looks 50, in the Medicaid member labeled ‘non-compliant’ after years of navigating prior authorizations. This isn’t just a sad coincidence. As Peter Boland reminds us, weathering is a product of how our systems are built and run. This weekend, wherever you work, notice one place where your organization is weathering people—a policy, a denial pattern, even a tone of voice. In your next meeting, ask: What would it take to stop? Not to pilot around it or build a workaround, but to actually stop. It’s an uncomfortable conversation, but one that matches the stories we say about equity and health. If you’re having these conversations—or struggling to start—I’d love to hear from you. Forward this episode to someone who sits in the rooms where decisions are made. Let’s move from “normal collateral damage” to “completely unacceptable.”

    17 min
  3. Scaling Impact: What Health Plans Can Learn from UPMC's Investment Framework

    May 6

    Scaling Impact: What Health Plans Can Learn from UPMC's Investment Framework

    We’ve just dropped a brand new episode of More Health, Less Healthcare that zeroes in on a question at the heart of American healthcare: Can nonprofit health plans truly serve their communities while operating inside a system designed to profit from sickness? This time, Speaker A breaks down the paradox, using Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina as a case study and sharing actionable insights for boards, leaders, and anyone who cares about healthier communities. What You’ll Learn in This Episode Here are 5 big takeaways listeners will scoop up this week: The Nonprofit Paradox: Why nonprofit health plans are mission-driven on paper, but financially plugged into an extractive system.What Blue Cross NC Gets Right: Community investments in food security, housing, and rural care—and why it’s still not enough. How to Move from Charity to Core Strategy: The next steps nonprofits can take to tie community health directly to their business models. Accountability Starts at the Top: How boards can rewrite the “scorecard” and link executive pay to real-world community health improvements. Sharing Power for Real Change: Why giving up board seats and bringing in new voices is critical for mission-driven transformation. Fun Fact from the Episode Did you know that Speaker A suggests tying up to 30% of CEO and C-suite bonuses to measurable community health metrics—like increasing life expectancy or reducing food insecurity? That’s flipping incentives in a big way!

    22 min

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
177 Ratings

About

Are you ready to rethink what health really means—and what it takes for us to achieve it? Welcome to the “More Health. Less Healthcare” Podcast, your front-row seat to a revolution in American healthcare, inspired by the game-changing book by Peter Boland.   Healthcare doesn’t have to be defined by endless bills, mounting debt, and a system that prioritizes profits over people. What if there’s a better way that means more health for everyone, fewer unnecessary costs, and a renewed sense of fairness in how care is delivered?   The “More Health. Less Healthcare” podcast takes you inside the heart of a growing movement: one that values equity, transparency, collaboration, and, above all, real outcomes for real people. Hosted by thought leaders committed to making a difference, each episode starts with a bold question: Are we ready to do the right thing, for the right reasons, at the right price?   Drawing from over 100 real-life case examples and interviews, this podcast isn’t just another critique of what’s broken. It’s your practical playbook for solutions that work—proof of concept that eradicating health disparities and cutting out waste can lead to healthier communities, a stronger economy, and a more ethical society.   Learn how the hidden cost of inequity in American healthcare is draining hundreds of billions of dollars from our economy every year, and how millions of Americans endure the crushing burden of medical debt. Discover why up to a third of all healthcare spending in the U.S.—a staggering $1.4 trillion each year—has no benefit for patients and only adds to the harm. The “More Health. Less Healthcare” podcast uncovers these hard truths and turns them into a call for accountability and courage.   We face a crucial choice: keep overspending on sickness care or rebalance our priorities to invest in real health creation. COVID-19 revealed the glaring gaps in our system and the disproportionate impact on minority communities, bringing discrimination and broken incentives to the forefront. The podcast tackles these issues head-on, with stories and strategies from those leading the way on public health, end-to-end care coordination, and the rebuilding of trust in our healthcare institutions.   Why do traditional healthcare financing models fail us? How can we redirect wasted resources to programs that create health? What can individuals, practitioners, and policymakers do right now to drive systemic change, eliminate unnecessary care, and refocus on community-based solutions?   Each episode is a masterclass in what it means to be accountable for the health of our communities. We draw on the wisdom of healthcare’s past, rooted in Hippocrates’ timeless principle—first do no harm, then try to prevent it—and update it for the 21st century. Our guests bring you groundbreaking ideas and proven methods to advance equity, commit to health creation, and embrace transparency and fairness as the guiding values of a new era.   Don’t miss the conversations that matter from how to slash 26-46% of healthcare waste, to making public health programs robust statewide and nationwide, to amplifying voices that have turned health equity from an ideal into a reality.   Whether you’re a patient, a clinician, a policymaker, or someone who simply cares about the future of health in America, “More Health. Less Healthcare” is your go-to resource for hope, honest dialogue, and practical steps toward a fairer, healthier tomorrow. Subscribe now and join the national conversation about how we value health, the urgent reforms we need, and how—with the right leadership and commitment—we can all experience more health and less healthcare.