Fixing Healthcare Incentives | Dr. Richard Pan

Dr. Ramin Manshadi interviews pediatrician and former California State Senator Dr. Richard Pan, now a U.S. Congress candidate, about his shift from clinical medicine to health policy driven by community health and social determinants. Dr. Pan highlights legislative achievements including expanding coverage to 4 million Californians, enabling an $11 generic insulin, and strengthening vaccination laws after the 2015 Disneyland measles outbreak.  He discusses rebuilding public trust amid vaccine disinformation, protecting the doctor–patient relationship through access to care, and addressing burnout by reducing administrative burden and prior authorization, noting outpatient physicians spend only about 28% of their time with patients.  The conversation covers sustaining independent practices, aligning incentives to better manage chronic disease, establishing AI safety guardrails, social media’s role in amplifying outrage and misinformation, and his top federal priorities: expanding healthcare access, restoring public health infrastructure, and reducing wasteful administrative spending. 00:00 Doctors vs Paperwork 00:30 Meet Dr Richard Pan 02:49 From Micro to Macro 06:30 Why Run for Congress 09:36 Rebuilding Trust in Medicine 12:34 Burnout and Prior Auth 17:53 Saving Independent Practices 23:03 AI Promise and Guardrails 26:58 Social Media and Youth 29:56 Top Healthcare Priorities 35:46 Closing Advice for Trainees