The Patient as Single Payer: Dr. Deane Waldman on Reforming Medicaid and Halting Healthcare Fraud

WASHINGTON — November 9, 2026 — Deane Waldman, M.D., MBA, Chairman of the Board at Empower Patients Initiative, discusses the need for healthcare reform and the implications of Medicaid policies in a recent episode of the Health Policy Podcast. The episode, titled "The Patient as Single Payer," explores how empowering patients can address issues of healthcare fraud and inefficiency.

Waldman emphasizes that the current healthcare system is failing both patients and providers. He argues that patients should control their healthcare spending rather than third parties, which he believes would reduce wasteful spending and fraud. The conversation also highlights the challenges of Medicaid and the need for state-level flexibility in managing healthcare resources.

This discussion is significant as it addresses the ongoing issues of healthcare affordability and access in the United States. With millions of Americans relying on Medicaid, understanding the system's flaws and potential reforms is crucial for policymakers and the public.

“Both sides of the aisle will resist what we should be doing, which is the patients should be in charge of their healthcare spending, not a third party,” said Deane Waldman, M.D., MBA, Empower Patients Initiative. “If we had the Empower Patients Initiative, the only people who would have control of the money would be the patients.”

Waldman advocates for a shift in healthcare policy that prioritizes patient control over spending, which he believes could eliminate much of the fraud currently plaguing the system.

The conversation underscores the importance of patient empowerment in healthcare reform and the potential for systemic change through innovative policy approaches.