Colleen Smith, MD of Center for Modern Health on Health Policy Podcast: Dr. Colleen Smith Discusses Healthcare Reform and Regulation

Published April 21, 2026 · Featuring Colleen Smith, MD of Center for Modern Health

Dr. Colleen Smith, MD, discusses healthcare reform and regulation in a recent Health Policy Podcast episode, highlighting insights from the Center for Modern He

Colleen Smith, MD, a visiting fellow at the Center for Modern Health, discusses key issues in healthcare reform, regulation, consumer advocacy, and Medicare reform in the latest episode of the Health Policy Podcast. The conversation highlights the complexities of the current healthcare landscape and the need for meaningful reform.

WASHINGTON — May 25, 2026 — Dr. Colleen Smith, an emergency medicine doctor and visiting fellow at the Center for Modern Health, joined the Health Policy Podcast to discuss pressing issues in healthcare reform and regulation. The episode delves into consumer advocacy, the challenges of Medicare reform, and the implications of vertical integration in healthcare.

Dr. Smith emphasizes the frustrations faced by both patients and healthcare providers in navigating the current system. She notes that the growing consolidation of healthcare entities has led to a lack of competition, which ultimately harms patients. "I'm frustrated with it, both as a patient and as a doctor," she said.

The episode also addresses proposed legislation, such as the Breakup Big Medicine Act, aimed at dismantling large healthcare conglomerates. Dr. Smith argues that while breaking up these entities may seem beneficial, it does not address the underlying regulatory issues that have contributed to the current state of healthcare. "I think that it should be a non-partisan issue, and I think everyone in this country is frustrated with the way that healthcare is," she stated.

Dr. Smith highlights the need for both producers and consumers to have more freedom in the healthcare market. "We're not really in, we are not even as much as we're the ones with the skin in the game when we're patients speaking as a patient, we also don't have very much of the purchasing power," she explained. This lack of purchasing power limits patients' ability to influence the healthcare market.

The Center for Modern Health is a think tank dedicated to advancing innovative healthcare policy solutions. It focuses on improving healthcare access, affordability, and quality through research and advocacy.

About the Health Policy Podcast

The Health Policy Podcast explores critical issues in energy, infrastructure, policy, and economic growth. The show features expert guests who provide insights into the complexities of health policy and its impact on society.

About Center for Modern Health

The Center for Modern Health is an organization focused on healthcare innovation, patient-centered care, medical policy, and modern approaches to healthcare delivery and wellness initiatives.

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About the Guest

Colleen Smith, MD — Visiting Fellow

Colleen Smith, MD. Colleen Smith is a Clinical Policy Analyst at the Center for Modern Health. She is also an emergency medicine physician who currently practices in New York City. She completed medical school in Atlanta, Gerogia, at Emory University School of Medicine, residency in Emergency Medicine at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York, and a fellowship in Medical Simulation and Education at New York University and Bellevue Hospitals. In addition to contributing to our policy work, Colleen also writes about health policy, medical education, and her experiences of the American healthcare system on her personal Substack.

About the Health Policy Podcast

The Health Policy Podcast hosts conversations on energy, infrastructure, policy and economic growth — interviewing the operators, regulators, and innovators powering America's grid, gas, nuclear, and industrial future. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.