A Second Opinion Could Help Curb Wasteful Healthcare Spending in the US

Daniel Litwin
Apr 22, 2020
Learn more
2nd.MD healthcare spending incorrect care medtech overspending patient physician remote care Telehealth telemedicine unneeded care waste wasteful spending

 

On today’s episode of the MarketScale Healthcare podcast, Voice of B2B Daniel Litwin explores waste in the American healthcare system.

A recent October 2019 study in JAMA by Dr. William Shrank showed waste makes up almost a quarter, or 25%, of U.S. healthcare spending, which, when quantified, can reach $935 billion by some estimates.

How does this impact the system as a whole? What are some potential solutions? We’re spoke to both of those major questions today with Jason Melton, CEO of 2nd.MD, who’s looking to combat waste in our healthcare system through medtech.

Specializing in medical certainty, 2nd.MD connects patients to a network of hundreds of expert physicians ready to give a second opinion on their diagnosis and treatment plan, with the goal being to create an optimum treatment plan from the beginning to significantly improve outcomes and reduce ineffective or unnecessary medical spend.

Melton and Litwin spend the podcast breaking down…

  • How 30% of healthcare costs are wasted on unnecessary or incorrect care
  • How wasteful spending fits into the broader dynamic of overspending in American healthcare
  • The financial and health effects of incorrect care on physicians and patients
  • Where a medtech solution fits into the mission to curb wasteful care spending
  • How 2nd.MD created and expanded their network of physicians

For the latest news, videos, and podcasts in the Healthcare Industry, be sure to subscribe to our industry publication.

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Twitter – @MarketScale
Facebook – facebook.com/marketscale
LinkedIn – linkedin.com/company/marketscale

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

brand
Bonfire Branding: How Solo Stove Sparked a Customer Movement with Liz Vanzura (Episode Three)
January 22, 2026

As audiences tune out polished ads and lean into trust, brands are being forced to rethink how they show up for the customer. Research consistently shows that consumers rate peer-created content as more credible than traditional brand messaging, and algorithmic discovery is increasingly rewarding authenticity over polish. With AI reshaping how people search and…

Read More
supply chains
Why the Best Careers Are Designed Like Resilient Supply Chains
January 22, 2026

What do supply chains and community have in common? They both deliver value—when managed with purpose. At their best, they show how intentional systems, meaningful connections, and consistent action turn effort into lasting professional growth. This week on Professional Quotient, listeners hear from Nathan Chaney, founder of Supply Chaney, whose insights bridge the mechanics…

Read More
brand
Bonfire Branding: How Solo Stove Sparked a Customer Movement with Liz Vanzura (Episode Two)
January 22, 2026

As people seek relief from constant digital noise, the backyard has quietly become one of the most important “third spaces” in modern life. Outdoor living, fire pits, and at-home hosting continue to grow as consumers prioritize connection, ease, and experiences that feel meaningful without requiring more complexity. Brands that understand this shift aren’t just…

Read More
Image
The Retrofit Advantage: B2B Renovation Strategies Powering Retail, Healthcare, Sports, IoT, Energy, ProAV, Engineering, and Construction
January 20, 2026

Innovation is no always a new build. In B2B, the fastest return often comes from upgrading existing facilities without pausing operations for months. Renovation and retrofit projects have become a core business lever because they influence measurable outcomes: energy consumption, staff productivity, customer throughput, uptime, safety, compliance, and lifecycle maintenance costs. Below is a B2B…

Read More
Related
survey
Software & Technology
Survey Ready Every Day: Why It’s Not Just a Once-a-Year Activity
January 13, 2026
Dr. G. Duncan Finlay
Healthcare
The Legacy of Dr. G. Duncan Finlay – Episode 6
January 9, 2026

The Rothman Index, developed by Dr. Michael Rothman and his brother Steven, is a pioneering patient acuity score designed to help clinicians recognize patient deterioration earlier and more clearly. Presented as an easily understood, color-coded graph that updates in real time, the Index displays upward and downward trends in patient condition at a glance—transforming…

Read More
Rothman Index
Healthcare
The Origin Story of the Rothman Index – Episode 5
January 8, 2026

Hospitals collect enormous amounts of clinical data, yet preventable patient decline remains a persistent challenge. Over the past two decades, hospitals have invested heavily in early warning scores and rapid response infrastructure, but translating data into timely, meaningful action has proven difficult. As clinicians contend with alert fatigue and increasing documentation burden, a more…

Read More