Steve Cortes, president of the League of American Workers, said on the Health Policy Podcast that the U.S. health system prioritizes medications over addressing root causes of illness, while programs like Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) aim to tackle underlying health issues instead of just managing symptoms.
“In America we are really just managing sickness,” said Cortes. “A large swath of american society are just healthy enough that they keep living. They are alive. But they’re not truly healthy. That’s what the the drug first approach has done for millions and millions of Americans. Unfortunately, all of the incentives within the current medical system push doctors there and push patients there. So instead, what MAHA says is let’s address root causes.”
Prescription drug costs in the U.S. keep climbing, highlighting a system focused on treatment rather than prevention. In 2024, retail drug spending hit $467 billion, up nearly 8% from the year before, according to CMS. Hospital and doctor spending also rose, showing that a growing slice of healthcare dollars goes to medications—naturally steering both patients and clinicians toward managing illness with drugs instead of preventing it.
Many older Americans take multiple medications at once. Research in JAMA Network Open finds that as many as 65% of adults 65 and older are on several drugs, which increases risks for falls, fractures, hospital stays, and even cognitive decline. These widespread multi-drug regimens show how the system focuses on “managing sickness” rather than addressing the root causes of illness.
Despite spending more than 16% of GDP on healthcare in 2022, the U.S. ranks last overall among 10 wealthy countries in access, efficiency, equity, and health outcomes, according to the Commonwealth Fund’s Mirror, Mirror 2024 report. Projections suggest spending could top 20% of GDP by 2035.
Cortes is a political commentator and former financial strategist who worked on Donald Trump’s presidential campaigns and founded the League of American Workers in 2022 to advocate for economic policies benefiting U.S. citizens. “Unfortunately, all of the incentives within the current medical system push doctors there and push patients there. So instead, what MAHA says is let’s address root causes,” Cortes said.
