{"podcast":{"title":"Heal Squad x Maria Menounos","slug":"heal-squad-x-maria-menounos-435348","podcast_index_feed_id":435348,"rss_url":"https://feeds.megaphone.fm/BUZZ7117128333","website_url":"https://www.healsquad.com/","image_url":"https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/e39451b2-61d4-11ec-8321-7bf394590752/image/Maria_Podcast_Cover.png?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress","author":"Maria Menounos, Heal Squad","episode_count":1750,"summary":"Your go-to, daily podcast for taking control of your health. Hosted by Maria Menounos, 2x New York Times bestselling author, Emmy Award-winning journalist, and global leader in health. After surviving a brain tumor, pancreatic cancer, developing diabetes, battling infertility, and caregiving for her mother during her own fight with a brain tumor, Maria turned her personal health journey into the fuel that is changing how the world approaches health for the better. She brings together the top experts, thought leaders and inspiring healing stories to create a space for health exploration. Whatever health journey you’re on, we’re here to guide you with the knowledge you need to make informed decisions and take a proactive role in your physical, emotional, and spiritual health—because healing is possible and it happens here. Connect with Heal Squad https://www.patreon.com/HealSquad https://www.instagram.com/healsquad/ https://www.tiktok.com/@healsquadxmaria https://www.youtube.com/@mariamenounos","last_synced_at":"2026-07-25T14:18:41.041285+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/heal-squad-x-maria-menounos-435348"},"episode":{"title":"1296. 5 Ways to Make the Healthcare System Work for You w/ Dr. Nasim Afsar","slug":"1296-5-ways-to-make-the-healthcare-system-work-for-you-w-dr-nasim-afsar","published_at":"2026-06-17T09:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/heal-squad-x-maria-menounos-435348/1296-5-ways-to-make-the-healthcare-system-work-for-you-w-dr-nasim-afsar","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/heal-squad-x-maria-menounos-435348","url":"https://pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.megaphone.fm/BUZZ8712090416.mp3","audio_url":"https://pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.megaphone.fm/BUZZ8712090416.mp3","summary":"Hey, Heal Squad! Today the conversation continues with Dr. Nasim Afsar - author of Intelligent Health, a board-certified physician and the former Chief Health Officer at Oracle. Yesterday we talked about why the healthcare system is letting you down, well today, is all about what you can do about it. We start where so many of you have been stuck: the insurance question. To have it, or not to have it? Dr. Nasim gives us the rule that finally makes sense. Then she tells a story about HERSELF — yes, a top physician — calling her own doctor about a cough and being told the next available appointment was four months out. Even DOCTORS are stuck in this nightmare. Wait until you hear what she did instead. We also get into the EXACT way to track a weird new symptom so that when you finally get into the appointment, you don't waste a single second. We unpack who's actually on your care team, and why NPs and PAs can do way more for you than you've been led to believe, including in primary care. Dr. Nasim walks us through who to ask for, when, and why. But perhaps the biggest takeaway? Being the CEO of your own health isn't just a mindset—it's a responsibility. Because no matter how advanced technology becomes, nobody knows your body better than you do. HEALERS & HEAL LINERS Be the CEO of your health. Here's the playbook: Leverage AI to see your full picture, save insurance for catastrophe, not the everyday, book NPs and PAs to be seen THIS WEEK, track every symptom like evidence, trust your judgment. The Self-Advocacy Reset: You are not dramatic. You are not 'a difficult patient.' You are the CEO of your health. And the moment you start shrinking in front of a doctor, that is the moment to stop and ask: would a good CEO accept this? The Care Team Unlock: Your care team is bigger…","meta_description":"Hey, Heal Squad! Today the conversation continues with Dr. Nasim Afsar - author of Intelligent Health, a board-certified physician and the former Chief He…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2425,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/heal-squad-x-maria-menounos-435348/episodes/1296-5-ways-to-make-the-healthcare-system-work-for-you-w-dr-nasim-afsar/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/heal-squad-x-maria-menounos-435348/1296-5-ways-to-make-the-healthcare-system-work-for-you-w-dr-nasim-afsar.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}