In this episode, host Joe Sparks discusses why you can make a compelling case for Medicare for All based on economics and why we can’t afford not to implement Medicare for All.

Do not miss this episode as host Joe Sparks discusses why Medicare for All is an economic necessity. 

In this episode, host Joe Sparks discusses a recent Center for American Progress (CAP) report’s recommendations that purport to lower healthcare costs, but won’t.

Do not miss this episode as host Joe Sparks explains why CAP’s report recommendations will not lower costs. 

Here is the link for CAP’s report: A Patients’ Bill of Rights To Lower Health Care Costs.

In this episode, host Joe Sparks discusses a recent survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) that revealed that more than 82 million people are cutting back to cover healthcare expenses.

Do not miss this episode as host Joe Sparks examines how people are cutting back to cover healthcare expenses and that Medicare for All will eliminate this problem. 

Here are the links referenced in this episode.

Gallup survey: One-Third of Americans Cut Back to Cover Healthcare Expenses

New York Times article: A Third of Americans Have Cut Spending or Borrowed Money for Health Care:

Washington Post article: One-third of Americans skip meals or other needs to afford health care

Here are the links for my previous episodes. 

Episode 8: The Economics of Health Care, Part 1: The Problem – Our Current Health Care System Is Unaffordable

Episode 9: The Economics of Health Care, Part 2: The Solution – Medicare for All 

In this episode, host Joe Sparks examines the new top economic concern in the U.S. according to a recent survey.

Do not miss this episode as host Joe Sparks examines the new top economic worry and how to fix the problem.

In this episode, host Joe Sparks explains how the new Virginia Medigap Birthday Rule law helps people who have Medigap plans, also known as Medicare Supplement plans. He also discusses why the benefits provided by this law would be even better with Medicare for All. 

Do not miss this episode as host Joe Sparks explains the benefits of this new law and how it could reduce your Medigap premiums in Virginia.

As I said in this podcast episode, there are several other states that have similar programs. The specific details vary by state, so make sure to check the particulars for your state. Here is the list of states with similar programs: California, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma, Utah, Oregon, and Wyoming.

Do not miss this episode as host Joe Sparks explains why tweaks to the current U.S. healthcare system won’t work and that Medicare for All will stop the tweaking.

Do not miss this episode as host Joe Sparks explains why Medicare’s WISeR program isn’t wise.

Do not miss this episode as host Joe Sparks explains how Medicare for All could change your life. 

Here is the link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jL337TuRDOI

Do not miss this episode as host Joe Sparks list some websites to get reliable health information now that the CDC is unreliable.

Below are the websites mentioned in this podcast. 

Brown University’s School of Public Health Pandemic Center

The Cleveland Clinic’s Health Library 

HealthyChildren.org

Johns Hopkins School of Public Health

Planned Parenthood

University of Minnesota Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP)

Vaccine Education Center

Do not miss this episode as host Joe Sparks describes how Donald Trump and the GOP are making Stealth Cuts to Medicare even though Trump said he would not cut Medicare. 

Do not miss this episode as host Joe Sparks describes how the Big Beautiful Bill will cause millions to lose healthcare and distract us from solving the healthcare crisis in the United States.

Do not miss this episode as host Joe Sparks describes how proposed Medicaid cuts in the misnamed Big Beautiful Bill will cause millions to lose health care.

Do not miss this episode as host Joe Sparks explains that the arguments over Medicaid cuts ignores people who are uninsured and underinsured.

Do not miss this episode as host Joe Sparks explains that Medicare for All would reduce bad healthcare decisions by ending the denial of care by health insurance companies.

In this episode, Ali Velshi, a capitalist, explains why a free market healthcare system will never work. Velshi is from Canada and was a journalist on CNBC and before moving to MSNBC.  Velshi’s explanation is from “The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell.” 

Do not miss this episode as Ali Velshi explains why free market healthcare won’t work and why there is no country that has a free market healthcare system.

In this episode, I play an excerpt from an interview with Blake Zeff. He helped in both of Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns and is an expert in policy and strategic communications.

In the interview, Zeff explains that issues of health care helped the Democrats win the 2020 election, and then the Democrats rarely talked about health care and did almost nothing to address the problems with our healthcare system once elected.

Do not miss this episode as Blake Zeff discusses Democrats' failure to address health care.

Do not miss this episode as host Joe Sparks explains why removing medical debt from credit reports is not an effective way to deal with medical debt and how we can end medical debt.

Do not miss this episode as host Joe Sparks explains why the 76,000 unnecessary deaths of our current healthcare system could be considered murders.

Do not miss this episode as host Joe Sparks explains why health care is likely to become more expensive under Donald Trump.

Do not miss this episode as host Joe Sparks explains why medical debt is much larger problem than most people think.

Here is the report I referenced in this podcast: 100 Million People in America Are Saddled With Health Care Debt

Here are links to episodes 8 and 9 that I referenced in this podcast: 

The Economics of Health Care, Part 1: The Problem – Our Current Health Care System Is Unaffordable

The Economics of Health Care, Part 2: The Solution – Medicare for All

Do not miss this episode as host Joe Sparks discusses some of the advantages and disadvantages of electronic health records and why we often depend on faxes to transfer health data.

Olympian Ariana Ramsey decided to try out the free health care at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. She was “amazed” and said that “America needs to do better with their healthcare system.” 

Do not miss this episode as host Joe Sparks explains how the United States can do better with their healthcare system and how to make free health care normal so the amazement can end for everyone.

Here is the link to Ariana Ramsey’s TikTok video on being amazed by free health care:  https://www.tiktok.com/@ariana.ramsey/video/7399645817944001838

Do not miss this episode as host Joe Sparks explains that health  insurance companies are concerned with profits and are using AI to increase profits by denying care. Instead, insurance companies should be evaluated on how well they cover costs for treatment. 

Here are the articles referenced in this podcast. 

• As UnitedHealth and Cigna are Sued for AI-Based Claims Denials, Documents Suggest Major AI Expansion
• Denied by AI: How Medicare Advantage plans use algorithms to cut off care for seniors in need

Here is Wendell Potter’s news site referenced in this podcast, HEALTH CARE un-covered. I highly recommend it. Please consider subscribing to this news site. 

Do not miss this episode as host Joe Sparks discusses a report by Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP) that documents the harmful effects of Medicare Advantage.

Here is a link to the report: Taking Advantage: How Corporate Health Insurers Harm America’s Seniors.

Do not miss this episode as host Joe Sparks explains why Medicare Advantage is not needed and is detrimental to Medicare. 

Here is the MedPac report that I used as a source: Medicare Payment Policy. (See page XXV and pages 373-374.)

Do not miss this episode as host Joe Sparks discusses why we don’t need health insurance companies.

Do not miss this episode as host Joe Sparks explicates some good reasons why we need Medicare for All and comments on some of the disinformation regarding Medicare for All.

These following articles are referenced or used as sources in this podcast:

22 studies agree: ‘Medicare for All’ saves moneyMedicare For All Would Improve Hospital Financing

National Improved Medicare for All (NIMA): “But How Are You Going To Pay For It?” M4A Math

Universal healthcare as pandemic preparedness: The lives and costs that could have been saved during the COVID-19 pandemic

What the data says about gun deaths in the U.S.

Do not miss this episode as host Joe Sparks explains why the University of Delaware freezing hiring, pausing projects and curbing travel is a prologue to the future in the United States if we keep the current healthcare system.

These are the two articles referenced in this podcast:

Hiring frozen. Projects paused. Travel curbed. UD reacts to spiking state health care cost Why companies are leaving the cloud

Do not miss this episode as host Joe Sparks explains why Medicare makes it easier to move to a different state.

Do not miss this episode as host Joe Sparks uses audio bullet points to explain why we need Medicare for All.

Do not miss this episode as Aija describes People’s Action’s goals, how Healthcare for All fits into their overall purpose, and also describes what People’s Action is currently emphasizing in healthcare. 

If you would like to learn more or volunteer for the Care Over Cost campaign here is the link: https://careovercost.org/.

If you would like to learn more about People’s Action, here is the link: https://peoplesaction.org/.

Do not miss this episode as host Joe Sparks discusses some of the reports that show the U.S. has the worst healthcare system among wealthy nations.

Do not miss this episode as host Joe Sparks explains why Medicare for All is better than direct contracting.

Do not miss this episode as host Joe Sparks explains why Medicare for All provides more freedom than private health insurance plans.

Do not miss this episode as host Joe Sparks explains why the response to drownings, gun violence, and healthcare is to let people die and why we need to change that.

Here is the article that I referenced from the New York Times: "Drowning Is No. 1 Killer of Young Children. U.S. Efforts to Fix It Are Lagging."

Here are two other reference articles on drownings: 

• "Drowning Facts"
• "Drowning: The Fast and Silent Killer"

Here is the study from the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions for my statistics on gun violence: "U.S. Gun Violence in 2021: An Accounting of a Public Health Crisis"

Do not miss this episode as host Joe Sparks expands the discussion beyond Medicare for All and discusses why we need to take a “bubble-up” approach to the economy.

In this podcast, I quote CBS News. However, in the podcast I do not say explicitly that I am quoting CBS. Here is the quote, “If the minimum wage had risen along with workers' productivity since the 1970s, it would currently be set at nearly $23 an hour, according to the Center for Economic and Policy Research.”

Do not miss this episode as host Joe Sparks explains why the free-market will always result in a market failure for healthcare and why the free-market will never provide a viable solution for healthcare. 

Do not miss this episode as host Joe Sparks informs that the Medicare for All Act bills will be reintroduced in the House of Representatives and the Senate on May 17, 2023, and summarizes some of the reasons why we need Medicare for All.

Do not miss this episode as host Joe Sparks explains why certain companies should not be allowed to assist or advise the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, why we need to track denial of care by health insurance companies, why physicians deserve a rate increase from Medicare, and why health insurance companies don’t. 

Do not miss this episode as host Joe Sparks explains why, in his opinion, Medicare Advantage plan companies are like bank robbers that the government supports and what needs to be done to stop these bank robbers.

Here is the article referenced in this episode: Medicare Delays a Full Crackdown on Private Health Plans.

My guest, Julie Baak, will discuss Pharmacy Benefit Managers or PBMs and automatic denials, and how PBMs and automatic denials harm patients. 

Julie is the Practice Manager of the Arthritis Center in Bridgeton, Missouri and an expert in Rheumatology Practice Management. 

She has testified to the Missouri Senate Insurance Committee on patient access to care. Julie has received a ‘Change Maker’ award from the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), has served as the chair of the Payer Committee at the National Organization of Rheumatology Management (NORM) and currently serves on the Coalition State Rheumatology Organization (CSRO) Payer Response Team.

Do not miss this episode as Julie Baak describes the harm to patients caused by pharmacy benefit managers and automatic denials.

Do not miss this episode as host Joe Sparks asks why the government doesn’t provide the same quick help to people who are denied care by health insurance companies as it did to the Silicon Valley Bank depositors. 

Do not miss this episode as host Joe Sparks discusses how the HMO Act of 1973 led to fifty years of failure and caused the U.S. to end up with the most expensive healthcare system in the world while having the worst overall health outcomes of wealthy nations.

My guest is Ed Weisbart, MD, and he explains some basics about ACO REACH, why we need to end it, how to end it, why it is a threat to seniors and Medicare, and why we should be optimistic about working to end REACH.  

Dr. Weisbart is a retired family physician, the national board secretary of Physicians for a National Health Program, and president of Consumers Council of Missouri.

He received his medical degree at the University of Illinois in Chicago in 1979, and completed his family medicine residency and a fellowship in family medicine education at Michigan State University in 1982.

Do not miss this episode as Dr. Weisbart explains why ACO REACH is a threat to seniors and Medicare, and why we need to end REACH.

For information on how to end ACO REACH and protect Medicare, here is the link for ProtectMedicare.net. 

In this episode, I discuss why we need to end the Medicare ACO REACH program. ACO REACH or REACH is a program that transfers people from traditional Medicare to private health insurance.  

ACO is an acronym for “Accountable Care Organization” and REACH is an acronym for “Realizing Equity, Access, and Community Health.”

Do not miss this episode as I discuss why REACH is bad for individuals and the nation. 

In this episode, I discuss why a free-market healthcare system will not solve the problems in U.S. health care. 

I reference the following video in this episode: Single-Payer: The ONLY Fix to the For-Profit Private Insurance SCAM!

There are three people in the above video. The main two are MSNBC hosts Ali Velshi and Lawerence O’Donnell. The third is Rep. Jim Jordan who is briefly seen and heard, and whose false statements are quickly refuted.

Do not miss this episode as I discuss why the free market is a market failure in health care, and why the free market cannot fix health care in the U.S.

We would demand action if a foreign adversary caused more than 76,000 deaths like the current U.S. healthcare system does. However, we continue to allow these deaths. We need to take action to end the carnage.

Do not miss this episode as I discuss some important reasons why we need Medicare for All.

Do not miss this episode as I discuss Medicare Advantage fraud and why the reasons for starting Medicare Advantage made no sense.

Here are links for the articles that I referenced in this podcast.

‘The Cash Monster Was Insatiable’: How Insurers Exploited Medicare for Billions (October 8, 2022)

Medicare Advantage Plans Often Deny Needed Care, Federal Report Finds (April 28, 2022)

Here are the links for the podcast episodes that I referenced in this podcast:

Link for all episodes: https://medicareforallexplained.org/episodes/

Episode 57: What You Need To Know About Medicare, Medigap, Medicare (Dis)Advantage, And How Medicare for All Benefits Seniors, Part 1 (June 1, 2021)

Episode 58: What You Need To Know About Medicare, Medigap, Medicare (Dis)Advantage, and How Medicare for All Benefits Seniors, Part 2 (June 15, 2021)

Episode 86: Medicare: A Complicated Mess (October 1, 2022)

In this episode, I discuss why Medicare is a complicated mess, how to make it better, and why single-payer Medicare for All would be better for seniors and everyone else.

Do not miss this episode as I discuss why Medicare is complicated and how to make it better.

The Medicare handbook can be found here: “Medicare & You 2023.”

Here are the links for problems with Medicare Advantage plans:

As Seniors Get Sicker, They're More Likely To Drop Medicare Advantage Plans (July 5, 2017)

Patients in poor health leave Medicare Advantage plans (July 11, 2017)

Medicare Advantage Spends Less on Care, So Why Is It Costing So Much? (August 7, 2017)

CMS is giving unfair competitive advantage to private Medicare Advantage plans (April 5, 2018)

Medicare Advantage Plans Found to Improperly Deny Many Claims (Oct 13, 2018)

Medicare Advantage plans profit by wholesale denial of legitimate claims (October 18, 2019)

Even Researchers Don’t Know Which Doctors Medicare Advantage Covers (July 8, 2019)

Insurers Running Medicare Advantage Plans Overbill Taxpayers By Billions As Feds Struggle To Stop It (July 16, 2019)

Medicare Advantage Enrollees Discover Dirty Little Secret (Dec 3, 2019)

U.S. Watchdog Finds $6.7 Billion in Questionable Medicare Payments to Insurers (Dec 12, 2019)

Fraud Is Rampant in Medicare Advantage (Mar 13, 2021)

Medicare Advantage Plans Often Deny Needed Care, Federal Report Finds (April 28, 2022)

Government Watchdogs Attack Medicare Advantage for Denying Care and Overcharging (June 29, 2022)

My guest, Gilbert Simon, MD, wrote “Ripped Off!: Overtested, Overtreated and Overcharged, the American Healthcare Mess.” In 1989, Dr. Simon founded the Sacramento Family Medical Clinics to care for people who had trouble affording and getting quality healthcare. 

Before he founded his medical clinics, Dr. Simon was a pediatrician, and taught at Columbia University, University of California Davis School of Medicine, and California Northstate University School of Medicine. 

Do not miss this episode as Dr. Simon discusses the waste, inefficiency and profiteering that currently exists in the American healthcare system.

Correction: Dr. Simon said that we are “spending about 12 and a half dollars per capita” on health care. The correct figure is 12 and a half thousand dollars per capita.

My guest, Carlo Bosques, is a medical student in Puerto Rico. 

He was born and raised in Puerto Rico and did his undergraduate degree at Johns Hopkins University, majoring in molecular and cellular biology. While at Johns Hopkins, he served as a volunteer at a clinic that served undocumented patients. That experience helped him to realize how inseparable health and policy were. 

While pursuing his medical degree in Puerto Rico, Mr Bosques leads a group of medical students in Project Arbona (Proyecto Arbona), that supports establishing a universal healthcare system in Puerto Rico. Mr. Bosques describes how Puerto Rico did have a single-payer healthcare system, which is an often forgotten part of its history that is rarely mentioned in the United States.

Do not miss this episode as Mr. Bosques discusses Puerto Rico’s former universal healthcare system, and how it was more effective than Puerto Rico’s current privatized healthcare system.

In this episode, I describe what makes single-payer Medicare for All cool. In brief, it is cool because people get the medical care and prescription drugs they need when they need it without having to worry about cost. 

Do not miss this episode as I discuss all the reasons why Medicare for All is cool.

My guest, A Jay Holmgren, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at University of California San Francisco and the Center for Clinical Informatics and Improvement Research, and a Senior Advisor at the Stanford Clinical Excellence Research Center.

He researches information technology and digital health, and uses quantitative social science to understand how information technology affects patients, providers, and health care organizations. Dr. Holmgren received a Masters degree in Health Informatics from the University of Michigan and a PhD in Health Policy from Harvard University.

Do not miss this episode as Dr. Holmgren discusses how Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems that can exchange data will help patients.

In this episode, I discuss two actions that can be taken that would make life easier and save time for most people. I discuss how interchangeable health data would save time when people change or go to a new doctor, and that the government could figure taxes for most people.

Do not miss this episode as I discuss how interchangeable health data and the government figuring taxes would save time and money for most people.

My guest, Diljeet Singh, MD, is board certified in OB/GYN and Gynecologic Oncology. She also has an MPH in Maternal and Child Health, and a Ph.D. in Health Services Research. Dr. Singh currently practices in the Washington D.C. metro area. 

Do not miss this episode as Dr. Singh discusses how ending women’s guaranteed right to abortions will seriously harm women’s health.

I am including a link to this New York Times article, "Deleting Your Period Tracker Won’t Protect You," because some people may find it useful.

Do not miss this episode as I discuss why gun violence is so rampant in the United States and what can and should be done about it. 

Here are links to the video, article, and podcast episodes that I reference in this podcast:

• Damaged caused by high-velocity bullets.
• John McWhorter’s New York Times newsletter (Paywalled): Gun Violence Is Like What Segregation Was. An Unaddressed Moral Stain.
• Episode 19: How Do We Meet the Needs of People Who Need Mental Health Services? Poorly!
• Episode 52: How We Can Meet the Mental Health Needs of Children and Adolescents 

My guest, Anthony Spadaro, MD, MPH, is a resident physician in Emergency Medicine in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. He graduated from a combined MD/MPH program from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He was one of the authors on a policy statement endorsing single-payer healthcare as the path to universal healthcare endorsed by the American Public Health Association.

Do not miss this episode as Dr. Spadaro discusses what public health is and why the American Public Health Association endorsed single-payer health care. 

In this episode, I discuss why the assumption that people need to have skin in the game in healthcare is false and harmful to getting medical care. 

Do not miss this episode as I discuss how requiring skin in the game for healthcare prevents people from getting the medical care they need. 

My guest, Diljeet Singh, MD, is board certified in OB/GYN and Gynecologic Oncology. She also has an MPH in Maternal & Child Health and a Ph.D. in Health Services Research. Dr. Singh currently practices in the Washington D.C. metro area. 

In February of this year, Pres. Biden released his plan for a “Cancer Moonshot.” His goals are  to reduce the cancer death rate by 50 percent within 25 years and to “improve the experience of people and their families living with and surviving cancer— and, by doing this and more, end cancer as we know it today.”

Dr. Singh explains how we could accomplish those goals within 10 years with what we know today.

Do not miss this episode as Dr. Singh explains how current knowledge and Medicare for All would allow us to achieve the goals of the Cancer Moonshot within 10 years.

The House Oversight and Reform Committee had a hearing on “Examining Pathways to Universal Health Coverage” on March 29, 2022, and Medicare for All was a large part of that discussion. In this episode, I play the testimony of Jeffrey Sachs, PhD. Dr. Sachs is an economics professor at Columbia University, and he makes important points about the U.S. healthcare system. The data shows that our results are worse than other nations and costs way more. We pay a high price for our poorly performing healthcare system. 

Note that Dr. Sachs’s testimony is even more powerful if you can see the graphs he displays during his testimony. Here is a link to his testimony on YouTube: Video Testimony of Jeffrey Sachs.

Do not miss this episode as Dr. Sachs uses data to illustrate how bad the U.S. Healthcare system is compared to other wealthy nations. 

The House Oversight and Reform Committee had a hearing on “Examining Pathways to Universal Health Coverage,” and Medicare for All was a large part of that discussion. In this episode I highlight the testimony of a Representative and witnesses who explain why they support Medicare for All. 

Do not miss this episode as a variety of people discuss our harmful healthcare system. 

This episode is late because I was sick this past week. Hopefully, that won't happen again.

In this episode, I discuss a recent survey that shows why having health insurance often doesn’t mean squat, and I review the survey results that show some of the economic harm caused by the U.S. health insurance system.

Do not miss this episode as I discuss how this survey illustrates the economic harm caused by the U.S. health insurance system and how Medicare for All provides the solution to this problem.

In this episode, I discuss some of the well-known and lesser-known problems with the United States healthcare system. 

I start by discussing that federal law requires the states to seek reimbursement from Medicaid beneficiaries’ estates upon their deaths. While this usually applied to Medicaid beneficiaries who were 55 or older when they received benefits, it can also apply to beneficiaries of any age under certain circumstances. 

I also discuss the unnecessary deaths caused by our healthcare system, the high costs of our healthcare system, other economic effects of our healthcare system, how insurance companies deny care, and how doctors often need to fight the insurance companies to get patients the treatments and medications they need. 

I end with a discussion of a new Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report that documents some of the benefits that Medicare for All would provide. 

Do not miss this episode as I discuss information you need to know about the United States healthcare system and Medicare for All.

More information on the topics discussed in this episode can be found at these links:

Information about Medicaid recovering costs can be at these two links: Medicaid Estate Recovery: Long-Term Care Benefits Aren’t Necessarily ‘Free’ and How Medicaid Recovers the Cost of Long-Term Care From Your Estate After You Die.

The referenced Families USA report can be found here: Catastrophic Cost of Uninsurance: COVID-19 Cases and Deaths Closely Tied to America’s Health Coverage Gaps.

The referenced Commonwealth Fund report can be found here: U.S. Health Insurance Coverage in 2020: A Looming Crisis in Affordability.

The referenced CBO report can be found here: Economic Effects of Five Illustrative Single-Payer Health Care Systems.

In this episode, I describe some changes under Medicare for All that will make lives better and why these changes make Medicare for All the best choice for better healthcare in the United States. 

Do not miss this episode as I explain how Medicare for All will make your life better. 

Note that this podcast quotes from episode 23, "The Average Family Is Going to Get Much More and Pay Much Less."

My guest, Joseph Q Jarvis, MD, MSPH, received his medical and public health training at the University of Utah School of Medicine. His career includes time as a family doctor at a community health center, the state health officer for Nevada, a public health physician for state and federal agencies, a physician consultant with a national practice, and a specialist in occupational lung disease at a tertiary care center.  Dr. Jarvis has seen American health care across the entire spectrum of care.

Thirty years ago Dr. Jarvis came to the realization that American health care fails to deliver quality care at a reasonable price, and that Americans are suffering from society wide health insecurity.  Since then he has done everything he could think of to help all Americans realize how our health system is failing us and what we can do about it.  He shares his conclusions with anyone who will listen, or read his book “The Purple World: Healing the Harm in American Health Care.”  

Do not miss this episode as Dr. Jarvis explains how and why he came to support Medicare for All.

Please note that there was a connection problem that may have affected sound quality.

Dr. Jarvis’s website can be found here.

His book, “The Purple World: Healing the Harm in American Health Care,” can be purchased here. 

A review of his book can be found here. 

In this episode, I wish to honor Martin Luther King Jr. by highlighting important clips from Medicare for All Explained about racism in the U.S. healthcare system and how Medicare for All can reduce the racism that exists in health care.

Do not miss this episode as I highlight how Medicare for All can reduce racism in the United States healthcare system. 

The podcasts referenced in this episode are:

• Episode 28: Racial Inequities in Health Care

• Episode 48: Covid and Racial Inequities

• Episode 41: Racism, Health Care, and Medicare for All

My guest, Scott Desnoyers, became a supporter and advocate for single-payer health care after tragedy struck his family, and his story provides a powerful lesson on why we need Medicare for All. 

Do not miss this episode as Mr. Desnoyers explains how tragedy caused him to become an advocate for Medicare for All.

Note: As near as I can tell, the numbers from two reports may have been conflated. A Yale study published in February 2020 stated that 68,000 lives would be saved by Medicare for All. Here is the link: https://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(19)33019-3/fulltext. 

That study also said, "We also project that the Medicare for All Act would save more than 68 500 (68,000) lives every year, compared with the status quo. If the Affordable Care Act were to be repealed, we would expect an additional annual loss of more than 38 500 (38,500) lives. Compared with health-care access before the Affordable Care Act, the legislation proposed by Senator Sanders, would save 107 000 (107,000) lives annually." I think that is where the 100,000 figure came from. 

As for 26,000 dying from lack of insurance, I think that figure came from a Families-USA study from June 2012. Here is the link: https://familiesusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Dying-for-Coverage.pdf. That study said, "Across the nation, 26,100 people between the ages of 25 and 64 died prematurely due to a lack of health coverage in 2010.

My guest, Judith Albert, MD, is a retired physician in Pittsburgh, PA. She received her medical degree from the University of Cincinnati, completed residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Pittsburgh and a fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology at the University of Pennsylvania.  She practiced in academic and private practice settings for over 30 years in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

Dr. Albert joined Physicians for a National Health Program in 2016 and has been active in her local chapter.  She was elected to the national board of directors in August of 2021.  

Do not miss this episode as Dr. Albert explains why we need a universal continuous healthcare system in the United States. 

My guest, Scott Goldberg, MD, is an assistant professor in General Internal Medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and an attending primary care physician at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, where he sees patients and teaches residents in the Primary Care/Social Internal Medicine program. 

Dr. Goldberg has worked closely with Physicians for a National Health Program since starting medical school. He started a student chapter at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine and became a student delegate to PNHP’s Board of Directors from 2013-2016. From 2016-2019, he was a member of PNHP's executive committee and Board of Directors. He was reelected to the Board in 2021. 

Do not miss this episode and Dr. Goldberg describes why he supports Medicare for All and our insidious and nefarious healthcare system. 

In this episode, I describe some of the current problems with the United States healthcare system, what is Medicare for All, and how Medicare for All can solve those problems.

This episode is a good primer on problems with the U.S. healthcare system and why we need Medicare for All. It should not be missed.

Also please note that there will be no podcast on October 15, 2021. Medicare for All Explained will resume on November 1, 2021.

In this episode, I take clips that highlight important points about Medicare for All. 

I highlight: 

• Why single-payer healthcare was a revelation for Stephanie Nakajima.
• How fire departments provide a good example of why we need public funding for healthcare. Dr. George Bohmfalk describes how fire departments came about and how that relates to health care and Medicare for All.
• How the experience of Jean Ross, president of National Nurses United, led her to support Medicare for All. 

Do not miss this episode as I highlight these important points about Medicare for All. 

The podcasts referenced in this episode are:

• Episode 15: A Revelation
• Episode 7: Putting Out the Fire With Medicare for All
• Episode 12: When You’ve Got a For-Profit System, True Care Goes Out the Window

My guest, Prof. Jerome Katz, is an internationally recognized expert on entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship education. He currently is the Director of Saint Louis University’s highly ranked entrepreneurship program.

From a background in his family’s and his own business in Memphis, Prof. Katz went onto obtain degrees from Rhodes College, the University of Memphis, and Harvard, culminating in a PhD from Michigan. He has been quoted in more than 200 articles in the major magazines in business and entrepreneurship, as well as the major American newspapers, and has had a lifelong interest in developing peoples’ potential. 

Do not miss this episode as Prof. Katz examines how entrepreneurs and the small business community are reacting to Medicare for All. 

My guest, Dr. Ashley Duhon, is a current second year Ob/Gyn resident working in the Bronx borough of New York City. She received her medical training from the Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans. She is a current board member of the New York Metro Chapter of Physicians for a National Health Program. 

As a student, she served on the Students for a National Health Program National Board. She is an avid advocate for Medicare for All and is particularly dedicated to the inclusion of full-spectrum reproductive healthcare services in the fight towards a universal and equitable healthcare system for all.

Do not miss this episode as Dr. Duhon explains how reproductive justice relates to women’s health. 

Note: SisterSong is the organization that originally created and defined the term “Reproductive Justice.”

My guest Miryam Weisberg is a mother of two and lives in the suburbs of Washington, DC. Disabled by a rare genetic disorder, her health relies on Tricare and the military medical system, to which she has access as an earned benefit of her husband's career as an active duty officer.  Previous to becoming disabled, Miryam had a career as a technical writer and now enjoys homeschooling her children and doing needlecrafts. 

Do not miss this episode as Mrs. Weisberg describes her struggles to get medical treatment for her genetic disorder, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, under Tricare. 

In this episode, I take clips that highlight important points about Medicare for All.

I highlight:

• What Medicare for All is
• Why the public option won't work
• Why our current healthcare system is not affordable
• Why you can't be sure that insurance clerks are giving you accurate information
• How insurance companies arbitrarily make patients change medications
• How Medicare for All helps prevent the spread of disease and protects public health   

Do not miss this episode as I highlight these important points about Medicare for All. 

The podcasts referenced in this episode are:

• Episode 1: Medicare For All, An Overview 
• Episode 3: The Manual
• Episode 5: Peace of Mind
• Episode 8: The Economics of Health Care, Part 1: The Problem – Our Current Health Care System Is Unaffordable - I also recommend listening to Episode 9: The Economics of Health Care, Part 2: The Solution – Medicare for All after hearing  Episode 8.
• Episode 23: The Average Family Is Going to Get Much More and Pay Much Less

My guest, Traci Gleason, is Vice President, External Relations for the Missouri Budget Project. Before joining the Missouri Budget Project, she worked on public policy issues at all levels of government, federal, state, and local. Ms. Gleason also worked as a federal representative for the State of California, held positions with the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, and worked for the City of Kansas City, Missouri.

Ms. Gleason earned a Master of Public Policy from the University of California-Berkeley and Bachelor’s Degrees in Psychology and Mathematics from Creighton University.

Do not miss this episode as Ms. Gleason explains how Medicaid Expansion would help Missourians and would save the state money.

My guest, Diane Archer, is founder and president of Just Care USA, an independent digital media hub that focuses on health and financial issues facing boomers and their parents. Ms. Archer serves on the Brown University School of Public Health Advisory Board, and is the past chair of the Board of Consumer Reports. She began her career in health advocacy in 1989 as founder and president of the Medicare Rights Center, a national consumer service organization dedicated to ensuring that older and disabled Americans get the health care they need. Ms. Archer received her J.D. degree from Harvard Law School. 

In Part 1, we discussed problems with Medicare, Medigap or Supplemental plans, and how Medicare Advantage puts you at a disadvantage. 

Part 2 discusses problems with direct contracting, changes to improve Medicare, and how seniors would benefit from Medicare for All. 

Do not miss this episode as Ms. Archer discusses how to improve Medicare and how seniors would benefit from Medicare for All. 

My guest, Diane Archer, is founder and president of Just Care USA, an independent digital media hub that focuses on health and financial issues facing boomers and their parents. Ms. Archer serves on the Brown University School of Public Health Advisory Board, and is the past chair of the Board of Consumer Reports. She began her career in health advocacy in 1989 as founder and president of the Medicare Rights Center, a national consumer service organization dedicated to ensuring that older and disabled Americans get the health care they need. Ms. Archer received her J.D. degree from Harvard Law School. 

My interview with Ms. Archer covers two episodes, 57 and 58. This episode discusses problems with Medicare, Medigap or Supplemental plans, and how Medicare Advantage puts you at a disadvantage. Part 2, available on June 15th, discusses problems with direct contracting, changes to improve Medicare, and how seniors would benefit from Medicare for All. 

Do not miss this episode as Ms. Archer discusses critical information that every senior and their children need to know about Medicare. 

My guest, Rosie Bean, has been politically engaged from an early age. They are a part of the LGBTQIA community and a disabled individual. This has made the fight for justice personal for Rosie. They started out as a moderate liberal Democrat, but had a political awakening that caused them to become more progressive. Rosie started their own political group called FLIP, “Feminists, Liberals, Independents & Progressives,” and is an activist for Medicare for All. 

Do not miss this episode as Rosie discusses how getting on Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) dramatically changed their life and how people with disabilities and the LGBTQIA Community would benefit from Medicare for All.

My guest, Ronald Wyatt, MD, is a board-certified Internist and practiced medicine for over twenty years in St. Louis, Missouri, and Huntsville, Alabama. He was the first Black chief resident at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine.

Dr. Wyatt co-chairs the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Equity Advisory Group and is faculty for the IHI Pursuing Equity Initiative.

Do not miss this episode and Dr. Wyatt discusses why racism is threat to public health and what can be done to end it.

Note, this is the editorial that is referenced in this episode, "Opinion: The health-care industry doesn’t want to talk about this single word."

My guest, Jane Katz Field, MD, is a retired pediatrician. She has been a Clinical Instructor in pediatrics at the University of Vermont School of Medicine and a clinical instructor or professor at other medical schools. In addition, Dr. Katz Field has worked for the New Jersey State Health Department.  

Do not miss this episode as Dr. Katz Field discusses her successful effort to get the Vermont Medical Society to pass a resolution supporting Medicare for All. 

Note, information about the resolution can be found here, and the submitted resolution can be found here. 

My guest, Monica Maalouf, MD, is a primary care internist and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Loyola Stritch School of Medicine. She went to medical school at the University of Minnesota and completed her residency training at New York University School of Medicine in New York City. Her medical interests include HIV care and women's health, with a particular focus on marginalized communities. Dr. Maalouf is Co-president of Physicians for a National Health Plan (PNHP) Illinois and an active member of the Illinois Single-Payer Coalition.

Do not miss this episode as Dr. Maalouf discusses disparities in the U.S. health care system. 

My guest, Claire Cohen, MD, is an African-American psychiatrist who specializes in children and adolescents, and has practiced in Pittsburgh since 1984. She did her General Psychiatry Residency at the University of Chicago. Dr. Cohen then moved to Pittsburgh to do her Child and Adolescent Fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh’s Western Psychiatric Institute, fell in love with Western Pennsylvania, and has practiced there ever since. She has worked in a variety of settings, including community mental health clinics, partial hospitals, school-based settings, and she currently works in an inpatient hospital setting. 

Dr. Cohen has always been active in her community and in fighting for Medicare For All as a member of Physicians For A National Health Program and the Western PA Coalition for Single Payer Healthcare.

Do not miss this episode as Dr. Cohen explains why our current health care system is not meeting the needs of people who need mental health treatment and how Medicare for All could fix many of the problems. 

My guest, James McGee, has spent his career in and around collectively bargained benefit plans, especially health care plans. He has primarily worked on union benefit plans, which are technically known as Taft-Hartley plans. 

Mr. McGee recently retired after 17 years working for the Transit Employees' Health & Welfare Fund as its Executive Director. The Fund provides the health care benefits for the active and retired members of ATU Local 689 employed by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). In this role, he become acutely aware of the deficiencies of our current health care system and began to take an active role in organizations advocating for reform, especially a single-payer solution.

Mr. McGee is on the Steering Committee of the Labor Campaign for Single-Payer, the Montgomery County Chapter of Healthcare-NOW, and on the Board of Directors of Universal Health Care Action Network (UHCAN).

In Part 1, we discussed problems with the public option. Part 2 discusses how unions would benefit from Medicare for All and why health care is an obligation. 

Do not miss this episode as Mr. McGee discusses how unions would benefit from Medicare for All and why health care is an obligation. 

My guest, James McGee, has spent his career in and around collectively bargained benefit plans, especially health care plans. He has primarily worked on union benefit plans, which are technically known as Taft-Hartley plans. 

Mr. McGee recently retired after 17 years working for the Transit Employees' Health & Welfare Fund as its Executive Director. The Fund provides the health care benefits for the active and retired members of ATU Local 689 employed by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). In this role, he become acutely aware of the deficiencies of our current health care system and began to take an active role in organizations advocating for reform, especially a single-payer solution.

Mr. McGee is on the Steering Committee of the Labor Campaign for Single-Payer, the Montgomery County Chapter of Healthcare-NOW, and on the Board of Directors of Universal Health Care Action Network (UHCAN).

My interview with Mr. McGee covers two episodes 50 and 51. This episode discusses problems with the public option. Part 2, available on March 1st, discusses how unions would benefit from Medicare for All and why health care is an obligation. 

Do not miss this episode as Mr. McGee explains why the public option is bad for the public. 

My guest, Holly Hatcher, is a registered nurse in Madison, Wisconsin, and is a Dane County Board Supervisor. She is a mother, grandmother, activist, and Medicare for All Advocate. 

Ms. Hatcher was instrumental in passing a local resolution in Dane County that supported Medicare for All and was approved on January 7, 2021. 

Do not miss the episode as Ms. Hatcher describes why we need Medicare for All and why she wanted a local resolution supporting it. 

My guest, Susan Rogers, MD, FACP, is the president of Physicians for a National Health Program. She is recently retired, but continues helping people as a volunteer attending hospitalist and internist at the John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, Illinois. She is an assistant professor of medicine at Rush University, and previously was the co-director of medical student programs for the Department of Medicine at Stroger Hospital.  She has received numerous teaching awards from Stroger Hospital and Rush University.

Dr. Rogers is a member and Fellow of the American College of Physicians (FACP), a member of the Society of General Internal Medicine and the National Medical Association.

Do not miss this episode as Dr. Rogers describes the racial inequities revealed by the pandemic in our current healthcare system and what can be done to address them.  

My guest, James G. Kahn, MD, MPH, is Emeritus Professor in the Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, the Institute for Global Health Sciences, and the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of California, San Francisco. He has published widely on the cost and cost-effectiveness of HIV prevention and treatment in the developing world, as well as on other health conditions. 

Dr. Kahn researches and educates on the costs and financing of single payer / Medicare-for-All. In 2005, he quantified that U.S. health care administration costs funded through private insurance account for nearly 25% of the costs of physician and hospital care. In 2014, he led a team that estimated potential savings of at least $400 billion per year from simplifying insurance-related administration in the U.S. 

Dr. Kahn also served for two years as President of the California chapter of Physicians for a National Health Program.

Do not miss the episode as Dr. Kahn discusses our response to the pandemic and how we can improve our response in the future.

My guest, Emily Leonard, is a Health Policy Analyst for Medicaid for the state of Maryland. Her work focuses on developing and implementing Medicaid programs to meet the unique needs of the state’s residents. She received her Master’s degree in Public Health Practice and Policy from the University of Maryland, College Park. Ms. Leonard grew up in a rural town on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and is passionate about rural health advocacy and Medicare for All. 

Do not miss the episode as Ms. Leonard discusses why Medicaid is helpful and Medicare for All would be better. 

My guest, Anna Stratis, MD, is a Canadian-trained family physician with a passion for working with people in communities and improving healthcare and quality of life. She has a broad spectrum of experience in adult and pediatric primary care. Dr. Stratis has practiced in Canada and the United States. She volunteered at a New York City hospital during the COVID-19 crisis in the spring. She recently went back to Canada for some clinical work and shares her experience practicing medicine in Canada and the U.S.  

Do not miss this episode as Dr. Stratis discusses why a single-payer Medicare for All system is better for physicians and patients.

My guest, Stephanie Kang, is the Health Policy Advisor for Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal. Representative Jayapal introduced H.R. 1384, the Medicare for All Act of 2019, and Ms. Kang assisted in finalizing that bill. 

Ms. Kang has an MS in Global Health from Northwestern University and is a third-year Doctor of Public Health candidate at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Her professional background includes: drug development for neurodegenerative diseases, management of a health organization in Kenya, and coordination for clinical research and quality improvement at Brigham & Women’s Hospital. Additionally, Stephanie has worked on access to health care projects in India, Mexico, and at The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria. 

Do not miss this episode as Ms. Kang discusses how and why H.R. 1384 was created. 

Correction, Oct. 16, 2020: Ms. Kang is the Health Policy Advisor for Rep. Jayapal, not the Health Policy Fellow as previously stated.

My guest, Karl Kim, is Professor of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and Director of the graduate program in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance. 

Prof. Kim is currently director of the National Disaster Preparedness Training Center, authorized by the U.S. Congress to develop and deliver FEMA certified training courses for underserved and at-risk communities on natural hazards, mitigation, and urban planning. The Center has trained more than 50,000 first responders, emergency managers, and leaders in 300 communities across the world. 

In addition, Prof. Kim is Editor-in-Chief of Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives (Elsevier) and is editing a 10-volume series on disaster risk reduction and resilience (Routledge). He has also led research and training programs in Vietnam, Philippines, and Indonesia.

Do not miss this episode and Prof. Kim discusses how the U.S. responded to the COVID-19 pandemic.

My guest, Matthew Lawrence, J.D., is an Associate Professor of Law at Emory University, and specializes in health care finance, administrative law, and addictions. He has written widely on these subjects with articles published or forthcoming in several prominent law journals. 

In addition to his teaching and scholarship, Lawrence possesses a wealth of experience in the federal government. Previously, he has worked on health care regulatory issues during the Obama and Trump Administrations as a trial attorney in the Department of Justice’s Federal Programs Branch. He most recently served as a special legal advisor to the US House of Representatives Budget Committee (Majority). 

Do not miss this episode as Prof. Lawrence discusses whether Medicare for All could be implemented at the state level. 

My guest, Sanjeev Sriram, MD, MPH, is a pediatrician in Southeast Washington, DC, and is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the George Washington University School of Medicine. 

Dr. Sriram is the Senior Advisor on Medicaid for Social Security Works, a grassroots advocacy organization dedicated to protecting and expanding Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. At Social Security Works, he leads a campaign called “All Means All,” dedicated to making racial equity a cornerstone of Medicare For All.  And Dr. Sriram is also “Dr. America,” a Health Justice Correspondent for We Act Radio, where he writes op-eds and creates innovative media to draw connections between health policy, inequity, and social determinants of health. 

Do not miss this episode as Dr. Sriram discusses Masks for America, the All Means All campaign, and why Medicare for All is a necessary step to address racism in health care.

My guest, Chrissy Holt, has a Masters of Science in Social Psychology from the London School of Economics and is a seasoned businesswoman who has lived or worked in North Carolina, Florida, Virginia, Australia, and England. Her 30-year career has varied from CareerBuilder to Disney Institute now, and she has held multiple leadership positions. Her role the Disney Institute  aligns to her purpose of creating a better workplace for workers

Ms. Holt currently lives in Maryland. She considers raising her children the most significant accomplishment of her life. In 1995, her son was born was born with severe hemophilia A and declared uninsurable. His birth with a pre-existing condition immediately propelled her into volunteer advocacy. 

Do not miss this episode as Ms. Holt discusses how her experience with her son’s hemophilia led her to become an advocate for universal healthcare.

My guest, Dr. Barbara Berney, MPH, PhD, produced the documentary, “Power to Heal: Medicare and the Civil Rights Revolution.” The film describes how the creation of Medicare was used to desegregate thousands of hospitals in a few months. 

Her diverse experience in public health includes working as a frontline health worker in Watts for the Los Angeles County Health Department, as a policy analyst with the United Mine Workers Health and Retirement Funds and with the federal government.

Dr. Berney is a distinguished scholar in public health, environmental justice, and the U.S. health care system. She is Emeritus Associate Professor at the City University of New York School of Public Health, and holds an MPH in Health Administration from UCLA and a PhD in Public Policy from Boston University where she was a Pew Scholar. 

Do not miss this episode as Dr. Berney discusses how Medicare was used to integrate hospitals and the lessons that provides for today. 

Note, information about the “Power to Heal: Medicare and the Civil Rights Revolution” can be found at here, and you can purchase the film here. 

My guest, Gracie Himmelstein, and her sister, Kathryn Himmelstein, MD, cowrote a paper, "Inequality Set in Concrete," which examines how unequal hospital facilities and capital assets contribute to ongoing racial disparities in health.

Gracie is an MD candidate at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and a PhD candidate in Demography and Social Policy at the Office of Population Research at Princeton University. She received her MA in Demography from Princeton in 2019.

Do not miss this episode as Gracie discusses how ongoing differences in physical structures and capital assets contribute to worse health outcomes in minorities.

My guest, Aaron Seyedian, is originally from a small town in Western New York and has lived in the Washington, DC area for nearly 15 years. He created Well-Paid Maids to help bolster the living-wage movement by demonstrating that living-wage businesses can be successful in traditionally low-paying industries. Prior to founding Well-Paid Maids, Aaron worked in management consulting and international development."

Do not miss this episode as Aaron discusses creating a business, providing a living wage, good health benefits for his employees, Medicare for All, and the effects of COVID-19 on his business.

My guest, Prof. Daniel Skinner, Ph.D., teaches health policy at Ohio University’s Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine. He covers Medicaid reform, Medicare financing, and issues surrounding creating a health care system that covers everybody while providing quality care that is affordable. Prof. Skinner earned a Ph.D. and an M.A. in political science from City University of New York.

Prof. Skinner also hosts the podcast "Prognosis Ohio” with WCBE, 90.5 FM, in Columbus, Ohio. The podcast discusses health care, health policy, and health politics in Ohio, and other issues that relate to health outcomes such as food, housing, addiction, and mental health.

Do not miss the episode as Prof. Skinner discusses why we don’t have a health care system in the United States and how we can get the system we want.