The U.S. doesn’t have universal healthcare, as most industrialized countries do. Most of us get health benefits through employers. Why? In World War II, the government slapped wage controls on corporations. To lure workers, companies began offering healthcare benefits. After the war, an effort to create a national healthcare system was met with resistance. Fierce Healthcare writer Frank Diamond talks with Elizabeth Mitchell, the president and CEO of the Purchaser Business Group on Health. It is a nonprofit group of employers purchasing healthcare services for over 21 million Americans.

Also, everyone knows the U.S. healthcare system is a broken one. But few have ideas on how to fix it—or where to even begin. To better understand what Americans want from their care, nonprofit United States of Care spent three years talking to thousands around the country. It then identified policy agenda goals that it has since been working on with lawmakers. Anastassia Gliadkovskaya talks with the organization’s co-founder, Natalie Davis, to find out how that work is going.  

To Learn more about topics in this episode:

• SDOH solution Unite Us teams up with data analytics firm on predictive modeling of consumer behavior 
• Congress is back. Here are 4 things to watch out for, from postponing pay cuts to mental health reform 
• U.S. employers brace for healthcare costs to rise next 3 years 
• Consumers seeking personalized, integrated care post-COVID, CVS survey finds
• PBGH is launching a new committee to further integrate public purchasers. Here's why
• This is now the biggest driver of employers' healthcare costs, survey shows
• New playbook aims to help employers, plan sponsors negotiate hospital prices
• Consumers concerned about rising healthcare costs as open enrollment period draws near

Podnosis is produced by senior multimedia producer Teresa Carey with managing editor Querida Anderson and senior editors Heather Landi and Paige Minemyer. The sound engineer is Caleb Hodgson. The stories are by all our “Fierce” journalists. Like and subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts.

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