This week on the FLATLINING Podcast, Matthew and Ron take a look at the current state of the economy. If you thought that just because COVID-19 cases might be winding down that we are out of this thing, think again. The economic problems we are facing now are bigger than one president or election and can be traced back to problems caused by the virus. Matthew and Ron also take a look at the question of how a recession might affect American healthcare? Unfortunately, things aren’t looking too good.

Let us know what you think in the comments below, email us at [email protected], or tweet Matthew or Ron.

Subscribe to the FLATLINING Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the iHeartRadio app, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, and Audible.

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Articles mentioned in this week’s program:

President Biden speaks at the AFL-CIO - CNBC Television via YouTube

The Fed is about to jack up interest rates, Wall Street says - CBS News via MSN

Earlier this year, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) introduced the Medicare for All Act of 2022. It is obvious that this bill is not going to get passed this year, however, that didn’t stop Ron and Matthew from taking a look at what some of the outcomes of the bill might be. Medicare for All is popular among young progressives and even among some physician and nurses’ groups. '

How would the Medicare for All Act of 2022 affect immigration, the supply of doctors, the quality of hospital care, and how much power would it give the Secretary of Health and Human Services? Ron and Matthew discuss this on this episode of the FLATLINING Podcast.

Let us know what you think in the comments below, email us at [email protected], or tweet Matthew or Ron.

Subscribe to the FLATLINING Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the iHeartRadio app, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, and Audible.

Follow Matthew (@radioHandley) and Ron (@RonHowrigon) on Twitter.

Articles mentioned on this week’s program:

The Medicare for All Act of 2022 - Congress.gov

Bernie Sanders Calls It 'Absurd' To Tie Health Insurance To Employment, Advocates Medicare For All - Forbes Breaking News via YouTube

This week on the FLATLINING Podcast, Ron and Matthew discuss private equity money becoming more and more involved in American healthcare. On one hand, it’s a way for struggling practices to “bailout” without selling their practice to a hospital, but on the other, it may turn healthcare’s focus away from patients and more towards money. Are their private equity benefits for doctors? What about benefits for patients?

Plus: More and more students in residency are unionizing and preparing to strike for higher pay. How does this affect patient care?

Ron and Matthew discuss this and more on this week’s FLATLINING Podcast.

Let us know what you think in the comments below, email us at [email protected], or tweet Matthew or Ron.

Subscribe to the FLATLINING Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the iHeartRadio app, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, and Audible.

Follow Matthew (@radioHandley) and Ron (@RonHowrigon) on Twitter.

Articles mentioned in this week’s program:

KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor: Pregnancy Misinformation – May 2022 - Kaiser Family Foundation

Betting on ‘Golden Age’ of Colonoscopies, Private Equity Invests in Gastro Docs - Kaiser Health News

Profits Over Patients? Private Equity Firms Increasingly Going Into Health Care - NBC News

Why private equity is interested in healthcare? - Medical Economics

Burned Out by Covid and 80-Hour Workweeks, Resident Physicians Unionize - Kaiser Health News

Progressive American politicians frequently point to Canada’s Medicare system as a wonderful alternative to what we have in the United States. In that system, the federal government allots an amount of money to each province for them to handle healthcare individually. How Ontario handles that task was a hot topic at the premier debate a few weeks ago. In this episode of the FLATLINING Podcast, Matthew and Ron dive deep into the functionality of the Canadian healthcare system and the ideas (or lack thereof) of Premier Doug Ford (Progressive Conservative Party) and party leaders Andrea Horwarth (Ontario New Democratic Party) and Steve Del Duca (Ontario Liberal Party).

Let us know what you think in the comments below, email us at [email protected], or tweet Matthew or Ron.

Subscribe to the FLATLINING Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the iHeartRadio app, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, and Audible.

Follow Matthew (@radioHandley) and Ron (@RonHowrigon) on Twitter.

Articles mentioned in this week’s program:

What is Bill 124 and how is it affecting Ontario's nurses, public-sector workers? - City News

Bill 124, Protecting a Sustainable Public Sector for Future Generations Act, 2019 - Legislative Assembly of Ontario

Canada's health care system - Canada.ca

How Long is Too Long? Canadian Healthcare Wait Times - Benefits by Design

Doug Ford’s Government Wants to Privatize Parts of the Health Care System To Reduce COVID-19 Surgical Backlog - Press Progress

Health insurance, at least in the United States, is one of the most difficult products to make an informed investment in and many Americans do not know what it is they are buying. Many don’t understand the deductible, the out-of-pocket maximum, and what is co-insurance anyway? Ron and Matthew break all of that down this week in this remedial discussion on the basics of US health insurance.

Let us know what you think in the comments below, email us at [email protected], or tweet Matthew or Ron.

Subscribe to the FLATLINING Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the iHeartRadio app, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, and Audible.

Follow Matthew (@radioHandley) and Ron (@RonHowrigon) on Twitter.

Articles mentioned in this program:

The Out-of-Pocket Cost Ponzi Scheme - RealClear Health

High-Deductible Health Plans Continue to Grow in Popularity, but Are They Right for You? - Value Penguin

This week, we present another FLATLINING Podcast Short. In this short, Ron discusses the implications of another potential policy proposal coming up in this year’s midterms and the 2024 presidential election: Medicare at 50. In principle, the concept seems to make sense; it is a form of the public option. Can providers and healthcare delivery systems handle and, more importantly, afford this change? Ron breaks it down.

Let us know in the comments below, email us at [email protected], or tweeting Matthew or Ron.

Subscribe to the FLATLINING Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the iHeartRadio app, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, and Audible.

Follow Matthew (@radioHandley) and Ron (@RonHowrigon) on Twitter.

This week on the podcast, Matthew and Ron dive into some of the healthcare headlines over the past few weeks. They discuss quality and access to care for a closing/downsizing Chicagoland hospital, they take a look at where Anthem gets its money from, they wonder why the IG report on Medicare Advantage plans denying medically necessary care wasn’t a bigger news story, and they pick apart an opinion piece encouraging you to, well, be your own doctor.

What do you think of these news stories and what is your response to them? Let us know in the comments below, email us at [email protected], or tweeting Matthew or Ron.

Subscribe to the FLATLINING Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the iHeartRadio app, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, and Audible.

Follow Matthew (@radioHandley) and Ron (@RonHowrigon) on Twitter.

Articles mentioned in this week’s episode:

Downsized City Sees Its Health Care Downsized as Hospital Awaits Demolition - Kaiser Health News

Big insurer Anthem took in $38 billion in the first 3 months of 2022. Most of it by far came from taxpayers. - Wendell Potter NOW

Medicare Advantage Plans Often Deny Coverage for Eligible, Necessary Care: Report - US News and World Report

Question Your Doctor - RealClear Books and Culture

This week on the FLATLINING Podcast, Matthew and Ron discuss the nature of Big Insurance. You hear about Big Tech, Big Pharma, and, especially if it is an election year, you probably hear about Big Insurance. How did BlueCross and BlueShield, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, and Aetna get to be as big as they are today? Are their sizes and profit margins driving the costs of healthcare up? What if we redistribute those profits? Listen to this episode of the FLATLINING Podcast to find out.

Subscribe to the FLATLINING Podcast on  Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the iHeartRadio app, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, and Audible.

Articles mentioned in this week’s program:

In 2021, 72% of UnitedHealth’s $222.9 billion health plan revenue came from taxpayers. - Wendell Potter NOW

The vast majority of Centene and Humana's $209 billion in revenues came from taxpayers. - Wendell Potter NOW

A Short History of American Medical Insurance - Imprimis

In this FLATLINING Podcast Short, Ron discusses how, prior to the No Surprises Act, Congress was treating doctors unfairly when it came to legislating surprise billing.

Listen on  Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the iHeartRadio app, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, and Audible.

This week on the podcast, Matthew and Ron discuss the two other pieces of the healthcare equation; that is affordability and quality. The New York Times said two years ago (prior to the COVID-19 pandemic) that the United States had the least effective and most expensive healthcare system in the world. Is that really true? Take a listen to hear what Ron and Matthew have to say about American healthcare quality, innovation, and affordability for the average patient.

Listen on  Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the iHeartRadio app, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, and Audible.