Today we’re doing some level setting on healthcare in the U.S.—a long requested topic. We navigate this unf*cking based on direct queries from the Unf*ckers, creating a baseline that helps establish a foundation for related features down the road and an understanding of the moving parts and shared language for the challenges we face. Stay tuned, as next week we’re going to delve deep into the Affordable Care Act.

Chapters

Intro: 00:01:28

Chapter One: 00:02:40

Chapter Two: 00:09:31

Chapter Three: 00:18:32

Chapter Four: 00:32:54

Post Show Musings: 00:38:54

Book Love: 00:46:12

Pod Love: 00:48:03

Outro: 01:12:14

Resources

The New York Times: Big Changes Are Coming for Health Care Costs

Health System Tracker: National Health Spending Explorer

GovTrack: H.R. 5376: Inflation Reduction Act of 2022

CMS.gov: NHE Fact Sheet

Milton Friedman: How to Cure Health Care

Medtronic: Annual Report

Abbott Laboratories: Annual Report

Stryker: 2021 Comprehensive Report

HCA Healthcare, Inc: Annual Report

Fierce Healthcare: Kaiser Permanente reports $8.1B net profit in 2021 despite shrinking operating income

UHS: Annual Report

UnitedHealth Group: Annual Report

Humana: 2021 Annual Report

Anthem, Inc: Annual Report

Pfizer: Annual Report

Merck & Co: Annual Report

AbbVie Inc: Annual Report

CNBC: The wealthiest 10% of Americans own a record 89% of all U.S. stocks

Book Love

Paul Starr: The Social Transformation of American Medicine: The Rise of a Sovereign Profession and the Making of a Vast Industry

Steven Brill: America's Bitter Pill: Money, Politics, Backroom Deals, and the Fight to Fix Our Broken Healthcare System

Pod Love

Congressional Dish: CD255: Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs)

Sawbones

--

If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com.

Join the Unf*cker-run Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/2051537518349565

Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee at shop.unftr.com.

Subscribe to Unf*cking The Republic on Substack at unftr.substack.com to get the essays these episode are framed around sent to your inbox every week.

Check out the UNFTR Pod Love playlist on Spotify: spoti.fi/3yzIlUP.

Visit our bookshop.org page at bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations.

Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by following the instructions at unftr.com/accessibility.

Unf*cking the Republic is produced by 99 and engineered by Manny Faces Media (mannyfacesmedia.com). Original music is by Tom McGovern (tommcgovern.com). The show is written and hosted by costs and distributed by outcomes.

Podcast art description: Image of the US Constitution ripped in the middle revealing white text on a blue background that says, ‘Unf*cking the Republic.’

Support the show: https://www.unftr.com/memberships

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.