Broken Healthcare

There is a healthcare court case unfolding right now that could have massive implications for patients, employers, and how hospital consent is interpreted across the entire system.In this critical episode of Broken Healthcare, host Ray Kober sits down with healthcare outcomes expert and Validation Institute founder Al Lewis to break down a real case involving OhioHealth, a 29-hospital system in Ohio, that is now testing how consent and payment agreements actually work in practice.In this case, treatment was provided and accepted without objection. Payment was then sent via check clearly marked as payment in full for the agreed-upon amount. The check was cashed.But the story didn’t end there.After accepting and cashing the payment, additional demands for thousands more followed — raising serious questions about how consent, financial responsibility, and patient agreements are enforced in healthcare.This case is now becoming a powerful test of how consent is used — and why patients and employers need to understand exactly what they are agreeing to.One of the most important takeaways Al shares is simple but critical:Always ask for a printed copy of anything you sign in a healthcare setting.Because consent forms often contain language that can have long-term legal and financial consequences most people never fully realize.In this episode, you’ll learn:• The OhioHealth court case and why it could impact healthcare nationwide• How hospital consent forms actually work in practice• Why accepting treatment can sometimes be interpreted as accepting consent• Why requesting printed copies of consent forms is essential• How employers may unknowingly expose themselves to significant financial risk• The mission behind Quizzify and how it helps people make smarter healthcare decisions• How the Validation Institute independently verifies healthcare solutionsMost people assume healthcare is straightforward.But the reality is far more complex.This conversation exposes how the system actually works — and why awareness is one of the most important protections you have.⚠️ This episode is essential viewing for:• Employers and benefits leaders• Healthcare executives and advisors• HR professionals• Anyone who has signed hospital paperwork• Anyone who wants to understand their rights and risks in healthcareBecause what you sign — and what you don’t question — can matter more than you think.👤 About Al LewisAl Lewis is founder of the Validation Institute and Quizzify, and one of the most respected and outspoken healthcare outcomes experts in the country. His work focuses on bringing transparency, accountability, and evidence-based validation to healthcare.🎙 About Broken HealthcareHosted by Ray Kober, Broken Healthcare explores the real drivers of healthcare costs, consent, incentives, and accountability — and brings clarity to leaders navigating one of the most complex systems in the world.No spin. Just reality.🔔 Subscribe to Broken HealthcareIf you want to understand how healthcare really works — and how to protect yourself and your organization — subscribe and turn on notifications.💬 Join the conversationHave you ever signed healthcare paperwork without fully understanding it?

What happens when Sir Winston Churchill walks into a modern podcast studio… and then steps out of character?In this unforgettable episode of Broken Healthcare, host Ray Kober sits down with Randy Otto — a financial advisor, historian, and the only man ever endorsed by the Churchill family to portray Sir Winston Churchill.For over 54 years, Randy has embodied Churchill on stages around the world. In this conversation, he does something extraordinary:🎩 Part one: He is Winston Churchill — recounting war, leadership, failure, resilience, and the legendary “black dog” in Churchill’s own voice.🧠 Part two: He steps out of character as Randy Otto, revealing what decades of studying Churchill taught him about creativity, mental health, destiny, money, and leadership.You’ll hear:- How Churchill survived his greatest failure (Gallipoli)- Why painting saved his life — and his mind- The real story behind the “black dog” of depression- Leadership lessons forged in war that still apply today- What it means to believe in destiny — and fight for itThis isn’t history class.This is living history, performed by the man who knows Churchill better than anyone alive.🎙️ Sit back, listen closely — and decide for yourself when the character ends and the wisdom begins.

America doesn’t have a healthcare problem.It has a healthcare business problem — and we’re all trapped inside it.In this powerful episode of Broken Healthcare, host Ray Kober sits down with Chris Deacon — attorney, healthcare policy expert, former Director of State Health Benefits for New Jersey, and author of The Great American Healthcare Heist — to expose how America’s healthcare system became a $5 trillion machine that patients, employers, and taxpayers can’t escape.Chris isn’t a theorist.She ran healthcare for nearly 800,000 lives and managed a $6–7 billion annual healthcare budget inside government.What she discovered changed everything.In this episode, you’ll learn:- Why Americans are paying $17,000–$50,000 per family per year and still can’t afford care- How insurers, PBMs, and hospitals operate as vertically integrated monopolies- Why “nonprofit” hospitals behave like Wall Street corporations — without paying taxes- How consolidation destroyed community hospitals and accountability- Why politicians of both parties are trapped by lobbying and reelection incentives- How young government staffers are “educated” by industry lobbyists- Why $1.5 BILLION in savings was realistically achievable — without cutting benefits- How employers blindly write healthcare checks they’d never approve anywhere else- Why Americans are handed a $50,000 system with no instruction manual- How the healthcare system itself can become dangerous if navigated incorrectlyChris delivers one of the most important analogies in healthcare today:“We hand people a $50,000 Volvo and say ‘good luck’ — no driving lessons, no instruction manual — and then blame them when it goes wrong.”This conversation isn’t partisan.It’s not theoretical.And it’s not about selling you anything.It’s about education, accountability, and taking control of a system that quietly drains families, employers, and communities.If you’ve ever:1- Been afraid to seek care because of cost2- Opened a medical bill and thought “this can’t be real”3- Managed employee benefits and felt completely boxed in4 - Wondered why healthcare feels impossible to fixThis episode will change how you see everything.Watch. Share. And start asking better questions.ABOUT CHRIS DEACONChris Deacon is an attorney, healthcare policy expert, former Director of State Health Benefits for New Jersey, national speaker, whistleblower, and featured voice in the documentary It’s Not Personal, It’s Just Healthcare. She oversaw healthcare for nearly 800,000 public employees and dependents and managed one of the largest state healthcare budgets in the country.She now focuses on education, policy consulting, and public advocacy to help employers, policymakers, and the public understand how the system actually works — and how it can be improved.PURCHASE HER BOOKThe Great American Healthcare Heist by Chris DeaconAvailable at:AmazonMajor online book retailersIndependent bookstores (by request)(Search: The Great American Healthcare Heist – Chris Deacon)HOW TO CONTACT CHRIS DEACONLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cdeaconc/Active on LinkedIn with regular healthcare insights and commentaryLong-form writing available via Substack: https://substack.com/@chrisdeaconahealthcareheistOpen to messages, dialogue, and education-focused engagementSUPPORT THE SHOWIf this episode resonated:Like the videoSubscribe to Broken HealthcareShare with someone who’s tired of the status quoHealthcare doesn’t change without informed pressure — and that starts here.

Broken healthcare is failing millions of Americans — especially hourly and frontline workers.In this episode of the Broken Healthcare Podcast, host Ray Kober sits down in-studio with Lexie Leitner, PA-C, Vice President of Clinical Operations at River Health, to unpack why the traditional U.S. healthcare system no longer works — and what it will take to fix it.Lexie shares her journey from family medicine to healthcare innovation, and explains how River Health is rethinking access, affordability, and care delivery for workers who are often left behind by employer-sponsored insurance.One of the most powerful parts of River Health’s model? Mental health is treated as essential care — not an add-on. Members receive unlimited virtual therapy plus free access to the Calm app, helping address anxiety, burnout, depression, and everyday stress without barriers, copays, or long wait times.In this episode, we cover:Why high-deductible health plans leave Americans functionally uninsuredHow hourly workers fall through the cracks of traditional healthcareThe real reason healthcare costs keep rising (and who actually pays)How River Health delivers unlimited virtual primary care, labs, prescriptions, imaging, and urgent care access for a flat monthly costWhy unlimited teletherapy and Calm access are critical in today’s mental health crisisHow employers can support workforce health without $40,000 insurance plansThe difference between insurance and actual access to careHow healthcare became so complex — and what simplicity looks like againIf you’re an employer, HR leader, healthcare professional, or someone frustrated with the cost and confusion of U.S. healthcare, this conversation will challenge how you think about coverage, value, and care.🎧 Subscribe to Broken Healthcare for real conversations about what’s broken — and what can actually fix it.

America doesn’t have a healthcare system — it has a sick care system.In this powerful episode of the Broken Healthcare Podcast, host Ray Kober sits down with Dr. Kyle Rickner, a pioneer of the Direct Primary Care (DPC) movement and co-founder of Primary Health Partners, to expose why U.S. healthcare is failing patients and doctors — and what it will take to fix it.Dr. Rickner shares his journey from being an employed physician inside a hospital system to breaking free and helping build a multi-state Direct Primary Care network that puts doctors and patients back in control.If you’ve ever wondered:Why healthcare costs keep explodingWhy doctors are burned out and leaving medicineWhy insurance dominates every medical decisionHow Direct Primary Care actually worksHow employers can slash healthcare costs without sacrificing careThis episode will change how you think about healthcare forever.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:Why insurance and hospital systems broke healthcareHow Direct Primary Care eliminates middlemenWhy doctors have lost autonomy — and how DPC restores itThe truth about cash-pay healthcare and transparent pricingHow employers are quietly escaping traditional insuranceWhy prevention actually works when doctors have timeWhat it takes to scale DPC nationallyWhy this fight is about saving doctors’ lives, not just moneyWhat Is Direct Primary Care?Direct Primary Care (DPC) is a membership-based healthcare model where patients pay a flat monthly fee for unlimited access to their doctor — no insurance billing, no copays, no rushed visits.Patients get:✔ Longer appointments✔ Same-day or next-day access✔ Direct communication with their doctor✔ Transparent pricing✔ Better outcomes at lower costDoctors get:✔ Autonomy✔ Time with patients✔ Freedom from insurance bureaucracy✔ A sustainable career🔔 Subscribe for More Conversations That Expose Broken HealthcareIf you’re tired of confusing bills, rushed visits, and a system that puts profits over people — subscribe to Broken Healthcare for real conversations with doctors, employers, and innovators rebuilding healthcare from the ground up.👍 Like💬 Comment🔔 Subscribe

On this episode of Broken Healthcare, host Ray Kober sits down with Karen Van Caulil, President & CEO of the Florida Alliance for Healthcare Value — one of the nation’s most respected employer coalitions driving real healthcare reform.Karen shares insider-level insights from 14+ years of working with public and private employers to reduce costs, improve quality, and fight back against the entrenched interests that keep U.S. healthcare expensive, confusing, and opaque.What We Cover in This Episode:- Why U.S. healthcare remains broken — and what employers can realistically do about it- The truth about PBMs, 340B, and the lack of price transparency- Why employers still struggle to obtain their own claims data (despite the law)- How the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) changes employer fiduciary responsibility- How business coalitions (like the Florida Alliance) are reshaping healthcare markets- Real-world examples: Rosen Hotels, MarineMax, and employers who cracked the code- The role of brokers — and how misaligned incentives block meaningful change- What policymakers get wrong — and why employer voices matter more than ever- Practical steps employers can take right now to protect their plan, members, and dollarsIf you’ve ever wondered how employers can fight back against waste, fraud, and abuse in a $5 trillion system — this is the episode you need.About Karen Van Caulil: Karen leads the Florida Alliance for Healthcare Value, representing 80+ employers across the state and nationally. With a deep background in health policy, administration, and clinical planning, she is one of the leading voices advocating for employer-led healthcare reform, transparency, and accountability.Connect with Karen: https://flhealthvalue.org/https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenvancaulilphd/Subscribe for more conversations with the leaders fixing U.S. healthcare from the inside out.

Tiffany Ryder walked into the studio like she walks through life — calm, confident, and not here for anybody’s nonsense. A former NFL cheerleader turned physician assistant, Tiffany has seen the best and worst of America’s healthcare system, and this episode hits on everything people wish they could ask their doctors but never do.Tiffany grew up in rural Louisiana with almost no access to care. Later she found herself working with wounded veterans at Walter Reed, studying medicine in Germany, and eventually serving on the front lines of emergency medicine — right through COVID.In this conversation, we get into:• why so many patients get bad advice• the stuff you’re not told about vaccines, Tylenol, metabolic health & chronic disease• what really happens behind the scenes in emergency rooms• how she reversed prediabetes and PCOS with lifestyle changes her doctor never mentioned• why she believes you are the only true advocate for your health• how politics has hijacked medicine — and the cost of staying silent• what she learned treating wounded service members• the culture of “diagnose & prescribe” that keeps people sick• her transition from NFL cheerleader to PA• and what she’s working on through her Substack, Signal and NoiseTiffany keeps it real. She doesn’t sugar-coat and she’s doing something incredibly rare in this space:She’s using her press access to cover FDA and HHS to actually ask the questions most people are afraid to touch.This episode is packed with perspective, data, lived experience, and a level of honesty that’s rare in healthcare conversations. If you care about your health, your kids, or the future of medical transparency, this one’s worth every minute.Subscribe to Signal and Noise on Substack: https://signalandnoise.online/p/welcome-to-signal-and-noise-c79 Connect with Tiffany on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffanyryder/If you want Tiffany to cover a topic, she’s an open book — just send her a message.Drop a comment with your thoughts, your story, or your biggest takeaway from Tiffany’s journey.

What does Wall Street have in common with America’s broken healthcare system?In this powerful in-studio conversation, host Ray Kober sits down with Barbara Delaney, a trailblazing financial leader who’s been shaping the retirement and fiduciary landscape since 1981.Barbara shares her incredible journey—from being the only woman in her Wall Street training class at EF Hutton, to transforming the retirement industry, to exposing the hidden parallels between finance and healthcare.They dive deep into:The fiduciary crisis in both finance and healthcareHow ERISA laws tie Wall Street and health benefits togetherWhy employers are unknowingly running “mini healthcare companies”Lessons learned from the 2008 crash and how they apply to today’s healthcare costsHow transparency, accountability, and fiduciary duty could finally fix what’s brokenIf you care about money, healthcare, or the future of fiduciary responsibility, this episode is a must-watch.🎧 Listen now and join the movement to fix the system.🔗 Subscribe for more episodes of Broken Healthcare with Ray Kober.#BrokenHealthcare #BarbaraDelaney #FiduciaryDuty #WallStreet #HealthcareReform #FinancePodcast #ERISA #RayKober