Broken Healthcare

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.

The U.S. healthcare system is broken — and doctors are burning out just as fast as patients.In this powerful in-studio episode of the Broken Healthcare Podcast, host Ray Kober sits down with Dr. Dana Mincer, a board-certified osteopathic physician and Direct Primary Care (DPC) doctor, to expose what’s really happening behind the scenes of American healthcare.Dr. Mincer shares her raw, unfiltered journey — from medical training and provider burnout to mental health struggles, patient advocacy, and ultimately walking away from the insurance-driven system to build a direct primary care practice centered on time, transparency, and human connection.In this episode, we cover:- Why traditional insurance-based healthcare is failing both patients and doctors- What Direct Primary Care (DPC) actually is — and why it works- The healthcare insurance cartel, price opacity, and hospital consolidation- Doctor burnout, moral injury, and why so many physicians want out- Mental health, ADHD, anxiety, and the limits of medication-only care- Why relationship-based medicine leads to better outcomes and lower costs- How free-market healthcare models are restoring trust and autonomyThis conversation is a must-watch for patients, employers, physicians, and anyone who knows the system feels wrong but hasn’t been able to put it into words.🎙️ If you care about:✔ Broken healthcare✔ Direct primary care✔ Medical burnout✔ Mental health reform✔ Free-market healthcare solutions— this episode is for you.👉 Subscribe for more conversations on fixing the U.S. healthcare system from the inside out.👉 Like & comment to help this message reach more people who need to hear 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

From the dojo to the battlefield to the operating room — this is the story of a real-life warrior healer.In this episode of Broken Healthcare, host Ray Kober sits down with Dr. Demetrio Aguila — a plastic and nerve surgeon, U.S. Air Force veteran, and lifelong martial artist on a mission to fix America’s broken healthcare system.🥋 Martial Arts. He earned his first black belt at 13, mastered Aikido, and became a 4th-degree black belt in Tang Soo Do. The discipline, focus, and humility he learned on the mat shaped the surgeon he became.✈️ The Air Force. As a combat surgeon in Afghanistan, Dr. Aguila performed life-saving operations under fire — and saw firsthand the cost of pain, trauma, and courage.🩺 The Surgeon. Back home, he’s changing lives through nerve surgery and pain elimination, helping patients walk again, smile again, and live again — often after decades of suffering.💜 The Mission. Through Healing Hands of America and Operation Warrior’s Hope, Dr. Aguila and his team provide affordable, debt-free surgeries — including free care for Purple Heart veterans who’ve been told “nothing more can be done.”⚡ In this episode:• How martial arts discipline shaped his surgical precision• Lessons from Afghanistan and the battlefield of modern medicine• The truth about Tylenol, data, and dangerous misinformation• Why faith and focus belong in healthcare• How free-market medicine is restoring hope to patients nationwide💡 About Dr. Aguila:Dr. Demetrio Aguila is a board-certified plastic and peripheral nerve surgeon, founder of Total Pain Solutions and Healing Hands of America, and a 4th-degree Tang Soo Do black belt. His work merges science, soul, and service to bring healing back to healthcare.🗣️ Join the Movement:Comment, share, and subscribe if you believe healthcare can be human again.#BrokenHealthcare #DrDemetrioAguila #MartialArts #AirForceVeteran #PainManagement #NerveSurgery #HealingHandsOfAmerica #OperationWarriorsHope #FaithInMedicine #HealthcareReform #PurpleHeartVeterans #TangSooDo

This dermatologist just changed cancer detection forever.In this powerful episode of Broken Healthcare, host Ray Kober sits down in studio with husband-and-wife innovators Dr. Mike and Elizabeth Webb, the creators of CheckMySpot — a revolutionary app that lets anyone screen potential skin cancers from their phone.Dr. Webb, a board-certified dermatologist and Mohs surgeon, shares his 30-year journey in medicine, from tackling advanced skin cancer cases to developing a simple, life-saving technology. Elizabeth reveals how a small-town problem inspired a nationwide solution — helping people get faster access to care when it matters most.Together, they unpack:✅ Why early detection means a 99% survival rate for melanoma✅ How the broken healthcare system delays life-saving diagnoses✅ The science and myth of sun exposure and sunscreen safety✅ What “appraisal delay” is — and how it costs lives✅ How Check My Spot eliminates wait times and saves employers money✅ Why validation from the Validation Institute proves this app worksWhether you’re a patient, healthcare leader, or benefits advisor — this episode will open your eyes to what’s truly possible when innovation meets compassion.🧠 Key Takeaways:- 1 in 5 people will develop non-melanoma skin cancer.- Early detection = 99% cure rate; late detection can drop survival below 40%.- Access to care is one of the biggest failures in modern healthcare.- Check My Spot empowers users to get fast, expert triage for suspicious moles.- Validation Institute confirmed the app’s clinical and financial impact.- The Webbs’ goal: democratize dermatology and save lives through technology.📱 Connect & Learn More:🔗 Download the app: CheckMySpot💼 https://www.checkmyspot.com/how-it-works