In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Disruptive Dialogue host Chuck Melendi sits down with Wendell Potter, former health insurance executive turned advocate and whistleblower, to examine how U.S. healthcare really works—and why it so often fails the people it was created to serve.
Both Chuck and Wendell spent decades in senior healthcare leadership roles before leaving corporate careers to expose the growing influence of profit, consolidation, and Wall Street pressure on the healthcare system. Wendell now leads the Center for Health and Democracy, the Lower Out-of-Pocket NOW Coalition, and serves as publisher and executive editor of HEALTH CARE un-covered.
Together, they unpack how high-deductible health plans became the industry default, why millions of insured Americans still can’t afford care, and how massive consolidation has allowed insurers to extend their reach across nearly every part of the healthcare system.
This episode isn’t just an exposé. It is also a thoughtful, collaborative discussion about how we got here, why the system rewards profits over patients, and what informed consumers and leaders need to understand if real change is going to happen.
Key Topics Discussed:
How healthcare insiders are trained to shape public narratives
Why high-deductible health plans dominate U.S. insurance
Wall Street’s role and quarterly earnings pressure
UnitedHealth Group’s scale and vertical integration
Why “having insurance” often isn’t enough
The real human cost of a profit-driven healthcare system
About our Guest:
Wendell Potter is president of the Center for Health and Democracy, leader of the Lower Out-of-Pocket NOW Coalition, and publisher/executive editor of Substack’s HEALTH CARE un-covered. He is a New York Times bestselling author and former health insurance executive who testified before Congress after becoming an industry whistleblower.
👉 This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation. In Part 2, Chuck and Wendell focus on solutions—the policies, reforms, and actions to move U.S. healthcare in the right direction.
Subscribe, follow, and share to help bring transparency and accountability to American healthcare.
Links:
Wendell Potter: https://www.wendellpotter.com/
Center for Health and Democracy: https://www.centerforhealthanddemocracy.org/
Lower Out-of-Pocket NOW Coalition: https://www.loopcoalition.co/
HEALTH CARE un-covered: https://healthcareuncovered.substack.com/