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The Cost of Care

Lemonada Media

What's your life worth? Healthcare in the United States can bankrupt you, demoralize you—or actually kill you. Healthcare economist David Smith grew up in a Mormon community in Utah, and lost his father, sister, and brother to the same deadly epidemic. He’s spent his career exploring whether their deaths were preventable and how we can make health a priority for everyone. On The Cost of Care, David and his guests – patients, medical experts, and policy makers – reveal how the wealthiest nation on earth ended up with one of the most expensive, worst-performing health care systems in the world and provide solutions to fix it, together.

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Our Editor's Take

The Cost of Care podcast's subject is in its title. The US healthcare spending is now more than $4 trillion per year. That's more per person on healthcare than any other Western country. But on average, a US citizen dies ten years earlier than people in Hong Kong. It is the country with the highest life expectancy. This podcast seeks to explore the inner workings of this scheme and where it all went wrong.

David Smith, the host of The Cost of Care, has a heartbreaking experience with healthcare. When he was a teenager, his dad got diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome. He dealt with pain every day and saw multiple doctors to try and manage it. One doctor decided to prescribe him opioids. This resulted in addiction. With an unfortunate chain of events, the parents separated, and the father overdosed. The addiction passed to Smith's two siblings as well, which he also lost in a span of a few years. Smith witnessed the biases and failings of the healthcare system in the worst way possible. He learned how a person's economic status and upbringing affect their health care.

Smith's story is a big part of The Cost of Care podcast. It opens the show and provides the narrative for the first episode. The host's experiences led him to pursue a career as a healthcare economist. So it makes sense that the two intertwine in this podcast. As the show evolves, Smith opens up the scope to examine the system as a whole.

He discusses how hospitals and doctors make a profit with practices like upcoding. The show explores the difference between having insurance and not and explains who benefits from it. Smith studies gender and race biases through the birth stories of BIPOC mothers. Doctors, economists, and journalists give their suggestions for improvement. Together they also provide advice for the listeners on how to navigate the system. New episodes of The Cost of Care are about an hour long and air monthly.

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Health & FitnessHealth & Fitness

Episodes

Fan Fave: The Doomsday Clock
Sep 27 2023
Fan Fave: The Doomsday Clock
David Smith watched as chronic pain and addiction transformed his loving father into a vengeful man who was unrecognizable. David has spent a lifetime trying to outrun his father’s fate - but now he’s looking for answers. How can we build a better healthcare system and stop the cycle of sickness, trauma and loss? In episode one, we explore his family’s story, covering everything from childhood tragedy and generational trauma to opioid abuse and Mormon excommunication.  Keep up with David on twitter @CHIDavidSmith.  Have you been hit with a surprise bill or had an infuriating run-in with the health care system? If you want to submit a patient story, email us at costofcare@lemonadamedia.com or leave us a voicemail at 833-453-6662.  Support for this episode of The Cost of Care comes from Healthline.com, America’s leading digital health brand. Visit healthline.com/costofcare now, and stay connected by following @healthline on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Healthline: Powering healthy actions and supporting you on your journey to well-being.  Support for this podcast comes from The Commonwealth Fund, a health care research foundation working to improve the U.S. health system. Visit commonwealthfund.org/costofcare, and stay connected by following us on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Commonwealth Fund: Affordable, quality health care. For everyone. You can click this link for a full list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows. To follow along with a transcript and/or take notes for friends and family, go to https://www.lemonadamedia.com/show/thecostofcare/ shortly after the air date. Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Do We Really Care About Nurses?
Nov 21 2022
Do We Really Care About Nurses?
In this special episode of The Cost of Care, host David Smith shines a light on how the nation is driving a national shortage of nursing professionals, hearing from frontline, retired, and nurse educators and advocates. He'll take listeners through the nursing landscape pre-pandemic, how COVID-19 fueled the crisis, and what the future portends without meaningful intervention. Sponsored by Nurse.com. As the trusted career resource built by and for nurses, Nurse.com fosters the largest online community of nurses, connecting with nearly 3 million nurses per month. Nurse.com serves nurses with lifelong career support through accredited continuing education, job opportunities, and a thriving community that supports their passion for the profession and empowers them to flourish. This podcast is sponsored by Nurse.com. If you’re a fan of this podcast, then you’ll love the new show, NurseDot Podcast. It’s a weekly podcast focused on providing nurses with validation, resources, and hope, one episode at a time. Cara Lunsford, RN and CPHON, leads this 16-week series, bringing in a new guest every episode. Together, they cover everything from caring while grieving, to safe staffing, to becoming a nurse influencer, and beyond. Listen to NurseDot Podcast wherever you find your podcasts. Nurse.com conducted extensive, unbiased research to create a free salary research report. Download the free report today at nurse.com/salary. Get the salary you're worth. Get the salary you deserve.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
David Smith Revisits Last Day S1 Ep 3: And Now, We Rewind the Tape
Aug 30 2021
David Smith Revisits Last Day S1 Ep 3: And Now, We Rewind the Tape
Opioids are killing more people than ever. In 2020, overdose deaths in the U.S. spiked nearly 30% to a record high -- the sharpest annual increase in 30 years. Fentanyl sold on the street and the ongoing toll of the pandemic are the primary drivers. With so many of us affected, there’s a dire need for solutions. That’s why we’re re-releasing episodes 2-12 from season one with new updates from previous guests and fans of the show. Last Day Revisited: The Opioid Crisis is a binge listen that offers essential knowledge, support, and answers for people directly impacted by addiction. PLUS, we reveal what topic we’ll be covering in Last Day Season 3, dropping early 2022. Together, we can reduce stigma and save lives.  On Last Day, we talk about what’s killing us, the stuff that’s hard to comprehend and getting worse every day. Join host Stephanie Wittels Wachs, as she confronts massive epidemics with humanity, wit, and a quest for progress. While Season 1 chronicled the opioid crisis in the US, Season 2 delves into the growing suicide rate, telling real stories, talking to experts, and asking everyone along the way, "How did we get here, and what could we have done differently?"   On this episode, Stefano Cordova Jr.’s family tries to make sense of Stefano’s overdose death and how they all got here. Then, Dr. Sam Snodgrass, a behavioral pharmacologist with a doctorate in biopsychology, explains how his own addiction to opioids is a disease and why understanding that is key to helping people with substance use disorders.   To hear more of Last Day, search for Last Day wherever you are listening right now.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10. Pro Tips on Fighting the System
Jun 10 2021
10. Pro Tips on Fighting the System
In the final episode of the season, David highlights pro tips from the experts themselves: patient advocates Linda Michelson and AnnMarie McIlwain. Dr. David Blumenthal of The Commonwealth Fund joins to shine the light on tangible solutions on how to restructure our national health care system.   Resources from the episode: Check out Marshall Allen's book, Never Pay the First Bill: And Other Ways to Fight the Health Care System and Win: https://www.marshallallen.com/ Contact Linda Michelson: https://medicalbillproblems.com/ Contact AnnMarie McIlwain and her team: http://www.patientadvocators.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwnueFBhChARIsAPu3YkR5dzaS6o-jIY8ZJUoJZUlRku1bWMVgVYfnn5wQ4F-c1YwmDUbMihIaAnb9EALw_wcB  Keep up with the Commonwealth Fund: https://www.commonwealthfund.org/ AdvoConnection’s patient advocates directory: https://profile.advoconnection.com/ AdvoConnection’s comprehensive overview of patient advocacy: https://www.aphadvocates.org/profession-overview/ National Patient Advocate Foundation’s resources on choosing the best health care plan for you: https://www.npaf.org/patients-and-caregivers/how-to-choose-a-plan/ CoPatient’s resources for making sure your bills are fair and accurate: https://www.copatient.com/    Keep up with David on twitter @CHIDavidSmith.    Share your feedback!  Email us at costofcare@lemonadamedia.com or leave us a voicemail at 833-453-6662.    Support for this episode of The Cost of Care comes from Healthline.com, America’s leading digital health brand. Visit healthline.com/costofcare now, and stay connected by following @healthline on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Healthline: Powering healthy actions and supporting you on your journey to well-being.   Support for this podcast comes from The Commonwealth Fund, a health care research foundation working to improve the U.S. health system. Visit commonwealthfund.org/costofcare, and stay connected by following us on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Commonwealth Fund: Affordable, quality health care. For everyone.   You can click this link for a full list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows.   To follow along with a transcript and/or take notes for friends and family, go to https://www.lemonadamedia.com/show/thecostofcare/ shortly after the air date.   Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9. We Asked, You Replied: Listener Submissions Special
Jun 3 2021
9. We Asked, You Replied: Listener Submissions Special
From the start of our show, we’ve asked listeners to share stories about navigating the American health care system. Today, David talks with those of you who have had to fight for health care in order to manage chronic illnesses, secure gender-affirming surgeries, and help children receive developmental therapies for Down Syndrome.   Resources from the episode: Planned Parenthood transgender identity terms and labels: https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/gender-identity/transgender/transgender-identity-terms-and-labels GLAAD transgender glossary of terms: https://www.glaad.org/reference/transgender JAMA article on the association between gender-affirming surgery and mental health: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamasurgery/article-abstract/2779429 National Down Syndrome Society resources for finding support: https://www.ndss.org/lifespan/finding-support/ National Down Syndrome Congress local and national support networks: https://www.ndsccenter.org/programs-resources/affiliate-organizations/local-and-national-support-networks/ American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists endometriosis resources: https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/endometriosis Johns Hopkins Crohn’s resources: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/gastroenterology_hepatology/diseases_conditions/faqs/crohns_disease.html Cancer Care breast cancer resources: https://www.cancercare.org/diagnosis/breast_cancer    Keep up with David on twitter @CHIDavidSmith.    Share your feedback!  Email us at costofcare@lemonadamedia.com or leave us a voicemail at 833-453-6662.    Support for this episode of The Cost of Care comes from Healthline.com, America’s leading digital health brand. Visit healthline.com/costofcare now, and stay connected by following @healthline on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Healthline: Powering healthy actions and supporting you on your journey to well-being.   Support for this podcast comes from The Commonwealth Fund, a health care research foundation working to improve the U.S. health system. Visit commonwealthfund.org/costofcare, and stay connected by following us on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Commonwealth Fund: Affordable, quality health care. For everyone.   You can click this link for a full list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows.   To follow along with a transcript and/or take notes for friends and family, go to https://www.lemonadamedia.com/show/thecostofcare/ shortly after the air date.   Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.