#1763 It's Not a Health Care System, it's a Wealth Extraction System
Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy
Jay Tomlinson
4.6 • 3.4K Ratings
🗓️ 10 January 2026
⏱️ 167 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Air Date: 1/9/2026
The Republican Party has been angry about every government service and regulation designed to help average people for at least the past 90 years. And, given any opportunity to hobble or destroy any of those services or regulations in the past decades, they've done just that. Now, after 15 years of striving to destroy the Affordable Care Act - itself originally a conservative plan from the Heritage Foundation (not joking) - they're using the cult-like hold that Trump has on the party to move faster and more recklessly than they are usually able. And again, average people are going to pay the price in both dollars and deaths.
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KEY POINTS
KP 4: TrumpRx - Today, Explained - Air Date 10-6-25
KP 5: Agonizing Choices on ACA Deadline Day Part 1 - Brian Lehrer_ A Daily Podcast - Air Date 12-15-25
KP 6: Medicare For All Non-Negotiable #3 Part 1 - UNFTR - Air Date 2-8-25
KP 7: Its Time for Medicare for All Part 1 - Solutions with Henry Blodget - Air Date 11-10-25
(00:56:07) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On how our health system harms everyone except the owners
DEEPER DIVES
(01:05:14) SECTION A: ACA SUBSIDIES
A1: Republicans and Obamacare, Again - Start Making Sense - Air Date 12-10-25
A3: Agonizing Choices on ACA Deadline Day Part 2 - Brian Lehrer A Daily Podcast - Air Date 12-15-25
A5: Money Is What Matters (to Republicans) Part 1 The Hartmann Report - Air Date 12-30-25
A6: Medicare For All Is Still The Solution! Part 1 - Current Affairs - Air Date 1-15-25
(01:57:02) SECTION B: DRUG PRICING
B1: TrumpRx Part 2 - Today, Explained - Air Date 10-6-25
B2: Its Time for Medicare for All Part 2 - Solutions with Henry Blodget - Air Date 11-10-25
(02:16:13) SECTION C: HEALTHCARE REFORM
C1: Medicare For All Is Still The Solution! Part 2 - Current Affairs - Air Date 1-15-25
C3: Medicare For All Non-Negotiable #3 Part 2 - UNFTR - Air Date 2-8-25
C4: Money Is What Matters (to Republicans) Part 2 - The Hartmann Report - Air Date 12-30-25
SHOW IMAGE CREDITS
Description: Photo of a doctor's stethoscope laying on top of $5 and $20 bills.
Credit: "Stethoscope On Money" by George Hodan | https://www.publicdomainpictures.net/
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to this episode of the award-winning Best of the Left podcast. The Republican Party has been angry about every government service and regulation designed to help average people for at least the past 90 years. And given any opportunity to hobble or destroy any of those services or regulations in the past |
| 0:23.2 | decades, they've done just that. Now, after 15 years of striving to destroy the Affordable |
| 0:29.0 | Care Act, itself originally a conservative plan from the Heritage Foundation, I'm not joking, |
| 0:37.4 | they're using the cult-like hold that Trump has on the party to move even faster and more recklessly to destroy than they're usually able. |
| 0:46.5 | And again, average people are going to pay the price in both dollars and deaths. |
| 0:53.2 | For those looking for a quick overview, the source is providing our top takes in about 50 and deaths. For those looking for a quick overview, |
| 0:55.3 | the sources providing our top takes in about 50 minutes today |
| 0:58.0 | include Democracy Now, the NPR Politics Podcast, |
| 1:02.1 | the Bituation Room, Today Explained, |
| 1:04.6 | The Brian Lera Show, Un-Effing the Republic, and Solutions. |
| 1:09.1 | Then in the additional deeper dives have of the show, there will be more in three sections, |
| 1:13.0 | Section A, ACA subsidies, followed by Section B, Drug Pricing, and Section C, Healthcare Reform. |
| 1:20.4 | But first, a reminder to check out our new show solved on the Best of Love YouTube channel. |
| 1:25.3 | We're really proud of the show we're making, and we know you're going to get real value out of it |
| 1:28.2 | and you checking it out on YouTube actually helps us find new viewers. |
| 1:32.5 | So thanks in advance for all of your views, likes, subscribes and comments. |
| 1:36.4 | That's all on the best of the left YouTube channel linked in the show notes. |
| 1:39.9 | And now, on to the show. |
| 1:47.6 | And John? And now, on to the show. In January 1st, tens of millions in the United States will see their health insurance costs soar when subsidies under the Affordable Care Act expire. |
| 1:57.2 | Health insurance premiums are expected to more than double or triple for some 20 million people pricing many out of health care coverage entirely. |
| 2:05.3 | The enhanced subsidies were first put in place during the pandemic. |
| 2:08.9 | Congress is on recess until January 6th with Republicans reportedly leaving early for a two-week holiday break without voting to extend the ACA or Obamacare tax benefits. |
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