Breaking Point: America's Rage Against Health Insurance Companies

The Dr. Phil Podcast

Dr. Phil McGraw

Mental Health, Self-improvement, Society & Culture, Education, Health & Fitness

4.4 • 13.2K Ratings

🗓️ 26 April 2025

⏱️ 42 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson revealed two horrific aspects of American life: A healthcare executive was shot dead, and because he was a healthcare executive, people cheered. Why? Because many feel our health system is broken.

Tonight, Dr. Phil explores how a fractured health care system has affected American lives. Angela says after her husband was diagnosed with Stage 4 stomach cancer, their health insurance company refused to cover a necessary procedure to save his life. Kay was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 35, and she never imagined she’d spend 10 years trying to get health insurance to approve needed treatments. Brigham Buhler worked a pharmacy rep for Ely Lilly, but left the industry when he could see how companies prioritized profits over patient access to life savings medications. He now has his own healthcare company, Ways2Well, focusing on prevention. Dr. Bill Hennessey worked as a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician for years, dealing with frustrated patients who were given delays and denials from health insurance companies. He left to create his own company, Careguide, to help others navigate the healthcare system.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	You've had to fight your insurance while fighting cancer.
0:03.0	That's right.
0:04.0	You were pre-approved, and at 11 o'clock at night, the doctor calls and says, no, it's not approved.
0:12.0	They put a price tag on my husband's life and decided that he was not worth it.
0:16.0	Do you feel like if things had gone differently, he could still be here? 100%.
0:21.9	I got to look behind the curtain.
0:24.0	He says the system is rigged.
0:26.3	In December 2024, Luigi Mangione, a 26-year-old Ivy League graduate, allegedly pulled out a gun and murdered United Health Care CEO Brian Thompson in cold blood on a busy street in New York City.
0:52.3	Mangione's alleged crime sparked a storm of anger among Americans,
0:58.0	but many were not pointing fingers at the alleged gunman.
1:03.0	Instead, one poll indicated that one in four people sympathized
1:09.0	with Mangione, highlighting deep, deep anger and frustration with
1:15.6	U.S. health care, a system that includes high cost, denials of care, and the perceived
1:22.3	exploitation of patients.
1:25.4	Angela says she knows all too well the anger and frustration people feel about
1:31.3	health insurance companies. Just one year after the death of her husband from stage
1:36.6	four stomach cancer, Angela says she blames his insurance company for putting profit over people and contributing to killing him.
1:47.6	Angela, thank you for joining me tonight.
1:50.6	Yeah, hi.
1:51.7	Let me first say, I'm very sorry for your loss.
1:55.0	It's been just over a year now, right?
1:57.9	Yeah, thank you.
	...

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