Wendell Potter's Blog

by Andrew Perez 

Months after advising the Democratic Party to abandon the idea of “Medicare for All,” a former U.S. senator has been hired by a lobbying firm whose clients are leading the fight against changes to the nation’s health care system.

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, a Washington, D.C.-based law and lobbying firm, announced on Wednesday that former Sen. Joe Donnelly is joining the firm …

Purdue Pharma benefited for decades off the thousands of doctors prescribing the painkiller OxyContin, and the millions of patients who grew dependent on the addictive drug. Now that the drugmaker is facing class action lawsuits for its role in the debilitating opioid crisis, Purdue Pharma is considering bankruptcy.

Though the owners of Purdue Pharma — Richard Sackler and his family — claim they had no idea of the addictive nature of the drug and how quickly patients would convert to …

Having spent many years equipping politicians with health care industry talking points, I can tell when one in high places has been recruited to use them.

I spotted one yesterday on NBC’s Meet the Press.

My former colleagues undoubtedly were cheering when they heard Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) come to the defense of private health insurers and trash the idea of improving and expanding Medicare to cover all Americans, which several of the Democratic presidential contenders have endorsed.

Bennet, who …

On this episode, Wendell and Joey introduce listeners to the propaganda shop that is fighting back against Medicare For All legislation. They’ve named the group the Partnership For America’s Health Care Future, and it
comprises the biggest health care special interests and trade associations in the country — not patients and other regular folks.

You can listen to the latest episode, “The Importance of Grassroots Campaigns with John Pudner”, below, or follow the links to iTunes or Spotify.

Like competing tycoons building their empires, insurance providers are consistently dueling over their areas of coverage. It’s a behind-the-scenes battle that’s unknown to insurance customers, up until they visit their local hospital and realize they’re no longer on-network.

Wendell Potter spoke to WUFT, the NPR affiliate in North Central Florida, about the spats between insurance providers and major hospital systems like California’s Sutter Health, and how major companies’ rush to gain market share has left patients in a hard place. …

On the episode, Wendell and Joey discuss campaign finance, grassroots politics and common ground between Republicans and Democrats with the executive director of Take Back Our Republic, John Pudner.

You can listen to the latest episode, “The Importance of Grassroots Campaigns with John Pudner”, below, or follow the links to iTunes or Spotify.

On the episode, Wendell and Joey discuss The American Dental Association, dental therapists and the future of oral health care in the United States with former dental school dean and advocate Dr. Frank Catalanotto.

You can listen to the latest episode, “Dental Therapy With Dr. Frank Catalanotto”, below, or follow the links to iTunes or Spotify.

On the episode, Wendell and Joey discuss how the American Dental Association is attempting to derail efforts to expand the dental workforce
in the United States. Research shows that mid-level providers called “Dental Therapists” expand access to the country’s most underserved. The ADA, who represent the financial interests of dentists, claim dental therapists are not the answer to America’s “hidden epidemic.”

You can listen to the latest episode, “Propaganda’s Roll in a Worsening Dental Care Epidemic”, below, or follow the …

It’s too late to make small tweaks to the existing health care plan. From his own inside knowledge as a former health insurance executive, Wendell Potter says American health care is too far gone, and to truly create equitable access and save Americans money, Democrats need to go “all in” to “Medicare For All.”

This week, Wendell spoke with Sam Seder on The Ring of Fire, a podcast that focuses on exposing corporate fatcats, polluters and media spinsters. Unfortunately, …

On the episode, Wendell and Joey discuss American Consumerism, capitalism and Amazon with Harvard professor and author of “A Consumers’ Republic,” Lizabeth Cohen.

You can listen to the latest episode, “Consumer Consequences with Lizabeth Cohen”, below, or follow the links to iTunes or Spotify.

Happy Holidays, everyone!…