An outpouring of rage & frustration
The death of a healthcare CEO provoked a response
Before we get into this week’s reading list, let’s talk podcasts.
I had the pleasure of chatting with two friends about my favorite topic: conspiracy theories!
First up, the excellent Buddhist teacher, Ethan Nichtern, for his podcast, The Road Home.
Next up, the incredible cosmetic chemist, Jen Novakovich, on The Eco Well.
Finally, I’ll be launching a new heath- and science-focused podcast, Clarity Lab, in January. Follow Siris Health on Substack, Instagram, Threads, and YouTube for more information!
My feeds have been dominated by news of the execution-style murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson these past few days. While there has been some truly disturbing cheerleading of murder, the more common response has been people expressing their frustration with American healthcare—especially as UHC has been accused of denying massive amounts of claims with a bogus algorithm.
My wife and I are covered by UHC through her employer. Our rate is going up $120/month next year, with no additional benefits extended to us. And the number of claims we’ve been denied, especially around basic breast cancer screening procedures, is absurd. So I’m among the chorus of frustrated Americans chiming in not to celebrate or condone violence, but to reiterate that a soul-sucking profit machine that endangers the lives and livelihoods of millions of people every year needs to be stopped.
This week’s reading list reflects the problem with American healthcare—and the dangers of one person in particular being put in charge of overseeing the entire system.
The irony: outside of the richest citizens, anger and frustration over American healthcare is one of the only true bipartisan movements we have. In order to harness the power of such a moment, the right messages are needed, which is partly why I’ve been so critical of MAHA: focusing on food dyes and seed oils is completely besides the point when addressing health at a population level.
I’ll be focusing more time on this question in the coming months.
Americans Are Turning to TikTok to Pay Their Medical Bills (Rolling Stone)
Now that it’s pretty clear that Thompson was murdered for profit-maximizing business practices, this story covers a horrifying aspect of healthcare in America: trying to go viral to simply survive. The fact that many people have had to utilize GoFundMe to cover medical bills is already tragic. Yet those campaigns aren’t always successful, and so others have turned to the TikTok monetization program to pump out money-making content—and then, basically, pray that the algorithm helps them not go bankrupt.
U.S. Health Care from a Global Perspective, 2022: Accelerating Spending, Worsening Outcomes (Commonwealth Fund)
The TikTok article reminded me of this 2023 deep dive into just how behind the curve America is in healthcare coverage, spending, and outcomes.
Health care spending, both per person and as a share of GDP, continues to be far higher in the United States than in other high-income countries. Yet the U.S. is the only country that doesn’t have universal health coverage.
California suspends distribution of Raw Farm raw milk products after bird flu detection (CNN)
The raw milk fiasco continues, with bird flu virus detected in milk samples from Raw Farm products. This detection prompted the California Department of Food and Agriculture to suspend distribution of all their products. But perhaps the most stunning paragraph in this article arrives halfway through:
Raw milk was on a laundry list of items that faced “aggressive suppression” by the US Food and Drug Administration, Kennedy said in a post on X in October. In a fact sheet shared with CNN on Monday, Raw Farm said its CEO, Mark McAfee, “has been asked by the RFK transition team to apply for the position of ‘FDA advisor on Raw Milk Policy and Standards Development.’ ”
Counterpoint: we can just continue pasteurizing milk, a proven heating process that kills harmful bacteria without detracting from any of the beneficial qualities of the product.
Surprise: RFK Jr. Used to Sell Bottled Water With Extra High Levels of Fluoride (Vanity Fair)
Speaking of Kennedy, he’s been raging against fluoridated water while fighting for raw milk. So the discovery that he was behind a water company while being dubbed an “environmental champion” is rich, especially because it was sold in plastic bottles and carried nearly double the average amount of fluoride in most public drinking systems (which is 0.7 mg/L).
While health experts actually agree that consuming excessive levels of fluoride over a long period of time can cause health problems—including lower IQ levels in children—numerous organizations say that there are zero risks at the level recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency. Which is 0.7 milligrams of fluoride per liter of drinking water, i.e. nearly half of what was reportedly found in Kennedy’s bottled water.
RFK Jr. Is a One-Man Plague (The Bulwark)
If by now it’s not clear how terrible a choice this man will be in charge of America’s health, health care, and public health, hopefully this will do it.
RFK Jr. has speculated that wifi causes cancer and “leaky brain,” that antidepressants are responsible for school shootings, that chemicals in the water can cause children to become transgender (an echo of Alex Jones), and that AIDS is not caused by HIV. He posted a video on YouTube accusing Bill Gates of inventing an injectable chip that would permit big tech to track people’s movements. Everyone has a crazy uncle who regales people with anti-scientific rubbish. But to put one in charge of public health? That’s a hostile act.