When a subsidiary of the giant UnitedHealth Group got hit by a cyberattack recently, a big chunk of the country’s doctors, pharmacists, hospitals and therapists just stopped getting paid.
It’s been a huge disruption, with some providers wondering if they can keep their doors open.
But thanks to their huge size and reach, the situation may have had a silver lining — for United.
Which seems like a big problem, and got us wondering: What can we maybe do about it?
The answer turns out to be: Maybe more than we think, via antitrust enforcers at the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice.
Strap in for a wild ride — and then maybe check out FTC Chair Lina Khan’s talk with Jon Stewart on The Daily Show. We include some short excerpts, but the whole thing is worth a watch.
Thanks to reporters Brittany Trang (STAT News) and Maureen Tkacik (The American Prospect) for guiding us through their reporting.
And to the novelist/journalist/activist Cory Doctorow, who has been writing about antitrust enforcement for years. Here are a couple of his columns about Lina Khan and what she and other antitrust enforcers are up to.
If you want a deeper dive on the new antitrust movement: It’s summed up in a terrific (and short) book by Tim Wu, a Columbia University law professor and former White House adviser: The Curse of Bigness: Antitrust in the New Gilded Age.
And you may be able to get it for free! If your local library uses a system called Hoopla, you can borrow it as either an audiobook or an ebook.
Super-fun tangent: Cory Doctorow and Tim Wu went to elementary school together — and apparently played a lot of Dungeons and Dragons — when they were kids in Toronto.
Here’s a transcript of this episode.
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My Neighbor the Health-Care Ninja
Mom vs. Texas
Hey there! Season 3 is coming November 14. Here’s a preview.
A place where they do health care more cheaply and effectively. (And yes, it’s in the U.S.)
An actor walks into a doctor’s office…
Whoa, this medical device is spying on me. In my sleep. So my insurer can deny me coverage.
The surprising history behind insulin’s absurd price (and some hopeful signs in the wild)
Coming next week: The price of insulin
Why are drug prices so random? Meet Mr. PBM
How much for an MRI? Well, that depends…
To get paid, hospitals get creative
We thought we had adulted properly
We’re back! Here’s a taste of Season 2, launching June 4.
A “deal” on health insurance comes with troubling strings
Why are ER bills so horrible? Sarah Kliff spent a year finding out. (Season One, episode 7)
Why Health Insurance Actually Sucks (Season One, episode 6)
So, Robin Hood’s got an approach to medical bills. (Season One, episode 5)
Why you (and I) will likely pick the wrong health-insurance plan (Season One, episode 4)
How one drug got its $500,000 price tag. (With 99 Percent Invisible– Season One, episode 3)
All the Marbles: One woman’s epic quest for health insurance (Season One, episode 2)
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