The Great American Healthcare Heist — with Chris Deacon (Part 1)

Why does American healthcare cost so much—and deliver so little?In this eye-opening episode of Take Charge with HELPcare, we talk with Chris Deacon, author of The Great American Healthcare Heist and featured voice in the documentary It’s Not Personal, It’s Just Healthcare. Chris has spent years inside the system—first as a lawyer, then as the director of one of the largest public-sector health plans in the country, covering more than 820,000 New Jersey employees and retirees.From that insider perspective, she shares why she calls our healthcare system a “coordinated heist.” Hospitals, insurers, and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) all play their parts in keeping costs high and transparency low—while the rest of us foot the bill.👉 In this conversation, we cover:How Chris’s journey from public service to advocacy revealed the system’s deep flawsWhy she describes American healthcare as a “heist” — and who’s really profitingThe misaligned incentives that reward growth and sickness over health and preventionThe role of hospitals, insurers, and PBMs in driving up costsHow “vertical integration” lets giant corporations profit from every part of your careChris brings candor, courage, and clarity to a topic that affects every American household. Her book, The Great American Healthcare Heist, breaks down a complex system into simple truths—and our conversation does the same.🎙️ Tune in to understand why we’re paying more, getting less, and what it will take to change it.📘 Learn more about Chris Deacon’s book: The Great American Healthcare Heist🌐 Explore HELPcare Clinic’s direct primary care model: 🔔 Subscribe to Take Charge with HELPcare for the next episode, where we explore real solutions for taking charge of your healthcare.