Is America’s Healthcare System Having Its Own Pitchforks Moment? (with Dr. Abdul El-Sayed)

Pitchfork Economics with Nick Hanauer

This week, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed joins Nick and Goldy to discuss how the recent assassination of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson has thrown a harsh spotlight on the public's visceral anger toward our exploitative healthcare system. Dr. El-Sayed outlines the stark contrasts between the profit-driven U.S. healthcare system and those of other developed nations, arguing that we need a public option to alleviate the burdens of skyrocketing costs and access issues. Goldy also explains how the warnings from Nick’s viral POLITICO piece from 10 years ago, “The Pitchforks Are Coming For Us Plutocrats,” feel eerily prescient, as the public reaction to Thompson’s death was a mix of hailing the shooter as a hero, outrage, and people sharing their personal healthcare horror stories online. Is it possible that America’s healthcare system is having its own pitchforks moment?

Dr. Abdul El-Sayed is a physician, epidemiologist, and public servant whose work focuses on health equity, resiliency, and environmental justice. He is the host of America Dissected, Crooked Media’s podcast that explores the intersection of health and society with leading experts in science, public health, and policy. Abdul is also the author of Healing Politics and Medicare for All: A Citizen’s Guide, and he serves as a visiting scientist at Harvard’s FXB Center for Health & Human Rights, as well as a Scholar in Residence at Wayne State University and American University.

Social Media

BlueSky: @abdulelsayed.bsky.social

Instagram: abdulelsayed

Threads: abdulelsayed

Twitter: @AbdulElSayed

Further reading:

America Dissected

Healing Politics: A Doctor's Journey Into the Heart of Our Political Epidemic

Medicare for All: A Citizen's Guide

Nick’s OpEd in POLITICO: The Pitchforks Are Coming… For Us Plutocrats

Nick’s Ted Talk: Beware, fellow plutocrats, the pitchforks are coming

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