In this special edition podcast, Dr. Jonathan Burke explains why he chose to stop being a full-time primary care physician and change careers to join the proverbial “dark side” of health insurance. His response, “I was struggling with how medicine was practiced, the hamster wheel…[and] I hoped that I would be able to…change how things might work in the future.” In part one of the two-part series, Dr. Burke shares stories and answers questions (e.g., “Why are claims denied?”) to provide some transparency about the ins and outs of health insurance. He explains why doctors err on the side of “doing more” (e.g., tests, surgeries) and answers multiple questions about claims and bills, prescriptions, hospital/in-patient care, and out-patient care. The first question Dr. Burke was asked, “Why is U.S. healthcare insurance so expensive?”
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