Podcast Episodes

Episode 2130 notes Misty Snodgrass is Director, ACA & Medicaid at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas and she'll let us know what you Must Know if you have an ACA insurance plan . MISTY: This is unprecedented. At BCBSKS we're doing our best to hold the rates down and even taking a hit financially. But we want to make sure that people in Kansas have access to coverage. CARY: Like Misty said, they're more than happy to talk to you and just explain what's happening because there are a massive number of changes coming in the marketplace and ACA. Misty leads the strategic and operational direction for the ACA line of business and oversees the Healthy Blue Medicaid partnership. She is responsible for ensuring regulatory compliance, financial performance, product and market strategy, and operational excellence. She is known for her compassionate, results-oriented approach as syays she prioritizes access, quality care, and member satisfaction—delivering sustainable success in a complex, highly regulated healthcare environment. This is episode 2130 of America's Healthcare Advocate Learn more about anything discussed on this program. Visit https://www.bcbsks.com/ or call 866-906-5253 Episode Producers: Audio: Garner Cowdry Camera: David Thiessen As always, if you need help or have something to share contact me with this form on my website and let me know what's on your mind, issues you are dealing with, or other health, healthcare, and health insurance questions and concerns. Visit: https://www.americashealthcareadvocate.com/contact-us

Episode 2129 notes I've wanted to do this show for a long time. It's personal to me. This is on what I call the big four weight loss drugs. Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound and Mountjaro. And the reason I wanted to do this show was because I was struggling with some weight issues and went to see my primary care doc, and she goes, well, let's just go ahead and give you Wegovy. And I thought, you know, I think I'm going to go find a weight loss clinic. I'm going to get into a program and see what I can do. And I did. So I’ll let you know how that went, but also that it made me think about these products and I started doing a little research, started looking around, and I'm like, you know what? We don't know what we don't know. And it gave me, some significant hesitation about using these, so this show today is about that. It's about what do we know? What don't we know? What do we know that are side effects, potential problems down the road for other kinds of diseases and comorbidities because most studies go back only 3.5 years or less. Some additional questions are: What are the long-term effects and what happens if you’re on them on them for a lifetime? I’ll also review the manufacturer country Green List, so if you are getting one of these from another country to save cost, which are considered safest. We have the research, and I'll lay it out in detail in this episode and I’ll let you know what I think. The studies we've referenced are listed below. This is episode 2129 of America's Healthcare Advocate. I'm Cary Hall.  As always, if you need help or have something to share contact me with this form on my website and let me know what's on your mind, issues you are dealing with, or other health, healthcare, and health insurance questions and concerns. Visit: https://www.americashealthcareadvocate.com/contact-us Episode Producers: Audio: Garner Cowdry Camera: David Thiessen Research - Nathan Haldeman Research for this episode: Semaglutide and tirzepatide basic info: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2025/215256s024lbl.pdf Timing of risks involving weight loss drugs : https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37952131/ Info related to weight regain with weight loss drugs: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9542252/ Info about suicidal signals with weight loss drugs (no signals found): https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/update-fdas-ongoing-evaluation-reports-suicidal-thoughts-or-actions-patients-taking-certain-type/ Gastrointestinal complications with weight loss drugs : https://gi.org/journals-publications/ebgi/phil_paul_nov2023/ https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2025/215256s024lbl.pdf Thyroid risks with weight loss drugs: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2025/215256s024lbl.pdf Pancreatitis, gastroparesis/obstruction caution: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2025/215256s024lbl.pdf Human relevance with thyroid issues: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2025/215256s024lbl.pdf Success stories with meaningful weight loss using the drugs: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-022-02026-4/ Findings regarding weight loss drugs helping heart health: https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-first-treatment-reduce-risk-serious-heart-problems-specifically-adults-obesity-or/ Findings regarding weight loss drugs ability to help prevent diabetes: https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/eli-lilly-says-weight-loss-drug-cut-diabetes-risk-by-94-trial-2024-08-20/ Basic side effects of weight loss drugs: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2024/215256s011lbl.pdf Warnings regarding who should and shouldn’t take these drugs: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2024/215256s011lbl.pdf Specifics with body composition during weight loss drug use - how to maintain the loss and what you're actually losing: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2032183/ Cost and healthcare surrounding weight loss drugs: https://aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/127bd5b3347b34be31ac5c6b5ed30e6a/medicare-coverage-anti-obesity-meds.pdf More regarding prices and utilization pressure: https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/glp-1-weight-loss-diabetes-drugs-cost-deprescription-medicaid-north-carolina/ Real- world persistence about weight loss drugs: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2823644 How to take the drugs and dose them properly: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2024/215256s011lbl.pdf Lifestyle tips to help the drug’s effectiveness: https://dom-pubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/dom.16275 Planning timelines for weight loss with and without the weight loss drugs: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35441470/ Necessary things to do prior to taking the drugs that can improve your safety with them: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2024/215256s011lbl.pdf How do these drugs actually work: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2025/209637s025lbl.pdf Warnings about lack of long term data for these drugs: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2307563 Stopping often leads to weight regain: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9542252 Drug warnings about pulmonary aspiration: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2025/209637s025lbl.pdf Signals about serious GI events: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2810542 Suicide relations to these drugs, how it’s a misconception: https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/update-fdas-ongoing-evaluation-reports-suicidal-thoughts-or-actions-patients-taking-certain-type Patients with diabetes may have retinopathy complications: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2025/209637s025lbl.pdf Pregnancy cautions: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2025/215256s024lbl.pdf These drugs can affect your ability to digest other medications: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2025/217806Orig1s020lbl.pdf We need more data about the effects of body composition: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2032183 Warnings about unapproved versions of these medications: https://www.fda.gov/drugs/postmarket-drug-safety-information-patients-and-providers/fdas-concerns-unapproved-glp-1-drugs-used-weight-loss

Episode 2128 notes Today my friend and guest is Philip Sarnecki a Kansas businessman, a job creator, a husband, and father who rose from humble beginnings (the son of a janitor and a secretary) who then built one of the nation’s largest financial services companies and has led businesses that today employ nearly 1,000 people across multiple industries. This is Ep2128 of America's Healthcare Advocate. Learn more about Philip and his plans for the state of Kansas: https://philipsarnecki.org Learn about me, Cary Hall: America’s Healthcare Advocate: I have a strong desire to empower my fellow Americans and cancel the noise and confusion surrounding the US healthcare system. My goal is to enable you to become the expert for your own healthcare management, saving you time, money, and effort. Learn even more: https://www.americashealthcareadvocate.com As always, if you need help or have something to share? Contact me with this form on my website and let me know what's on your mind, the issues you are dealing with, or other health, healthcare, and health insurance questions and concerns. https://www.americashealthcareadvocate.com/contact-us

Episode 2126 notes There’s a lot of chatter out there. That's about the best way I can put it about what's going to happen with ACA . And, you know, I'm seeing pieces in the media that are portraying what's going to occur and the changes that are going to happen and how they're going to impact people, and unfortunately, there's a lot of false narrative out there. So I'm going to I'm going to explain where we're at on the individual health insurance market on Obamacare and ACA . Then I'm going to talk with two experts about what can you do to prepare yourself so that you're not caught up in a trap and you can't make a decision to solve the problem? Then we’ll discuss give you the kind of coverage you need and how to find it. That's what we're talking about in this episode, and that's the message we're trying to get out to everyone to is be prepared. This is coming. It's going to be like a tsunami. There going to be a lot of people displaced off of these plans are going to be looking for alternatives and so how do you deal with it, what are the best solutions and show you how you can do that and make sense of it for you and your family. If you're an employer, what do you need to be looking at? Because the ACA plans for small group are going to get hit hard, hit just as hard as the individual plans are, if not harder in some cases. Learn more from our guests Carolee Steele and Maria Ahlers from RPS Benefits by Design by visiting https://www.rpsbenefitsbydesigninc.com or call 877-385-2224 Learn about me, Cary Hall: America’s Healthcare Advocate: I have a strong desire to empower my fellow Americans and cancel the noise and confusion surrounding the US healthcare system. My goal is to enable you to become the expert for your own healthcare management, saving you time, money, and effort. Learn even more: https://www.americashealthcareadvocate.com As always, if you need help or have something to share? Contact me with this form on my website and let me know what's on your mind, the issues you are dealing with, or other health, healthcare, and health insurance questions and concerns. https://www.americashealthcareadvocate.com/contact-us

Episode 2127 notes Barron Roberts is my expert today on this Blue Cross Blue Shield Kansas City update show. How will it play out for all of you out there in the audience for your coverage in '26? We will cover the individual side and what Blue Cross is doing to lead the way. They're actually going to have premium reductions on the individual side, and we'll talk about what are the answers to the employers out there, the small group employer, the employer under the 100 lives. Get all the details and find the best way to go now, because come January 1st, all the Aetna plans are pulling the pin on ACA. They're going to be gone. And I will cover what's going to happen with the other plans. They're going to be significant increases across the board. BlueKC continues to lead the way as the local hometown carrier. This is Ep2127 of America's Healthcare Advocate. Learn more at https://www.bluekc.com/ or 833-467-2145 Learn about me, Cary Hall: America’s Healthcare Advocate: I have a strong desire to empower my fellow Americans and cancel the noise and confusion surrounding the US healthcare system. My goal is to enable you to become the expert for your own healthcare management, saving you time, money, and effort. Learn even more: https://www.americashealthcareadvocate.com As always, if you need help or have something to share? Contact me with this form on my website and let me know what's on your mind, the issues you are dealing with, or other health, healthcare, and health insurance questions and concerns. https://www.americashealthcareadvocate.com/contact-us

Episode 2124 notes Today we learn about Bexa: A Revolutionary Early Detection Option that Dr. Monique Gary tells me is closing the gap and delivering peace of mind. Dr Gary says women have been in need of another early detection option and reminds us that to many women delay routine exams or avoid them all together. But unlike the common experience, Bexa is accurate and pain free and companies should include this benefit to their employees. This is a "Must Hear" episode. Please listen and share, because breast cancer is the most common cancer among women—yet over 60% of those eligible aren’t getting mammograms. And for women who are under 40, pregnant, or avoiding mammograms, no real alternative has existed until now with this Doctor-led and developed Bexa Solution. Also joining us is Elizabeth Vire, Bexa Chief Revenue Officer, who works with HR directors to bring this option to their workers. Learn how you could do it as a broker, as a TPA, or a human resource director.: 1-888-469-2392 or visit https://www.mybexa.com/ This is Ep: 2124 of America's Healthcare Advocate. Learn about me, Cary Hall: America’s Healthcare Advocate: I have a strong desire to empower my fellow Americans and cancel the noise and confusion surrounding the US healthcare system. My goal is to enable you to become the expert for your own healthcare management, saving you time, money, and effort. Learn even more: https://www.americashealthcareadvocate.com As always, if you need help or have something to share? Contact me with this form on my website and let me know what's on your mind, the issues you are dealing with, or other health, healthcare, and health insurance questions and concerns. https://www.americashealthcareadvocate.com/contact-us

Episode 2123 notes Why is Medicare Going Broke, Can Medicare Survive? We separate Medicare Fact from Fiction This episode was carefully and exhaustively researched by our assistant producer, Nate Haldeman. When you watch or listen to the episode, you can refer back here and using the list below, click the links to read the actual sources we have drawn the information from. Most are government sites, some are verified news stories that quote the data used. We hope you find this useful! Please contact the show (links below) to comment on any of the information presented. Thank you! -Cary Hall By 2033, the Medicare Hospital Trust Fund will be unable to pay full benefits. [i] More people are retiring, and fewer workers are replacing them. [ii] Waste and Fraud – Medicare wastes $50-$60 Billion per year with improper payments [iii] Case example, Florida man convicted for scamming Medicare out of $61 million. [iv] Solutions for Medicare: Raise the eligible age to 67 or 68. [v] Obamacare & ACA has doubled the cost of individual health insurance [vi] Federal Subsidies for ACA now exceed $100 Billion annually [vii] Short term (non ACA) health plans cost 50%-80% less than ACA plans for healthy people [viii] [i] https://apnews.com/article/social-security-medicare-trust-fund-trump-74e13292f510739724a555d7ded7c1a3 [ii] https://www.medpac.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Mar25_MedPAC_Report_To_Congress_SEC.pdf [iii] https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/fiscal-year-2024-improper-payments-fact-sheet [iv] https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/durable-medical-equipment-owner-sentenced-12-years-61-million-medicare-fraud-scheme [v] https://www.crfb.org/blogs/cbo-lowers-estimate-increasing-medicare-eligibility-age [vi] https://www.heritage.org/health-care-reform/report/obamacare-has-doubled-the-cost-individual-health-insurance# [vii] https://www.pgpf.org/article/how-does-the-federal-government-subsidize-healthcare-under-the-aca-and-what-does-it-cost/ [viii] https://www.dpcare.org/about-dpc and https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/pdf/IF/IF11345/ This is episode 2123 of America's Healthcare Advocate . Learn about me, Cary Hall: America’s Healthcare Advocate: I have a strong desire to empower my fellow Americans and cancel the noise and confusion surrounding the US healthcare system. My goal is to enable you to become the expert for your own healthcare management, saving you time, money, and effort. Learn even more: https://www.americashealthcareadvocate.com As always, if you need help or have something to share? Contact me with this form on my website and let me know what's on your mind, the issues you are dealing with, or other health, healthcare, and health insurance questions and concerns. https://www.americashealthcareadvocate.com/contact-us

Episode 2122 notes Free referral services in the industry really aren’t free. My guest Steve Kuker is a veteran placement expert who exposes exactly how they work. These are at best a conflict of interest and Steve is pushing for our federal regulators to act because, as an example, in real estate you must disclose how much commission the realtor makes on the transaction… why isn’t there the same requirement for the free referral services for your aging parent or family member? Steve's company, Senior Care Consulting calls itself “A Placement Service With Integrity" and does not accept referral kickbacks. But he explains all the FREE services do. "I was recently mistakenly offered $6,750 as a kickback from an assisted living community … tangible proof of how much these “free” referral services are making in kickbacks! So you really aren’t getting a non-biased referral and you won’t be told of complaints and even sanctions against the facilities. Find out how to make these choices and avoid the pitfalls in this episode and learn more about out guest here: https://www.seniorcareconsulting.com/ This is episode 2122 of America's Healthcare Advocate . Learn about me, Cary Hall: America’s Healthcare Advocate: I have a strong desire to empower my fellow Americans and cancel the noise and confusion surrounding the US healthcare system. My goal is to enable you to become the expert for your own healthcare management, saving you time, money, and effort. Learn even more: https://www.americashealthcareadvocate.com As always, if you need help or have something to share? Contact me with this form on my website and let me know what's on your mind, the issues you are dealing with, or other health, healthcare, and health insurance questions and concerns. https://www.americashealthcareadvocate.com/contact-us

Episode 2121 notes Focus Hearing's Shannon Schneller joins and this time brings testimonials from Len Randazzo of Cumulus Media and over very own producer Dave Thiessen and along with myself, we all three share the good the bad and all things related to getting a hearing aid and we all then compare it to the experience at Focus Hearing, who know how to do it right. In this episode you will find out what you should know when you set out to " Hear It All ".  Learn more: https://myfocushearing.com This is episode 2121 of America's Healthcare Advocate. Learn about me, Cary Hall: America’s Healthcare Advocate: I have a strong desire to empower my fellow Americans and cancel the noise and confusion surrounding the US healthcare system. My goal is to enable you to become the expert for your own healthcare management, saving you time, money, and effort. Learn even more: https://www.americashealthcareadvocate.com As always, if you need help or have something to share? Contact me with this form on my website and let me know what's on your mind, the issues you are dealing with, or other health, healthcare, and health insurance questions and concerns. https://www.americashealthcareadvocate.com/contact-us