Disruptive Dialogue with Chuck Melendi

Chuck Melendi
  • 5.0 (24)
  • MEDICINE

The healthcare system in our country is broken. It is time to fight for change, and to do it together. Tune in as retired industry executive Chuck Melendi and Disruptive Dialogue explore how healthcare corporations are sticking it to patients, providers and businesses. You need to know what is really going on in our overpriced and underperforming healthcare system. Consumers and their employers pay too much money for too little care, and the players running the show are making billions. Let’s create solutions, and let’s demand results. LET'S FIX HEALTHCARE.

  1. FEB 27

    Inside the Administrative Machine Breaking Private Practice (ft. Meredith Hirsh)

    Healthcare one of the few growing sectors of the American workforce — yet we can’t find enough providers. Why? In this eye-opening conversation, Chuck sits down with Meredith Hirsh, host of Working Healthcare with Meredith Hirsh, and CEO and Vice President of the Hirsh Center for Arthritis & Sports Medicine. Her practice has 58 employees — but only 7 providers. It takes 11 just to support billing, prior authorizations, denials, and insurance battles. No wonder healthcare costs in the US are soaring. If you’ve ever wondered: Why it’s so hard to get an appointmentWhy your doctor seems rushed or frustratedWhy insurers drop entire physician groups withoutexplanationThis episode opens our eyes to the frustration of daily life inside an independent physician practice. Listen and be surprised: The crushing administrative burden facing independentpracticesWhy young physicians are walking away from ownershipInsurance “downcoding” and silent reimbursement cutsHow entire specialties are being removed from insurancenetworksWhy traditional Medicare may be the closest thing to a“golden ticket” in U.S. healthcareThe urgent need to stop legislating based on rare outliersMeredith explains why real reform starts with understanding the system and why patient voices matter more than ever. Take Action! Healthcare won’t fix itself. Lawmakers track calls from constituents — and it works. Call the Congressional DC Switchboard:202-224-3121Tell them which Senator or Representative you’d like to speak with and share your concerns with their office. Get involved and take action on our website:👉 https://www.disruptivedialogue.org/get-involved Connect with Meredith Explore Meredith’s work and podcast here:👉 https://www.meredithhirsh.com/ Her show, Working Healthcare with Meredith Hirsh, dives deep into the business of medicine and equips healthcare professionals to advocate for meaningful reform. If you care about access to care, physician burnout, or the future of independent medicine — this is a must-listen episode. Remember to like and share this episode! And as always, #LetsFixHealthcare!

    41 min

  2. FEB 11

    Healthcare Headlines: Why Last Week Was Better Than You Think

    For once, the healthcare headlines weren’t all bad. Today,  Chuck steps away from his usual format to break down the healthcare news from early February 2026 (last week!) —and why several developments may actually benefit patients. Drawing on 35 years inside the healthcare industry, Chuck explains what has changed, what it signals, and why these moments matter way beyond this news cycle. In this episode: ·      Recent federal policy and regulatory actions with big patient benefits ·      Enforcement developments affecting healthcare access, pricing, & accountability ·      Industry shifts creating growing pressure for PBM transparency and reform ·      Where progress is real—and where caution is still warranted Some links mentioned: Highlights from health insurance CEO testimony: https://waysandmeans.house.gov/2026/01/26/5-key-moments-from-ways-and-means-committee-hearing-with-health-insurance-ceos/ Great Healthcare Plan: https://www.whitehouse.gov/greathealthcare/ Department of Labor Proposals:https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/ebsa/ebsa20260129 Enjoyed this episode and want more from a healthcare insider? Subscribe and you won’t miss a thing! A review would be a great help too – thanks! Together, #LetsFixHealthcare!

    35 min

  3. JAN 27

    Why Doctors Struggle to Get Paid: The Hidden Crisis in Medical Billing & Insurance Denials | ft. Olga Khabinskay

    Behind every doctor visit is a complex financial system most patients never see—and it’s pushing physicians to the brink. In this eye-opening episode, Chuck sits down with OlgaKhabinskay, Director of Operations at WCH Service Bureau, to uncover the hidden reality of medical billing, insurance denials, AI-driven downcoding, and why doctors are leaving private practice. With more than 23 years of experience in healthcare revenue cycle management, Olga shares how insurance company policies, administrative burden, and lack of transparency are driving physician burnout, increasing healthcare costs, and damaging the patient-doctor relationship. Whether you’re a patient, physician, healthcare administrator, or simply trying to understand why U.S. healthcare is so expensive, join us to see really happening behind the scenes. What You’ll Learn: ✅ Why insurance companies deny or downcode up to 30% of claims ✅ How AI is being used by insurers to reduce physician payments ✅ The real difference between Medicare vs. private insurancereimbursement ✅ Why doctors spend hours every week fighting denials instead oftreating patients ✅ How high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) shift costs to patients ✅ Why more physicians are selling their practices or leaving medicine entirely Meet our Guest: Olga Khabinskay is director of operations at  WCH Service Bureau, a national health care practice management services company that provides billing, coding and credentialing as well as provider technology services. With more than 23 years of experience in health care revenue cycle management, she specializes in medical billing, revenue compliance, and payer contract evaluations, helping provider organizations reduce denials, strengthen collections, and make smarter network decisions. An advocate and educator on closed panels, payer negotiations, and reinstatements, Olga designs practical workflows that shorten time to payment and improve audit readiness. She is currently developing a Trusted Biller Program to present to CMS and the New York State Medicaid Program, aimed at establishing standards that enhance billing accuracy, transparency, and payer–provider trust. A member of AAPC, HBMA, and RBMA, Olga also champions the idea that billers should be licensed to submit claims to government payers. Learn more at https://wchsb.com/ Let’s Fix Healthcare! 🎧 Subscribe to Disruptive Dialogue on Apple Podcasts,Spotify, or YouTube ⭐ Leave a review to help others find the show 📤 Share this episode with anyone who works in or uses thehealthcare system (so…everyone!)

    34 min

  4. JAN 14

    Hospital Price Transparency: A Rule Passed, Ignored, and Rarely Enforced

    How can hospitals break the law for years, while patients still pay the price? In this episode of Disruptive Dialogue, healthcare insider Chuck Melendi exposes the TRUTH behind the 2021 Hospital Price Transparency Rule and why it’s been basically ignored over the past 5 years. Despite thousands of hospitals being out of compliance, ONLY 27 have been fined in four years. Chuck breaks down how weak enforcement, meaningless penalties, and industry consolidation keep real prices hidden from patients. More importantly, Chuck shares SOLUTIONS that would actually work: tying hospital payments to compliance, standardizing prices around Medicare rates, enforcing price-gouging laws, and removing repeat offenders from Medicare. Follow DISRUPTIVE DIALOGUE WITH CHUCK MELENDI wherever you enjoy your podcasts. Reviews and shares are a big help too! Together, #LetsFixHealthcare

    18 min

  5. 12/30/2025

    Patients Over Profits: Fixing What’s Broken in U.S. Healthcare | Wendell Potter (part 2)

    The Takeaway U.S. healthcare isn’t failing because reform is impossible—it’s failing because profits are prioritized over patients. With bipartisan support growing and successful state-level models already in place, meaningful reform is closer than most people realize. In This Episode In Part 2 of our powerful conversation with Wendell Potter, former health insurance executive turned leading healthcare reform advocate, we move from exposing what’s broken to exploring what can actually fix it. This episode dives into real legislation, bipartisan momentum,and bold ideas that could rein in insurance monopolies, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), and runaway Medicare Advantage abuses. From state-level wins to federal reform efforts like the Patients Over Profits Act and PatientsBefore Monopolies Act, we explore how healthcare could be refocused on patients, value, and access instead of corporate greed. If you want to understand who really controls U.S. healthcare—and what you can do about it—this episode is a must-listen. What You Will Hear Why Patients Over Profits and Patients Before Monopolieslegislation mattersHow PBMs are driving independent pharmacies out of businessState-level reform wins in Ohio and ArkansasWhy 39 state Attorneys General are demanding federal actionThe dangers of vertical integration in healthcareHow the Stark Law could be expanded to stop corporate self-dealingMedicare Advantage: misleading marketing, overpayments, and patient harmWhy Medicare Advantage costs taxpayers more than traditionalMedicareThe case for a true public option modeled after MedicareHow confusion, lobbying, and dark money shape healthcare policyResources & Action Steps Learn more from Wendell Potter: Healthcare Uncovered Read Wendell’s investigations and reports, including the SunlightReport on UnitedHealth Group Take Action! Visit DisruptiveDialogue.org → Get Involved Page -Pre-written letters to your legislators supporting key healthcare reform bills -Advocacy Tools for consumers and employers Enjoyed the Episode? Subscribe for more healthcare truth and reform-focused conversationsShare this episode with a friend or family memberLeave a review—it helps more people find the showUntil next time: stay informed, ask the hard questions, and take charge of your health. Here’s to a healthy and happy 2026!

    30 min

  6. 12/16/2025

    Why Health Insurance Still Bankrupts Americans | Wendell Potter (Ep. 1 of 2)

    In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Disruptive Dialogue host Chuck Melendi sits down with Wendell Potter, former health insurance executive turned advocate and whistleblower, to examine how U.S. healthcare really works—and why it so often fails the people it was created to serve. Both Chuck and Wendell spent decades in senior healthcare leadership roles before leaving corporate careers to expose the growing influence of profit, consolidation, and Wall Street pressure on the healthcare system. Wendell now leads the Center for Health and Democracy, the Lower Out-of-Pocket NOW Coalition, and serves as publisher and executive editor of HEALTH CARE un-covered. Together, they unpack how high-deductible health plans became the industry default, why millions of insured Americans still can’t afford care, and how massive consolidation has allowed insurers to extend their reach across nearly every part of the healthcare system. This episode isn’t just an exposé. It is also a thoughtful, collaborative discussion about how we got here, why the system rewards profits over patients, and what informed consumers and leaders need to understand if real change is going to happen. Key Topics Discussed: How healthcare insiders are trained to shape public narratives Why high-deductible health plans dominate U.S. insurance Wall Street’s role and quarterly earnings pressure UnitedHealth Group’s scale and vertical integration Why “having insurance” often isn’t enough The real human cost of a profit-driven healthcare system About our Guest: Wendell Potter is president of the Center for Health and Democracy, leader of the Lower Out-of-Pocket NOW Coalition, and publisher/executive editor of Substack’s HEALTH CARE un-covered. He is a New York Times bestselling author and former health insurance executive who testified before Congress after becoming an industry whistleblower. 👉 This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation. In Part 2, Chuck and Wendell focus on solutions—the policies, reforms, and actions to move U.S. healthcare in the right direction. Subscribe, follow, and share to help bring transparency and accountability to American healthcare. Links: Wendell Potter: https://www.wendellpotter.com/ Center for Health and Democracy: https://www.centerforhealthanddemocracy.org/ Lower Out-of-Pocket NOW Coalition: https://www.loopcoalition.co/ HEALTH CARE un-covered: https://healthcareuncovered.substack.com/

    30 min

  7. 12/04/2025

    From Attack Survivor to Paralympian: Tracy Otto and Ricky Riessle on Advocacy and Navigating the Healthcare System

    Today, Chuck is honored to introduce a couple who define devotion as they overcome insurmountable odds. Join us to experience daily life for Tracy Otto—Paralympic archer, disability advocate, and survivor of a horrific domestic violence assault —and her partner Ricky Riessle, her full-time caregiver, fellow survivor, and co-parent to their nine-month-old daughter, Rylee. Together, they join us to muse over the realities of navigating disability, complex care needs, and the systems that shape their everyday routines (and throw roadblocks along theway). From the challenges of rehabilitation to advocating for better access to medical supplies, Tracy and Ricky’s story highlights both the struggles and triumphs of living with a disability in a system that can often make care difficult to obtain. Along the way, Tracy reinvented herself as a Paralympic archer, representing the United States on the world stage and inspiring others to pursue their goals regardless of the obstacles. Tracy and Ricky discuss the realities of managing care, working with healthcare providers, and advocating for change. Thisconversation is a powerful look at Tracy and Ricky’s resilience, partnership, and determination that have transformed adversity into opportunity—both in sports and in life. Follow Tracy at: Instagram: @Tracy_OttoFacebook: @tracyotto95Tiktok: @tracyotto Support Tracy’s Paralympic Journey:👉 https://www.spotfund.com/story/5bf6d088-c89a-47ab-8caf-036cf2b3d7a3?value=otto Learn More About Tracy & Ricky NBC News feature:👉 https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/paralympian-soars-in-archery-overcoming-life-changing-attack-217793605954 Team USA profile:👉 https://www.teamusa.com/profiles/tracy-otto Learn more about Ibis Healthcare👉 https://ibishealthcare.org/

    52 min

  8. 11/10/2025

    The Business of Denial: How Healthcare Became a Profit Machine | ft. Dr. Seth Glickman

    Welcome back, disruptors! This week, Chuck sits down with consultant Dr. Seth Glickman, former Chief Medical Officer at Intermountain Health and Chief Health Officer for Blue Shield of California, to expose the hidden incentives and moral conflicts behind U.S. healthcare finance. Dr. Glickman shares what it’s like to lead inside major hospital and insurance organizations, why he ultimately walked away, and what every patient and physician should know about prior authorizations, ghost networks, and insurance denials. By the end of this conversation, you’ll understand how the system really works—and what we can do to make it better. In This Episode: ·      Why the healthcare system rewards the wrong outcomes ·      The hidden incentives driving insurance andhospital decisions ·      How prior authorizations delay or deny care ·      The truth about “ghost networks” and provideraccess ·      How patients and physicians can push for reform ·      Practical steps to get care approved and appealdenials Guest: Dr. Seth Glickman — Physician, healthcare executive, and founder of Seth Glickman AdvisorsWebsite: https://sethglickmanadvisors.com Resources Mentioned: ·      KFF Health Policy Brief on Prior Authorization ·      Greater National Advocates: Find a patientadvocate near you ·      Healthcare.gov for insurance information andopen enrollment Call to Action:If this episode helped you see healthcare in a new light, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review. Together we can demand better—and make the system work for everyone. LET'S FIX HEALTHCARE!

    54 min
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The healthcare system in our country is broken. It is time to fight for change, and to do it together. Tune in as retired industry executive Chuck Melendi and Disruptive Dialogue explore how healthcare corporations are sticking it to patients, providers and businesses. You need to know what is really going on in our overpriced and underperforming healthcare system. Consumers and their employers pay too much money for too little care, and the players running the show are making billions. Let’s create solutions, and let’s demand results. LET'S FIX HEALTHCARE.

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