Uninsured by Choice exists to shed light on the alternatives to health insurance and traditional healthcare systems. Our expert guests bring their experience, perspective, and expertise in new and interesting ways each episode to help listeners understand healthcare delivery and access.
You Have More Health Insurance Options Than You Think
Most Americans believe their only healthcare choices are expensive major medical insurance or going completely uninsured. But there's another option that rarely gets discussed.
In this episode, Dan sits down with Gary Sumner, founder of Western Insurance Advisors, to break down indemnity health plans and explain how they differ from traditional Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage.
If you've ever wondered whether there are alternatives to traditional health insurance, this episode provides an honest look at one option that could help many families lower costs while still protecting themselves against unexpected medical expenses.
1 Jul 2026
The Brokerage Blind Spot That's Costing Employers Billions
What if the biggest problem with employer-sponsored healthcare isn't insurance itself, but how companies buy it?
In this episode, Dan sits down with healthcare reform advocate, author, and Benefits Advisor of the Year Donovan Pyle to uncover why employers spend hundreds of billions of dollars on unnecessary healthcare costs every year. They discuss hidden conflicts of interest in the brokerage industry, why most businesses never see all of their options, and the practical steps executives can take to build smarter, more cost-effective employee health plans.
17 Jun 2026
Healthcare Without Permission: How Direct Primary Care Puts Patients First
After experiencing firsthand how corporate healthcare priorities can undermine both physicians and patients, Dr. Maryal Concepcion, board-certified family physician and founder of Big Trees MD, chose to leave insurance-driven medicine behind to build a practice centered on relationships, accessibility, and patient care.
In this episode, Dan and Maryal explore what Direct Primary Care (DPC) actually is, why more physicians are embracing the model, and why patients are increasingly seeking alternatives to traditional health insurance.
Whether you're frustrated by long wait times, rising premiums, or simply wondering if there's a better way to access healthcare, this conversation offers hope, education, and a glimpse into what the future of medicine could look like.
3 Jun 2026
Behind the Benefits Package: What HR Sees That Employees Don't
Most employees only see the cost of health insurance coming out of their paycheck. What they don't see are the rising costs employers face behind the scenes and the difficult decisions required to keep benefits affordable.
Dan sits down with John Bishoff, CHRO for Canopy Mortgage, to discuss the realities of managing health benefits for a nationwide workforce. They explore why healthcare costs keep rising, the challenges employers face when selecting benefit plans, and how employees can play a bigger role in shaping their healthcare options.
If you've ever wondered how benefit decisions are made or wanted more healthcare choices at work, this episode offers valuable insight from the HR side of the table.
20 May 2026
Care Over Codes: Why Doctors Are Walking Away From Insurance
Is the traditional health insurance system failing patients and doctors alike?
In this episode, Dan sits down with Dr. Umair Malik, board-certified family physician, founder of Blue Spruce Health, and a leading voice in the Direct Primary Care (DPC) movement. Together, they dive into why more Americans are leaving the traditional insurance-based healthcare system behind and turning to transparent, patient-centered healthcare alternatives.
Dr. Malik shares how “factory medicine,” insurance bureaucracy, rising healthcare costs, and endless paperwork pushed him to declare independence from insurance and build a Direct Primary Care practice focused on longer appointments, transparent pricing, cash-pay healthcare, telehealth, and relationship-based medicine.
If you’re frustrated with health insurance, high deductibles, surprise medical bills, or rushed doctor visits, this conversation offers a powerful look at the future of affordable healthcare and medical freedom.
6 May 2026
Breaking the Insurance Monopoly: How FixCare Is Rebuilding Healthcare
Why is healthcare in America becoming more expensive while patients get less care and fewer choices?
In this episode of Uninsured by Choice, Dan sits down with Karim Wahib, founder of FixCare and a physician assistant with more than 20 years of experience, to expose how health insurance, the Affordable Care Act, and healthcare consolidation changed medicine for patients and providers alike. Discover how direct-pay healthcare, transparent pricing, medical cost sharing, and patient-first care models are helping uninsured and underinsured Americans access affordable healthcare without traditional insurance.
If you’re frustrated with high premiums, massive deductibles, denied claims, or navigating the healthcare system, this episode offers a powerful look at the future of healthcare alternatives.
22 Apr 2026
Healthcare Reform 2026: How New Laws Could Disrupt Insurance, PBMs & Employer Plans
In this episode of Uninsured by Choice, Dan sits down with former White House health policy advisor Katy Talento to break down what’s really happening behind the scenes in American healthcare, from rising costs to hidden incentives, and to explore bold solutions that could give control back to patients, but the real question is, what if everything you’ve been told about health insurance is backwards?
8 Apr 2026
The Employer Healthcare Trap (And How to Escape It)
What if the biggest problem in healthcare isn’t cost… but lack of choice?
In this episode of Uninsured by Choice, Dan sits down with Mark Messick, Marketing Director at Common Care, to unpack how employer-sponsored health plans have limited employee choice for decades, and what can be done about it.
Mark brings a unique perspective from the employer side, explaining how outdated systems from the post–World War II era still shape today’s healthcare decisions. He breaks down why “one-size-fits-all” plans fail, how newer models like cafeteria plans and ICRAs attempt to fix the problem, and why most people fall into just three healthcare categories.
If you’ve ever felt stuck with your health plan, or wondered if there’s a smarter, more flexible way to approach healthcare, this episode will challenge how you think about coverage.
25 Mar 2026
Don’t Feed the Beast: How One Leader Beat the Healthcare System
What if your company could go years without a single premium increase and actually improve care for your employees at the same time?
In this episode of Uninsured by Choice, Dan sits down with Matt Ohrt, HR veteran, author of Save Your Company, Don’t Feed the Beast, and Executive Director of the Free Market Medical Association, to unpack how employers can break free from the traditional insurance model and take control of their healthcare spend.
After leading a five-year transformation at Merrill Steel that saved over $5 million in healthcare costs, Matt shares the mindset shift that changed everything: stop buying insurance blindly, and start shopping for healthcare like any other major business expense. From eliminating premium increases to building trusted partnerships and leveraging direct primary care, he reveals the practical strategies behind the growing free-market healthcare movement.
Whether you're an employer, HR leader, or just curious about alternatives to the broken system, this episode offers a powerful look at what’s possible when you stop “feeding the beast” and start demanding value.
11 Mar 2026
Health Insurance vs Health Sharing: A Better Option for Freelancers & Families?
In this episode of Uninsured by Choice, Dan sits down with Catherine Okubo, CEO of MPB Health, to discuss a growing alternative to traditional health insurance: medical cost sharing.
Catherine explains how health sharing programs work, how they differ from insurance, and why more freelancers, entrepreneurs, and families are choosing this model. They explore the philosophy behind health sharing, the financial differences compared to insurance, and why personal responsibility and community play a major role.
They also discuss:
• Why open enrollment creates pressure
• Who benefits most from health sharing
• How freelancers and self-employed workers can save money
• The mindset shift required to navigate healthcare without insurance
If you’ve ever wondered what healthcare looks like outside the traditional insurance system, this episode breaks it down.
25 Feb 2026
Choosing a Healthshare in 2026: What Most People Get Wrong
What if you could protect yourself from a six figure medical bill without traditional health insurance?
In this episode of Uninsured by Choice, Dan sits down with Holly Patino, founder of HealthShare101, to break down the world of medical cost sharing.
They unpack how health sharing works, the real differences between major organizations, and what most people miss in the member guidelines. From caps and limitations to waiting periods and pre existing conditions, Holly explains what you need to know before you join.
They also discuss faith based and non religious healthshare options, inclusivity, ACA considerations, and how to determine whether a healthshare is actually a good fit for your situation.
If you are exploring alternatives to traditional health insurance, this episode gives you the clarity and confidence to make an informed decision.
11 Feb 2026
Breaking Free from Insurance: Why Doctors Are Choosing DPC
What if you could see your doctor without insurance, without surprise bills, and without 10-minute rushed visits?
In this episode of Uninsured by Choice, Dan sits down with Dr. Justin Voris, board-certified family medicine physician and founder of Core Health Direct Primary Care in Fort Smith, Arkansas.
Dr. Voris explains how Direct Primary Care (DPC) is restoring the doctor–patient relationship by removing insurance from routine primary care altogether. Instead of billing codes and gatekeepers, patients pay a simple monthly membership for transparent pricing, longer appointments, and direct access to their physician.
You’ll hear:
How DPC works and who it’s for
Why traditional insurance often drives up costs
A real example of a $500 lab bill reduced to around $60
How employers can lower healthcare costs while improving employee access
Why more physicians are leaving corporate medicine for this model
If you’ve ever felt rushed, overcharged, or stuck navigating the insurance maze, this conversation will open your eyes to a simpler way forward.
Learn more at uninsuredbychoice.com (http://uninsuredbychoice.com).
28 Jan 2026
You Don't Have to Have Insurance to Get Healthcare
Do you really need health insurance to access quality healthcare?
In this episode of Uninsured by Choice, host Dan sits down with Eric Baird, healthcare educator, licensed agent, and founder of whatishealthshare.com (http://whatishealthshare.com), to challenge one of the biggest assumptions in American healthcare.
Eric breaks down how health share communities work, why so many people believe insurance is mandatory, and what actually happens when families step outside the traditional insurance system.
From skyrocketing maternity costs to navigating care without price transparency, this conversation pulls back the curtain on a system that confuses and overwhelms consumers.
If you’ve ever questioned rising premiums, felt trapped by employer plans, or wondered whether there’s a better way to pay for healthcare, this episode will change how you think about coverage, cost, and control.
Listen now and discover why more people are becoming uninsured by choice.
14 Jan 2026
What This Podcast Is (and Isn’t)
In this very first episode of Uninsured by Choice, we set the record straight. Host Dan, Director Ashton, and Producer Sissy introduce who they are, why this podcast exists, and, just as importantly, what it is not.
Through personal experiences and honest conversation, the team shares what led them to question the traditional healthcare system and why they felt compelled to create a space for open, nuanced discussions around being uninsured by choice.
This episode lays the foundation for the conversations ahead, grounded in transparency, curiosity, and lived experience, not fear or misinformation.
If you’ve ever felt confused, overwhelmed, or unheard in conversations about healthcare, this podcast might be exactly what you’ve been looking for.
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