Out of Patients
with Matthew Zachary

Welcome to 2026: The Year of the Patient where the sick shall inherit the ballot.

PODCAST Matthew Zachary PODCAST Matthew Zachary

An ICU Doctor Checked His Insurance Portal Every Day While His Daughter Was Dying Of Cancer. He Was Terrified They Would Kick Her Off.

Dr. Hesham Hassaballa is board certified four times over with 20 years in the ICU. When his daughter was getting chemo, he checked his insurance portal daily, terrified they would drop her. A physician. In the system. Earning a good living. Still terrified of financial ruin because his child got sick.

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NEWSWORTHY Matthew Zachary NEWSWORTHY Matthew Zachary

Healthcare Is a Private Tax Triggered by Diagnosis

Gallup reports 82 million Americans cut back on daily life to afford healthcare. Coverage shifts financial risk to families through deductibles and prior authorization. Diagnosis now operates like a private tax on survival and forces tradeoffs across work, housing, and retirement.

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OPINION Matthew Zachary OPINION Matthew Zachary

Patients Should *NOT* Have To Write Policy Briefs

Sally Neely Nix manages chronic pain with nerve block injections. No opioids. Her insurer calls them experimental. So she built a policy brief and sent it to the CEO. While in extreme pain. Patients shouldn't have to become researchers to access care that works.

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PODCAST Matthew Zachary PODCAST Matthew Zachary

Spoiler Alert: The Middlemen Cost More Than the Medicine

Health systems consolidate. Insurers post record profits. Employers spend $20,000 per employee on coverage while workers fight denials alone at 11 pm. Insurance middlemen now cost more than the drugs. The system rewards delay and calls it complexity. Families call it Tuesday.

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OPINION Matthew Zachary OPINION Matthew Zachary

No Care For You!

A new KFF poll shows prior authorization now ranks as the biggest burden in American healthcare. Delays and denials affect nearly half of insured adults, with severe mental, financial, and physical consequences. Patients across every plan agree.

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OPINION Matthew Zachary OPINION Matthew Zachary

You Are NOT Medically Necessary

Health insurers turned “medically necessary” into a denial weapon. This article breaks down how coverage policies, anonymous medical directors, and financial incentives allow insurers to override doctors and block cancer care, then outlines concrete fixes that could shut the system down.

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