What This Podcast Is (And Isn’t)

Full Episode Transcript

Dan (00:00)
Welcome to Uninsured by Choice. I’m your host, Dan.

This podcast explores why people are choosing alternatives to traditional healthcare systems and what that choice looks like in real life. It’s presented by our sponsor, Zion HealthShare. Zion HealthShare is a nonprofit health sharing community offering an affordable, flexible alternative to health insurance, so I just wanted to get that out there so everyone knows what we’re about.

This first episode is meant to introduce the team, introduce the concept, and explain what we’re trying to accomplish, making sure everyone is on the same page about what we are and what we are not. My background is in healthcare marketing across different organizations, and I’ve also used the healthcare system myself.

I’m a cancer survivor, so I’ve been through surgeries, chemotherapy, and the whole process. I’m really excited to help get more knowledge out there about how this system works, and how it doesn’t. With me are Sissy, our producer, and Ashton, our director. Sissy, why don’t you go ahead and introduce yourself.

Sissy (01:15)
Hi everyone, my name is Sissy. I’ve lived all over the United States, which means I’ve had plenty of jobs and plenty of opportunities to have traditional insurance. It wasn’t until I found alternatives to traditional insurance that I realized we all actually have a choice.

I’m really excited to share that with you, and that’s why we’re here.

Ashton (01:42)
Hello, I’m Ashton. I’m the director of this podcast, and I’ve worked in communications and marketing for a couple of years now. Most of my experience comes from lived experience trying to navigate the health insurance system.

My husband has complex health conditions that require ongoing maintenance medication, and traditional insurance wasn’t working for us. As I tried to find other options, I realized the health insurance industry doesn’t work for me and doesn’t work for the majority of people. That’s a big reason we wanted to create this podcast: to let people know they have a choice and to explore options outside the traditional health insurance system.

Dan (02:29)
Thank you. One thing I’ve always said is that people see health insurance as a necessary evil, but it’s actually only one of those things. What we want to explain is why it isn’t necessary and what your other options are.

Five years ago, I was diagnosed with cancer and didn’t have health insurance. I had an indemnity medical plan, which pays a flat rate for different procedures and treatments. That can be risky because sometimes it doesn’t pay the full amount, and sometimes it overpays. You never really know because billing in healthcare is wildly inconsistent in this country.

I went through that process for six to nine months and am still on surveillance with CT scans and blood work, which will probably always be part of my life. That’s one of the options we’ll talk about with guests who have expertise in these areas. We’ll cover what indemnity plans are and how they work, along with many other alternatives.

Ashton and Sissy, I’d like you to expand on the problems with healthcare and some of the solutions we’ll be discussing.

Ashton (03:58)
In my early twenties, when I aged off my parents’ insurance and had to figure things out on my own, I really struggled. I was 24 and enrolled through work, but I didn’t understand the plans being offered.

This is common for people in their early twenties, but even people who have worked in health insurance for years don’t fully understand the terms, what’s covered, what isn’t, or even what a deductible really means. While trying to figure this out, I was also getting married and trying to find coverage that worked for both my needs and my husband’s.

The costs were insane. We were college students and couldn’t figure out how to afford insurance. We had to choose between managing my husband’s health and simply being able to live. No one should have to make that choice.

Health insurance trapped us. It wasn’t until years later that we found other options that opened doors for us. I’ve also seen many people stuck with plans they didn’t understand, locked in during open enrollment, unable to make changes because they didn’t qualify for a life event.

Now, with premiums skyrocketing, especially going into 2026, people are more stuck than ever. This can’t continue. There have to be other options. Sissy, maybe you can talk about some of those.

Sissy (05:57)
There are a lot of options out there. Many people don’t realize there’s financial help through the government, nonprofit organizations, or self-pay options like indemnity plans. It really depends on your needs, but there are resources people just don’t know about.

I had traditional insurance at every job I worked, simply because I didn’t know alternatives existed. That changed when I learned about direct primary care and health sharing. My direct primary care doctor is who I see most often. I pay a monthly fee, and it covers preventive care like annual physicals.

It’s affordable, and I get to build a relationship with my doctor. I hated going to clinics, not knowing who I’d see, and stressing about paying money I didn’t have. Direct primary care reduced my stress and helped my wallet.

Health sharing then steps in for larger, unexpected medical expenses. Knowing someone has my back without the confusion of deductibles and partial payments removed a huge amount of stress. That’s something people deserve to know exists.

Dan (08:13)
That’s great. I also want to be clear about what this podcast is not. This isn’t about conspiracy theories or sensational industry exposés. We don’t need to dwell on how broken the system is, because most people already know that.

Our focus is on solutions and alternatives. We’ll bring on guests who are experts in their fields, whether that’s direct primary care, insurance brokers, or people working in direct-pay healthcare. We want to explain how these systems work and shine a light on solutions instead of just the problems.

I’ve spent much of my life self-employed, and it wasn’t until 2023 that I learned I could qualify for subsidized insurance. I enrolled in a marketplace plan that cost $2,100 per month before subsidies, but I paid just over $200. Later that year, I was notified that the plan was discontinued and auto-renewed into an “equivalent” plan costing $3,500 per month.

Nothing meaningful changed. Same deductibles, same coverage. A nearly 50% increase overnight. That kind of sticker shock hit many people during the 2025 open enrollment period when enhanced subsidies ended.

We want to help people navigating what we’ve navigated. Our sponsor is Zion HealthShare, and Sissy has firsthand experience using it. The purpose of a health share is to help cover large, unexpected medical expenses in an affordable and flexible way.

Ashton and Sissy, can you briefly explain what Zion HealthShare is and how it works?

Ashton (12:01)
Zion HealthShare offers a lot of freedom. You can choose your own provider, whether that’s a direct primary care doctor or a traditional physician. You present yourself as a self-pay patient, and the health share is there when something major happens.

There’s no open enrollment period, so you can enroll any time of year. It’s a nonprofit organization, which means monthly contributions are typically much lower than marketplace or employer plans. For people choosing to go uninsured, Zion HealthShare is one option that helps meet healthcare needs affordably.

Sissy, you’ve actually used it. Do you want to share that experience?

Sissy (13:33)
I’ll keep it simple. I had a medical event that exceeded my member responsibility, which was $1,000 at the time. I logged into the portal, submitted my request, and they reviewed it and determined it was eligible for sharing.

After my appointment, I submitted my bills and showed I’d met my responsibility. They reimbursed everything above that amount. It was quick, simple, and smooth. The communication was clear, and the experience was far easier than traditional insurance.

Dan (15:03)
That’s great to hear. I remember when my wife went to the ER while we had insurance. It took five months just to receive a final bill we could actually pay. We had no idea what the cost would be. It could’ve been a dollar or a million dollars.

That uncertainty is wild. I joke that it’s like going to Jiffy Lube, handing them your auto insurance card, and saying, “Just bill them. I don’t know what it costs.” That would be absurd in any other industry.

I want to close by explaining the cover art. People may wonder about the knot being cut. It’s a reference to the Gordian knot, a legendary puzzle that prophecy said only a ruler could untie. Alexander the Great famously cut through it with a sword instead.

Healthcare is a modern Gordian knot. Our goal isn’t to untangle its complexity but to cut through it and find a better way. That’s why the knot in the artwork looks frayed, not fully severed. We’re starting the cut.

You can find us online, on social media, and on platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts. We invite you to join us as we explore why we’re uninsured by choice, and how you can be too, while still navigating the healthcare system.

Buckle up. It’s going to be a fun journey, and we’re excited for what’s ahead.