Medicare Advantage or Medicare Disadvantage? Dr. Ed Weisbart on Denials, Delays & Single Payer

On this episode of wRight To The Root, Stephanie Wright sits down with Dr. Ed Weisbart — a retired family medicine physician, former Chief Medical Officer at Express Scripts, and longtime healthcare advocate with Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP).

Dr. Weisbart shares what pushed him from fighting for patients in the exam room to fighting for them in the streets and in policy: years of watching people delay or skip care because of copays, deductibles, denials, and fear of medical debt. Together, Stephanie and Dr. Weisbart unpack why “getting sick” in America has become financially terrifying — and how prior authorization, Medicare Advantage, and corporate profiteering are shaping who gets care and when.

You’ll hear a powerful real-life example of how traditional Medicare vs. Medicare Advantage can mean the difference between next-day testing and weeks of delay — delays that, for many patients, can be life-or-death. The conversation also tackles the biggest myths that stall progress (especially the fear of taxes), and why multiple analyses show Medicare for All could cover everyone with no copays or deductibles for the same or less than we already pay.

This episode connects the dots between healthcare access, corporate greed, and democracy — while offering real hope: new momentum in Congress, growing coordination among advocacy organizations, and a clear message for both patients and clinicians—silence won’t change the system, but collective action can.

If you’ve ever been denied care, overwhelmed by bills, or told to “wait for approval,” this conversation is for you.