In this episode of wRight To The Root, Stephanie Wright is joined by Candace, a Johannesburg-based access advisor with Doctors Without Borders (MSF), to unpack the global insulin access crisis and why a medication that has existed for over 100 years is still priced, patented, and distributed like a luxury. Candace shares how growing up in Alexandra, a historically marginalized township shaped by apartheid, fueled her commitment to structural change, not charity.

Together, we dig into what keeps insulin and diabetes medicines out of reach, including patent systems that protect monopolies, supply decisions that can trigger shortages, and a market that increasingly prioritizes high-profit GLP-1 drugs while basic diabetes care gets squeezed. We also talk about the real path forward, from policy reform and competition enforcement, to local and regional manufacturing, to grassroots organizing and treatment literacy so patients and communities can advocate with power and clarity.

If you have ever wondered why life-saving medicine can be marketed like candy and rationed like gold, this conversation is for you.

Listen, share, and take action, because patients united are harder to ignore.

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.

Note on this episode’s audio: This conversation was recorded in October 2025 in Reykjavík. Due to a camera malfunction, we were only able to recover the audio—and it was saved on a note-taking device, so it’s not studio-quality. That said, I’m genuinely pleased with how it turned out, and I’m excited to share it with you.

In this Reykjavík sit-down, Stephanie Wright visits withBrynja Björk, an Icelandic dentist who graduated from the University of Iceland and then practiced in Sweden for 11 years—giving her a rare, inside view of how dentistry works across two Nordic systems.

Together, we dig into what happens when healthcare is treated as a public good (with rules, guardrails, and faster payments) versus a profit engine (with denials, delays, and debt). We talk access, affordability, workforce shortages, and what the U.S. could learn—without pretending any system is perfect.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why Brynja became a dentist (and how dental anxiety shaped her mission)

• Dentist shortages and what it means when patients wait months for an appointment

• How licensing can be surprisingly portable across Nordic countries

• The U.S. reality: $300k–$500k+ dental school debt and the barriers for foreign-trained dentists

• Iceland’s “hybrid” coverage: kids covered, support for seniors, and what limitations look like

• Reimbursements that arrive in days, not months—and denials you can actually respond to

• Continuing education requirements and the stakes of losing government contracts

• A big surprise for Americans: Iceland doesn’t train hygienists, so dentists do the hygiene

• Sweden’s tiered reimbursement approach: the people who need the most get the most

• Fluoride, misinformation, and why policy + prevention beats fear

If you’ve ever wondered what a more functional, prevention-forward system could look like—this is a powerful place to start.

🎧 Listen in, then share this episode with someone who still thinks “insurance” equals “care.”

In the Season 2 opener of Right to the Root, we dive headfirst into the complex world of antitrust laws and their surprising impact on dentistry.

Join us as we unravel the intricacies of these laws with our special guest, Jake Szymanski—a unique professional who bridges the gap as both a licensed dentist and a healthcare attorney.

We’re back for Season 2 of wRight To The Root — and we’re kicking things off with a term most of us have heard, but few can actually explain: antitrust laws.

On this episode, host Stephanie Wright sits down with Jake, a licensed dentist turned healthcare attorney, to demystify one of the most misunderstood forces shaping our care: antitrust law. Together, they unpack how rules that are supposed to prevent monopolies and protect fair competition actually play out in healthcare—touching everything from hospital mergers and health systems that own their own insurance plans, to Delta Dental, auto-adjudication, and whether insurers are effectively “practicing medicine” without a license.

Using real-world examples, including the Ticketmaster and Taylor Swift saga as a surprising contrast, Stephanie and Jake explore why healthcare often seems insulated from antitrust enforcement, how consolidation and opaque pricing limit patient choice, and what risks doctors face if they try to push back collectively.

If you’ve ever wondered why your options feel so limited, your bills so confusing, and your insurance so powerful, this conversation pulls back the curtain on the antitrust rules—and loopholes—shaping accessibility, affordability, and the future of care in America.

Have questions, stories, or thoughts on antitrust in healthcare? Drop your comments and questions—we’ll be bringing Jake back for a follow-up episode.

Dr. Paul Henny is back for another episode, and in this one we're discussing some of the challenges modern dentists face: high overhead, pressure from insurance, and how school debt can make prioritizing profits over patients unfortunately tempting for many.

We also dig into something often overlooked in dental care: the psychological aspects of patient behavior, and how lacking understanding of how people work can really only lead to significant frustration for practitioners.

Want more dental podcast action? Be sure to subscribe, and check out my website for sneak peeks of future episodes:

http://www.stephaniewright.com/wright-to-the-root/

If you want to stay connected, check out my Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/stephanieIAS

Pretty much every American has had at least one negative run-in with their medical or dental insurance, but it wasn't always like this. In this episode, I'm joined by Dr. Paul Henny, a fee-for-service dentist who transitioned away from accepting dental insurance and all its limitations.

We talk a bit about how insurance companies transitioned from focusing on patient care to financial gain and some of the sneaky tactics they use. Dr. Henny also shares what it was like to move from accepting insurance to going fully fee-for-service and why he chose to make the change. Plus, in this episode we discuss the overall increasing corporatization of both medical and dental services, and how practitioners can shift to a more patient-centered approach.

Want more dental podcast action? Be sure to subscribe, and check out my website for sneak peeks of future episodes:

http://www.stephaniewright.com/wright-to-the-root/

If you want to stay connected, check out my Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/stephanieIAS

¿Dónde está la dentista? This episode with Dr. Raúl Pascual—a dentist with his own clinic in Sevilla, Spain—is a real treat. If you've ever wondered how different dental schooling is abroad, Spain is an interesting example. From the length and topics of their schooling to the price (unsurprisingly lower than the US!), how different countries treat potential future dental professionals could have a large impact on the availability of those services in the future.

But the differences (and similarities) between dentistry in our countries goes a step further. We also discuss challenges in private versus public dental care, the impact of lacking business education on dental practices, and the general public's view on the importance of preventive dental care.

Want more dental podcast action? Be sure to subscribe, and check out my website for sneak peeks of future episodes:

http://www.stephaniewright.com/wright-to-the-root/

If you want to stay connected, check out my Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/stephanieIAS

We're back in this episode with part 2 of my conversation with Dr. Susan Maples! In this episode we're digging a little deeper into some of the topics we covered in the previous episode, plus exploring a couple new ones.

Join us as we talk about what truly motivates insurance companies and the ways it prevents them from truly caring for their patients. We also talk a little bit about insurance fraud and why some dental practices find themselves tempted to wheedle their way around their contracts and low reimbursements rates.

We dive a LOT deeper into why it's so important to get a comprehensive view of a person's dental health and how it correlates to other areas, from mouth bacteria levels to the results of a sleep study. Susan also shares how that full-body view allows for dental and medical professionals to better determine and advocate for the kinds of prevention a patient may need.

For practitioners, deciding to stop taking insurance is understandably a scary prospect. If you take one thing away from this episode, I hope it's that for dental/medical professionals like Susan who have the right setup to take the plunge, the risk can be worth it.

Want more dental podcast action? Be sure to subscribe, and check out my website for sneak peeks of future episodes:

http://www.stephaniewright.com/wright-to-the-root/

If you want to stay connected, check out my Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/stephanieIAS