The Business of Denial: How Healthcare Became a Profit Machine | ft. Dr. Seth Glickman

Welcome back, disruptors! This week, Chuck sits down with consultant Dr. Seth Glickman, former Chief Medical Officer at Intermountain Health and Chief Health Officer for Blue Shield of California, to expose the hidden incentives and moral conflicts behind U.S. healthcare finance.

Dr. Glickman pulls back the curtain on how insurance companies and hospital systems prioritize profit over patients—and why he left the C-suite to fight for change. From prior authorizations to ghost networks, this episode helps you understand what’s really happening behind the scenes so you can become a more informed healthcare consumer.

Key Takeaways
• Inside the system: Dr. Glickman shares what it’s like to be both a physician and an executive in major healthcare organizations—and the ethical tensions that pushed him to leave.
• The hidden curriculum of hospitals and insurance: What insiders know about profit mandates and shareholder priorities that most patients and even doctors don’t.
• Prior authorizations: How a process meant to prevent fraud now delays and denies care, creates massive administrative waste and contributes to physician burnout.
• Ghost networks & access issues: Did you know that your insurance directory may be full of “phantom” providers who don’t actually take patients?
• How to fight back: Practical tips for patients to appeal denials, leverage AI tools, and work with physicians to get care approved.
• Empowering clinicians: Why physician leadership and advocacy are critical to fixing the system—and how taking action can actually reduce burnout.

Resources & Links
• Meet Seth: Dr. Seth Glickman Advisors
• Our website: DisruptiveDialogue.org
• Follow Chuck on LinkedIn |Instagram
• Learn more about prior authorization reform: KFF Health Policy Survey

Join the Conversation
If this episode opened your eyes, please like, subscribe, and share it with someone navigating the healthcare maze. Leave a comment below — what’s your biggest frustration with the insurance system?