Welcome to the introductory episode of Disruptive Dialogue, the show that pulls back the curtain on America’s broken healthcare system. Your host, Chuck Melendi, spent 35 years in the industry — including 25 with Johnson & Johnson — and he’s seen enough to know: Americans are being ripped off.
Here’s the harsh reality:
• The U.S. ranks dead last in healthcare performance among 10 developed nations.
• In 2023, we spent nearly $5 trillion on healthcare — that’s over $14,500 per person.
• Rising healthcare costs are crushing our economy, becoming the second-largest expense for U.S. employers after wages — shrinking worker paychecks and making American businesses less competitive.
So where’s all that money going?
Chuck follows the money trail — and it leads straight to the middlemen: insurers, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), and drug wholesalers. Just eight Wall Street-driven companies now control over $2 trillion annually in our healthcare system. They were never supposed to have this much power, and Chuck is here to explain how they got it — and what it’s costing us.
This podcast doesn’t just diagnose the problem — it’s a call to action. Chuck shares:
• Insights from industry whistleblowers and healthcare insiders
• Providers and patients impacted by the system
• Resources to contact your lawmakers and fight for change
• A growing community where you can share your story and get involved
Chuck utilizes trusted sources like the Wall Street Journal, Kaiser Family Foundation, Avalere, and industry experts like Wendell Potter, Adam Fein, Antonio Ciaccia, and more.
💥 This is not your average healthcare talk. It’s Disruptive Dialogue — passionate, fact-driven, and unapologetically honest.
🎙 Get informed. Get involved. Let’s fix this — together.
👉 Visit DisruptiveDialogue.org and join the movement. Here you find resources and podcast notes and connect with Chuck directly for speaking engagements and to share your story.
Remember to subscribe, comment, review, and share this podcast!
_____________________________________________________
Want the slides from today’s episode? Visit https://www.disruptivedialogue.org/get-involved
Subscribe for our upcoming newsletters! Visit https://www.disruptivedialogue.org/
Looking for our socials?
Instagram: @disruptive.dialogue
Facebook: @disruptivedialoguepodcast
LinkedIn: @chuckmelendi
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com