Big Questions with Cal Fussman

Cal gets furious when he reads about predatory medical billing in The Price We Pay, What Broke American Health Care and How To Fix It. So he reaches out to the author – a surgeon at the Johns Hopkins hospital and television commentator -- for tips on how a patient should respond when she or he is the victim of outlandish charges. A conversation for everyone who needs healthcare – which means everybody.

What if you didn't have to drive around packed parking lots looking for a space at hospitals because you were dropped off by a vehicle dispatched by Uber Health? And what if the cost of that trip was seamlessly woven into your insurance plan or through your healthcare provider? Well, your car may be waiting. Uber Health's Caitlin Donovan has a Big Answer for Big Questions.

One day Joe's 14-year-old son Andrew was winning a state soccer tournament. Couple of days later, doctors told Joe that his son had cancer and less than a day to live. That's the beginning of an amazing story. The story of the B+ Foundation – the largest provider of financial assistance to families of kids with cancer in the United States. If you'd like to be uplifted in these unsettling times, listen to the conversation between Joe and Cal.

After a dizzying few weeks of watching images of Vladimir Putin's invasion of the Ukraine and pondering the possibilities of a nuclear war, Cal senses it's time to step back and get perspective. He reaches out to Juliet Funt, author of the book A Minute To Think, for advice on getting the most out of himself during this crazy time. "Funt's wisdom around making space is priceless," says marketing guru Seth Godin. Cal embraces Funt's business tools to get the most out of his days. They will create great outcomes for you, as well. Guaranteed.

Cal does the podcast he wishes he never had to do: Advice on surviving a nuclear attack. Hopefully, this scenario will never occur. But there have been a great deal of surprises throughout Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and it's wise to take a few moments to think about the unthinkable. This podcast looks at selecting a shelter, at supplies to store, and it offers tips like not going out in the rain for days afterward to avoid radiation that might fall on your head – even if you're hundreds of miles from the blast. And if you're showering to wash away nuclear debris, it's okay to use soap and shampoo – but not hair conditioner. Conditioner will bond radiation particles to your hair. Not a pleasant topic. But you'll be better off for listening.

Cal looks at the invasion of The Ukraine through the question that he's been focusing on in healthcare: How can we eliminate the problem before it happens? As it turns out, there may have been a way to avoid the carnage almost 20 years ago with some innovative thinking that could've put the The Ukraine in a very different place. We'll never know. But Cal throws out an example of using the question and some innovative thinking to eliminate our problems in all aspects of life before they happen.

Discover how Olipop beverages are revolutionizing the soda industry by offering a healthier, plant-based alternative. Explore the journey of the company's co-founder and CEO and their mission to improve human health. Learn about the basics of kombucha fermentation and the benefits of authentic celebrity partnerships. This podcast highlights the impact of individual choices and innovative products on our lives.

The United States is one million nurses short and you don't want to begin appreciating nurses only when you don't have one when you need one. Cal talks with Lori Armstrong, who runs Inspire Nurse Leaders, about the nursing shortage that's been exacerbated by departures during two years of relentless pressure on the front lines of healthcare. Lori is trying to solve the problem at an advanced level. But we can all do something. If you know a nurse, find a small way to make her or his day a little better. Just a little attention might reduce a lot of tension as we think about how to solve the problem.

The release of Carl's memoir, Chasing History, seems like the ideal time to ask the renowned Washington Post reporter and now CNN commentator about the health of our democracy over the last 60 years. Bernstein's book looks at the start of his career from 1960-1965, when he began as a freckled copy boy, before his reporting with Bob Woodward of the Watergate break-in and its subsequent cover-up forced President Nixon to resign. The conversation spans from Martin Luther King Jr's I Have A Dream speech at The Lincoln Memorial to the mob storming of The Capitol on January 6, 2021. It leaves Cal and the rest of us wondering about the future.

While speaking at a retreat for a group of investors, Cal asks about a basic educational guide to the stock market and saving money to make sure that any health care needs at the end of life can easily be met. He's turned on to The Personal Finance Club course and Jeremy Schneider. Which leads to this conversation. Anyone looking for a clear and time-tested way to save a nest egg will be happy they tuned into this week's podcast.