This NPR Planet Money Indicator podcast episode discusses the high rate of health insurance plan changes ("churn") among Americans. The high churn rate is attributed to the fragmented and complex US healthcare system, with insurance obtained through various sources like employers, marketplaces, Medicaid, and Medicare. This frequent switching leads to delays in treatment, worse health outcomes, and disincentivizes insurers from investing in long-term preventative care. The episode features an interview with Ezekiel Emanuel, an architect of Obamacare, who highlights the system's flaws and suggests solutions like automatic re-enrollment and decoupling healthcare from employment. A personal story illustrates the negative consequences of churn, detailing a West Virginia mother's 20-year struggle to get a lupus diagnosis due to insurance issues, ultimately finding relief only after foregoing insurance altogether. The episode concludes by noting that the insurance industry itself is also negatively impacted by high churn rates.
