U.S. Senate Candidate Dan Osborn on Healthcare, Therapy, and the Senate

Fixing healthcare is simple—more people need preventative care earlier. But as independent U.S. Senate candidate Dan Osborn explains, a "rigged" system currently rewards chronic sickness over wellness. While our common-sense bills collect dust, monopolies drive up costs and limit patient choice. Dan Osborn joins us to pull back the curtain on Washington’s "pay-to-play" culture and share his vision for a healthcare system that actually works "by and for the people". 👍 Earn 1 hour of AOTA-approved occupational therapy continuing education after watching this course: https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-c... Episode Description: Why do common-sense therapy bills—like those for permanent telehealth access and mental health recognition—collect dust in the Senate while healthcare costs skyrocket and outcomes stagnate? The answer often lies in a "scam" of campaign finance and the rise of vertically integrated monopolies that prioritize profit over wellness. In this critical episode, we are joined by Dan Osborn, an independent U.S. Senate candidate from Nebraska, to discuss the structural failures of modern healthcare. Dan pulls back the curtain on the "pay-to-play" world of Washington and the dangerous privatization trends threatening high-quality systems like the Veterans Affairs (VA). We also explore how therapists can leverage their problem-solving skills to run for public office and how we can collectively advocate for a future where independent practices and preventative care are the standard. 🎧 Topics Covered: • The Campaign Finance "Scam": Understanding how unlimited corporate spending through Citizens United shapes healthcare legislation. • Vertical Integration & Middlemen: How consolidated insurance and hospital monopolies drive up prices while limiting patient choice. • The Choice to Cut Medicaid: Addressing why safety nets are gutted while corporations post record revenues. • Privatization of the VA: Why the "attack on the institution" by Wall Street threatens the holistic, team-based care veterans rely on. • Therapy’s "Dusty" Bills: Strategies for advancing stagnant legislation regarding telehealth, loan caps, and mental health provider status. • AI Guardrails: Balancing technical advancement with consumer protection against unregulated "AI therapists". • Therapists in Public Office: Advice for healthcare workers ready to jump into "cold water" and solve problems for their communities. • Unrigging the System: A 10-year vision for Nebraska healthcare centered on independence and site neutrality. 🎙 Guest: • Dan Osborn – Independent Candidate for U.S. Senate (Nebraska), Veteran, and Union Leader. • Sarah Lyon, OTR/L – Host and Founder of OT Potential 📅 Episode No. 139 | Release Date: May 8, 2026 🎉 Earn CEU Credit Join the OT Potential Club to take a quiz and earn 1 hour of AOTA-approved occupational therapy continuing education: https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-c... Website & Social: • Episode page: https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-c... • Podcast page: https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-c... • Support the show by using the "OTPotential" Medbridge Code: https://otpotential.com/blog/promo-co... • Try 2 free OT Potential courses here: https://otpotential.com/free-ot-ceus Timestamps: 00:00 – The structural failures of modern healthcare 03:26 – Welcome Dan Osborn 05:44 – Giving a voice to the voiceless in a "country club of millionaires" 08:01 – Citizens United and the "scam" of campaign finance 12:00 – Vertical integration and the rise of administrative middlemen 16:24 – The choice to cut Medicaid while corporations post record profits 19:23 – Why the VA is under attack from privatization and Wall Street 26:32 – Therapy’s "Common Sense" bills: Telehealth, mental health access, and federal loan caps 30:45 – Leveraging stories and influencers to move the needle in the Senate 34:40 – AI guardrails and the dangers of the unregulated "AI therapist" 40:48 – Diving into the cold water: Why therapists should run for office 45:42 – Facing the public arena: Problem-solving for the common good 48:40 – A 10-year vision for Nebraska: Independent offices and preventative care 51:28 – Unrigging the system: Restoring faith in government "by and for the people" #OccupationalTherapy #HealthcarePolicy #Advocacy #USelections #VeteransHealth #OTPotential #HealthcareReform #DanOsborn