Reporting at Second Opinion, @hntrbrkmedia. Previously: POLITICO, Fast Company.
New York, USA
Joined January 2011
- Tweets1.7K
- Following1.7K
- Followers7.7K
- Likes5.5K
Pinned Tweet
Good morning, I wrote something exceedingly personal for @nytimes on the scam that is romance
nytimes.com/2019/03/22/style…
NEW: compliance lawyers say CMS is flagging certain direct-to-Medicare companies and suspending payments. Read my deep dive on what's going on
🚨Direct to Medicare companies are facing increased attention and scrutiny from CMS if the codes aren't being used in the way they're intended.
Compliance is everything.
Read the full analysis from @RuthReader.
secondopinion.media/why-cms-…
Ruth retweeted
Exclusive: A Slack managed by The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has served as an extraordinary war room for AI execs & Trump officials to launch a rapid campaign aimed at persuading Americans to manage their health and medical records on apps.
Ruth retweeted
My colleague @RuthReader is doing a new health-tech advice column for @second_op_media.
If you have a question, and it can be totally anonymous, please let her know! And it's our job to find the best possible person to answer it. We'll publish both.
Ruth retweeted
Ethos ($LIFE) claims to sell life insurance in minutes online.
Behind the website, Hunterbrook found multilevel marketing agencies, pressure to spend recruits’ last $500, and agents with disciplinary records.
Here’s how the business works.
Ruth retweeted
Interesting new polling from KFF here that suggests majority of rural voters recognize Trump's drug pricing policies are a failure. kff.org/public-opini...
Ruth retweeted
"Why don't you just start by saying you're sorry?"
That's what the president of Ethos's ($LIFE) biggest distributor by agent count said to an Ethos rep on a public stage last week, after ranking Ethos last among his insurance partners.
Ruth retweeted
This is one of the scariest unexplored trends in healthcare. I pull back the curtain. Good for business. New traps for patients. @KFFHealthNews @CBSNews kffhealthnews.org/news/verti…
Ruth retweeted
New exclusive: In his 25 years as an OBGYN, Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas repeatedly sued patients for outstanding medical debt. At least 81 were arrested during their court proceedings. Some had debt from c-sections; others from miscarriages.
Ruth retweeted
Look what’s live!
The website for our health/AI summit “SOS.” We are sold out, but will do it again.
- None of the panelists can talk about the thing they sell
- The sessions are tactical vs high level
- We have 2 married couples on the same panel
secondopinion.media/sos-summ…
Ruth retweeted
Scoop with @taylorgiorno_ : WH is considering Rep. Buddy Carter as a dark horse candidate for FDA commissioner. The Georgia Republican, who lost the GOP primary for Ossoff's Senate seat, is a pharmacist and reliable Trump/RFK ally. notus.org/health-science/bud…
These kinds of debates are such a distraction. Feminism is about equality. Who cares about your plastic surgery. Women are still not paid the same as men and we're wasting word count on whether or not it's okay to look pretty. nytimes.com/2026/08/12/opini…
Ruth retweeted
Our latest scoop for premium subs: Another major departure for Epic. This is reminding me of the TV show “succession.”
Link in comments.
Ruth retweeted
Read @RuthReader's latest expose - with documents - about the extortionist who's getting settlements from digital health companies by taking advantage of an arcane California privacy law. New on @second_op_media!
Ruth retweeted
Is California becoming a very unfriendly state for telehealth?
We spoke to investors and legal experts about California targeting the friendly PC model with the Carbon Health settlement. This is concerning for any virtual care delivery business, and we shared some next steps for companies to consider.
Big question for VCs: How do you underwrite this level of risk if MSOs have such little leverage over the PC?
Our breakdown is available to Second Opinion Media subscribers. We are watching this closely as it unfolds.
With @RuthReader .
secondopinion.media/p/califo…
Ruth retweeted
Big news: Hunterbrook Media is acquiring The Bear Cave, one of the most influential investigative newsletters in finance.
Over the last six years, @StockJabber has produced a remarkable amount of truth-to-power reporting — and he's done it as a one-man shop.
But in the golden age of grift and graft, more stories need to be written; wrongdoing needs to be exposed, and digging needs to be done. That’s why we’re partnering.
It’s a good day to subscribe to @BearCaveEmail — and a bad day for bad actors, wherever they may hide.
Ruth retweeted
NEW: Ensign ($ENSG) is a $10 billion skilled nursing facility roll-up that markets 5-star ratings and "industry-leading" outcomes.
The numbers are a mirage. Behind them is understaffing, which experts told Hunterbrook may be illegal under both federal and state law.
There is nuance here! Single people are disproportionately affected, while families can benefit from these policies.
I don't understand why there can't be different policies for different circumstances.
Home alone. Remote work can adversely influence mental health. A new study @ScienceMagazine
science.org/doi/10.1126/scie…
science.org/doi/10.1126/scie…
When do you do your catch up reading? Saturday? Sunday?
Would you rather get a free news digest & analysis -- "This Week in Health-Tech" -- from Second Opinion to your email on:
(sign up at secondopinion.media to get it)
@RuthReader
17%Saturday
83%Sunday
6 votes • Final results Ruth retweeted
So much for the protein craze
gift link, by @SophieEganM @NYTHealth
nytimes.com/2026/05/28/well/…
and reviewed here erictopol.substack.com/p/our…
