50 years of health-care fights, a history lesson

Hey, first! If you value what we do, this is the best-ever time to support our work. Seriously: In November, any gift you make is matched 2-to-1: You give us $50, we get $150. It’s awesome! Donate right here. Thanks! This wild history lesson couldn’t be more timely. As we publish — two days after the 2026 midterms — candidates pushing “Medicare for All” won Senate races in swing states. Health care is in the political conversation. So, here’s a story to think about: Once upon a time — 20 years ago, when people already thought of U.S. politics as hopelessly polarized — a Democrat and a Republican worked together to overhaul the Massachusetts health care system and create the blueprint for the Affordable Care Act. Audio journalist Ian Coss looked at that story — and put it in the context of almost 50 years of political battles over health care: From the Watergate era to Obamacare. His new series, “Mitt and Ted, a healthcare story,” chronicles the unlikely partnership between Republican Mitt Romney (then the governor of Massachusetts) and a Democratic stalwart, Senator Ted Kennedy, as they pushed through the Massachusetts overhaul. But the series isn’t a gauzy celebration of bipartisanship. It digs deep into why, over decades, national efforts to fix our broken health care system have gotten smashed by partisanship and vested interests. And as it makes clear: Lofty ideals were not what made Mitt and Ted’s collaboration fruitful. As the U.S. looks ahead to future elections and future debates over health care, the story couldn’t be more timely. Ian sat down to talk with us about “Mitt and Ted” — season four of his series “The Big Dig” from GBH News — and how the stories he uncovered can help us think about what’s next. You can listen to “The Big Dig: Mitt & Ted, a healthcare story” wherever you get podcasts, or on GBH. Here's a transcript of this episode. Send your stories and questions. Or call 724 ARM-N-LEG. Support the show: https://armandalegshow.com/support/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.