The Dallas Morning News found that thousands of sick and disabled Texans were being denied life-sustaining drugs and treatments by the private health insurance companies hired by the state to manage their care. While these private contractors made billions of dollars from the corporate management of taxpayer-funded Medicaid, some of the most vulnerable Texans were denied critical services, equipment and treatments, often with profoundly life-altering results. As a result of the investigation the Texas legislature pledged millions of dollars to more closely regulate the system, monitor instances of denials of care, and reform the appeals process.

Read the reporting: https://interactives.dallasnews.com/2018/pain-and-profit/index.html

In this episode of the Shorenstein Center podcast, Heidi Legg talks to reporters David McSwane and Andrew Chavez about tracking down the patients and families affected, how they got to the bottom of why some of the most vulnerable patients were being denied the care they needed, and what's next with this story.

This episode is part of the Shorenstein Center's special series of interviews with the finalists for the 2019 Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Journalism. The Goldsmith Prize winner will be announced at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government on March 12, 2019.

Music provided by ExtremeMusic.com

Setti Warren, new Executive Director of the Shorenstein Center, and former mayor of Newton, MA, joined Nicco Mele to discuss local government, electoral campaigns, the importance of a robust local media, and more.

This Shorenstein Center Speaker Series event was recorded September 18, 2018, at Harvard Kennedy School.

Siva Vaidhyanathan is the Robertson Professor of Media Studies and director of the Center for Media and Citizenship at the University of Virginia. He joined Shorenstein Center director Nicco Mele to discuss his new book, "Antisocial Media: How Facebook Disconnects Us and Undermines Democracy".

This Shorenstein Center Speaker Series event was recorded September 11, 2018, at Harvard Kennedy School.

Apologies for the poor sound quality of audience questions.