about Decoding Health Care
We are consumers just like you! As small business owners and entrepreneurs, we understand the difficulty of navigating the medical system while protecting your finances from the impact of high medical bills. We are here to help by teaching you to reduce out-of-pocket costs, shop for estimates and lower prices, negotiate lower medical bills, and save money on healthcare expenses with or without insurance.
Decoding Health Care provides independent, nonpartisan, and educational information and does not endorse any specific partners, insurance plans or coverage, health products, or third-party resources.
History and Mission
Decoding Health Care (formerly named Decoding Health Insurance) was established in 2019 in Austin, Texas.
Our purpose is to educate consumers on various aspects of the U.S. healthcare system to help you achieve financial wellness. We want to help you avoid or reduce medical debt, which is a leading cause of personal bankruptcies in the U.S. Health care is complex, as you know, so we aim to be a useful guide to help you (and your wallet) live your best, healthiest life!
Decoding Health Care content includes our book, blog, newsletters, social media, and other resources.
Decoding Health Care Writers
Our writers are U.S.-based subject matter experts in the areas of healthcare access, policy, insurance, and patient finances.
Lauren R. Jahnke, MPAff
Lauren Jahnke, MPAff, owns LRJ Research & Consulting and is a healthcare consultant in Austin, Texas. She’s been researching and writing about healthcare policy and issues at the national, state, and city levels for over 20 years, including health insurance, healthcare reform, cost and access issues, and health disparities.
Lauren is the author of Decoding Health Insurance and the Alternatives: Options, Issues, and Tips for Saving Money.
Lauren has a bachelor’s degree in biology, a master’s degree in public affairs, and a graduate certificate in public health (all from The University of Texas).
Julie Gunstanson, Certified Medical Billing Advocate
Julie Gunstanson is a freelance digital marketer and content creator in Austin, Texas, at Artsy Digital Marketing. Her journey to being a healthcare writer and medical billing advocate began as a patient, navigating the murky waters of the U.S. healthcare system without employer-provided insurance.
The scariest part? Not the medical treatments and procedures or the physical pain, but the medical bills! That motivated her to share her experiences.
Since 2021, Julie has written and co-written blog articles and created digital marketing content for DecodingHealthCare.com and CrushMedicalDebt.com.
Julie is also a Certified Medical Billing Advocate, where she helps others eliminate high medical bills.