About the Series

Former HHS data analyst turned independent researcher. Marcus spent eight years inside the federal healthcare data infrastructure, working directly with T-MSIS claims data and provider enrollment systems.

He reads Medicaid data the way most people read spreadsheets — spotting patterns in billing volumes, identifying anomalous provider behavior, and building network models that reveal the hidden structure of the system. For Follow the Billions, Marcus processed 227 million records spanning 2018 to 2024, building the analytical foundation for every episode.

His specialties include claims analysis, provider network modeling, and spending concentration metrics. He believes that public data should tell public stories.

Healthcare policy reporter with over a decade covering Medicaid, Medicare, and the intersection of public health and private profit. Sarah has reported from state capitols, congressional hearings, and community health centers across the country.

She asks the questions that make bureaucrats uncomfortable and turns data into stories people understand. For Follow the Billions, Sarah translates Marcus's quantitative findings into narrative journalism — connecting spending patterns to real policy decisions and real human consequences.

Her reporting has focused on provider consolidation, Medicaid managed care, the growing role of private equity in healthcare, and the impact of the Public Health Emergency unwinding on vulnerable populations.