Big Bucks, No Whammies: Patient Access Was Never the Finish Line

Health Policy Aug 31, 2026• By STEPHEN FARBER If you grew up in the 1980s, you probably remember Press Your Luck. Contestants stood in front of a flashing game board chanting, “Big bucks… no Whammies… STOP!” hoping the next square held cash instead of the mischievous cartoon character that erased everything they had won.For years, assembling your own medical history felt remarkably similar.You knew you had been treated at one hospital years ago, had imaging performed somewhere else, saw specialists who later retired, and changed insurance more than once along the way. One patient portal showed part of the story. Another required a password you hadn’t used in years. A medical records department offered to mail you a PDF after you completed a release form. Somewhere there was still a CD that no computer in your house could read. None of this meant your information had disappeared. It simply meant that putting it together depended almost as much on persistence as process. That has always been one of healthcare’s great ironies. The industry became exceptionally good at documenting encounters. Every office visit, laboratory result, prescription, imaging study, discharge summary, and ins...