Best Of: Our Health Care System Isn’t Built for You to Get Old

It’s the thing no one prepares you for: becoming a caregiver for your aging parents. This episode is one that still gets people talking. Earlier this year, the producer Vishakha Darbha spoke with the Times Opinion politics writer Michelle Cottle about the overwhelming audience response to her essay about caring for her ailing father, the political challenges of increasing available services and the burdens faced by caregivers.

This episode originally aired Feb. 3, 2026. “The Opinions” returns next week from summer break with new programming.

Here's the link to Michelle Cottle's essay: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/03/opinio...