In this episode of New Dad Order, Ray and Parfait sit down with Ardon Ballard, physician assistant, father, youth sports coach, and author of The Homemade MD, to expose what patients rarely see behind the curtain of the American healthcare system—and explain why advocating for yourself and your family may be more important than ever.With nearly two decades in medicine, Ardon has worked across athletic training, professional motorcycle racing, orthopedics, sports medicine, trauma, urgent care, and spine surgery. His unconventional journey gives him a unique perspective on healthcare from both sides of the examination room.During COVID, after treating thousands of patients in urgent care, Ardon became increasingly frustrated by how little the average person understands about healthcare, medical bills, insurance coverage, doctors, and patient rights. That frustration helped inspire The Homemade MD, a practical guide designed to help everyday people better understand how to navigate healthcare and advocate for themselves.The conversation dives deep into the business behind modern healthcare, including health insurance denials, medical costs, hospital systems, physician burnout, primary care, concierge medicine, and the importance of asking your doctor better questions. Ardon reveals what can happen behind the scenes when medical providers fight insurance companies to get MRIs, surgeries, and treatments approved.Then the conversation turns toward one of the biggest disruptions coming to medicine: artificial intelligence.Can ChatGPT, Claude, Google, and AI healthcare tools help patients research symptoms, understand medical information, and prepare better questions before seeing a doctor? Ardon explains why informed patients don't have to be a doctor's enemy—and why AI could become an incredibly powerful tool when used responsibly.And because this is New Dad Order, there's another layer to the conversation: fatherhood. Becoming a dad changed the way Ardon communicates, practices empathy, approaches patients, and thinks about his responsibility to others.This isn't just a conversation about medicine.It's about learning how to ask better questions before the health of someone you love depends on the answer.Get Arden's Book here: https://www.amazon.com/Homemade-do-yourself-navigating-healthcare/dp/B0CXK92MQ7/ref=sr_1_1?crid=GP2S6YYX1PBT&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.vk5uATpVOVkopDK1UwYtfZG0ivOpsDZT6vGcBRG3F7o3tu9DXKvXsPDLu9luGqi0Gc1dbT0A8g3SKYJ0-Ad5xDE8xSDvQM-cy_liQcADXE7UJReVlZQHtxC8GqREIviJF-m2yn0oAF5mm_5VUJ10Cg.Br_s6cRH4v4x5EXR40qkJVqTlBygvN93hcX0rqhQHLQ&dib_tag=se&keywords=homemade+md&qid=1787033722&sprefix=homemade+md%2Caps%2C221&sr=8-1Contact Arden on Instagram- @TheArdenB ✦ Sponsored ByBurns Estate Planning & Wealth AdvisorsPresident & CEO: Ernie M. Burns, Jr.Master Certified Estate Planner (MCEP®)Forbes Top Financial Security Professional in Louisiana (2022 & 2023)Author of Total Retirement: A Step-By-Step Educational GuideHost of Total Retirement with Ernie Burns🌐 Website: https://burnsestateplanning.com📧 Email: marketing@burnsestateplanning.com✦ Business Inquiries📧 rbelvin91@gmail.com✦ Podcast HostsJerrard Parfait📧 jmparfait@gmail.com📱 Instagram: @itsparfaitRay Belvin📧 rbelvin91@gmail.com✦ Partners & Discounts💤 Sleep & RecoveryMelatonin-Free Sleep SupportPromo Code: NDOZZZ🔗 https://thirdzy.com/⚡ Energy BoostDubby Energy — Discount Applied Automatically🔗 https://www.dubby.gg/discount/NEWDADORDER?ref=fhfcqotb✦ New Dad Order — Official Links📸 Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/newdadorderpodcast1🎧 Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/4Zi2b2lmVbAr1m8mhHhjOK🎵 TikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@newdadorder🍎 Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-dad-order/id1849310124🎙️ Amazon Musichttps://music.amazon.com/podcasts/ba418c03-7313-46c7-ae75-8dc55122a082/new-dad-order✦ Keywords / Hashtags#Fatherhood #ModernFatherhood #DadLife #NewDadOrder

Every man has certain things in life that should be non-negotiable—but have you ever actually stopped and identified yours?In Episode 66 of the New Dad Order Podcast, Ray and Parfait break down the personal standards and routines they refuse to compromise on as husbands, fathers, friends, and men of faith.For Ray, it starts with putting God first, protecting and respecting his wife, and understanding when to push his children—and when to let them choose how badly they want something.For Parfait, the list includes attending church with his family, doing something hard every day, prioritizing his health, refusing to go to bed angry with his wife or son, and intentionally staying connected with longtime friends.The conversation goes beyond routines. It's about recognizing the pillars that keep your life grounded when work gets stressful, parenting gets difficult, schedules get busy, and life doesn't go according to plan.They also introduce "One Minute With God for Men," a short devotional moment focused on finding God in the middle of difficult circumstances.And because it's Ray and Parfait, somehow the conversation eventually gets to coffee, Spider-Man, Star Wars, Batman, professional wrestling, artificial turf, and whether Empire Strikes Back is really the greatest Star Wars movie.What are YOUR non-negotiables?Drop them in the comments.Subscribe to the New Dad Order Podcast for conversations about fatherhood, faith, marriage, youth sports, discipline, leadership, and becoming better men for the people who depend on us.✦ Sponsored ByBurns Estate Planning & Wealth AdvisorsPresident & CEO: Ernie M. Burns, Jr.Master Certified Estate Planner (MCEP®)Forbes Top Financial Security Professional in Louisiana (2022 & 2023)Author of Total Retirement: A Step-By-Step Educational GuideHost of Total Retirement with Ernie Burns🌐 Website: https://burnsestateplanning.com📧 Email: marketing@burnsestateplanning.com✦ Business Inquiries📧 rbelvin91@gmail.com✦ Podcast HostsJerrard Parfait📧 jmparfait@gmail.com📱 Instagram: @itsparfaitRay Belvin📧 rbelvin91@gmail.com✦ Partners & Discounts💤 Sleep & RecoveryMelatonin-Free Sleep SupportPromo Code: NDOZZZ🔗 https://thirdzy.com/⚡ Energy BoostDubby Energy — Discount Applied Automatically🔗 https://www.dubby.gg/discount/NEWDADORDER?ref=fhfcqotb✦ New Dad Order — Official Links📸 Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/newdadorderpodcast1🎧 Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/4Zi2b2lmVbAr1m8mhHhjOK🎵 TikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@newdadorder🍎 Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-dad-order/id1849310124🎙️ Amazon Musichttps://music.amazon.com/podcasts/ba418c03-7313-46c7-ae75-8dc55122a082/new-dad-order✦ Keywords / Hashtags#Fatherhood #ModernFatherhood #DadLife #NewDadOrder