Code WACK!: Recent Episodes
HEAL California
Code WACK! shines a light on our callous healthcare system and what we can do about it. It reveals the healthcare hassles that - far from being just annoying - threaten our peace of mind, our financial security and at times, our very lives. Join us each week as we chat about the challenges that patients and healthcare providers face, amplifying their voices and examining a range of possible solutions, including Medicare for All. Powered by HEAL California, a project of the California OneCare Education Fund, Code WACK! informs the vital discussion of healthcare reform.
This time on Code WACK!
We're talking about one of the most frustrating experiences in American healthcare - when your insurance company says 'no.' According to Miranda Yaver, an assistant professor of health policy and management at the University of Pittsburgh, insurance denials aren't rare. They're a routine part of navigating our healthcare system.
In her new book, Coverage Denied: How Health Insurers Drive Inequality in the United States, Miranda Yaver explores what happens when patients undergoing treatment find themselves trapped between their doctors and their insurance companies.
This is the first of two episodes with Miranda Yaver.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more! And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation.
This time on Code WACK!
California has debated a single-payer healthcare system for decades, but a new UCLA report commissioned by the California Health and Human Services Agency under Senate Bill 770 could reshape the conversation. In this episode, Michael Lighty, president of Healthy California Now, explains how the report moves the debate from cost to equity.
This is the second of two episodes with Michael Lighty.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation.
This time on Code WACK! The upcoming governor's race could shape the future of health care for nearly 40 million Californians. With former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra facing Republican Steve Hilton, the election is raising critical questions about whether California will move closer to a single-payer healthcare system—or further away.
Michael Lighty, president of Healthy California Now, joins us to break down what the primary results mean, where the candidates stand on healthcare reform, and what's at stake for the future of universal healthcare in California.
This is the first of two episodes with Michael Lighty.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation at heal-ca.org/donate.
This time on Code WACK!
For many Americans getting the right medical care isn't just about what their doctors recommend, it's also about what their insurance company is willing to cover. So what happens when those two don't agree? And why can it be so difficult for patients to fight back?
Attorney Lisa Kantor of Kantor & Kantor, LLP has spent more than two decades helping patients challenge health insurance denials. Her cases have ranged from eating disorders to life-threatening cancers, giving her a firsthand look at how insurers make coverage decisions and the consequences when they favor profits over patients. This is the second episode in a two-part series.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation at heal-ca.org/donate.
This time on Code WACK!
In the United States, as many as 30 million people are affected by eating disorders, including many children and adolescents, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions that affect both mental and physical health.
How well does our corporate healthcare system respond to illnesses as complex as eating disorders? What happens when an insurance company decides treatment is costing too much, and pressures a patient to go home? Can your insurer really cut off coverage? And what if that decision turns out to be not just wrong, but catastrophic?
In "When Insurance Cuts Eating Disorder Care Too Soon," host Brenda Gazzar speaks with Lisa Kantor, Founding Partner of Kantor & Kantor, LLP, about what can happen when insurers end coverage before a patient is medically ready to leave treatment.
This is part one of a two-part episode.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation at heal-ca.org/donate.
THIS TIME ON CODE WACK! Is it really normal that the health insurance we pay for often doesn't fully protect us? It may be 'normal' but is it right? Millions of Americans face soaring healthcare costs, coverage denials, medical debt, job lock, and even hospital closures. Have we simply come to accept these realities as part of life?
Retired pediatrician and healthcare reform advocate Dr. Ana Malinow says they don't have to be.
After three decades caring for immigrant, refugee, and underserved children, Dr. Malinow believes America is at a pivotal moment to rethink its healthcare system. As America marks 250 years of independence, she's helping lead a campaign calling for a "Declaration of Independence from the U.S. Medical-Industrial Complex" and a national single-payer healthcare system.
Dr. Malinow is the former president of Physicians for a National Health Program and currently serves on the steering committee of National Single Payer.
This is Part 2 of a two-part episode.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation at heal-ca.org/donate.
This time on Code WACK!
America's healthcare system doesn't only hurt us in big ways - like forcing us to choose between getting expensive medical treatments or living sick. Or having to choose the 'least worst,' but always very expensive health insurance policy. It also hurts us in small ways, forcing us to compromise to save a few bucks, to make a thousand little choices that can cost us our quality of life.
As we approach the 4th of July, we're talking with Dr. Ana Malinow, a retired pediatrician. She's helping lead a campaign for a new Declaration of Independence … from the 'US Medical-Industrial Complex.' Dr. Malinow spent three decades working as a pediatrician with immigrant refugees and underserved children. She's past president of Physicians for a National Health Program and is currently on the steering committee of National Single Payer. This is part one of a two-part episode.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation at heal-ca.org/donate.
This time on Code WACK!
Imagine being cut off from Mom - a nursing home resident - for months. You can't bring her favorite foods, or help dress her, hug her, or even hold her hand.
For thousands of families during the COVID-19 pandemic, this became a heartbreaking reality. And without new laws, advocates say, it could very well happen again.
That's why they are fighting to ensure our loved ones are never again separated from those they depend on most in nursing homes and other long-term care settings
Today we're speaking with Tony Chicotel, senior staff attorney with California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, or CANHR. For decades, Tony has fought to protect the rights of nursing home residents. And he says the isolation and neglect that families experienced during COVID was one of the most painful chapters of his career.
This is part two of a two-part series on the Essential Caregiver's Act.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation at heal-ca.org/donate.
This time on Code WACK!
What role do family members and friends play in the lives of nursing home residents? When COVID hit, how were residents impacted when their loved ones were no longer allowed to visit them?
Today, we share the story of Melody Taylor Stark, who became an advocate for the Essential Caregivers Act after her husband, a retired dentist and nursing home resident, dramatically declined, then died, after being denied her daily visits during the dark days of COVID.
Melody is a founding member of Essential Caregivers Coalition, a member of Caregivers for Compromise, and San Gabriel Valley Disability Collaborative, and Facebook co-administrator for Aging Enlightened, a group that was begun by a prominent reporter for Kaiser Health News. She works diligently to advance positive system changes in disability rights and long-term care.
This is part one of a two-part series on the Essential Caregiver's Act.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation at heal-ca.org/donate.
This time on Code WACK!
What happens when we get too sick to work in a healthcare system that is tied to our jobs? What is the ultimate cost?
The story of New York Health Act advocate Mariana Pineda is a case in point. After developing Long COVID, Mariana spent years navigating the same fragmented healthcare system she was fighting to change. She lost her job. She lost her health insurance. She lost her home. And earlier this year, in March, 2026, she lost her life. Mariana was just 46 years old.
This is part two of a two-part series featuring tri-chair of the New York State Poor People's Campaign Susan Karbiner and LGBTQ and healthcare justice advocate Carly Paris.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation at heal-ca.org/donate.
This time on Code WACK!
This is the story of a dedicated advocate, organizer, and powerful voice in the fight for healthcare justice - Mariana Pineda.
Mariana was a teacher in the Roosevelt School District, Nassau County, Long Island, until she caught a serious case of COVID complicated by pre-existing conditions, including asthma and heart problems.
No longer able to work, she lost her employer-sponsored health insurance. Desperate to have some kind of coverage, she spent down her savings on COBRA. Despite financial help from friends, Mariana eventually ended up in a homeless shelter with her young son, Max, where they suffered from cockroaches and bedbugs.
Yet through it all, Mariana never stopped advocating for people's rights. A social justice activist and tireless organizer, she could command a rally one minute and spend the next making sure everyone had something to eat.
And before she died earlier this year at age 46… she spent years fighting for healthcare as a human right.
This is part one of a two-part series about Mariana Pineda, single mom, teacher, and healthcare justice fighter.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation at heal-ca.org/donate.
This time on Code WACK!
For millions of Americans, health care means fighting insurance companies, putting off costly treatment, wondering whether the hospital you prefer is in-network, or fearing financial disaster if you get seriously sick. But what if healthcare worked differently? This is part two of our conversation with Dr. Bernard Ho, an emergency physician in Toronto and vice chair of Canadian Doctors for Medicare, a national evidence-based organization working to strengthen Canada's publicly funded healthcare system. He is a lecturer at the University of Toronto, where he also earned his M.D. Bernard is currently completing his Masters of Public Administration at the Harvard Kennedy School.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation at heal-ca.org/donate.
This time on Code WACK!
Today we're taking an inside look at Canada's public health insurance system known as Medicare. What are the biggest misconceptions Americans have about it? What works, what doesn't, and why? And what happens when a public system starts drifting toward privatization?
This is part one of our conversation with Dr. Bernard Ho, an emergency physician in Toronto and Vice-Chair of Canadian Doctors for Medicare, a national evidence-based organization working to strengthen Canada's publicly funded healthcare system. He is a lecturer at the University of Toronto, where he also earned his M.D. Bernard is currently completing his Masters of Public Administration at the Harvard Kennedy School.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation at heal-ca.org/donate.
This time on Code WACK! As of spring 2026, enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies have not been extended. Without congressional action, millions of Americans could face significantly higher premiums—or lose coverage altogether.
Around 22 million people receive ACA premium subsidies, many of whom benefited from pandemic-era enhancements. If those aren't restored, affordability for individuals buying their own coverage will take a major hit.
Meanwhile, health care costs are rising across the board. Employer-sponsored insurance premiums have seen some of the largest increases in over a decade, shifting more costs to workers through higher premiums, deductibles, and out-of-pocket expenses. Medicare premiums are also climbing, adding pressure on older adults.
As coverage becomes less affordable, many people delay care, skip medications, or make tough financial tradeoffs just to get by.
So what options do people have?
Today, we revisit a timely 2025 conversation with Rachel Madley, executive director at the Center for Health and Democracy and former advisor to Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation at heal-ca.org/donate.
This time on CodeWACK!
What if the rising cost of health care — the surprise bills, the shrinking choices, the long waits — weren't random at all, but largely the result of quiet, strategic consolidation happening behind the scenes?
The Center for Health & Democracy has been working to reveal just this. Founded by former insurance executive-turned-whistleblower Wendell Potter, the organization shines a light on how corporate power shapes the American health care system — and what it means for patients and families.
Joining us today is Rachel Madley, the Center's Executive Director. A scientist by training and a federal health policy expert, Rachel also brings lived experience navigating the health system with Type 1 diabetes — giving her unique insight into how policy decisions ripple into real lives.
Today, we're talking about the Center's recent Sunlight Report, a first of its kind investigation into the corporate structure and expansion of UnitedHealth Group, the largest healthcare company in the world. The report pulls back the curtain on health care consolidation and reveals how deeply corporate expansion is reshaping who delivers care, how much it costs, and who ultimately benefits.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation at heal-ca.org/donate.
This time on CodeWACK!
Imagine two patients … same diagnosis, same medication, same country.
Each one needs the same prescription. One gets their care through the Department of Veterans Affairs, the other gets it through Medicare. The price of the exact same drug could be half as much for one patient as for the other. That's not a glitch. It's how the system is designed.
Our guest is Bob Coleman, a retired healthcare professional who spent more than 40 years serving veterans through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs—as a clinical pharmacist, medical informaticist, and researcher. His latest ebook is called "Hostile Takeover: How Wall Street and Congress Hijacked American Healthcare and How We Can Take it Back."
This is the second of a two-part series. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation at heal-ca.org/donate.
This time on CodeWACK!
Today, we're talking about insurance denials, hidden incentives… and why getting care can feel like navigating a system designed to stop you.
Our guest is Bob Coleman, a retired healthcare professional who spent more than 40 years serving veterans through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs—as a clinical pharmacist, medical informaticist, and researcher. His latest ebook is called "Hostile Takeover: How Wall Street and Congress Hijacked American Healthcare and How We Can Take it Back."
This is the first of a two-part series. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation at heal-ca.org/donate.
This time on CodeWACK!
Most employers don't actually know what they're paying for healthcare - and employees are paying the price. In this episode of Code WACK!, discover why companies are "flying blind" on healthcare costs, how opaque pricing drives higher premiums, and what this means for your coverage, care, and financial security.
To learn more, we spoke with Chuck Melendi, who has more than three decades of experience in healthcare leadership, advocacy, and industry strategy. He spent 25 years at Johnson & Johnson, where he tackled issues including drug pricing, payer negotiations, policy, and commercial strategy.
Chuck retired from Johnson & Johnson in early 2025 and went on to launch Disruptive Dialogue, a podcast and consulting platform where he shares insights from inside the U.S. healthcare system – while exploring ideas for reform.
This is the second of a two-part series.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation at heal-ca.org/donate.
This time on CodeWACK!
What challenges do employers face when providing health coverage to their employees? And what role do health insurers and Pharmacy Benefit Managers - prescription drug middlemen known as PBMs—play in shaping costs, coverage, and access to care?
To find out, we spoke with Chuck Melendi, who has more than three decades of experience in healthcare leadership, advocacy, and industry strategy. He spent 25 years at Johnson & Johnson, where he tackled issues including drug pricing, payer negotiations, policy, and commercial strategy.
Chuck retired from Johnson & Johnson in early 2025 and went on to launch Disruptive Dialogue, a podcast and consulting platform where he shares insights from inside the U.S. healthcare system – while exploring ideas for reform.
This is the first of a two-part series.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on CodeWACK!
Today, most people on Medicaid get their care through private insurers called Managed Care Organizations, or MCOs—like Aetna and UnitedHealthcare. Critics say these companies add layers of bureaucracy that make it harder for patients—most of them low-income—to get care. They discourage physicians from accepting Medicaid patients by making them jump through hoops to get treatment pre-authorizations, or even to get paid. Are Managed Care companies making health care more expensive, not less? How are some states reacting? Are legislators starting to wake up and see through the hype? Some are.
All this and more is discussed in a recent report from Physicians for a National Health Program, Removing the Middlemen from Medicaid. To unpack it, we spoke with Dr. Alankrita Olson—a public health physician and PNHP board member who advocates for a single-payer healthcare system.
This is the 2nd of a two-part series.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation at heal-ca.org/donate.
This time on CodeWACK!
Why are there middlemen in Medicaid—and what are they doing to our most vulnerable patients and physicians? How and why are private insurance intermediaries permitted to put profits ahead of patients? A recent report by Physicians for a National Health Program, titled Removing the Middlemen from Medicaid, pulls back the curtain on Managed Care Organizations (MCOs).
To learn more, we spoke with Dr. Alankrita Olson, a public health physician and advocate for a universal single-payer system. She serves on the board of Physicians for a National Health Program and works to protect and expand healthcare access for all Americans. This is the first episode of a two-part series.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation at heal-ca.org/donate.
This time on Code WACK!
We're taking a closer look at what happens when private equity buys hospitals. Our guest is Dr. Renee Hsia (pronounced "Shaw").
An emergency physician at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, Dr. Hsia explains how patients can be harmed when Wall Street firms take over health care. A Professor of Emergency Medicine and Health Policy at the University of California, San Francisco, she is also Vice Chair of Health Services Research in the Department of Emergency Medicine, and a core faculty member of the Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies.
This is part two of our two-part series.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
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This time on Code WACK!
What happens to staff and patients when private investors buy hospitals to make them more profitable? And why should this concern us all?
To break it down, we spoke to Dr. Renee Hsia, an attending physician at San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center and a Professor of Emergency Medicine and Health Policy at the University of California, San Francisco. She's also Vice Chair of Health Services Research in the Department of Emergency Medicine, and a core faculty member of the Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies. This is the first episode in a two-part series.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
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This time on Code WACK!
Millions of Americans have health insurance, but still can't afford to use it. So what happens when high deductibles and corporate profit pressures shape the care patients receive?
To break it down, we spoke with Dr. Adam Gaffney - a pulmonary and critical care physician, public health researcher, and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. He's also a former president of Physicians for a National Health Program, and his work focuses on health care financing and national reform. This is the second episode in a two-part series.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
Keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation at heal-ca.org/donate.
This time on Code WACK!
Why do Americans live about four years less, on average, than people in similar European countries, despite spending far more on health care? And why are so many dying from illnesses we already know how to prevent or treat?
To help us unpack this, we spoke with Dr. Adam Gaffney - a pulmonary and critical care physician, public health researcher, and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. He's a former president of Physicians for a National Health Program, and his research and advocacy focus on health care financing and national reform. He's also the author of To Heal Humankind: The Right to Health in History. This is part one of a two-part series.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
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This time on Code WACK!
Why are people in America resorting to receiving medical care in animal stalls - even if they have health insurance? What would it take to make volunteer stopgap clinics unnecessary - and who stands in the way of real reform?
To break it down, we spoke with leading healthcare reform advocate and New York Times bestselling author Wendell Potter. A former health insurance executive turned industry whistleblower, Wendell now serves as board president of the Center for Health and Democracy, which advocates for healthcare reform, and editor-in-chief of HEALTHCARE Un-covered, which investigates healthcare corporations and insurance conglomerates. This is part two of a two-part series.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
Healthcare premiums aren't the only costs going up. Your pocketbook is also getting hit with higher out-of-pocket costs - like deductibles, co-pays, and coinsurance - often under the radar. How is this hidden cost crisis affecting families - and what can be done about it? We spoke with New York Times bestselling author and leading healthcare reform advocate Wendell Potter. A former health insurance executive turned industry whistleblower, Wendell is now board president of the Center for Health and Democracy and editor-in-chief of HEALTHCARE Un-covered, which investigates healthcare corporations and insurance conglomerates. This is part one of a two-part series.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
Keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation at heal-ca.org/donate.
This time on Code WACK!
Privatized Medicare now covers more than half of older adults nationwide. But how do Medicare Advantage plans' lower star ratings, narrow networks, and "paper benefits" hit seniors of color hardest-and why are hospitals dropping these plans, leaving patients scrambling for care?
Our guest is Dr. Belinda McIntosh, an Atlanta-based psychiatrist with more than 20 years of experience, Physicians for a National Health Program board member, and co-author of the PNHP report No Real Choices: How Medicare Advantage Fails Seniors of Color. This is part two of a two-part series.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
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This time on Code WACK!
How does Medicare Advantage - also known as privatized Medicare - fail seniors … especially seniors of color? Why do many seniors find they actually have no other choice than an Advantage plan? What's the consequence of that lack of choice? And how do Medicare Advantage insurance plans actually deepen racial and income disparities?
To find out, we spoke with Dr. Belinda McIntosh — an Atlanta-based psychiatrist with more than 20 years of experience, a board member of Physicians for a National Health Program, and co-author of a new PNHP report titled "No Real Choices: How Medicare Advantage Fails Seniors of Color."
This is the first episode in a two-part series.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
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This time on Code WACK!
This time on Code WACK! In celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we're rebroadcasting this episode examining how desegregation shaped the experiences of Black patients in America – and what still hasn't changed. What does racism in medicine look like today?
To break it down, we spoke to Dr. Barbara Berney, project creator and producer of the documentary "Power to Heal: Medicare and the Civil Rights Revolution." She's also an emeritus professor at City University of New York School of Public Health and a distinguished scholar in public health, environmental justice, and the U.S. healthcare system. This is the second of two episodes with Dr. Berney. It originally aired in March of 2025.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
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This time on Code WACK!
In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we're rebroadcasting our Anthem Award–winning episode on one of the most overlooked civil rights battles in American history: the desegregation of hospitals.
The episode features Dr. Barbara Berney, a distinguished public health scholar and the creator of the award-winning documentary Power to Heal: Medicare and the Civil Rights Revolution. Together, we explore how federal Medicare dollars were used as a powerful tool to force hospitals to integrate in the 1960s.
We're uplifting this groundbreaking story to educate a new generation about the critical role health care played in the civil rights movement—and to confront how racism still shapes access to care and health outcomes today.
This is part one of a two-part series.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
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This time on Code WACK!
As healthcare costs skyrocket and Americans face new coverage threats, California advocates are pushing for something bigger than simple fixes around the edges. We're joined by longtime healthcare organizer Michael Lighty, who breaks down the fight for single payer, what's at stake in 2026, and why unity may be the key to winning guaranteed healthcare for all.
Michael is the president of Healthy California Now and has organized, advocated and developed policy for single payer Medicare for All nationally and in California for more than 30 years. This is the second episode in a two-part series with Michael Lighty.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more! And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation.
This time on Code WACK!
Today we're talking about rising healthcare costs and the renewed momentum behind Medicare for All. Recent polling shows majority support for the idea across Democrats, independents, and even a notable share of Republicans, even when voters are told it would replace most private insurance and require higher taxes.
As premiums, deductibles, and out-of-pocket costs continue to climb, healthcare affordability is once again front and center in the political debate. To help us unpack what's driving this support-and whether it represents a real political opportunity-we're joined by longtime healthcare advocate and policy strategist Michael Lighty, president of Healthy California Now and former healthcare constituency director for the Bernie 2020 campaign. This is the first of two episodes with Michael Lighty.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
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This time on Code WACK!
America is facing a looming crisis in caregiving with an aging population and scarce in-home care resources. Could neighborhood-based care networks offer answers? What becomes possible when they're in place?
To find out, we spoke with Dr. Mary-Elizabeth Harmon, a scientist-turned-storyteller, caregiver and founder of a business helping neighbors build caring communities and local economies through community villages.
She spent more than two years caring for her father, who lived with dementia, and is currently the unreimbursed caregiver for her elderly mother in Virginia. This is the second episode in a two-part series featuring Dr. Harmon.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
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This time on Code WACK!
Suddenly, with little notice, you may find yourself having to step into a caregiving role for a friend or family member. Maybe you already have. It could be an aging parent, an ailing partner or an injured child. What does it really cost—emotionally, physically, and financially—to care for someone you love?
To find out, we recently spoke with Dr. Mary-Elizabeth Harmon, a scientist turned storyteller and caregiver whose life changed in an instant. What she thought would be a brief visit to her father ultimately became a years' long caregiving journey that nearly pushed her to the brink—and ultimately inspired her vision for "vertical villages," where neighbors foster caring communities and economies to support one another through life's toughest moments.
As the founder of Village Company 360 and the caregiver of her mother in Virgina, Dr. Harmon reveals just how unprepared our systems are for the caregiving crisis—and why all of us need to pay attention.
This is the first episode in a two-part series.
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This time on Code WACK!
Join us on a deep dive into the hidden forces behind soaring out-of-pocket costs, from rising medical costs to pandemic aftershocks and corporate profit pressures. Our guest, health insurance agent Sherry Davis Johnson, shares eye-opening stories from the front lines. We'll also explore how the Affordable Care Act has saved lives, what protections still matter most, and what it really takes to navigate today's healthcare maze. This is the second episode in a two part-series.
Sherry Davis Johnson — a former nurse turned long–time insurance agent in Southern California — has seen our challenging healthcare system from every angle, as a nurse and home health provider, insurance agent and patient. Today, she's here to help us make sense of it all.
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This time on Code WACK!
We're digging into big questions: Are reduced health insurance subsidies leaving Americans with a bad case of sticker shock? If you're shopping on the ACA marketplace, what should you watch out for before picking a plan? And what happens if you're pre-authorized for treatment in 2025, but can't afford to renew with the same plan in 2026? (It's not pretty).
For these answers and more, we talked to Sherry Davis Johnson — a former nurse turned long–time insurance agent in Southern California. Sherry has seen our challenging healthcare system from every angle, as a nurse and home health provider, insurance agent and patient, having personally gone through five major surgeries in just two years. Today, she's licensed in health, property, casualty, accident, and life insurance — and she's here to help us make sense of it all.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
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This time on Code WACK!
Will Humana and UnitedHealth Group be found by the courts to have prematurely denied or cut off physician-ordered post-acute care for Medicare Advantage members using AI models with error rates as high as 90%? And could these same AI tools, which over 60% of doctors allege systematically deny patients necessary care, be used in Traditional Medicare as well? The answer is YES, depending on where you live.
To learn more, we spoke with Jeremy White, author of InHumana: An American Healthcare Story, published recently by White Lines Press. Jeremy and his wife, Edie, founded the award-winning satirical publication Red Shtick Magazine and its online version, The Red Shtick. They live in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. This is the second episode of a two-part series with Jeremy about his new book.
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This time on Code WACK!
Imagine watching your mom suffer a stroke and two seizures that left her unable to use her right side… and then having her Medicare Advantage health insurer deny coverage for the nursing home care she desperately needs.
Now imagine learning that the decision to deny her coverage may have been based on artificial intelligence (AI) instead of clinical observation by a qualified medical professional!
Here to share this shocking personal story is Jeremy White, author of InHumana: An American Healthcare Story, published by White Lines Press. Jeremy and his wife, Edie, founded the award-winning satirical publication Red Shtick Magazine - and its online version, The Red Shtick. They live in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, near Jeremy's mother. This is the first episode of a two-part series with Jeremy about his new book.
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THIS TIME ON CODE WACK! How do health insurance hassles like denials and preauthorizations exacerbate inequities in our broken healthcare system? How do they rob physicians of precious time caring for patients and even jeopardize their practices? And why are some big insurance companies buying up physician practices?
To find out, we recently spoke with Dr. Erica Rowe Urquhart, a private practice orthopedic surgeon in northern New Jersey. Harvard-trained in biomedical engineering with an MD and PhD from Johns Hopkins, Dr. Urquhart is the author of the forthcoming book The Invisible Hand Wielding the Scalpel: Paying the Price in America's Fractured Healthcare System. This is the second episode of a two-part series..
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This time on Code WACK!
Why can working as a doctor in America feel like being on a battleground? What questionable tactics are insurance companies using? How are they affecting patients and physicians alike? And when coverage is denied, what can patients do? (See Helpful Links below for tips on appeals.)
To find out, we recently spoke with Dr. Erica Rowe Urquhart, a private practice orthopedic surgeon in northern New Jersey. A Harvard-trained biomedical engineer with an MD and PhD from Johns Hopkins, Dr. Urquhart is the author of the forthcoming book The Invisible Hand Wielding the Scalpel: Paying the Price in America's Fractured Healthcare System.
This is the first episode of a two-part series.
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This time on Code WACK! Millions of Americans are expected to forgo buying health insurance starting in 2026 as the cost of their coverage soars. Others who currently qualify for Medicaid may find the rules have changed and they are no longer eligible. What can people do when they need care but can't afford it? And why are young people especially at risk?
To find out, we spoke with Rachel Madley, director of policy and advocacy at the Center for Health and Democracy. She previously served as health policy advisor to Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal and worked in the Office of Legislative Affairs at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Having struggled personally with a chronic medical condition, Rachel shares her firsthand experience staying alive despite America's cruel healthcare system. This is the second episode of a two-part series.
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This time on Code WACK! With millions of Americans poised to lose their health coverage due to government cuts to Medicaid and other health programs, what can you do to protect your health and access to care? If you find yourself uninsured, are there ways to get free or low-cost prescription meds and health care?
To find out, we spoke with Rachel Madley, director of policy and advocacy at the Center for Health and Democracy. She previously served as health policy advisor to Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal and worked in the Office of Legislative Affairs at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Having struggled personally with a chronic medical condition, Rachel shares her firsthand experience staying alive despite America's cruel healthcare system. This is the first episode of a two-part series.
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This time on Code WACK!
What will happen when Medicaid is slashed for millions of people as a result of Trump's H.R. 1, the so-called "One Big Beautiful Bill?" How will the largest rollback of the social safety net in over 50 years harm children, families, and rural communities – and what could it mean for states that recently expanded Medicaid, like North Carolina? To find out, we spoke to Jennifer Wells, director of Economic Justice at Community Change Action, where she leads the organization's work to advance policies and practices that improve the material conditions of low-income communities. This is the second episode in a two-part series.
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This time on Code WACK!
While not perfect, Medicaid has served as a lifeline for millions of impoverished Americans, including Jennifer Wells and her mother, who suffered a brain aneurysm years ago. But that lifeline will soon be taken away. Jennifer joins us to talk about the expected ramifications of Trump’s H.R. 1, the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill. She’s the director of economic justice at Community Change Action , where she leads the organization’s work to advance policies and practices that improve the material conditions of low-income communities. Over recent years, she has earned recognition as the 2020 Marshall University Commencement Speaker, 2020 TEDx Speaker, and 2018 National Association of Social Workers West Virginia Chapter's Social Worker of the Year. This is the first of two episodes with Jennifer Wells.
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This time on Code WACK!
As a consequence of Trump's drastic cuts to Medicaid and other health programs, experts estimate that between nearly 8 million and 10 million more Americans will be uninsured by 2034. These include the most vulnerable among us, people who depend on Medicaid because they are poor, ill and/or live with disabilities. And here’s the kicker: experiencing disability isn’t as rare or improbable as we’d like to think.
That's why this fight for health care is about all of us, our families, our neighbors, and our future. From hospital care to home-based services to keeping rural clinics alive, Medicaid is a pillar of our healthcare system, and when it’s weakened, entire communities feel the impact. So what happens when that pillar is damaged? We recently spoke to Andy Imparato, executive director of Disability Rights California, and policy analyst Sabrina Epstein. This is the second episode in a two-part series with Disability Rights California.
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This time on Code WACK!
What’s already changing for people with disabilities now that President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” has been signed into law? From pediatric clinics closing their doors to looming cuts in home and community-based services, the fallout is just beginning — and it’s hitting hard.
Today we’re joined by two staff members of Disability Rights California, Executive Director Andy Imparato and Policy Analyst Sabrina Epstein, who have been working to track the bill’s impact and fight for the rights of those with disabilities across the state. This is the first episode in a two-part series with Disability Rights California.
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This time on Code WACK!
We talk a lot about how our healthcare system fails us when we get sick, but what about when regulators fail to PREVENT ILLNESS? Case in point: lead poisoning. It’s not just a danger from the past. Thousands of children are sickened from lead poisoning each year across the country. This week we’re looking at New York State which has older, poorly maintained housing stock in several areas, and where we’ve seen some of the highest incidences of lead poisoning in the country. So why hasn’t the state legislature passed the Lead Paint Right to Know Act, a bill that could help protect families from this entirely preventable harm?
To learn more, we recently spoke with Shannon Burkett, a New York mother whose son Cooper was diagnosed with lead poisoning as an infant in 2008. Shannon is also the writer, producer, and editor of the podcast LEAD: How This Story Ends Is Up to Us. Both Shannon, a registered nurse, and Cooper, now 18, have been powerful voices in the fight to end lead poisoning.
This is the second episode in a two-part series.
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This time on Code WACK!
Imagine discovering that your infant child—your nine-month-old baby—has lead poisoning – a toxin banned from paint and phased out of gasoline decades ago. So why do thousands of children each year have dangerously high levels of lead in their system?
We spoke with New York mom, nurse, and advocate Shannon Burkett, whose son Cooper developed lead poisoning that stole his words, halted his development, and nearly cost him his life. Shannon is also the writer, producer, and editor of the podcast LEAD: How This Story Ends Is Up to Us, which had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival 2025, starring Merritt Wever and Cynthia Nixon. She’s a registered nurse, a mother of three, and a fierce voice in the fight to end lead poisoning.
This is the first of a two-part series with Shannon Burkett.
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This time on Code WACK!
What happens when millions are stripped of Medicaid coverage? Who shoulders the costs when hospitals are forced to care for more uninsured patients? And how will unions and the workers they represent bear the brunt of skyrocketing premiums, job losses, and a growing healthcare crisis?
Today we're joined by Cindy Young, a veteran labor negotiator and health policy advisor, and now vice president of the California Alliance for Retired Americans and of Healthy California Now. Cindy has spent decades fighting for healthcare justice and protecting workers' rights. She breaks down Trump's so-called One Big, Beautiful Bill, explains why unions are sounding the alarm and reveals what's really at stake for working families, seniors, and communities across America. This is the first episode in a two-part series in honor of Labor Day.
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This time on Code WACK!
What happens when millions are stripped of Medicaid coverage? Who shoulders the costs when hospitals are forced to care for more uninsured patients? And how will unions and the workers they represent bear the brunt of skyrocketing premiums, job losses, and a growing healthcare crisis?
Today we're joined by Cindy Young, a veteran labor negotiator and health policy advisor, and now vice president of the California Alliance for Retired Americans and of Healthy California Now. Cindy has spent decades fighting for healthcare justice and protecting workers' rights. She breaks down Trump's so-called One Big, Beautiful Bill, explains why unions are sounding the alarm and reveals what's really at stake for working families, seniors, and communities across America. This is the first episode in a two-part series in honor of Labor Day.
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This time on Code WACK!
What if California, Oregon, and Washington joined forces to win federal approval for universal, single-payer healthcare? Could a united West Coast shift the balance of power in America’s healthcare debate?
To find out, we recently spoke with Michael Lighty, president of the single payer advocacy coalition Healthy California Now. Michael ’s a founding fellow of the Sanders Institute, and he was healthcare constituency director for the Bernie 2020 campaign. Most recently, he co-wrote and was a leader in the successful campaign to enact California’s Senate Bill 770, a critical step toward negotiating the federal waivers the Golden State needs to build a universal, publicly financed healthcare system.
Join us as we explore how these three states are moving to collaborate toward a common goal — and why this could be a game-changer for patients, politics, and policy nationwide.
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This time on Code WACK!
Why are some Americans choosing to go off the health insurance grid? For Lani Gonzales, entrepreneur and hypnotherapist, it was the mounting frustration with denials, delays … and ultimately being dropped by her health insurer through no fault of her own. So instead of reapplying she walked away—and pieced together a system for herself. Combining medical tourism, concierge medicine, a health share and even reclaiming her Philippine citizenship, Lani took an unconventional route to take control of her health care.
What drove her to make these radical changes—and what can we learn from her journey? This is the second episode in a two-part series.
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THIS WEEK ON CODE WACK!
What would you do if your health insurer suddenly dropped you, and the care you needed cost thousands out of pocket? That’s what happened to Lani Gonzales, a former attorney from Florida who thought she understood contracts, until she came face-to-face with America’s broken healthcare system.
After experiencing medical debt and being denied coverage for vital health treatments, Lani asked herself: Why keep playing a game that’s rigged against me? Her search for affordable, compassionate care led her across the border to Mexico – and to some surprising lessons about what health care in America could look like. This is the first episode in a two-part series with Lani.
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THIS WEEK ON CODE WACK!
Most of us know that our profit-driven healthcare system results in moral injury. How is moral harming physicians? And how is it harming patients? Dr. Diljeet Singh is an integrative gynecologic oncologist and the president of Physicians for a National Health Program. She’s leading a powerful new project with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to find out.
By gathering stories from doctors and patients across the country, her team is uncovering how corporate control and financial pressures are fueling moral injury in medicine—and what it will take to make things right. From physicians losing autonomy to entire communities losing access to care, the stakes are real—and deeply personal. This is the second episode in a two-part series.
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THIS WEEK ON CODE WACK!
What happens when doctors feel forced to act against their own moral compass? When financial barriers—not clinical judgment—determine the care a patient receives?
We’re talking about moral injury in medicine—how it’s affecting physicians, harming patients, and why it’s getting worse under our profit-driven healthcare system.
Joining us is Dr. Diljeet Singh, an integrative gynecologic oncologist and president of Physicians for a National Health Program. She shares powerful stories from her own practice—and from the front lines of American healthcare—that reveal a deeper crisis than just burnout. This is the first episode in a two-part series.
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THIS WEEK ON CODE WACK!
As Trump Administration attacks on public health care ramp up, what’s California doing to fight back? Can the state break free from a system that puts profits over patients — and build a truly universal, single-payer healthcare system? Or will political roadblocks and federal inaction keep us stuck in a broken status quo? Bottom line, how close can California - the 4th largest economy in the world - get to single payer on its own?
To find out, we spoke with Michael Lighty, president of Healthy California Now who has organized, advocated and developed policy for single-payer Medicare for All nationally and in California for over three decades. He’s a founding fellow of the Sanders Institute, and he was healthcare constituency director for the Bernie 2020 campaign. Most recently, he co-wrote and was a leader in the successful campaign to enact California’s Senate Bill 770, a critical step toward negotiating the federal waivers the Golden State needs to build a universal, publicly financed healthcare system.
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This time on Code WACK!
What does freedom really mean when, in 2025, health care costs more than $31,000 a year for the average American family? This Independence Day, we’re revisiting a powerful conversation about how single-payer healthcare could slash costs, unleash innovation, and expand access for all. Could it also help revive the American Dream of owning your own business?
Ian Lewis, now with Unite Here Local 2 but at the time of this interview with National Union of Healthcare Workers, breaks down how our current system burdens small businesses, stifles entrepreneurship—and what a bold reform could change. Could Medicare for All be the key to greater financial security, opportunity, and true independence for millions of Americans?
While Ian ends the interview on an optimistic note, the political context for healthcare reform has changed dramatically since this episode. Funding for public health insurance programs like Medicaid and Medicare are on the chopping block and the threat of privatization is greater than ever.
Keep up with the latest news on health policy reform by subscribing for updates at heal-ca.org/take-action.
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THIS WEEK ON CODE WACK!
As millions of Americans face losing their health coverage, what can single-payer advocates do right now to protect our care and push for something better? What’s truly at stake for our country—and especially for its most vulnerable residents?
To find out, we spoke to Michael Lighty, president of the Healthy California Now coalition and former constituency director for the Bernie 2020 campaign.
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THIS WEEK ON CODE WACK!
How are young people pushing back against a potential rollback that could once again block DACA recipients, or Dreamers, and thousands of others from enrolling in Affordable Care Act coverage? And why do advocates call this potential move by the Trump administration extremely dangerous?
To find out, we spoke with Kristin McGuire, Executive Director of Young Invincibles, the nation’s largest young adult policy and advocacy organization. Kristin leads efforts to elevate the voices of young adults in the political process and expand their access to economic opportunity.
This is the second episode in our two-part series.
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THIS WEEK ON CODE WACK!
As federal officials carry out large-scale, military-style raids and widespread arrests of undocumented immigrants, another fight is quietly brewing — one that could push thousands of people off their health insurance.
More than half a million young people who were brought to the U.S. as children and grew up here could soon lose eligibility for affordable and subsidized health coverage. A new rule proposed by the Trump Administration would once again block DACA recipients from buying Marketplace insurance or receiving financial assistance.
What would this mean for their health, their communities and the widening gap in health and economic equity?
To find out, we spoke with Kristin McGuire, Executive Director of Young Invincibles — the nation’s largest young adult policy and advocacy organization — where she leads the charge to amplify the voices of young adults in the political process.
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This time on CodeWACK!
How are big insurance companies dodging the very rules meant to protect patients — and turning our health care system into a profit machine for Wall Street? What can we the people do to stop it?
Join us as we dive into the dark side of corporate loopholes, for-profit health care, and policy failure with Rachel Madley, Director of Policy and Advocacy at the Center for Health and Democracy. A former FDA staffer and health policy advisor to Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, Rachel played a key role in crafting and reintroducing the House Medicare for All bill in 2023. With a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from Columbia University, she brings both scientific rigor and firsthand policy experience to this eye-opening conversation.
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This week on CodeWACK!
Are Americans finally waking up to the truth about single-payer healthcare? With new Medicare for All bills recently reintroduced in Congress, we’re setting the record straight. Will it really save us money? Is it socialized medicine? And why aren't our legislators addressing the REAL causes of our skyrocketing healthcare costs?
To unpack this, we spoke with Rachel Madley, Director of Policy and Advocacy at the Center for Health and Democracy. A former health policy advisor to Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal — lead sponsor of the House Medicare for All bill — Rachel helped shape and reintroduce the landmark legislation in 2023. She’s also a former FDA staffer and holds a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from Columbia University, where she was active in both Physicians for a National Health Program and Students for a National Health Program.
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This week on CodeWACK!
Medicare for All is back in the spotlight! With two new bills recently introduced in Congress, what makes these proposals different from earlier versions— and why are some advocates feeling hopeful, even in the current political climate?
What would a truly public, universal health care system look like, and how could it help curb the soaring costs, corporate greed, and bureaucracy plaguing our current system?
To unpack this, we spoke with Rachel Madley, Director of Policy and Advocacy at the Center for Health and Democracy. A former health policy advisor to Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal — lead sponsor of the House Medicare for All bill — Rachel helped shape and reintroduce the landmark legislation in 2023. She’s also a former FDA staffer and holds a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from Columbia University, where she was active in both Physicians for a National Health Program and Students for a National Health Program.
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This week on CodeWACK!
Which states have received the highest scores in the rePROs Fight Back’s 13th annual 50-state report card on sexual and reproductive health and rights released in March -- and why? And what specific threats - whether federal, state or local - should reproductive rights advocates be most concerned about? And what policies should they be promoting?
To find out, we spoke with Jennie Wetter, Director of the rePROs Fight Back initiative at The Population Institute, where she champions sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice every day. Jennie also hosts the rePros Fight Back Podcast, offering deep dives into abortion access, birth control, sex ed, LGBTQ+ rights, and
This is part two of a powerful two-part series with Jennie.
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This week on CodeWACK!
How is America doing on sexual and reproductive health nearly three years after the Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade? What are the real-life human rights consequences of abortion bans now sweeping across many states?
To unpack the fallout, we spoke with Jennie Wetter, Director of the rePROs Fight Back initiative at The Population Institute, where she champions sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice every day. Jennie also hosts the rePros Fight Back Podcast, offering deep dives into abortion access, birth control, sex ed, LGBTQ+ rights, and more.
This is part one of a powerful two-part series with Jennie.
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This week on CodeWACK!
Single payer is back in the spotlight with Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Pramila Jayapal submitting new Medicare for All bills for 2025-26! How will the upcoming National Day of Action on May 31st keep the need for healthcare reform in the spotlight? And how do physicians feel about single payer today, 60 years after the American Medical Association’s infamous ‘stealth campaign’ against socialized medicine (featuring none other than Ronald Reagan)?
To find out, we recently talked to Dr. Ana Malinow, who spent three decades working as a pediatrician with immigrant, refugee and underserved children before retiring as clinical professor of Pediatrics from UC San Francisco School of Medicine. The past president of Physicians for a National Health Program, she is on the steering committee of National Single Payer. She’s also a lead organizer for The Movement to End Privatization of Medicare.
This is the second episode in a two-part series.
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This week on CodeWACK!
Why is National Single Payer organizing a National Day of Action on May 31 amid cuts and freezes to public health programs? How has an incremental approach to universal health care in America made comprehensive healthcare reform more difficult?
To find out, we recently talked to Dr. Ana Malinow, who spent three decades working as a pediatrician with immigrant, refugee and underserved children before retiring as clinical professor of Pediatrics from UC San Francisco School of Medicine. The past president of Physicians for a National Health Program, she is on the steering committee of National Single Payer. She’s also a lead organizer for The Movement to End Privatization of Medicare.
This is the first episode in a two-part series.
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This week on CodeWACK!
The Wyoming legislature effectively shut down the only surgical abortion clinic in the state. How did it use "TRAP" (Targeted Regulations Against Abortion Providers) as its legislative strategy? And how does this make getting an abortion even more challenging for residents in Wyoming and nearby states that have abortion bans?
We recently spoke to Julie Burkhart, longtime reproductive rights advocate, founder and CEO of Trust Women Foundation, which works to expand access to abortion care in underserved communities. Julie is president of Wellspring Health Access, in Caspar, Wyoming and a protégé of Dr. George Tiller, who was murdered for providing abortion care in 2009. This is the second episode in a two-part series.
We interviewed Julie just before the Wyoming legislature passed a bill that effectively shut down her women’s health clinic in Casper, Wyoming. Since this interview, the clinic has put a pause on performing abortions and is awaiting further guidance from a regulatory body.
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This time on CodeWACK!...
What’s it like operating an abortion clinic in Wyoming, one of the most anti-abortion states in the nation? Meet Julie Burkhart — longtime reproductive rights advocate, founder and CEO of Trust Women Foundation, which works to expand access to abortion care in underserved communities, and protégé of Dr. George Tiller, who was murdered for providing abortion care. Hear how Dr. Tiller’s legacy lives on through her work.
Why are patients traveling hundreds of miles for abortion care, post-Roe? What’s it been like to offer care in as state where arson, litigation, and political threats against reproductive care providers are part of daily life.
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This time on Code WACK!
Can our local health departments counteract the mixed messages given by RFK, Jr. the secretary of Health and Human Services, about vaccine safety and efficacy? What about us? How can we combat disinformation and highlight the benefits of vaccinating our children and ourselves?
To find out, we spoke with Dr. Abdul El-Sayed—physician, epidemiologist, author, and county health commissioner. He is formerly the health director for the city of Detroit. As the host of the award-winning America Dissected podcast, he breaks down the forces shaping public health for tens of thousands of listeners each week. This is the second of two episodes with Dr. El-Sayed.
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This time on Code WACK!
What could Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s appointment as Secretary of Health and Human Services mean for the public health of everyday Americans, given his history of vaccine misinformation? With measles already on the rise and deadly, and the looming threat of future pandemics, how might his leadership shape the nation’s response to infectious diseases?
To find out, we spoke with Dr. Abdul El-Sayed—physician, epidemiologist, author, and county health commissioner. He is formerly the health director for the city of Detroit. As the host of the award-winning America Dissected podcast, he breaks down the forces shaping public health for tens of thousands of listeners each week. This is the first of two episodes with Dr. El-Sayed.
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THIS TIME ON CODE WACK! How is Ireland’s plan for single-tier, universal health care, known as Sláintecare, funded? Is it sustainable long term? What improvements has the nation’s healthcare system seen so far – and what can America learn from this?
To find out, we spoke to Dr. Sara Burke, associate professor and director of the Centre for Health Policy and Management in Trinity College Dublin’s School of Medicine. She is the Principal Investigator of a research project entitled 'Health system foundations for Sláintecare implementation in 2020 and beyond …’ and Co-Director of SPHeRE, Ireland’s national research training program for population health, policy and health services research. Her research interests include health policy, inequities in health, healthcare access and the politics of health reform. This is the second of two episodes with Dr. Burke.
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This time on Code WACK!
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, we’re featuring Ireland’s healthcare reform agenda known as Sláintecare. What healthcare challenges have plagued the country – and how will Sláintecare help? To find out, we interviewed Dr. Sara Burke, associate professor and director of the Centre for Health Policy and Management in Trinity College Dublin’s School of Medicine. She is the Principal Investigator of a research project entitled 'Health system foundations for Sláintecare implementation in 2020 and beyond …’ and Co-Director of SPHeRE, Ireland’s national research training program for population health, policy and health services research. Her research interests include health policy, inequities in health, healthcare access and the politics of health reform. This is the first of two episodes with Dr. Burke.
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This time on Code WACK!
How did desegregation impact Black patients in America? What hasn’t changed? What does racism in medicine look like today? And what should we do when we see it?
To break it down, we spoke to Dr. Barbara Berney, project creator and producer of the documentary “Power to Heal: Medicare and the Civil Rights Revolution.” She’s also an emeritus professor at City University of New York School of Public Health and a distinguished scholar in public health, environmental justice, and the U.S. healthcare system. This is the second of two episodes with Dr. Berney.
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This time on Code WACK!
What did segregation look like in hospitals and medical facilities in America, and did it only extend to the South? What finally brought an end to the deadly practice that cost countless Black and Brown lives?
To break it down, we spoke to Dr. Barbara Berney, project creator and producer of the documentary “Power to Heal: Medicare and the Civil Rights Revolution.” She’s also an emeritus professor at City University of New York School of Public Health and a distinguished scholar in public health, environmental justice, and the U.S. healthcare system. This is the first of two episodes with Dr. Berney.
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This time on Code WACK!
What would cutting off or limiting Social Security benefits – or privatizing Social Security – mean for the roughly 68 million retirees who rely on such benefits? And what could that mean for those who receive disability benefits?
To break it down, we spoke with Alex Lawson, executive director of Social Security Works, an organization fighting to protect and expand Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid; lower drug prices; and ensure health care as a human right. This is part two of a two-part series.
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This time on Code WACK!
What’s at stake for Medicaid—the lifeline for millions of low-income Americans—under President Donald Trump and a Republican-controlled Congress determined to slash spending? How would cutting Medicaid affect the more than 72 million people who rely on it for health care? And is Social Security next on the chopping block?
To break it down, we spoke with Alex Lawson, executive director of Social Security Works, an organization fighting to protect and expand Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid; lower drug prices; and ensure health care as a human right. This is part one of a two-part series.
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This time on Code WACK!
Why are some 200,000 Americans dying each year due to issues with their health insurance and access to care? Would a single payer healthcare system put a stop to this?
To find out, we interviewed Dr. James G. Kahn, an expert in health policy and economics, and advisor to Code WACK! and editor and primary blogger of Health Justice Monitor.
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This time on Code WACK!
The strong reactions to the tragic murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson by alleged killer Luigi Mangione are bringing renewed attention to the abuses of for-profit health insurance. How does our complex, costly, and callous for-profit healthcare system contribute to America's high mortality rate and how many people are believed to die each year as a result?
To find out, we interviewed Dr. James G. Kahn, an expert in health policy and economics, and advisor to Code WACK! and editor and primary blogger of Health Justice Monitor, a health policy blog.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
For the second episode in our two-part series on racism in medicine, in honor of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr, we’re asking the question: What is racially concordant care and how does it help save lives? What else can be done to reduce deadly disparities in medicine?
To find out, we spoke to Dr. Uché Blackstock. Blackstock, author of the New York Times best-selling book “Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine,” which is now available in paperback. She’s also the founder and CEO of Advancing Health Equity, an organization that aims to dismantle racism in healthcare and narrow racial health inequities. Blackstock was named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People in Global Health and one of the Top 13 Innovators Shaping the Future of Health by Fortune Magazine.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
In honor of Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy of equality and justice for all, we welcome Dr. Uché Blackstock, author of the New York Times bestselling book “Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine.”
Trained as an ER physician, the Harvard Medical School graduate is founder and CEO of Advancing Health Equity, an organization that aims to dismantle racism in healthcare and narrow health inequities.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
How is the Department of Veterans Affairs becoming increasingly privatized and what could this mean for those who have served and sacrificed for our country? Is corporate health insurance better than the VA healthcare system - or not? How is privatization affecting the financial viability of the VA -- and what can be done to stop it?
To find out, we recently spoke to Wendell Potter, a former health insurance industry executive turned whistleblower, the New York Times bestselling author of Deadly Spin and the president of the Center for Health and Democracy. He’s also the author of the Substack newsletter HEALTH CARE un-covered where he recently penned a post entitled “Privatizing the VA: The Unseen Costs to Veterans and Taxpayers Alike.”
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
Why have U.S. administrations from both sides of the aisle chosen to privatize Medicare and how has that complicated health care for patients? How do mega insurance companies benefit as a result? How much is all this costing us, anyway? And what can we do about it?
To find out, we spoke with Wendell Potter, a former health insurance industry executive turned whistleblower, the New York Times bestselling author of Deadly Spin and the president of the Center for Health and Democracy. He’s also the author of the Substack newsletter HEALTH CARE un-covered which chronicles out-of-control profiteering in U.S. health care, its impact on everyday Americans, and potential policy solutions.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
THIS TIME ON CODE WACK!
In the wake of the recent presidential election, we’re revisiting one of our favorite podcast episodes from 2023 about the hurdles America's Indigenous peoples face in accessing health care.
What’s being done to help elder Native Americans receive culturally competent long term care? Would it surprise you to learn that relying on the Indian Health Service may not be enough to meet their needs? Why are some members of this highly vulnerable population buying health insurance too?
To find out, we spoke to Elder Billie Tohee, acting executive director of the Albuquerque-based National Indian Council on Aging (NICOA) and former chair of the board.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
What could another Trump presidency mean for the rise in Medicare private plans and what would that mean for patient care and financial waste in our healthcare system and for the Medicare Trust Fund?
To find out, we recently interviewed Dr. Diljeet Singh, an integrative gynecologic oncologist and incoming president of Physicians for a National Health Program [PNHP]. With more than 25,000 members across the United States, PNHP advocates for a universal, comprehensive, single-payer national health program. This is the second episode in a two-part series.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
Why are seniors between a rock and a hard place when choosing between various Medicare options? How do private Medicare plans, known as Medicare Advantage, limit patients’ options and why are they considered riskier than traditional Medicare? And what's the ‘Medigap Trap?’
To find out, we spoke to Dr. Diljeet Singh, an integrative gynecologic oncologist and the incoming president of Physicians for a National Health Program [PNHP]. With more than 25,000 members across the United States, PNHP advocates for a universal, comprehensive, single-payer national health program.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
What questionable justifications did a major insurance company give to repeatedly deny coverage to treat a baby’s brain tumor? What would have been the financial impact on the family if they had to pay for their baby's treatment out-of-pocket? What specific health policies could we implement to avoid situations like this?
To find out, we spoke to Dr. Eunice Stallman, a psychiatrist in Idaho and mother of two-year-old Zoey, who has suffered seizures and developmental delays because of a brain tumor discovered when she was an infant. This is the second episode in a two-part series.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
Imagine learning that your baby girl has a brain tumor that’s causing seizures and disrupting her development, and your health insurance company is denying coverage for the treatment her pediatric oncologist says she needs to survive and thrive? What would you do? Where did one mother turn when repeated health insurance denials delayed time-sensitive treatment to shrink her baby’s tumor?
To find out, we spoke to Dr. Eunice Stallman, a psychiatrist in Idaho and clinical faculty at the University of Washington School of Medicine and the University of Washington Boise Psychiatry Residency Program. Her daughter Zoey is two years old now and still undergoing medical treatment. This is the first episode in a two-part series.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
What can be done to protect health care for the most vulnerable in the aftermath of Trump's victory? What does another Trump administration mean for single payer both nationally and in the states? How do many union leaders feel about single payer, and why? If we had Medicare for All, what other benefits could unions bargain for?
To find out, we recently interviewed Ada Briceño, chair of Orange County Democrats and co-chair of Unite Here Local 11, which represents tens of thousands of workers in hotels, restaurants, airports, and sports arenas in Southern California and Arizona. This is the second episode in a two-part series.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
What could a Trump White House mean for your health care and your family’s? What might it mean for public health at a time when the nation is still reeling from the devastating COVID-19 pandemic? And which populations stand to lose the most?
To find out, we spoke to Ada Briceño, chair of Orange County Democrats and co-chair of Unite Here Local 11, which represents tens of thousands of workers in hotels, restaurants, airports, and sports arenas in Southern California and Arizona. Ada is also a former National Steering Committee Member for the Labor Campaign for Single-Payer. This is the first episode in a two-part series.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
Why have healthcare giants like United Health and Cigna been purging some of their commercial accounts and pivoting to government-funded programs like Medicare Advantage and Medicaid? How is this affecting patients? And what is the government doing about it?
To find out, we spoke with Wendell Potter, a former health insurance industry executive turned whistleblower, the New York Times bestselling author of Deadly Spin and the president of the Center for Health and Democracy. He’s also the author of the Substack newsletter HEALTH CARE un-covered which chronicles out-of-control profiteering in U.S. health care, its impact on everyday Americans, and potential policy solutions.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
How do some Australians, who have single-payer health care they call Medicare, view the American healthcare system? What do they think about the many people in America who need to have a job to get health insurance? Who set their wedding day with their health insurance in mind? Or who have health insurance but go bankrupt anyway, because it doesn't cover all their medical bills?
To find out, we spoke to Australian Anna Candler, founder and CEO of The Circular Water Company. Through frequent visits to family in the U.S., Anna has gained firsthand insight into the stark differences between the Australian and American healthcare models. This is the second episode in a two-part series.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
How does Australia's healthcare system work and why is it considered one of the best in the world? What are some of the ways the Australian healthcare system, which they call Medicare, and private health insurance differ from ours?
To find out, we interviewed Anna Candler. An Australian citizen, Anna is founder and CEO of The Circular Water Company in Sydney. Through frequent visits to family in the United States, particularly in Maryland, she's gained firsthand insight into the stark differences between the Australian and American healthcare models. This is the first episode in a two-part series.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
What is “data justice” and how does it inform and refine health policies for invisibilized communities? What policy solutions are needed to reduce health disparities among people, especially marginalized Latinx and indigenous communities? What role does the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California play in advancing the health of vulnerable communities throughout the state? And what are the hopes and fears of these communities when it comes to their health and the upcoming presidential election?
To find out, we recently interviewed Dr. Seciah Aquino, executive director of the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California. This is the second episode in a two-part series.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
Public health advocacy requires considerable insight into the major issues that affect communities. How best to gain this insight? What role does direct personal experience play?
Today Seciah Aquino, DrPH, MS shares how her lived experience as an immigrant has informed her work as Executive Director of a leading health equity advocacy organization, the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California. How did her experience, first as a young child in Guatemala and later as an immigrant living in Gardena, California, inspire her to pursue higher education and transform her life, and the lives of others? And how did that experience inform her response to the COVID pandemic?
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
Rebate aggregators? Group purchasing? Vertical integration? How exactly do Pharmacy Benefit Managers, or PBMs, operate to maximize profit? And how are everyday Americans suffering from these practices?
To find out, we spoke to Dr. Ed Weisbart, national board secretary of Physicians for a National Health Program, a single-payer advocacy coalition that boasts more than 25,000 members, and former chief medical officer for one of the largest PBMs in the country. This is the second episode in a two-part series.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
We’re taking another look at Pharmacy Benefit Managers or PBMs. Why were PBMs started and how did they morph to become one of the most powerful entities in health care? Why have they caught the attention of the Federal Trade Commission? How are they a threat to consumers?
To find out, we spoke to Dr. Ed Weisbart, the national board secretary of Physicians for a National Health Program and former chief medical officer of one of the biggest PBMs in the country. This is the first episode in a two-part series.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
What’s at stake in health care with the upcoming federal election? Would Donald Trump really try to repeal the Affordable Care Act - again? Would Kamala Harris continue fighting to rein in the skyrocketing cost of medicine? What will be the fate of Biden-era policies like enhanced tax credits limiting the cost of health insurance premiums? Or access to reproductive health care (including contraception)?
With so much up in the air, how is Families USA, a leading national, non-partisan voice for healthcare consumers, responding? To find out, we spoke to Anthony Wright, Families USA’s new executive director. This is the second episode in a two-part series.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
The fight for affordable, accessible health care in the U.S. has gone on for decades. Who’s in the fight to win solutions that improve health care for everyone? What policies are they working on?
Today we’re featuring the Washington DC-based Families USA, a leading national nonpartisan voice for healthcare consumers. We welcome their new executive director, Anthony Wright, who previously served for 22 years as executive director of Health Access California. This is the first episode in a two-part series with Anthony Wright.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
What are lawmakers and the Federal Trade Commission doing about Pharmacy Benefit Managers and their undue influence over drug prices and access? Who is watching out for consumers when the pharmaceutical industry pursues self-serving arrangements? And what’s the impact on independent pharmacies and their patients?
To find out, we recently interviewed Hannah Garden-Monheit, the FTC’s director of the Office of Policy Planning. Prior to joining the FTC, Garden-Monheit worked at the National Economic Council (NEC), where she served as Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and Director for Competition Council Policy. At the NEC, she was extensively involved in shaping the President’s Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy, and much more. This is the second episode in a two part series.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
So you might have heard the term pharmacy benefit managers – or PBMs – in the news. But what are they? How did these middlemen get to be so powerful? How are they causing drug prices to skyrocket? And what’s the Federal Trade Commission doing about it?
To find out, we recently interviewed Hannah Garden-Monheit, the FTC’s director of the Office of Policy Planning. Prior to joining the FTC, Garden-Monheit worked at the National Economic Council (NEC), where she served as Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and Director for Competition Council Policy. At the NEC, she was extensively involved in shaping the President’s Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy, and much more. This is the first episode in a two part series.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
As the United States faces an election possibly unlike any other in our history, we wonder about the future of our healthcare system. What changes might we expect under President Trump, or President Harris? What would a new administration mean for single-payer efforts in states like California and Oregon? And what about Medicare, a lifeline for so many vulnerable Americans?
To find out we spoke to the one and only Michael Lighty, president of the Healthy California Now coalition and former healthcare constituency director for Bernie 2020.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
What’s been happening on the healthcare front since California Senate Bill 770, which paves the way for a single-payer healthcare system, was passed last year? What’s the process and the timeline? What are the necessary next steps to winning single payer in the Golden State and why is it so important to achieving healthcare equity?
To find out we spoke to the one and only Michael Lighty, president of the Healthy California Now coalition and former healthcare constituency director for Bernie 2020.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
How far did one man have to go to get the health insurance he needed to cover a specialized surgery in another state? Despite jumping through many hoops to even qualify to buy the coverage he needed, why did he still end up paying tens of thousands of dollars in out of pocket costs? How much would you be willing to pay for the freedom to consult the doctor of your choice?
We recently spoke to Rand, a commercial property manager, writer and father of three in Southern California who shared the formidable health and insurance challenges that he’s faced with us. Rand asked that we not use his last name for this interview. This is the second of a two-part series with Rand.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
Imagine having to fight with your HMO insurer about compensating your surgeon who doesn't belong to your provider network, but happens to be a specialist in a particular procedure that you want because it has fewer side effects. Could you afford to cough up a few thousand dollars to pay the surgeon while hassling with your HMO? But the story doesn't end there. What if you then needed a followup procedure that is relatively new but has a 98% chance of a positive outcome? But the surgeon you want - who invented it - is not in your state, never mind your network?
We recently spoke to Rand, a commercial property manager, writer and father of three in Southern California who shared the formidable health and insurance challenges that he’s faced with us. Rand asked that we not use his last name for this interview. This is the first of a two-part series with Rand.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
Why did California’s latest single payer bill fail and what can we do about it? How can the public learn the truth about how much they could save with unified financing when deep-pocketed corporations keep lobbying legislators against it? What will it take to make Medicare for All a reality once and for all?
To find out, we asked Jodi Reid, executive director of California Alliance for Retired Americans or CARA, California’s largest grassroots senior advocacy organization. Jodi represents her organization on the board of Healthy California Now, a single-payer advocacy coalition. This is the second of a two-part series with Jodi.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
Why is long term care, including in-home health care, in crisis? How are skyrocketing costs affecting patients? How come two-thirds of people in California who are getting in-home health care get it from family members who are often unpaid? Would universal long term care - or a single-payer system with unified financing - help?
To find out, we spoke to Jodi Reid, executive director of California Alliance for Retired Americans, California’s largest grassroots senior advocacy organization. She has more than four decades of organizing experience on issues ranging from health care to housing. Jodi represents her organization on the board of Healthy California Now, a single-payer advocacy coalition. This is the first of a two-part series with Jodi about long-term care.
Check out the Show Notes and Transcript for more!
This time on Code WACK!
How do insurance companies put up barriers to addiction treatments? How does this affect treatment programs and their clients? And how would it be if we had Medicare for All?
To find out, we spoke to Arlene Stanich-Prince, executive director of Ohlhoff Recovery Programs in San Francisco, one of the longest standing treatment programs in the area. This is the first of two episodes with Stanich-Prince.
Check out the Show Notes and Transcript for more!
This time on Code WACK!
What are some of the most common misconceptions about people who are addicted to substances like opioids? What medicines are revolutionizing the way people are being treated today – and how accessible are they?
To find out, we spoke to Arlene Stanich-Prince, executive director of Ohlhoff Recovery Programs in San Francisco, one of the longest standing treatment programs in the area. This is the first of two episodes with Stanich-Prince.
Check out the Show Notes and Transcript for more!
This time on Code WACK!
What is the true cost of the American health insurance system? What toll is it taking on both patients and providers? And what do we need instead?
To find out, we recently interviewed Dr. Linda Peeno, a physician, ethicist and health insurance industry whistleblower who testified before Congress and who has spent nearly four decades working to protect patients from harm and death by corporate healthcare systems.
Dr. Peeno was played by actor Laura Dern in the 2002 docudrama “Damaged Care,” and she was also featured in Michael Moore’s 2007 documentary “Sicko.”
Check out the Show Notes and Transcript for more!
This time on Code WACK!
How did a single mom in Kentucky, in the 1970s, become a physician, then a health insurance medical reviewer and eventually a whistleblower?
To find out, we recently interviewed Dr. Linda Peeno, a physician and ethicist who has spent nearly four decades working to protect patients from harm and death by corporate healthcare systems.
Dr. Peeno was played by actor Laura Dern in the 2002 docudrama “Damaged Care,” and she was also featured in Michael Moore’s 2007 documentary “Sicko.” She has assisted in more than 150 legal cases to expose for-profit systems that have corrupted medicine and health care.
Check out the Show Notes and Transcript for more!
This time on Code WACK!
In honor of PRIDE Month, we’re revisiting a popular episode about the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980s and 1990s. What were the health policy failures that spurred so many Americans to militant activism? How did the LGBTQ+ community win the struggle to get government funding to address the deadly virus?
Fortunately today, with appropriate medical intervention, more and more people are living, instead of dying, with HIV/AIDS. But the U.S. still trails many developed countries in life expectancy, a result of health policy failures that continue to cause unnecessary death and suffering.
What can today's Medicare-for-All movement learn from AIDS activists?
To find out, we spoke with Michael Lighty, president of the Healthy California Now Coalition, and former constituency director for Bernie 2020.
Check out the Show Notes and Transcript for more!
This time on Code WACK!
At least seven states are grappling with budget shortfalls in 2024. What goes on behind the scenes when a state needs to cut costs? Who stands to lose the most as programs are trimmed or eliminated? Today we're looking at California’s multi-billion dollar budget deficit – and what's being done to protect the state’s most vulnerable residents.
To find out, we spoke to Jodi Reid, executive director of California Alliance for Retired Americans, California’s largest grassroots senior advocacy organization. She has more than four decades of organizing experience on issues ranging from health care to housing. Jodi represents her organization on the board of Healthy California Now, a single-payer advocacy coalition.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
How do Managed Care health insurance plans hurt patients? Why is it legal for commercial health insurers to use Denial-of-Care as a business model? And what is one organization doing to call attention to such issues?
To find out, we spoke to Kimberly J. Soenen, founder of “SOME PEOPLE,” a Chicago-based not-for-profit organization and multiverse channel dedicated to removing barriers to healthcare access. Soenen is also the COO of AMPERS Radio Association in Minnesota, but the views she expressed in this podcast are solely her own. This is the second episode in a two-part series with Kimberly Soenen.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
What’s the impact of health insurance denial-of-care tactics? Who “wins” when new employees have to wait three months before their health insurance kicks in? What devastating physical, financial and emotional consequences did one young woman face after she was seriously injured during such a waiting period?
To find out, we spoke to Kimberly Soenen, the Minnesota-based founder of “Some People,” a not-for-profit organization and multiverse channel that examines the people, processes and systems that constitute the maintenance of and barriers to health. This is the first episode in a two-part series with Kimberly.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
Why do lawmakers continue to ignore the toll our broken healthcare system takes on us? And what can we do, ourselves, to bring about change? What inspired single-payer advocate and mother Rebecca Wood to put much of her activism on hold to “sharpen her swords”?
To find out, we interviewed Rebecca, a first-year law student and public interest fellow at the University of Massachusetts. She’s a 2024 Rappaport Fellow in Law and Public Policy and the president of the University of Massachusetts Law National Lawyers Guild chapter. This is the second episode in a two-part series with Rebecca.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
In honor of Mother's Day, we're talking about how our dysfunctional health insurance system affects moms. How far did one mother go to ensure that her daughter – born extremely premature – got the critical care she needed?
How did our broken healthcare system push our guest, Rebecca Wood, to delay her own care for the sake of her daughter Charlie, with devastating consequences? How has Rebecca’s life been transformed since she testified before Congress in 2019 about the impossible choices she faced? This is the first of two podcast episodes featuring Rebecca Wood.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
With all its apparent advantages, why hasn’t California passed single payer yet? Is organized labor fully in the Medicare-for-All game? Do managed care providers - like Kaiser Permanente - have outsized influence on healthcare reform in the state?
To find out, we spoke to Peter Shapiro, a retired letter carrier and author of Song of the Stubborn One Thousand: the Watsonville Canning Strike (Haymarket Books 2016). He represented his union at the founding conference of the Labor Campaign for Single Payer in 2009 and has been involved with the issue ever since. He currently represents the Alameda Labor Council on the board of Healthy California Now, a single-payer advocacy coalition. This is the second episode in a two-part series with Peter Shapiro.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
How is private equity affecting our healthcare system? What’s being done about it? How does our fragmented healthcare system affect patients, including people who have cancer? And what cues can healthcare reform activists take from California's immigrant community?
To find out, we spoke to Peter Shapiro, a retired letter carrier and author of Song of the Stubborn One Thousand: the Watsonville Canning Strike (Haymarket Books 2016). He represented his union at the founding conference of the Labor Campaign for Single Payer in 2009 and has been involved with the issue ever since. He currently represents the Alameda Labor Council on the board of Healthy California Now, a single-payer advocacy coalition. This is the first episode in a two-part series with Peter Shapiro.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
How would single-payer, Medicare for All affect the experience of getting care? Would it make it easier to find and see a primary care doctor? And just as importantly, how much money could individuals and families save under a state or national single-payer system?
To find out, we spoke to Dr. James G. Kahn, an expert in health policy and economics, an advisor to Code WACK! and editor and primary blogger of Health Justice Monitor, a health policy blog. This is the second episode in a two part series with Dr. Kahn.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
What the heck is going on with Medicare for All in California? Can single-payer advocates overcome their differences and finally win health care for all in the Golden State? What’s the significance of two recent bills, Senate Bill 770, and Assembly Bill 2200, in achieving Medicare for All in California?
To find out, we spoke to Dr. James G. Kahn, an expert in health policy and economics, an advisor to Code WACK! and editor and primary blogger of Health Justice Monitor, a health policy blog.
This is the first episode in a two-part series.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
Will California’s new single payer bill, CalCare, be a tough sell for the state’s legislature, even if most of the state’s residents want Medicare for All? What political hurdles must be cleared before such a bill would pass? And what would it mean for single payer efforts if Donald Trump is re-elected president this year?
To find out, we spoke to Assemblymember Ash Kalra. As a longstanding champion of single-payer health care, Assemblymember Kalra introduced statewide legislation known as CalCare (AB 1400 in 2021 and AB 2200 in 2023), which would guarantee comprehensive, high-quality health care for all Californians as a human right. This is the second episode in a two-part series.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
Once again, a new single-payer bill, AB 2200 or CalCare, sponsored by the California Nurses Association, has been introduced in the California state legislature. How will it help save lives? Will it break the bank, or will it save us money? What’s different about this version of the bill and what kind of support does it have in the state legislature?
To find out, we spoke to Assemblyman Ash Kalra. As a longstanding champion of single-payer health care, Assemblymember Kalra introduced statewide legislation known as CalCare (AB 1400 in 2021 and AB 2200 in 2023), which would guarantee comprehensive, high-quality health care for all Californians as a human right. This is the first episode in a two-part series.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
Besides the Alabama IVF decision, how else are reproductive rights being rolled back in America? Why are some states going after emergency contraception known as the morning-after pill? What policy solutions are needed to better protect reproductive rights?
To find out, we spoke to Vina Smith-Ramakrishnan, a fellow at The Century Foundation, where she works on issues related to maternal health and reproductive rights and justice. Vina’s work supports The Century Foundation’s efforts to eliminate racial and gender disparities in health outcomes. Vina has a master’s of public health in global health policy from George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
Where are we today when it comes to reproductive rights in America? And what does the latest IVF case in Alabama mean for reproductive justice and healthcare equity in America?
To find out, we spoke to Vina Smith-Ramakrishnan, a fellow at The Century Foundation, where she works on issues related to maternal health and reproductive rights and justice. Vina’s work supports The Century Foundation’s efforts to eliminate racial and gender disparities in health outcomes. Vina has a master’s of public health in global health policy from George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
Are regulations meant to protect nursing home residents being enforced? How is understaffing at the California Dept of Public Health affecting nursing home regulation? Are for-profit and nonprofit nursing homes comparable when it comes to the quality of care residents receive? What reforms are in the works to better protect residents?
To find out, we spoke to Tony Chicotel, senior staff attorney at California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, or CANHR, where he promotes the rights of residents in long-term care facilities through litigation, legislation, regulatory policy, and consumer education.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
The COVID pandemic devastated nursing homes and other long-term care facilities highlighting the need for major reforms. What are the policies behind the often dismal performance of the nursing home industry? What policy changes have been made so far and why are nursing home residents still so vulnerable?
To find out, we spoke to Tony Chicotel, senior staff attorney at California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, or CANHR, where he promotes the rights of residents in long-term care facilities through litigation, legislation, regulatory policy, and consumer education.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
Why is tying a medical provider’s pay to the outcomes of their patients a bad idea? Why else should we be concerned about Accountable Care Organizations and the privatization of traditional Medicare?
To find out, we spoke to Dr. Ana Malinow, who spent three decades working as a pediatrician with immigrant, refugee and underserved children before retiring as Clinical Professor of Pediatrics from the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine. She’s past president of Physicians for a National Health Program and is currently a lead organizer for National Single Payer and The Movement to End Privatization of Medicare. This is the second episode in a two-part series with Dr. Malinow.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
You've probably heard about the dangers of Medicare Advantage, but did you know that traditional Medicare is being privatized too? How is this corrupting our healthcare system even more and what does this mean for patients?
To find out, we spoke to Dr. Ana Malinow, who spent three decades working as a pediatrician with immigrant, refugee and underserved children in Ohio, Texas, Pennsylvania, and California before retiring as Clinical Professor of Pediatrics from the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine. She’s past president of Physicians for a National Health Program and is currently a lead organizer for National Single Payer and The Movement to End Privatization of Medicare. This is the first episode in a two-part series with Dr. Malinow.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
Some states are making it easier for trans and non-binary individuals to get gender-affirming care but in other states, a record number of laws have been passed to outlaw – or limit – such care. What kind of toll does this take on people in the trans community, their doctors and their advocates? What policy solutions are needed to ensure that everyone, regardless of gender identity, has access to the medical care they need?
To find out, we spoke to Ash Orr, a trans organizer from West Virginia and press relations manager for the National Center for Transgender Equality or NCTE. This is the second episode in a two-part series.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
What unique challenges do transgender individuals face when it comes to accessing health care - especially in rural America? Why is gender affirming care considered potentially life saving for trans and nonbinary individuals? How do inaccessible health care, employment discrimination and medical mistreatment intersect for trans people?
To find out, we spoke to Ash Orr, a trans organizer from West Virginia and press relations manager for the National Center for Transgender Equality or NCTE. Ash is also a National Storyteller for Planned Parenthood, leveraging their personal experiences with abortion care and transition-related healthcare to help dispel societal stigmas around these topics. This is the first episode in a two-part series.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
What can be done about the fentanyl crisis on Los Angeles’ Skid Row that disproportionately affects Black residents? What policy solutions are needed? In light of the historical evidence of racial disparities in the criminal justice and healthcare systems, should reparations be considered?
To find out, we spoke to Nyabingi Kuti, director of the LA Harm Reduction Network. Harm reduction, an evidence-based public health approach, focuses on reducing harmful consequences of substance use. It meets people where they’re at and acknowledges that many people aren’t willing or able to stop using. This is the second episode in a two-part series.
Check out the Show Notes and Transcript for more!
This time on Code WACK!
More than 3,000 people died of drug overdoses in Los Angeles County alone in 2022 and last October, Hollywood actor Matthew Perry, of “Friends” fame, became one of the latest overdose victims when he accidentally died of acute effects of ketamine at his Los Angeles home.
Perry's story reminds us that no one is immune to drug overdoses, but who are the most vulnerable in LA County and why? How do poverty, homelessness and mental health issues intersect with addiction to create a deadly “perfect storm” for so many? To find out, we spoke to Nayabingi Kuti, director of the LA Harm Reduction Network, which aims to expand and enhance access to substance use disorder treatment for L.A. County and especially Skid Row. This is the first episode in a two-part series.
This time on Code WACK!
Can California’s new Office of Health Care Affordability stem the rising tide of healthcare inflation? Are similar efforts to rein in healthcare costs happening in other states? And what does the creation of the Office mean about the chance for single-payer, Medicare for All in the Golden State?
To find out we spoke to Ian Lewis, the policy director for Unite Here Local 2, a union of over 15,000 hospitality workers in the San Francisco Bay Area. Ian previously served as a research director for the National Union of Healthcare Workers and is a board member of California's Office of Health Care Affordability established in 2022. This is the second episode in a two-part series.
Check out the Show Notes and Transcript for more!
This time on Code WACK!
The New Year is ringing in higher health care premiums while U.S. life expectancy continues to fall. Despite spending more on health care than any other country, we don’t seem to be getting much bang for our bucks! For instance, in 2023 American men can expect to live to age 73 while Frenchmen can expect to live to age 80 - nearly 10% longer!
What’s the link between lower life expectancy and high healthcare costs? And what can we do to about it?
To find out we spoke to Ian Lewis, the policy director for Unite Here Local 2, a union of over 15,000 hospitality workers in the San Francisco Bay Area. Ian previously served as a research director for the National Union of Healthcare workers and is a board member of California's Office of Healthcare Affordability established in 2022. This is the first episode in a two-part series.
Check out the Show Notes and Transcript for more!
This time on Code WACK!
In honor of more than 200 podcast episodes and the New Year, we’re running one of our oldies but goodies about the medical tourism phenomenon -
Need surgery but your $7,000 deductible is in the way? How about major dental care that your insurance doesn't even begin to adequately cover? Could you save by going to another country for treatment?
The skyrocketing cost of care and rising insurance premiums are driving some Americans to seek affordable health care abroad.
Many medical tourists get high quality, affordable health care abroad. However, some have problems. It's essential to thoroughly research the risks and benefits before pursuing medical care in another country.
That being said, how much could you save?
And what's the experience like?
To find out, we spoke to Michael Djavahery, a Los Angeles-based life coach, trainer, speaker, author, and master hypnotist. In this episode Michael shares his experiences, including how much money he saved, traveling to the Philippines and Malaysia, to be treated by highly-qualified, internationally accredited doctors and dentists.
If the U.S. had Improved Medicare for All, would that have influenced Michael's decisions?
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
Patients aren’t the only people who are frustrated with our current healthcare system. So are doctors! Why? And why doesn’t free market capitalism work with health care?
To find out, we spoke to award-winning filmmaker Maddy Purves, who is editor of the documentary Healing US narrated by Susan Sarandon, and Laura Fielding, founder of Red Berets for Medicare for All and associate producer of Healing US. This is the second episode in a two-part series.
This time on Code WACK!
How did the new documentary Healing US, about the drawbacks of America’s for-profit healthcare system, get made? Which harrowing stories did they highlight? When Americans need health care, why do so many worry whether they can afford to be treated?
For answers to these questions and more, we spoke to award-winning documentary filmmaker Maddy Purves, who is editor of the film, and Laura Fielding, founder of Red Berets for Medicare for All and associate producer of Healing US. This is the first in a two-part series.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
How can we, as a society, better support Black expectant parents and their babies in light of how vulnerable they are to dying in America? And what root causes must be addressed do this most effectively?
To find out, we spoke to Melissa Franklin, the first Black director of Maternal Child and Adolescent Health for LA County’s Department of Public Health. Dr. Franklin is a system transformation leader with over 25 years of experience in organizational development, community engagement and communications strategy. This is the second in a two-part series with Dr. Melissa Franklin.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
Why are Black people so vulnerable to maternal and infant mortality - and what’s being done about it? What will the closing of a maternity ward in South Los Angeles County – a trend happening around the country – mean for local residents there?
To find out, we spoke to Melissa Franklin, EdD, MBA, the first Black director of Maternal Child and Adolescent Health for LA County’s Department of Public Health. Dr. Franklin is a systems transformation leader with over 25 years of experience in organizational development, community engagement and communications strategy. This is the first in a two-part series with Dr. Melissa Franklin.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
What are the main obstacles in implementing a new law paving the way to Medicare for All in California? Where does the biggest opposition lie – and what’s at stake if the law doesn’t fulfill its mission? How is the 2024 election key to our healthcare future?
To find out, we spoke to Irene Kao, executive director of Courage California, a progressive grassroots advocacy organization. She’s also a board member of the single payer advocacy coalition Healthy California Now.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
What kind of a healthcare system could actually promote equity? How does a new bill recently signed by Governor Gavin Newsom get California closer to universal, single-payer health care? And how is it different from previous Medicare-for-All bills?
To find out, we spoke to Irene Kao, executive director of Courage California, a progressive grassroots advocacy organization for which she’s the first woman of color to lead. She’s also a board member of the Healthy California Now, a single-payer advocacy coalition. This is the first episode in a two-part series with Irene Kao.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
What can be done in light of Medicare Advantage overcharging taxpayers to the tune of around $140 billion a year? What’s the Medigap Trap and why should you worry about it? Why should we work to improve traditional Medicare while pursuing Medicare for All?
To find out, we spoke to Dr. Ed Weisbart, the national board secretary for Physicians for a National Health Program and president of the Consumers Council of Missouri.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
Medicare Advantage is overcharging the federal government – and you won’t believe by how much! How’s this affecting taxpayers like you and me and what can be done about it?
To find out, we spoke to Dr. Ed Weisbart, the national board secretary for Physicians for a National Health Program and president of the Consumers Council of Missouri.
THIS TIME ON CODE WACK!
We're taking a closer look at what the millions of people being kicked off Medicaid can do about it.
What’s being done to help them?
And what else could we do to make sure people don't get stranded without health insurance coverage?
To find out, we spoke to Loretta Alexander, who recently retired as the health policy director of Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families.
Ms. Alexander has over 40 years of experience in health care.
This is the second episode in a two-part series with Loretta.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
THIS TIME ON CODE WACK!
Now that COVID protections have ended, what does that mean for the millions of people getting booted off Medicaid in the country? Where does that leave our nation’s most vulnerable, including children and people with chronic diseases or mental health issues?
To find out, we spoke to Loretta Alexander, health policy director of Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families. Ms. Alexander has over 40 years of experience in health care. This is the first episode in a two-part series with Loretta.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
THIS TIME ON CODE WACK!
What’s being done to help elder Native Americans receive culturally competent long term care? Would it surprise you to learn that relying on the Indian Health Service may not be enough to meet their needs? Why are some members of this highly vulnerable population buying health insurance too?
To find out, we spoke to Elder Billie Tohee, acting executive director of the Albuquerque-based National Indian Council on Aging (NICOA) and former chair of the board.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
THIS TIME ON CODE WACK!
In honor of Indigenous People’s Day, we’re examining healthcare inequities in Native communities. What challenges do they face when it comes to accessing quality health care in America? What problems could they encounter when they get their care through the Indian Health Service, the principal federal health care provider to American Indians and Alaska Natives?
To find out, we spoke with Elder Billie Tohee, acting executive director of the National Indian Council on Aging and former chair of the board. She’s an enrolled member of the Otoe-Missouria tribe and a descendant of the Iowa Nation of Oklahoma.
THIS TIME ON CODE WACK!
How did UnitedHealth Group, America’s largest health insurer by revenue, make billions in profit in the second quarter of 2023? How do UnitedHealth Group, CVS and Cigna control 80 percent of the drug supply market -- and why should we be concerned?
To find out, we spoke with Wendell Potter, a former health insurance industry executive turned whistleblower, the New York Times bestselling author of Deadly Spin and the president of the Center for Health and Democracy. He is the author of the Substack newsletter HEALTH CARE un-covered which covers out-of-control profiteering in U.S. health care, its impact on everyday Americans, and potential policy solutions.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
What policy solutions are needed to help people with disabilities get and keep quality health care - and which policies may do more harm than good? What would a Medicare for All system mean to this community?
To find out, we spoke to Angela Gardner, a disability rights advocate who lives in the Los Angeles area. Angela is also a board member of Healthy California Now representing Hand in Hand, which fights for access to home care and disability justice, among other things.
This is the second of two episodes with Angela.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
What challenges do people living with disabilities face when it comes to accessing quality health care?
And are they being included in decisions about health policies that affect them?
To find out, we spoke with Angela Gardner, a disability rights advocate who lives in the Los Angeles area. Her work focuses on helping people with disabilities in the areas of employment, education, healthcare, services and support to live independently in the community.
This is the first of two episodes with Angela.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on CodeWACK!
What’s the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike about and what’s at stake for actors? Plus, what could the ongoing strike mean for their health care?
To find out, we spoke to Pat Finn, a Los Angeles-based actor who has worked in Hollywood for more than 25 years. He’s appeared in such shows as Seinfeld, Friends, Drew Carey, and Murphy Brown and in movies such as It’s Complicated opposite Meryl Streep.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
In honor of Labor Day, we're looking at the trade-offs some workers face in order to have health care. What choices are families forced to make when they can't afford to insure everyone?
To find out, we spoke to Rose Roach, chair of Healthcare for All Minnesota and national coordinator for the Labor Campaign for Single Payer. She recently retired as the executive director of the Minnesota Nurses Association.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
How is Minnesota on the front lines of healthcare reform? What gains has the state legislature made when it comes to busting dangerous corporate healthcare mergers and moving closer to Medicare for All?
To find out, we spoke to Rose Roach, chair of Healthcare for All Minnesota and national coordinator for the Labor Campaign for Single Payer. She recently retired as the executive director of the Minnesota Nurses Association.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
THIS TIME ON CODE WACK!
How are corporate health insurers using artificial intelligence to step up their claims’ denials? And what’s being done to out some of the bad actors in Medicare Advantage?
To find out, we spoke to Diane Archer, founder and president of Just Care USA, an independent digital media hub covering health and financial issues facing boomers and their families. Miss Archer is the past chair of the Board of Consumer Reports, currently serves as a senior advisor at Social Security Works and as a member of the board of the Center for Health and Democracy.
This time on Code WACK!
How do Medicare Advantage plans use pre-authorizations and claim denials to maximize their profits at the expense of senior citizen’s lives? And how are health insurers getting away with this?
To find out, we spoke to Diane Archer, founder and president of Just Care USA, an independent digital media hub covering health and financial issues facing boomers and their families. Miss Archer is the past chair of the Board of Consumer Reports, currently serves as a senior advisor at Social Security Works and as a member of the board of the Center for Health and Democracy.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
How does the way health insurance works discourage patients from seeking care in the first place? What other challenges do physical therapists face when dealing with a variety of insurance plans and regulations?
To find out, we spoke to Ariel Wynne, a physical therapist and board certified pelvic health clinical specialist in Chicago. Ariel recently opened her clinic, Ground Floor Physical Therapy, which specializes exclusively in pelvic floor physical therapy for all genders. This is the second episode in a two-part series.
Check out the Show Notes and Episode Transcript for more!
This time on Code WACK!
Despite the proven value of physical therapy, what health insurance hassles do physical therapists and their patients face today? Why are patient costs all over the place?
To find out, we spoke to Ariel Wynne, a physical therapist and board certified pelvic health clinical specialist in Chicago. Ariel recently opened her clinic, Ground Floor Physical Therapy which specializes exclusively in pelvic floor physical therapy for all genders. What can patients do to afford the physical therapy they need?
Check out the Show Notes and Transcript for more!
This time on Code WACK!
How have health clinics that perform abortions been affected by the reversal of Roe vs. Wade one year ago? What kind of legal challenges have there been to individual states' limitations on abortion since then?
To find out, we spoke with Cat Duffy, a policy analyst in the National Health Law Program’s Washington DC office. She holds a doctorate and works on reproductive and sexual healthcare access and services with a particular focus on abortion coverage and access.
This is the second part of our recent interview on the state of abortion access in America.
Check out the Show Notes and Transcript for more!
This time on Code WACK!
Now that the COVID health emergency has ended and millions of Americans are losing Medicaid coverage, we’re thinking about the nearly two million Americans who never got it in the first place because their state did not adopt the Medicaid expansion back in 2014.
How did this affect them?
To find out, we’re revisiting one of our favorite episodes about radio personality and performance artist, Eliska Hahn, who was struggling with multiple sclerosis while living in a state that did not accept the ACA’s Medicaid expansion.
How did she avoid financial ruin? This oldie but goodie episode is an excellent reminder of why we need Medicare for All in America.
Check out the Show Notes and Transcript for more!
This time on Code WACK!
What are the most common concerns of doctors about Medicare for All? Would reforming America's broken healthcare system improve - or worsen - doctors’ lives? How does the focus on corporate profits impact doctors’ experience?
To find out, we spoke to Dr. David Leibowitz, hematologist-oncologist and past chair of Physicians for a National Health Program - California, a non-partisan voluntary organization that supports equitable access to high quality health care as a right to all people.
For more, check out the Show Notes & episode transcript!
This time on Code WACK!
This Independence Day we’re thinking about freedom to pursue our dreams. The high cost of health care makes it difficult or impossible for Americans to afford higher education, or retirement, and the impact on business is severe too, as employers struggle to afford health care for their workers.
Thirteen years after the Affordable Care Act passed, health care in America is still marked by inequity and spiraling costs. Could single payer free us to pursue our dreams of financial security and independence?
To find out, join Ian Lewis, political & research director at the National Union of Healthcare Workers, and a board member of California’s Office of Health Care Affordability.
Check out the Show Notes & Episode Transcript!
This time on Code WACK!
It’s been one year now since the Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe vs. Wade ruling, and reversed five decades of legal precedent. The Dobbs v Jackson decision returned the power to regulate abortion to individual states. What has that meant for abortion access in America?
To find out, we spoke to Cat Duffy, a policy analyst in the National Health Law Program’s Washington, DC office. She holds a doctorate and works on reproductive and sexual healthcare access and services with a particular focus on abortion coverage and access.
Check out the Show Notes and Transcript for more!
This time on Code WACK!
April Valentine knew that Black women were more likely to die from a pregnancy or child-related cause -- and tried to beat the odds with careful research, preparation and a supportive birthing team. So why did the 31-year-old die at an L.A.- area hospital while in labor with her baby girl?
To find out, we spoke to April’s doula, Stanis Askew, who works with Frontline Doulas, a perinatal health program that connects Black families with Black doulas. While the incident remains under investigation, here is April’s tragic story told through the eyes of her doula.
Check out the Show Notes and Transcript for more!
This time on Code WACK!
What exactly is a doula and how does it differ from a midwife? How can doulas support those who are most likely to die from giving birth?
To find out, we spoke to Stanis Askew, a full spectrum doula in Southern California who helps families from conception until after birth.
She works with Frontline Doulas, a perinatal health program connecting Black families with Black doulas, and is passionate about elevating the Black birth experience.
Check out the Show Notes and Transcript for more!
This time on Code WACK!
In honor of pride month, we’re examining the pivotal role the LGBTQ community has played in advocating for healthcare reform. Is it just a coincidence that most of California's single-payer bills have been introduced by lawmakers in the LGBTQ community?
How can we further galvanize the community around this life-saving issue?
To find out, we spoke with Michael Lighty, president of the Healthy California Now Coalition, and former constituency director for Bernie 2020.
Check out the Show Notes and Transcript for more!
In honor of Pride month, we’re examining LGBTQ activism in health care. How did the HIV/AIDS crisis devastate the community and what pushed many members toward militant activism? What can the Medicare for All movement learn from AIDS activists?
To find out, we spoke with Michael Lighty, president of the Healthy California Now Coalition, and former constituency director for Bernie 2020.
Check out the Show Notes and Transcript for more!
This time on Code WACK!
Why do Black women have a 5-year mortality risk from endometrial cancer that’s 90 percent higher than White women? Is it about race or racism – and what can we do about it?
To find out, we spoke with Dr. Diljeet Singh, a women’s health advocate and integrative gynecologic oncologist who has practiced for nearly 25 years. She’s also the vice president of Physicians for a National Health Program, which advocates for Medicare for All.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
Why is it that infant mortality rates in America differ by race? Why are some American babies more likely to be born premature or underweight? And how could single-payer health care help?
To find out, we spoke with Dr. Diljeet Singh, a women’s health advocate and integrative gynecologic oncologist who has practiced for nearly 25 years. She’s also the vice president of Physicians for a National Health Program, which advocates for Medicare for All.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
What would organized labor, and the workers they represent, gain under Medicare for All? Despite these gains, why are unions still divided on the issue? What would it take for labor to speak with a unified voice on this issue?
To find out, we spoke to Ada Briceño, co-president of UNITE HERE Local 11, which represents more than 30,000 hotel workers in Southern California and in Arizona. She's also a Democratic National Committee member, chair of the Orange County Democratic Party and was named one of Orange County’s 100 Most Influential by the Orange County Register four times since 2014.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
Who’s the powerhouse behind the Orange County Democratic Party in California? Why is she raising her voice in support of Medicare for All as a union leader representing more than 30,000 hotel workers in Southern California and Arizona?
To find out, we spoke with Ada Briceño, co-president of UNITE HERE Local 11, who has dedicated her career to uplifting marginalized voices and bridging communities. Besides years of union organizing and political work, she has led many civil rights, immigrant rights, women’s rights and environmental efforts. She is a Democratic National Committee member and was named one of Orange County’s 100 Most Influential by the Orange County Register four times since 2014.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
Are hospitals and health insurers incentivized to keep costs high? Are mergers and acquisitions in the healthcare sector helping - or hurting? How has the state of Maryland kept hospital costs in check – and how might other states do the same?
To find out, we spoke with Richard Master, CEO of MCS Industries, founder of Business Leaders for Health Care Transformation and executive director of American Hospitals, the latest film in his documentary series. He’s joined by Wendell Potter, a former health insurance industry communications executive, the New York Times best-selling author of Deadly Spin and president of Business Leaders for Health Care Transformation.
This is the second episode in a two-part series about the film American Hospitals.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
What led a CEO to produce a series of films to change America's healthcare system? What role do hospitals play in health care’s astronomical pricing? And what options do we have to rein in costs and make hospital care affordable to everyone?
To find out, we spoke with Richard Master, CEO of MCS Industries, founder of Business Leaders for Health Care Transformation and executive director of American Hospitals, Healing a Broken System, the latest film in his documentary series.
He’s joined by Wendell Potter, a former health insurance industry communications executive, the New York Times best-selling author of Deadly Spin and president of Business Leaders for Health Care Transformation. This is the first episode in a two-part series about the film American Hospitals.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
Winning Medicare for All in the U.S. may be at a standstill at the federal level, but it's a different story In the states. In 2021 alone, 18 single payer bills were introduced in states such as Massachusetts, New York, Colorado, and Oregon.
Winning in California -- the most populous nation in the state -- could be a game changer. And, not one but two bills have been introduced in the California State Legislature this year.
What's the latest single payer bill introduced in the California Senate and how is it different from previous bills? How will it work with CalCare, which was introduced in the California State Assembly this year for the second time?
To find out, we spoke with Michael Lighty, president of the Healthy California Now Coalition, and former constituency director for Bernie 2020. What's the thinking behind this new strategy?
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
How does diversity in politics affect the policies that impact our everyday lives?
What challenges do women face when running for office and once they get there, how do their life experiences influence their political work?
To find out, we spoke to California Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo, the only Democrat to unseat a Republican incumbent in the state assembly last November. This is the second episode in a two-part series.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK! Longtime nurse advocate, single mother, and now California Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo was the only Democrat to unseat a Republican incumbent in the California assembly last November.
What inspired her to get into politics? What are her priorities when it comes to health care, homelessness, and housing?
We're highlighting Schiavo’s impressive story today in honor of Women's History Month. Find out what she thinks would be a major game-changer in the fight against poverty. This is the first of a two-part series with the assemblywoman.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
What are the latest attempts to rein in Medicare Advantage insurers and their questionable practices? What hurdles do patients face with Medicare Advantage plans when it comes to their care? Is Medicare Advantage a better deal for patients, or for insurers? Is Medicare Advantage actually fixable?
To find out, we spoke to Diane Archer, founder and president of Just Care USA, an independent digital media hub, covering health and financial issues facing boomers and their families. Miss Archer is the past chair of the Board of Consumer Reports, currently serves as a senior advisor at Social Security Works and as a member of the board of the Center for Health and Democracy.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!
How does running a hospital like a business run counter to providing reliable and affordable healthcare? How would having Medicare for All change the way hospitals are financed and what would it mean for patients, doctors, and the hospitals themselves?
To find out, we spoke to Dr. David Himmelstein, a distinguished professor of public health at CUNY's Hunter College and a lecturer in medicine at Harvard Medical School.
He also serves as a staff physician at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx and is the co-founder of Physicians for a National Health Program. This is the second of a two-part series with Dr. Himmelstein.
Check out the Show Notes and Transcript for more!
What's the story behind the EMTALA patient protection law of 1986, which requires hospitals to stabilize or treat patients who are in a health emergency regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay?
What has this law done for patients and what does it mean for hospitals?
How does the current way hospitals are paid incentivize them to pass the buck on uninsured patients?
To find out, we spoke to Dr. David Himmelstein, a distinguished professor of public health at CUNY's Hunter College and a lecturer in medicine at Harvard Medical School. He also serves as a staff physician at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx and is the co-founder of Physicians for a National Health Program.
This is the first of a two-part series with Dr. Himmelstein.
Check out the Show Notes and Transcript for helpful links and more!
What if you don't have health insurance but need medical care to save your life? If you're drowning in bills from the hospital, what can you do?
To find out, we spoke to Venus Lockett, a financial services professional who lives near Atlanta. After an ambulance ride, one night in the hospital and multiple tests, she faced over $30,000 in medical bills while she was in-between jobs, uninsured and living in Georgia, one of 12 states that still has not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.
Find out what Venus did to get out from under those crushing bills and save her credit rating. Learn how to protect yourself with the Consumer Guide for Medical Bills and Debt, published by the nonprofit consumer protection organization Georgia Watch.
This time on Code WACK!
How do people get into medical debt in the first place? Sometimes it can happen when a business reorganization turns employees with benefits into contractors with no benefits. Or maybe you live in one of the 12 states that did not expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act?
To find out, we spoke to Venus Lockett, a financial services professional who lives near Atlanta. Learn what happened when Venus’s health took a bad turn while she was uninsured, and nearly $31,000 in medical bills came rolling in.
Does it really make sense to have a healthcare system with no caps on patient costs? And can anyone honestly say that employer-sponsored coverage is “best” when the business sector is often in flux, whether from recession or pandemic?
Check out the Show Notes and Transcript for more!
This time on Code WACK! What’s the latest threat to original Medicare? What could happen if we link health outcomes to physician compensation? How is it that a whole new program affecting millions of Americans on original Medicare can be rolled out without congressional oversight?
To find out, we spoke to the new president of Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP), Dr. Philip Verhoef, an adult and pediatric intensivist and Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii-Manoa.
Learn more about the new program called ACO REACH, and the issues it raises around physician compensation. Could ACO REACH threaten the trust between patients and their doctors?
Check out the Show Notes and Transcript for helpful links and more!
This time on Code WACK! What say should doctors have in reforming America’s healthcare system? Are their decades-long efforts to stop the commercialization of medicine having an impact? How can health professionals, and students in the health sciences, get involved in the movement for single-payer health care?
To find out, we spoke to the new president of Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP), Dr. Philip Verhoef, an adult and pediatric intensivist and Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii-Manoa.
Find out the main strategies, goals and challenges of PNHP, the only single-issue physician led organization advocating for Medicare for All in America. And learn about the growing influence of Students for a National Health Program (SNaHP) in the single-payer movement.
Check out the Show Notes and Transcript for helpful links and more!
And you like our work, please support us with a donation! We are a 501c3 and your gift is tax-deductible.
This time on Code WACK! At least 20 legislative bills targeting transgender medical care were pre-filed in at least nine states for 2023, according to The Hill. And last year, more than two dozen states sought to enact measures to ban or severely restrict access to gender-affirming healthcare for transgender youth.
To learn more about the challenges transgender individuals face when seeking such treatments, we spoke to Jeffrey Rodriguez, the director of Community Health Programs at the Los Angeles LGBT Center. He’s worked there for over 12 years, mainly in sexual health and education.
Check out the Show Notes and Transcript for helpful links and more!
This time on Code WACK! What would you do if you were faced with thousands of dollars of medical debt? Would you file for bankruptcy or let the debt go to collections? What help is out there for people facing such difficult dilemmas?
Would Medicare for All protect patients from the hassles and financial burdens that face ill patients today?
To find out, we spoke with Monique Davis, a nonprofit executive in Southern California, who, during midlife, faced an unexpected diagnosis with a rare and potentially deadly disease. This is the second of two episodes featuring Monique's harrowing story.
Check out the Show Notes and Transcript for background info and more!
Can you count on your health insurance when you need it? What if you and your spouse are "double-covered?" What are your options when medical debt is dragging you down? And if you can't pay, what happens after you get well and start looking for a new job?
To find out, we spoke with Monique Davis, a nonprofit executive in Southern California, who, during midlife, faced an unexpected diagnosis with a rare and potentially deadly disease. How did her HMO respond when claims for chemotherapy, medical equipment, multiple ambulance rides and a stem cell transplant came rolling in?
Monique says her survival is a miracle and her treatments were arduous. . . Did dealing with the claims really have to be so hard?
Check out the Show Notes and Transcript for background info and more!
Why does America STILL have a healthcare system with so many cracks to fall through? A routine job change, a move, or a divorce can trigger a change in health insurance eligibility, premiums, out-of-pocket costs, provider networks, etc. What's the true cost of our fragmented, bureaucratic and for-profit healthcare system?
To find out, we spoke to Scott Desnoyers, an anguished New York father who says he lost his son over a $20 insurance premium. Listen as Scott bears witness to the terrible toll a change in Medicaid eligibility took when his son Danny got a new job.
When it comes to health insurance, a misunderstanding can have severe consequences. What can we expect when federal rules that have protected Medicaid eligibility during the COVID pandemic change later this year for some 15 million people ?
Check out the Show Notes and Transcript for background info and more!
Was the Affordable Care Act a cure-all or a mixed bag for freelancers? Where can gig workers turn for expert insurance information and coverage? How would Medicare for All affect independent workers?
To find out, we spoke to Rafael Espinal and Jonathan Gray of the New York-based Freelancers Union. Rafael, a former New York state assemblyman and former New York City councilman, is executive director and Jonathan is their member benefits manager. This is the second of two episodes with the Freelancers Union.
Check out the Show Notes and Transcript for background info and more!
This time on Code WACK! Why are so many Americans choosing to freelance these days? What are some of the benefits - and risks - of choosing to work for yourself? What challenges do gig workers face when it comes to getting the basics, like health insurance and quality health care?
To find out, we spoke to Rafael Espinal and Jonathan Gray of the New York-based Freelancers Union. Rafael, a former New York state assemblyman and former New York City councilman, is executive director and Jonathan is their member benefits manager. This is the first of two episodes with the Freelancers Union.
Check out the Show Notes and Transcript for background info and more!
This time on Code WACK! What can be done to ensure that nonprofit hospitals are delivering fairly on their community benefits – and worthy of their huge tax breaks? How does corporate lobbying complicate efforts to improve the oversight of these facilities? Who benefits when hospitals reduce costs without lowering prices for patients?
To find out, we spoke to filmmaker Sandra Alvarez, director of the new documentary InHospitable, which tells the story of patients and advocates as they fight for their lives and take on a billion-dollar hospital system. This is the second of two episodes with Sandra about her film InHospitable.
Check out the Show Notes and Transcript for background info and more!
This time on Code WACK! When it comes to our broken healthcare system, are nonprofit hospitals part of the solution ... or part of the problem? What are their priorities? How do their actions affect patient care?
To find out, we spoke to filmmaker Sandra Alvarez, director of the new documentary InHospitable, which tells the story of patients and advocates as they fight for their lives and take on a billion dollar hospital system. This is the first of two episodes with Sandra about her film InHospitable.
Check out the Show Notes and Transcript for background info and more!
Medicare’s 2023 enrollment period is ending on Dec. 7 and Code WACK! is on the case! What are the true risks of choosing Medicare Advantage instead of original Medicare with a Medigap supplement? Are you risking your pocketbook, or your health?
Both, suggests expert Dr. Ed Weisbart, a retired family physician, former chief medical officer of Express Scripts and a national board member of Physicians for a National Health Program. "Don't get tricked" by Medicare Advantage, he warns, because there's a lot at stake. Why don't our lawmakers protect us by leveling the playing field between the two Medicare programs? To find out, listen to the episode!
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!. How do the results of the midterm elections affect the prospect for state-based single payer healthcare systems? Will state governments continue to subsidize the private insurance system and defend the status quo as we lose money and lives?
To find out, we asked Michael Lighty, president of Healthy California Now, a statewide coalition dedicated to winning single payer, Medicare for All in the Golden State. He was also the healthcare constituency director for Bernie Sanders 2020. This is the second of two pods about the election results with Mr. Lighty.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK!. What do the tight midterm elections mean for our nation's health care? Hanging in the balance are the fates of those who are dependent on pandemic emergency programs for their health care and millions of American seniors who anxiously face the privatization of traditional Medicare.
To find out, we asked Michael Lighty, president of Healthy California Now, a statewide coalition dedicated to winning single payer, Medicare for All in the Golden State. He was also the healthcare constituency director for Bernie Sanders 2020. This is the first of two pods about the election results with Mr. Lighty.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK! In 2022, nearly half of people eligible for Medicare are enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans. So what's the problem? Good question.
To find out, we spoke to Diane Archer, founder and president of Just Care USA, an independent digital media hub covering health and financial issues facing boomers and their families.
What pitfalls does Medicare Advantage pose? Is the Medicare Star Rating System a reliable guide to the best Advantage plans? And what's the Medigap Trap?
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
This time on Code WACK! In 2022, nearly half of people eligible for Medicare are enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans. So what's the problem? Good question.
To find out, we spoke to Diane Archer, founder and president of Just Care USA, an independent digital media hub covering health and financial issues facing boomers and their families.
What pitfalls does Medicare Advantage pose? Is the Medicare Star Rating System a reliable guide to the best Advantage plans? And what's the Medigap Trap?
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
What are the major differences between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage? How do the two programs compare when it comes to accessing quality care?
To get the facts, join host Brenda Gazzar and Ed Weisbart, MD, a retired family physician, former chief medical officer of Express Scripts and a national board member of Physicians for a National Health Program.
From narrow provider networks to pre-authorizations and claims denials, Dr. Weisbart shares the nitty-gritty on Medicare Advantage. What is the Medicare Advantage business model? Why are so many Medicare Advantage insurers being accused of fraud?
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
What are the major differences between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage? How do the two programs compare when it comes to accessing quality care?
To get the facts, join host Brenda Gazzar and Ed Weisbart, MD, a retired family physician, former chief medical officer of Express Scripts and a national board member of Physicians for a National Health Program.
From narrow provider networks to pre-authorizations and claims denials, Dr. Weisbart shares the nitty-gritty on Medicare Advantage. What is the Medicare Advantage business model? Why are so many Medicare Advantage insurers being accused of fraud?
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
Need surgery but your $7,000 deductible is in the way? How about major dental care that your insurance doesn't even begin to adequately cover? The skyrocketing cost of treatment and rising insurance premiums are driving some Americans to seek affordable health care abroad. While the COVID pandemic slowed international travel, in 2019 nearly 2 million Americans sought health care abroad, a number that is projected to grow.
Many medical tourists get high quality, affordable health care abroad. However, some have problems. It's essential to thoroughly research the risks and benefits before pursuing medical care in another country.
That being said, how much could you save? And what's the experience like? To find out, we spoke to Michael Djavahery, a Los Angeles-based life coach, trainer, speaker, author, and master hypnotist. In this episode Michael shares his experiences, including how much money he saved, traveling to the Philippines and Malaysia, to be treated by highly-qualified, internationally accredited doctors and dentists. If the U.S. had Improved Medicare for All, would that have influenced Michael's decisions?
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
How would most families and individuals fare financially with a single-payer Medicare for All system? What about you? Would you pay more - or less - for health care than you’re paying now? If saving money (and lives) weren't enough, what else could we gain if we had Medicare for All? Could Medicare for All help unite our divided nation?
To find out, we spoke to James G. Kahn, a professor emeritus of health policy, epidemiology, and global health at the University of California, San Francisco. An expert in health policy and economics, he’s an advisor for Code WACK! as well as editor and primary blogger for Health Justice Monitor.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
How would most families and individuals fare financially with a single-payer Medicare for All system? What about you? Would you pay more - or less - for health care than you’re paying now? If saving money (and lives) weren't enough, what else could we gain if we had Medicare for All? Could Medicare for All help unite our divided nation?
To find out, we spoke to James G. Kahn, a professor emeritus of health policy, epidemiology, and global health at the University of California, San Francisco. An expert in health policy and economics, he’s an advisor for Code WACK! as well as editor and primary blogger for Health Justice Monitor.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
What do Medicare beneficiaries need to know about open enrollment and their drug plans? How can they get free and unbiased help navigating their Medicare options? Most importantly, how can they save money on their medicines?
To find out, we spoke to Steve Maas, a freelance writer and a retired Boston Globe editor. The Maryland resident is currently a volunteer for the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (or SHIP program), a federal-state partnership that offers counseling on Medicare and Medicaid. In this interview about prescription drug pricing and Medicare, Steve spoke to us on his own behalf and not on behalf of SHIP. This is the second of two episodes with Steve.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
What do Medicare beneficiaries need to know about open enrollment and their drug plans? How can they get free and unbiased help navigating their Medicare options? Most importantly, how can they save money on their medicines?
To find out, we spoke to Steve Maas, a freelance writer and a retired Boston Globe editor. The Maryland resident is currently a volunteer for the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (or SHIP program), a federal-state partnership that offers counseling on Medicare and Medicaid. In this interview about prescription drug pricing and Medicare, Steve spoke to us on his own behalf and not on behalf of SHIP. This is the second of two episodes with Steve.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
What's up with America's prescription drug market? Why do some of us pay a lot more for our prescriptions than others? How can people on Medicare get the best prices for the medicines they need?
To find out, we spoke to Steve Maas, a freelance writer and a retired Boston Globe editor. The Maryland resident is currently a volunteer for the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (or SHIP program), a federal-state partnership that offers counseling on Medicare and Medicaid. In this interview about prescription drug pricing and Medicare Part D, Steve spoke to us on his own behalf and not on behalf of SHIP. This is the first of two episodes with Steve.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
What's up with America's prescription drug market? Why do some of us pay a lot more for our prescriptions than others? How can people on Medicare get the best prices for the medicines they need?
To find out, we spoke to Steve Maas, a freelance writer and a retired Boston Globe editor. The Maryland resident is currently a volunteer for the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (or SHIP program), a federal-state partnership that offers counseling on Medicare and Medicaid. In this interview about prescription drug pricing and Medicare Part D, Steve spoke to us on his own behalf and not on behalf of SHIP. This is the first of two episodes with Steve.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
What are the primary drivers of poverty in America? How has the commodification of medicine affected health care? What's behind immigrants' fear of accessing programs established to provide them lawful services?
For these answers and more, we spoke with Maribel Nuñez, executive director of Inland Equity Partnership, an economic justice coalition working to reduce poverty for the most vulnerable in Southern California’s Inland Empire. From the front lines of this struggle, Maribel is here to break it all down for us! This is the second of two episodes.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
What are the primary drivers of poverty in America? How has the commodification of medicine affected health care? What's behind immigrants' fear of accessing programs established to provide them lawful services?
For these answers and more, we spoke with Maribel Nuñez, executive director of Inland Equity Partnership, an economic justice coalition working to reduce poverty for the most vulnerable in Southern California’s Inland Empire. From the front lines of this struggle, Maribel is here to break it all down for us! This is the second of two episodes.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
State by state, advocates of guaranteed health care for immigrants are slowly making gains - what's their formula for success? Which California immigrants will get access to full Medicaid coverage in 2024, for the first time? How did this happen in an America that sometimes holds complicated feelings about people who are undocumented?
For these answers and more, we spoke with Maribel Nuñez, executive director of Inland Equity Partnership, an economic justice coalition working to reduce poverty for the most vulnerable in Southern California’s Inland Empire. From the front lines of this struggle, Maribel is here to break it all down for us! This is the first of two episodes.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
State by state, advocates of guaranteed health care for immigrants are slowly making gains - what's their formula for success? Which California immigrants will get access to full Medicaid coverage in 2024, for the first time? How did this happen in an America that sometimes holds complicated feelings about people who are undocumented?
For these answers and more, we spoke with Maribel Nuñez, executive director of Inland Equity Partnership, an economic justice coalition working to reduce poverty for the most vulnerable in Southern California’s Inland Empire. From the front lines of this struggle, Maribel is here to break it all down for us! This is the first of two episodes.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
How do we know that nearly 340,000 Americans died during the pandemic because they did not have health insurance? How does this compare to American deaths related to uninsurance during a non-COVID year? How could the U.S. have saved $5 billion or more in healthcare costs during the pandemic?
To find out, we spoke to James G. Kahn, MD/MPH, a professor emeritus of health policy, epidemiology, and global health at the University of California, San Francisco. An expert in health policy and economics, he's an advisor for Code WACK! as well as editor and primary blogger for Health Justice Monitor.
Click for Show Notes & episode transcript!
How do we know that nearly 340,000 Americans died during the pandemic because they did not have health insurance? How does this compare to American deaths related to uninsurance during a non-COVID year? How could the U.S. have saved $5 billion or more in healthcare costs during the pandemic?
To find out, we spoke to James G. Kahn, MD/MPH, a professor emeritus of health policy, epidemiology, and global health at the University of California, San Francisco. An expert in health policy and economics, he's an advisor for Code WACK! as well as editor and primary blogger for Health Justice Monitor.
Click for Show Notes & episode transcript!
Why are nearly half of all U.S. residents burdened with medical debt? Does it simply result from people making poor personal choices, or is it a symptom of a deeper, systemic problem with our healthcare system? What are the scary implications of this and what can we do about it? To find out, we spoke to James G. Kahn, MD/MPH, a professor emeritus of health policy, epidemiology, and global health at the University of California, San Francisco. An expert in health policy and economics, he's an advisor for Code WACK! as well as editor and primary blogger for Health Justice Monitor.
Click for Show Notes & episode transcript!
Why are nearly half of all U.S. residents burdened with medical debt? Does it simply result from people making poor personal choices, or is it a symptom of a deeper, systemic problem with our healthcare system? What are the scary implications of this and what can we do about it? To find out, we spoke to James G. Kahn, MD/MPH, a professor emeritus of health policy, epidemiology, and global health at the University of California, San Francisco. An expert in health policy and economics, he's an advisor for Code WACK! as well as editor and primary blogger for Health Justice Monitor.
Click for Show Notes & episode transcript!
This Labor Day Code WACK! is taking a fresh look at the different perspectives held by organized labor in the fight for Medicare for All.
Host Brenda Gazzar and Cindy Young, labor advocate and expert in health benefits negotiations, discuss how union members are harmed by America’s fragmented healthcare system.
Why are unions split on this issue? What happens when rank and file members disagree with union leadership on policy? Is the fight to end healthcare inequity dividing organized labor or pushing it towards social justice? Could the tide be turning?
Click for Show Notes & episode transcript!
What happens when the cost of surviving an illness is so high, it's simply out of reach? How does Big Pharma enjoy such outsized profits from cancer and other treatments? And what about patients who are stuck between a pharmaceutical company and their health insurer?
To find out, we spoke to Dr. David Leibowitz, hematologist-oncologist and incoming chair of Physicians for a National Health Program - California, a non-partisan voluntary organization that supports equitable access to high quality health care as a right to all people. What's on his agenda for the California state chapter?
For more, check out the Show Notes & episode transcript!
How have government policies created inequitable access to abortion? What's the Hyde Amendment and what's been its impact over the past 45 years? What role are some states playing in the effort to assure abortion access? And what can we do now to support reproductive freedoms?
To find out, we spoke to Cat Duffy, policy analyst with the National Health Law Program, who works on reproductive and sexual healthcare access and services, including abortion coverage and access.
For more, check out the Show Notes & episode transcript!
What are the implications of the Dobbs ruling for people seeking reproductive care across the United States? What kind of burdens will they face if they have to wait days or even weeks to get an abortion? Will this Supreme Court decision result in people having babies they don't want to have?
To find out, we spoke to Cat Duffy, policy analyst with the National Health Law Program, who works on reproductive and sexual health care access and services with a particular focus on abortion coverage and access.
For guest bio, helpful links and more, check out the Show Notes & Episode Transcript!
Why is it that many Americans who have health insurance are still not able to get the care they need? How are health insurers increasing their profits at the expense of American families?
To find out, we spoke to Wendell Potter, ex-communications executive for the health insurance giant Cigna turned industry whistleblower and New York Times bestselling author. Wendell is the co-founder of Business Leaders for Health Care Transformation and the president of the Center for Health and Democracy. He's also a strong advocate for Medicare for All.
How is medical debt a racial justice issue, and what's being done about it? What role does the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion play in reducing medical debt and keeping rural hospitals open? And what specific health policy should legislators pursue that would solve the medical debt crisis once and for all?
To find out, we spoke to Berneta L. Haynes, a staff attorney for the National Consumer Law Center, who focuses on medical debt and consumer energy policy. She previously served as a director at Georgia Watch, a state-based consumer advocacy organization, where she worked to make energy programs and quality health care more equitable and accessible for all.
Click for the Show Notes & Episode Transcript!
Why are Black families disproportionately impacted by medical debt in America? How do inequities in housing access and safety, environmental pollution, and health care combine and intensify the vulnerability of disenfranchised communities? And why have families in Southern states been particularly hard hit?
To find out, we spoke to Berneta L. Haynes, a staff attorney for the National Consumer Law Center, who focuses on medical debt and consumer energy policy. She previously served as a director at Georgia Watch, a state-based consumer advocacy organization, where she worked to make energy programs and quality health care more equitable and accessible for all.
For more, check out the Show Notes & Episode Transcript!
What challenges do people in the LGBTQ+ community face in accessing quality health care and how does this affect their wellbeing? What policy solutions are needed to tackle these challenges?
To find out, we spoke to Jeffrey Rodriguez, the incoming director of Community Health Programs at the Los Angeles LGBT Center. He’s worked there for the past 12 years mainly in sexual health and education.
For more, check out the Show Notes & Episode Transcript!
What special health needs do LGBTQ communities have – and how well are they being addressed? What can our broken healthcare system learn from the retail industry about how to treat clients with unique needs?
To find out, we spoke to Jeffrey Rodriguez, the incoming director of Community Health Programs at the Los Angeles LGBT Center. He’s worked there for the past 12 years mainly in sexual health and education, HIV and sexually transmitted infection or STI testing and treatment, HIV prevention, linkage into primary care, as well as with mental health and substance use programs.
For more, check out the Show Notes & Episode Transcript!
How does the struggle for healthcare justice intersect with the movement to protect consumers? How do regulations on corporations and their products benefit us all? Is putting profit above consumer safety really "good business?" What's essential to winning Medicare for All?
To find out, we spoke with Andrew McGuire, a lifelong trauma prevention specialist and grassroots activist who lives in Sonoma County, California. He's an MacArthur fellow and Emmy award-winning filmmaker who has produced films related to his work in trauma prevention. Andrew's also the executive director of Code WACK’s parent organization, California OneCare, and a strong single-payer advocate.
For more, check out the Show Notes & Episode Transcript!
California has expanded the state's Medicaid program to some undocumented immigrant workers, but not all. Who gets coverage, and who doesn't? Is lack of insurance coverage the only issue immigrant workers face when it comes to their survival? Did the pandemic reveal that the "safety net" is full of holes?
To find out, we spoke to Luz Gallegos, executive director of TODEC Legal Center in Southern California’s Inland Empire. The nonprofit mobilizes immigrant communities to build political power and demand justice while advocating for their most critical needs – from improved schools and better jobs to expanding access to medical coverage and legal protections.
For more, check out the Show Notes & Episode Transcript!
Undocumented workers in California contribute about $3.7 billion in state and local taxes each year. They hold one in 16 jobs in the state. What challenges do they face when it comes to getting access to quality health care? How is this impacting their health and our communities? To find out, we spoke to Luz Gallegos, executive director of TODEC Legal Center in Southern California’s Inland Empire. The nonprofit mobilizes immigrant communities to build political power and demand justice while advocating for their most critical needs – from improved schools and better jobs to expanding access to medical coverage and legal protections.
For more, check out the Show Notes & the Episode Transcript!
Since the free market has failed to rein in costs and achieve equity in health care, what’s next? Can we govern our seemingly ungovernable healthcare sector? Can we build legislative consensus around policies that protect all of us, equally? Join Anthony Wright, executive director of Health Access, a health consumer advocacy coalition, and host Brenda Gazzar for the lowdown on California legislation that will hold health plans accountable for quality, cost control and reducing disparities. Will the state's purchasing power be enough to move the needle on single payer?
For more, check out the* Show Notes & Episode Transcript*!
Why is reforming our healthcare system necessary? Is there any point in trying to change it, given the power of health insurers and pharmaceutical companies? Find out from someone who’s spent decades fighting and winning battles for healthcare justice. Join Anthony Wright, executive director of Health Access, a health consumer advocacy coalition, and host Brenda Gazzar in this first of two podcasts. Learn why reform is absolutely imperative. Can legislators afford to sit back while healthcare inflation chokes our economy?
Check out the Show Notes & Episode Transcript!
Why do some elderly patients on Medicare struggle to get the health care they need? What are some of the dangers of Medicare Advantage?Join Casey Hobbs, RN, director of nursing at a Northern California retirement community and co-creator/co-host of the popular podcast NurseTalk, and host Brenda Gazzar, to learn exactly what expenses senior Americans are on the hook for. In this second podcast of two, Hobbs explains some important gaps in health insurance coverage and why she sometimes has to fight tooth and nail for her patients.
Check out the Show Notes & Episode Transcript!
Is nursing a science or an art? Or is it the art of knowing when to open your mouth? Should "your money or your health" be America's healthcare slogan?
Join Casey Hobbs, RN, director of nursing at a retirement community in Northern California and co-creator/co-host of the popular podcast NurseTalk, and host Brenda Gazzar, for a frequently irreverent roller coaster ride of an interview!
In this first podcast of two, Hobbs calls for hospitals to get out of the business of making money off our health care and so much more!
Check out the Show Notes & Episode Transcript!
Health care in America remains marked by disparities and spiraling costs twelve years after passage of the Affordable Care Act.
Given the divisive political climate in Washington DC, states are struggling to work out their own solutions. Governor Gavin Newsom’s Healthy California for All Commission studied the problem for two years and released an eye-opening report detailing how single payer would save 40,000 lives and half a trillion dollars over the next decade while supporting equal access to care. But how would this plan affect businesses and employees?
To find out, join Ian Lewis, political & research director at the National Union of Healthcare Workers, and host Brenda Gazzar for this second of two podcasts on the challenges and benefits of transitioning to single payer.
Check out the* Show Notes & Episode Transcript*!
With all the hand-wringing about the cost of single payer, it’s time to ask if California can keep paying the price for the fragmented healthcare system we have today. Listen and check out the surprising answer in this first podcast of two featuring Ian Lewis, political & research director at the National Union of Healthcare Workers and host Brenda Gazzar as they do the math on healthcare systems in the Golden State. Has our thinking on this been wrong all along?
Is California finally getting serious about fixing health care? On April 25, 2022, a major report was issued on California's fragmented and uber-expensive healthcare system. Who's behind the report? What were its conclusions and recommendations? And how much money can Californians actually save? Get these answers and more! Join host Brenda Gazzar and guest Michael Lighty, president of Healthy California Now, to get the facts about Governor Gavin Newsom's Healthy California for All Commission and its new report on single-payer health care in the Golden State.
Check out the Show Notes & Episode Transcript!
Why is employee health insurance a growing burden on American businesses? How are some large employers cutting out the health insurance middleman? Join host Brenda Gazzar and guest Wendell Potter, co-founder of Business Leaders for Healthcare Transformation, for these answers and more! Potter, former VP of corporate communications at CIGNA and insurance industry whistleblower, is a NY Times bestselling author. Tune in to this second of two podcasts on the ultimate price American business pays for their employees’ health care.
Check out the Show Notes & Episode Transcript!
What’s the healthcare industry been up to since winning passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010? Are mergers, acquisitions and industry consolidation improving care for patients? Who are the Big Six healthcare corporations and how are they faring? Join host Brenda Gazzar and guest Wendell Potter, co-founder of Business Leaders for Healthcare Transformation, for these answers and more! Potter, former VP of corporate communications at CIGNA and insurance industry whistleblower, is a NY Times bestselling author. Tune in to this first of two podcasts to get the facts about corporate healthcare’s latest business strategies and what they may mean for the rest of us.
Check out the Show Notes & Transcript!
How is the truth about single payer/Medicare for All twisted by the corporate media and right-wing billionaires? What must Americans do to take back their health care? Join host Brenda Gazzar and Hartmann, America’s No. 1 progressive talk radio show host and New York Times bestselling author, as they discuss the implications of his book, “The Hidden History of American Health Care: Why Sickness Bankrupts You and Makes Others Insanely Rich.”
Remember to check out the Show Notes & Transcript!
Why should people who have great health insurance care about people who don't? Listen as guest Dr. Paul Y. Song, radiation oncologist and president of Physicians for a National Health Program - California, and host Brenda Gazzar discuss the roots of America's unequal healthcare system. Why did the Lyndon B. Johnson Administration develop two different public insurance programs - Medicare for retirees - and Medicaid for low-income people? How is that decision still impacting American communities over 50 years later? What can we do now that would help?
Don’t forget to check out the Show Notes & Transcript!
Check out the Show Notes & Transcript!
What does it mean to “privatize” Medicare? What’s ACO-Reach? Why does it matter? Who’s for it, who’s against it, and why? Join host Brenda Gazzar and Ed Weisbart, MD, a retired family physician, former chief medical officer of Express Scripts and a national board member of Physicians for a National Health Program to get the low-down. Dr. Weisbart shines a revealing light on an issue that will impact the healthcare experience of almost every American aged 65 or older - the ongoing effort to give away Medicare to private, for-profit investors. Should health care be “just another way” for investors and shareholders to make money? Is a for-profit Fire Department just around the corner?
Click for Show Notes and Episode Transcript!
How do common American hospital practices traumatize patients and their nurses? What experiences erode trust between the sick and their healers? Join host Brenda Gazzar and Kathy Allan, RN and board-certified holistic nurse, for unique insights into healthcare-acquired trauma and what we can do about it. Her years of training in PTSD and Developmental Trauma, combined with her experience working as a nurse at a major California hospital, inspired her to create a program to address systemic trauma in health care. How can hospitals restore a sense of confidence among patients and nurses that their needs will be met? Where can nurses and other providers learn strategies to release trauma? How could Medicare for All make a positive difference, not just in the patient experience but also in the community?
Click for Show Notes and Episode Transcript!
For most of us, the horror of getting a cancer diagnosis is only the beginning of a protracted, exhausting and stressful struggle to get the coverage and care we need to survive. Patients with life-threatening illnesses are at ground zero of a major moral conflict in America - a healthcare system that is as much about profit as it is about care. Join host Brenda Gazzar and Daniel Ray Hilsinger, filmmaker, activist, singer and songwriter as they discuss his fight to survive a rare cancer while only in his 20s. What did he learn about health care and privilege while on the chemo wards? How did his experience change his life? Why should sick people have to deal with the "overwhelming and tragic and horrible burden" of health insurance hassles while fighting to live?
Check out the Show Notes and Episode Transcript!
What can advocates do when lawmakers shirk their responsibility to fix a healthcare system that hurts so many? Are campaign contributions from the for-profit healthcare industry the reason legislators refuse to advance reforms that would cover everybody, for everything, for less money? In this second of two podcasts, join host Brenda Gazzar and Whole Washington founder and operations director Georgia Davenport, to get Whole Washington's take on how to get around legislative inaction using the ballot initiative process. Why could winning single payer in Washington state "open the floodgates" to expanding improved Medicare to everyone? Plus, learn what you can do to support Whole Washington in this fight!
Check out the Show Notes and *Episode Transcript!***
Whole Washington, a grassroots coalition in the Evergreen State, is committed to winning health care, "created by The People, for Everyone!" The Whole Washington Health Trust would be the nation's first public, non-profit healthcare system. Who's the founder of Whole Washington, and what led her to champion healthcare reform? What's been done so far to advance health care for all in Washington, and what's next for the single-payer movement there? Join host Brenda Gazzar and Whole Washington founder and operations director, web designer and mom, Georgia Davenport, who has helped establish and lead the state's all-volunteer initiative effort for universal health care.
Check out the Show Notes and Episode Transcript!
HMOs may seem like a good deal, but what if you need a medical specialist? Will the doctor you need be in your network? And what about those crazy bills? Join host Brenda Gazzar and guest Nilton Fonseca, husband, father of three, and a construction engineering director, as he describes his struggle to find a plastic surgeon experienced in his condition. Did his appeal to the relevant state regulatory agency help? (Take a guess.) In this second of two podcasts, Fonseca details hassles with his health insurance that marred his treatment experience as he battled breast cancer. How could his experience have been different with single payer?
Check out the Show Notes and Episode Transcript!
How do our healthcare and health insurance systems respond to patients with rare diseases? What about diseases that are stereotypically considered a “woman’s disease?” Do all breast cancer patients - even men - receive the full range of care they need? Join guest Nilton Fonseca, husband and father of three, with three decades of domestic and international construction engineering experience, as he details his journey after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020. In this first of two podcasts, Fonseca and host Brenda Gazzar discuss the unexpected and unacceptable hassles he faced.
Click for Show Notes and *Episode Transcript!***
What should single-payer supporters around the country think about the defeat of California's AB 1400? Did the state just lose its bid for healthcare equity? Join guest Michael Lighty, president of Healthy California Now, and host Brenda Gazzar for an insightful analysis of how this campaign played out on the political stage. How can advocates make healthcare equity a political necessity for legislators? In light of the growing popularity of government-run healthcare, what lessons can we learn from AB 1400? How can proponents lay the foundation for future success?
Click for Show Notes, Episode Transcript and Dr. Song's Biography!
Does the type of insurance you have make a difference in your care?* If the goal is equity, can America's multi-payer system ever deliver? Listen as guest *Dr. Paul Y. Song, radiation oncologist and president of Physicians for a National Health Program - California, joins host Brenda Gazzar to pull back the curtain on the inequities baked into our healthcare system. Does expanding Medi-Cal to more people do any good, when so few doctors accept it? What's the most equitable and efficient health insurance in the U.S.? And how could we make Medicare better?
Check out the Show Notes & Transcript!
Does the path to winning single payer in the U.S. lie in the states, or in Congress? Would states that rejected the Medicaid expansion accept federal Medicare for All? Join guest Dr. Paul Y. Song, radiation oncologist, president of Physicians for a National Health Program - California and host Brenda Gazzar for a rundown of states’ efforts to pass single-payer healthcare. What’s behind their failure to win? And what can we do about legislators who care more about special interests than about people?
Is California set to lead the nation with single payer? Tune in for expert analysis of the latest legislative developments on Assembly Bill 1400, the California Guaranteed Health Care Act! Join host Brenda Gazzar and Michael Lighty, president of Healthy California Now, as he describes the complex path to victory for what could be the first state-based single-payer program in the nation. What just happened in the Assembly Health Committee? What comes next? And what other steps is California taking to guarantee healthcare equity to residents? This fight has gone on for decades. At long last, is a win within reach?
Check out the Show Notes & Episode Transcript!
In celebration of our first 100 podcasts and in light of the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, we are re-visiting a podcast that is just as relevant today as it was last year:
What human behaviors lead to pandemics like COVID-19? Why should we expect to face more pandemics in the future? And how can we best prepare for them?
Join host Brenda Gazzar and Dr. Tony Iton, senior vice president for healthy communities at The California Endowment, as they discuss the critical role public health policies play in our response to infectious diseases. Why does it matter how we incentivize our healthcare system? And how could Medicare for All help us respond to future crises?
Check out the Show Notes and the episode Transcript!
In celebration of our first 100 Code WACK! episodes, we’re revisiting one of our very first - and most disturbing - podcasts. It’s about how our ‘wack’ healthcare system, with its confusing mess of various insurance plans, treats patients very differently depending on who pays the claims. Tragically, it’s as relevant today as ever! Guests Dr. Ron Birnbaum and Dr. Paul Y. Song reveal to host Brenda Gazzar the problems patients and doctors face due to our multi-payer health insurance scheme, and some potentially life-threatening hassles that are common health insurance industry practices. And Dr. James G. Kahn explains just how much money the average American family is paying each year for our ultra-complicated healthcare system. (It’s a shocker!)
Click for Show Notes and episode Transcript!
Ever think about your personal vulnerability in the face of a health challenge? A car accident, the flu, or a cancer diagnosis can have severe consequences, including emotional and economic chaos. Why? Because right when we need to focus on getting well, we find ourselves struggling to navigate a confusing health insurance labyrinth designed around someone else’s profit. Join guest Kayla Westergard-Dobson in this second of a two-part podcast as she and host Brenda Gazzar explore the true cost of America’s corporate healthcare system - a cost which goes far beyond impossibly high premiums and out-of-pocket costs. How would things be different if we had Medicare for All?
Click for Show Notes, episode Transcript & Kayla's biography!
Listen as guest Kayla Westergard-Dobson describes the health insurance nightmare she and her husband are still grappling with after the tragic death of their premature son, Arthur. It all started the day after her emergency C-section (while still on high-powered pain killers) with a call from the hospital billing department requesting about $3,800. A year after Arthur’s passing and a seemingly never-ending stream of bills, the couple is in collections and struggling to make sense of their health insurance. Is this really “the American way?”Evidently it is.
Click for Show Notes, episode Transcript and Kayla's Biography!
Join Dr. Howard Pinderhughes and host Brenda Gazzar as they discuss innovative programs that are helping to heal community trauma. Is community healing simply psychological and emotional, or is it more? What is the role of the community in the healing process? How could our healthcare system go beyond treating the individual to promoting community wellness?
Click here for Show Notes! And here for Episode Transcript!
Join Howard Pinderhughes, Ph.D. professor and department chair, Social & Behavioral Sciences Dept, School of Nursing, University of California San Francisco and host Brenda Gazzar as they discuss trauma and its impact on both individuals and communities.
Click here for Show Notes
Click here for episode transcript
Click here for Dr. Pinderhughes’ biography
Show Notes:
Is 'Now' Our Moment for Healthcare Justice?
Assemblyman Ash Kalra represents California's 27th District which encompasses about half of the city of San Jose in the Silicon Valley. The first Indian-American to serve in the state's legislature, he has established himself as a progressive leader on issues ranging from criminal justice reform to the environment to health care and housing.
His bill AB 1400, Guaranteed Health Care for All Act, would establish a California-based single-payer system covering all residents of the state.
Get the ultimate insider’s perspective on the challenges California faces in this struggle, and find out why this bill is so important to Assemblyman Kalra!
Click here for podcast transcript
Click here for Ash Kalra’s biography
When it comes to winning a state-based single payer system, what role would the nation’s Health & Human Services Department play?
“So the Department through [HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra] approves the waivers, the federal waivers, and no state can run a single-payer type system without getting federal waivers if they truly want to have a single-payer system and not a disjointed system.”
Major organizations including Kaiser Permanente and some labor unions oppose or are reticent about your bill, AB 1400. What would you say to them?
“...if [Kaiser is] dedicated to serving their patients, serving their community, the reality is that a single-payer system fits really well with their healthcare delivery system.
“Look unions are very egalitarian in that sense and they support things like raising the minimum wage, even though union workers get paid more than minimum wage, because they understand the common humanity of lifting up people. It's just that a lot of the unions bargain really hard for good benefits. They put a lot of their time and energy and made sacrifices on pay and other things to get good health care. And so we have to recognize that and say, ‘Okay, well how do we reconcile that?’”
What do you want your constituents to know most about AB 1400?
“I want them to know that this is about making sure that everyone in our community, every neighbor, everyone has health care...We can be unemployed next week, something can happen that's catastrophic. You just never know and so, think about other families that go through those situations. GoFundMe should not be a healthcare safety net.”
How would single payer benefit high-tech, Silicon Valley businesses such as those in your district?
“...the tech industry would benefit so much because we have really good quality employers here in Silicon Valley that give really good health care to their employees as part of the benefits package...They can save a lot of money and focus on other things they can give to incentivize employees, right? So they can give better wages, they can give more paid sick leave or vacation days.”
What do you bring with you to the fight for single payer?
“My goal in my public service is very simple. It’s to reduce suffering. I see way too much suffering in our healthcare system. But I see practical things, too, like my father has been on Medicare now for over a dozen years. He has had the same provider, the same doctor, cardio...Nothing's changed. Just who's paying changed. Right? It tells you right there that this is very possible if we want it to be possible.”
Get Involved / Take Action
Join the CalCare Campaign to pass AB1400, the Guaranteed Health Care for All Act
Join Health Care for All California to keep up with local actions in your area
Subscribe to HEAL California for health policy news with a California focus
Join Healthy California Now - individual and organizational membership available
Join Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP) to join the national campaign
Helpful Links
“CalCare” Press Release, Assemblyman Ash Kalra, Feb 19, 2021
“CalCare” Bill Text: AB 1400, Guaranteed Health Care for All (California State Assembly)
Analysis: How For-Profit Health Care Worsened the Pandemic (Public Citizen)
Community Voices: Priorities & Preferences of Californians with Low Incomes (Healthy California for All Commission)
Healthcare Financing Considerations, (UC Berkeley Labor Center for Healthy California for All Commission) (Starting on slide 9)
Check out Code WACK!’s latest illuminating podcast, the first of two featuring Assemblyman Ash Kalra discussing his healthcare legislation AB 1400, California Health Care for All
Show Notes
California Medicare for All?
Assemblyman Ash Kalra is all in!
What’s California’s latest single-payer bill all about? Get the facts from its author, California Assemblyman Ash Kalra (D-San Jose), who introduced AB 1400, California Health Care for All (also known as CalCare), in early 2021.
Why did Kalra introduce AB 1400? For one thing, he believes health care is a human right.
Click here for podcast transcript
Click here for Ash Kalra’s biography
How would the bill improve our health care? It would provide Californians comprehensive health coverage as well as dental, vision, hearing, substance abuse, mental health and long-term care regardless of employment, marital, financial or immigrant status.
“For too long, we've been denying this human right, either outright to people who don't have health care, or in effect for those who don't have meaningful access to health care,” Kalra says.
Why now? The stars have aligned politically to create a more favorable environment to make single-payer, Medicare for All a reality.
“We not only are in the midst of a devastating pandemic... but also we have a governor that's supportive. We have a supermajority of Democrats in the California Legislature. And we have the election of President (Joe) Biden, which now gives us an opportunity to make the case to the Department of Health Human Services to allow for federal waivers (needed to have a single-payer system),” Kalra says.
What’s Kalra doing to advance the legislation? The Toronto-born lawmaker launched a study and lobbying tour across the U.S. and Canada in October. He met with congressional members in Washington DC and with officials in the Department of Health & Human Services. And while in Canada, he learned that each Canadian province has its own unique single-payer system.
“Quebec covers pharmaceuticals....No other province does. When I was in Ontario, you can sense some of that regret that they hadn't done that sooner….In Toronto, between the ages of 25 and 65, there's no coverage for pharmaceuticals and that's a big gap in coverage for Canadian residents in Ontario, and in every other province except for Quebec.”
Why go for state-based single-payer instead of federal Medicare for All?
“Ultimately if the United States of America is going to get a single-payer type system, it’s got to start in the states and I think it allows the states to develop a system that works for each individual state, their population, and their economy,” Kalra says.
So what’s the latest on the bill’s progress? Kalra expects the bill to be heard after lawmakers convene in January 2022. He actually held back the CalCare bill in early 2021 because it was not likely to get the votes it needed in the policy committees. But he expects the bill not only be referred to the relevant policy committees in the upcoming session but that there will be a vigorous debate over the bill.
“I'm very hopeful that my colleagues will understand the urgency of the moment that we need to move forward,” Kalra says.
Get Involved / Take Action
Join the CalCare Campaign to pass AB1400, the Guaranteed Health Care for All Act
Join Health Care for All California to keep up with local actions in your area
Subscribe to HEAL California for health policy news with a California focus
Join Healthy California Now - individual and organizational membership available
Join Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP) to join the national campaign
Helpful Links
“CalCare” Press Release, Assemblyman Ash Kalra, Feb 19, 2021
“CalCare” Bill Text: AB 1400, Guaranteed Health Care for All (California State Assembly)
International Health Care System Profiles: Canada, The Commonwealth Fund
Health Reform Via State Waiver, Bill of Health (Harvard Law, Petrie Flom Center Blog)
Show Notes
The Power of Labor in California’s Battle for Single Payer
Check out Code WACK!’s latest insightful podcast, the second of two featuring Cindy Young, labor advocate and expert in health benefit negotiations, discussing how best to work with the labor movement in the fight for single-payer, Medicare for All.
Host Brenda Gazzar and Young, board member of the California Alliance for Retired Americans and vice chair of Healthy California Now, talk about the winning strategies needed to guarantee American workers the healthcare security they need.
Click here for podcast transcript
Click here for Cindy Young’s biography
Podcast image (l to r):
Cindy Young & Rose Roach, Minnesota Nurses Association
Healthy California Now, a statewide coalition of organizations and activists dedicated to establishing a single-payer, Medicare-for-All system in California, has never seen more labor participation in its history than it has now, says Young.
That includes the National Union of Healthcare Workers, UNITE HERE, the machinist unions, California Federation of Teachers and more.
“So I think our organizing approach with unions is different now because we are asking them to be partners. We aren’t telling them: ‘Sign on to this bill.’ ‘Do this.’ We're saying, we believe this is the only way we're going to manage to keep a decent health plan is to take it off the bargaining table and, you know, we guarantee health care for every worker by guaranteeing health care for all.”
That’s not to say the challenges over the years have gotten any easier...
“It's always around capacity. You know, capacity to do the work. Capacity to find activists. Capacity, you know, to get programs up and running, right? And to get people's attention to advance, right, the vision and goal and that's hard to do without a bazillion dollars,” explains Young.
Young added that it’s hard to get anything done in Sacramento without labor support. But she believes there’s reason for hope that California will eventually find its way to Medicare for All.
“As hard as this issue is to organize around, if you look back at the last 10 years, we have made incredible strides in convincing the public, right? The California Endowment just did these town halls all over the state focusing on what people want out of a healthcare system.”
In fact, the California Endowment and several other foundations recently learned that 65 percent of low-income Californians want government-run health care.
“I feel like we're in a good position to make more advancements. I'm hopeful about the Healthy California Commission, the governor's commission,” Young continues. “I don't think it's going to be a perfect report but if that report, right, can lead us in a direction, then we have a door open to do more work and to help us advance our cause down the road.”
Thanks for listening! And remember to subscribe to Code WACK! to catch all our episodes about America’s broken healthcare system on Apple podcasts or wherever you listen.
Get Involved / Take Action
Join Healthy California Now - individual and organizational membership available
Join the CalCare Campaign to pass AB1400, the Guaranteed Health Care for All Act
Subscribe to HEAL California for health policy news with a California focus
Join Health Care for All California to keep up with local actions in your area
Join Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP) to join the national campaign
Helpful Links
“CalCare” Press Release, Assemblyman Ash Kalra, Feb 19, 2021
“CalCare” Bill Text: AB 1400, Guaranteed Health Care for All (California State Assembly)
Healthy California Now, California’s statewide, non-partisan organizational coalition for guaranteed, universal health care
Healthy California for All Commission, charged by California Gov. Gavin Newsom to “develop a plan for advancing progress toward achieving a health care delivery system for California that provides coverage and access through a unified financing system, including, but not limited to a single payer financing system.”
Healthcare Survey of Low-Income Californians, commissioned by the California Community Foundation, California Health Care Foundation, and The California Endowment
Show Notes
Check out Code WACK!'s latest podcast featuring Cindy Young, labor advocate and expert in health benefit negotiations, discussing the significance of the labor movement in America’s struggle for healthcare justice, and the need for Medicare for All.
Host Brenda Gazzar and Young, a board member of the California Alliance for Retired Americans and vice chair of the Healthy California Now coalition, explore the historic antecedents of our nation’s current healthcare system, including the heroic role played by the United Mine Workers of America in 1946 to win health benefits for the first time.
Click here for the podcast transcript or visit our website:
https://heal-ca.org/american-workers-desperate-fight-for-healthcare-security/
Ever since then, organized labor has set the bar on health benefits, not only for union members but for the workforce in general:
“...nonunion employers were saying ‘Well, I don't want my workforce to organize so I'm going to provide benefits that are similar to what the union workers are getting so I don't have to deal with union organizing’ and that really is the beginning of health insurance in this country,” Young explains.
Yet employers were not required by the government to provide health insurance to their workers until the Affordable Care Act (ACA) passed in 2010.
“...until the ACA passed, there was no obligation of any employer to provide any benefits at all, right, so an employer never had to provide health insurance to a worker...For years and years and years, how you got your benefits was either you were in a union and the union bargains wages, hours and working conditions or you got it, you know, through your employer who didn't want the union to organize,” Young says.
And though the ACA is truly a lifesaver, Young explains, it has not adequately addressed our healthcare system’s most urgent needs - universality and affordability. Without those elements, millions of Americans still face a closed door when it comes to their care.
In addition, Young paints a grim picture of a reality where bargaining for health benefits has evolved into a zero sum game that completely fails to address the ever-spiraling costs to both employers and employees.
“..employers oftentimes, almost all the time, say to us, ‘here's how much money we have to pay for benefits...we've got 1% of salary to pay for wages and benefits. If you want to take it in wages, take it in wages. If you want to take it in benefits, take it in benefits but we're not going to give you any more than x amount.’”
You’ll also hear in this episode why Young pushes back on the idea that patients are “consumers” and continues to fight for improved Medicare for All.
Thanks for listening! And remember to subscribe to Code WACK! to catch all our episodes about America’s broken healthcare system on Apple podcasts or wherever you listen.
Cindy Young's Biography
Ms. Young started her career at H.E.R.E., Local 2 in San Francisco as the Director of Research in 1985. She negotiated pension and healthcare benefits for 25,000 hotel and restaurant workers in San Francisco. She served as the key trustee for the H.E.R.E, Local 2, Pension, Education and Health and Welfare Trust Funds. She provided advice and counsel to Senior Union Staff on legislation impacting healthcare and pension benefits. She developed health reform education programs for H.E.R.E. International Union and its affiliates. She developed and organized the California Northern California Labor Health Coalition, which successfully improved Kaiser’s Chiropractic and Drug and Alcohol Benefits.
From 1988 – 2010, Ms. Young served as the Senior Health Policy Advisor to California School Employees Association (CSEA). She negotiated healthcare benefits for 220,000 classified school employees and analyzed insurance renewals. She provided leadership and counsel to the CSEA management and staff on healthcare related strategies, legislation and in the delivery of healthcare training programs. She served as Labor Chair of the California Healthcare Coalition, as well as the California Education Coalition for Healthcare Reform.
From 2010 – 2014, Ms. Young served as Regulatory /Policy Specialist for California Nurses Association, and Special Projects Coordinator, leading the nurses single payer campaign.
Ms. Young currently has a small consulting firm and assists Minnesota Nurses Association and California’s with bargaining health and welfare benefits. She serves on the Board of Directors for the California Alliance for Retired Americans. Representing CARA, she serves as Vice Chair of the Healthy California Now. Ms. Young has worked as a labor advocate and been committed to Medicare for All for 45 years.
Helpful Links
John L. Lewis, United Mine Workers of America (Wikipedia)
The Promise of 1946 (United Mine Workers of America)
The Complete History of Employer-Provided Health Insurance, Gabrielle Smith (PeopleKeep)
SHOW NOTES Join Code WACK! for the second of two podcasts featuring Thom Hartmann on America's healthcare fiasco and what we can do about it.
After all, how does it help the nation’s health to have insurance industry executives sucking millions of dollars out of the system while Americans deny themselves healthcare because they can’t afford it?
And why have our political leaders abandoned us to this mess?
Host Brenda Gazzar and Hartmann, America’s No. 1 progressive talk radio show host and New York Times bestselling author, continue their discussion of his newest book, “The Hidden History of American Health Care: Why Sickness Bankrupts You and Makes Others Insanely Rich.”
Click for transcript HOW CAN WE GET THE PROFIT MOTIVE OUT OF HEALTHCARE? Thom offers a tongue-in-cheek suggestion that we simply buy out the health insurance sector:
“…it's not the most serious suggestion in the book, but it's like one of these kinds of ‘in case of emergency break glass.’ The problem is that every time you talk about a single-payer healthcare system or anything like it, um, you've got this industry, this almost trillion dollar a year industry that literally is spinning off five, six, $7 billion a month in profits.
HOW DO WE PAY FOR MEDICARE FOR ALL? The other problem with bringing up Medicare for All is the age-old question becomes “How do we pay for it?” Thom points out how changes in tax rates on the nation’s highest earners have left us in debt, completely unnecessarily:
“In fact, if Reagan had never cut taxes and then the two big subsequent ones, the George W. Bush and Donald Trump tax cuts, if those had never happened, we would have no national debt right now.”
So we do have the money to bring about real change. However we decide to fix our healthcare system, it is clear that we must act, according to Thom. Our current system is not only harming Americans, it’s also harming our nation’s ability to innovate and compete economically.
COVID 19 - A MISSED OPPORTUNITY FOR CHANGE? COVID seemed like the opportunity for a national conversation on this, yet despite the devastation it wrought, Americans seem to believe the hassles and high costs of our healthcare system are “normal.” They most certainly are not!
"The number of people who have to declare bankruptcy because somebody in their family got sick in Canada is zero. In Germany, it’s zero. In France, it’s zero. In the UK, it’s zero. Here it was a half a million..., well last year it was over 700,000 as best we can tell. And this year it's probably going to be over a million...I'm just astonished that Americans just assume that this is normal. This is not normal."
You can check out Tom’s new book “The Hidden History of American Health Care: Why Sickness Bankrupts You and Makes Others Insanely Rich” and subscribe to Code WACK!, your podcast about America’s broken healthcare system on Apple podcasts or wherever you listen.
Thom Hartmann Biography Thom Hartmann is a progressive national and internationally syndicated talk show host whose shows are available in over a half-billion homes worldwide. He's the New York Times bestselling, four-time Project Censored Award-winning author of about 30 books in print in 17 languages on five continents. Leonardo DiCaprio was inspired by Thom's book "The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight" to make the movie "The 11th Hour" (in which Thom appears), and the movie "Ice On Fire."
Talkers Magazine named Thom Hartmann as the 10th most important talk show host in America in 2019 and has been in the top ten for over a decade and he is the #1 most important progressive host, in their “Heavy Hundred” ranking.
His radio show is syndicated on for-profit FM and AM radio stations nationally, on nonprofit and community stations nationwide by Pacifica, across the entire North American continent on SiriusXM Satellite radio (Progress, Channel 127), on cable systems nationwide by Cable Radio Network (CRN), via subscription audio podcasts, worldwide through the U.S. Armed Forces Network, and through the Thom Hartmann iOS and Android apps. The radio show is also simulcast as TV in real-time into nearly 40 million U.S. and Canadian homes by the Free Speech TV Network on Dish Network, DirectTV, on cable TV systems nationwide, and live on both YouTube and Facebook.
HELPFUL LINKS Medical Bankruptcies Statistics 2021 Update, Balancing Everything
Medical Bankruptcies by Country 2021, World Population Review
The State of Healthcare Industry, Statistics for 2021, PolicyAdvice.net
Pandemic profits: top U.S. health insurers make billions in second quarter, The Guardian
Hidden History Series, Thom Hartmann
Find more Code WACK! episodes on ProgressiveVoices.com and on the PV App. You can also subscribe to Code WACK! wherever you find your podcasts. This podcast is powered by HEAL California, uplifting the voices of those fighting for health care reform around the country. I’m Brenda Gazzar.
Join us for a lively discussion with Thom Hartmann about how America’s healthcare system got so screwed up!
You probably know Thom Hartmann as America’s No. 1 progressive talk radio show host. But did you know that he’s also a New York Times bestseller?
His latest book, “The Hidden History of American Health Care: Why Sickness Bankrupts You and Makes Others Insanely Rich,” is hot off the presses and already making waves.
The book is not only easy-to-digest but super informative and part of Thom’s popular Hidden History book series.
WHY DOES THOM CARE ABOUT HEALTH CARE?
In this Code WACK! podcast, the first of two, Thom discusses why health care is such an important issue for him, the truly shocking impact of America’s racist roots, and how he came to realize that the U.S. seriously lags behind many other countries when it comes to health care.
For example, he shared that when he and his wife Louise were heading to the jungles of Costa Rica to collaborate with Leonardo DiCaprio on their documentary “Ice on Fire” several years ago, he had a surprising conversation with a local taxi driver:
“I said … ‘What do you like the most about living here?’ and he's like ‘Well, I don't have any medical bills, and my son went to college, and the government paid for it.’ And I'm like, ‘Wow, you know, this is freaking Costa Rica. We can't do this in the United States but they do it in Costa Rica.’”
HOW BAD IS OUR HEALTH CARE, REALLY?
In fact, the United States lags behind many other countries when it comes to access and affordability, but also health outcomes. One major proof of America’s healthcare fail has been the pandemic.
Taiwan, which has had a single-payer healthcare system since 1995, is faring much better than the United States when it comes to COVID-19 related cases and fatalities.
“Taiwan has what is arguably, in my opinion anyway, the world's best single-payer healthcare system,” Hartmann said. “It’s clean, it's efficient, it's relatively new … and everybody is enrolled the moment you know that you're born.”
Thanks to their single-payer system, Taiwan has one of the fastest, most sophisticated and efficient contact tracing programs in the world, says Hartmann.
“Using that, they were able to isolate the people who were infected with COVID, keep them from spreading it - bend that R value all the way down to zero -- the reproduction rate for the virus -- and you know they spent most of last year with no problem.”
IS RACISM AT THE FOUNDATION OF OUR SYSTEMIC HEALTHCARE FAILURES?
Meanwhile, the United States continues to struggle, not just with COVID but also with extreme inequity in healthcare access and outcomes. That’s in no small part, according to Thom, because of our racist roots:
“Racism is the legacy of America. It’s still very much the omnipresent reality of America, but it's also the reason why we don't have a national healthcare system.”
And, he explains, it’s also why Medicare still has so many coverage gaps, why 8 former slave states are among the 12 states that still have not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act and why Black people continue to suffer higher uninsured rates than White people.
You can check out Tom’s new book “The Hidden History of American Health Care: Why Sickness Bankrupts You and Makes Others Insanely Rich” and subscribe to Code WACK!, your podcast about America’s broken healthcare system, on Apple podcasts or wherever you listen.
Also stay tuned for our next podcast, bringing you more of Thom's thought-provoking insights!
Thom Hartmann Biography
Thom Hartmann is a progressive national and internationally syndicated talk show host whose shows are available in over a half-billion homes worldwide. He's the New York Times bestselling, four-time Project Censored Award-winning author of about 30 books in print in 17 languages on five continents. Leonardo DiCaprio was inspired by Thom's book "The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight" to make the movie "The 11th Hour" (in which Thom appears), and the movie "Ice On Fire."
Talkers Magazine named Thom Hartmann as the 10th most important talk show host in America in 2019 and has been in the top ten for over a decade and he is the #1 most important progressive host, in their “Heavy Hundred” ranking.
His radio show is syndicated on for-profit FM and AM radio stations nationally, on nonprofit and community stations nationwide by Pacifica, across the entire North American continent on SiriusXM Satellite radio (Progress, Channel 127), on cable systems nationwide by Cable Radio Network (CRN), via subscription audio podcasts, worldwide through the U.S. Armed Forces Network, and through the Thom Hartmann iOS and Android apps. The radio show is also simulcast as TV in real-time into nearly 40 million U.S. and Canadian homes by the Free Speech TV Network on Dish Network, DirectTV, on cable TV systems nationwide, and live on both YouTube and Facebook.
HELPFUL LINKS
Taiwan, International Healthcare System Profiles, The Commonwealth Fund
Our World In Data, Daily Number of Confirmed Deaths, U.S. & Taiwan
Health Coverage by Race and Ethnicity, 2010-2019, Kaiser Family Foundation
The Myth Of The Actuary: Life Insurance And Frederick L. Hoffman's Race Traits And Tendencies Of The American Negro, Megan J Wolff, MPH
Racial, Health Equity Leaders Call on U.S. Senate to Close Medicaid Gap for Good, Southerners for Medicaid Expansion
What are gaps in coverage with Medicare?, WebMD
Pitfalls of Medicare Advantage Plans, Investopedia
Hidden History Series, Thom Hartmann
What’s the latest move to sell off traditional Medicare to venture capital and private equity? How will this affect your health care? Join host Brenda Gazzar and Dr. Ed Weisbart, board member of Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP), to learn about "direct contracting entities." What are they? How do they make money? Why is this a problem? And what can we do about it?
Despite the barrage of television commercials touting Medicare Advantage, is it really superior to traditional Medicare? How do the two programs differ on coverage, access and cost? Join host Brenda Gazzar and Dr. Ed Weisbart, retired family physician, former chief medical officer of Express Scripts and board member of Physicians for a National Health Program, for a deep dive into dismaying developments with Medicare, including how Medicare Advantage plans are draining the Medicare Trust Fund.
What essential coverage could Improved Medicare for All offer seniors that they can’t get through original Medicare? And what’s California up to when it comes to healthcare reform? Another commission? Really? Host Brenda Gazzar and Jodi Reid, executive director of the California Alliance for Retired Americans (CARA), share updates from the Golden State and talk about how we can trigger the political will for change.
What was health care like for American seniors before we had Medicare? How has Medicare helped keep retirees out of poverty? What are the gaps in Medicare today? How would Medicare for All be different? Join host Brenda Gazzar and Jodi Reid, executive director of the California Alliance for Retired Americans (CARA), California’s largest, grassroots senior advocacy organization, in a discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of Medicare as it is today, and what we can do it make it better.
What is the connection between colonization and the American healthcare system? How has systemic exploitation impacted the health of the most vulnerable among us? How will our healthcare system respond to the new diseases climate change will bring? Could Medicare for All help? Join host Brenda Gazzar and guests Rupa Marya, MD and Raj Patel, PhD in this second podcast on their new book "Inflamed: Deep Medicine and the Anatomy of Injustice.”
Is there a link between inflammation of the Earth and inflammation in our bodies? What about the disparate impact of climate change on BIPOC communities? How are concepts like "choice" being weaponized to absolve our responsibilities to one other? Join host Brenda Gazzar and guests Rupa Marya, MD and Raj Patel, PhD in a wide-ranging discussion of their new book "Inflamed: Deep Medicine and the Anatomy of Injustice," tracing the links between colonialism, climate change and our health.
What if you got a really terrible diagnosis in your mid-40s? ”Terrible” as in “unimaginably expensive?” “Terrible” as in “terminal?” Would you want to spend the time you have left on hold, searching for some kind of insurance for the chance to save or at least prolong your life? What are your options, really? Hear heart-failure patient Joel Sloan explain to host Brenda Gazzar what he’s gone through after falling down the chaotic rabbit hole of the American healthcare system.
It’s tough enough to be born with a genetic predisposition to heart disease. Tougher still to suffer advanced heart failure at 43. Then add in an HIV diagnosis and a hyper-fragmented healthcare system. What if your health plan won’t pay for your heart transplant because of a pre-existing condition or some other reason? Join Joel Sloan and Brenda Gazzar as they delve into the disturbing details of his extraordinary fight to live.
How has America’s lack of a national, coordinated response to COVID affected us? What about the attacks on America’s public sector? Why did simply having to go to work turn out to be the single biggest issue Black Americans faced during the pandemic? Join host Brenda Gazzar and Chicago’s own Dr. Linda Rae Murray, MD, MPH, as they take a deep dive on the structural reasons for America’s fragmented healthcare system and what we need to do to fix it.
How is racism baked into American society? What role has medicine played in propagating it? How does racism in health care affect Black and indigenous peoples? Listen as "full-time troublemaker" Dr. Linda Rae Murray, MD, MPH, former Chief Medical Officer - Primary Care for the Cook County Bureau of Health Services and host Brenda Gazzar discuss the artificial separation between social, structural and personal racism -- and how little has changed since the 1970s.
Does commercial health insurance - when it's actually affordable - even provide the kinds of coverage restaurant workers need to cope with backbreaking work and emotional abuse? Who would want to risk catching COVID to do a job that pays $2.13 an hour plus tips? Join Brenda Waybrant, union organizer and former long-time restaurant worker, and host Brenda Gazzar as they discuss how COVID was a wake-up call for workers in a service industry that in too many cases, ignored and forgot them during the pandemic.
What health challenges do restaurant workers face as a result of their work? How did they fare during COVID? Can most restaurant workers really afford to miss a shift due to illness? Join Brenda Waybrant, union organizer and former long-time restaurant worker in Nashville, and host Brenda Gazzar as they discuss how private health insurance - whether employer-sponsored or from the marketplace - remains unaffordable for many Americans in low-income jobs, while public health insurance saves lives.
How do health insurance companies avoid insuring more costly patients? What’s a “trojan horse” when it comes to single-payer legislation? Does financing health care through an insurance system make sense? Join Dr. Stephen Kemble, practicing psychiatrist and past president of the Hawaii Medical Association, and Brenda Gazzar as they discuss one of the biggest challenges to winning Medicare for All in California - the popularity of HMO giant Kaiser Permanente.
What's long COVID like, after a year? How much does it cost to treat? Are some Americans still having to "stay married for the health insurance" - in 2021? What's one way Medicaid fails special needs kids? Listen as Mariana Pineda, a New York teacher, mother of four and single-payer activist pulls back the curtain on the campaign for the New York Health Act. Why, on the heels of a devastating pandemic, did the Democratic-controlled New York Legislature take a pass on Medicare for All?
As if having Long COVID weren’t enough, does America’s broken healthcare system make things worse? Does the social safety net - meaning Medicaid, unemployment and disability insurance - actually save us? Join Mariana Pineda, a New York teacher and mother of four, as she shares her COVID long-haul nightmare with host Brenda Gazzar. It was hard enough just trying to stay alive and keep her health insurance in force. Why was getting treatments approved by her insurance like a full-time job?
What if your surgery were suddenly cancelled the day before because your insurer deemed it "medically unnecessary?" What choices do Americans have when it comes to their care? Would global budgeting have helped rural hospitals cope with the pandemic? Stephanie Kang, PhD, health policy director for Rep. Pramila Jayapal, shares with Brenda Gazzar how her father's personal experience with a marketplace health plan during a serious health crisis illustrates the need for improved, expanded Medicare for All.
What’s the point of pushing for Medicare for All when President Biden opposes it? What about racial equity in healthcare - is winning single payer enough? Is there any value in supporting incremental legislation expanding Medicare to some? Host Brenda Gazzar and guest, Dr. Stephanie Kang, PhD, health policy director for Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal discuss legislative strategies worth pursuing now if we hope to win a better healthcare future for America.
What’s holding the U.S. back from implementing system-wide solutions to our healthcare woes? How do other countries rein in prescription drug prices? What are the 5 most important lessons about health care that the U.S. could learn from other wealthy nations? Host Brenda Gazzar and her guest, Dr. Thomas Rice, health economist and Distinguished Professor at UCLA’s Fielding School of Public Health, discuss why it’s not “one-size-fits-all” when it comes to health insurance systems.
Why does the U.S. healthcare system perform poorly in equity and efficiency compared to other wealthy nations? How does the U.S. ration access to health care based on cost? How do other countries manage to cover everyone for less? What lessons can we learn from their health insurance systems? Host Brenda Gazzar and her guest, Dr. Thomas Rice, health economist and Distinguished Professor in UCLA’s Department of Health Policy and Management, discuss his new book, “Health Insurance Systems: An International Comparison.”
What's happening with healthcare reform in one of the bluest states in the nation, California? On which three fronts are single-payer advocates battling? What's essential to winning a healthcare justice ground game? Join host Brenda Gazzar and her guest, Ellen Karel, Chair of Health Care for All - California, as they discuss this historic moment for single-payer in the Golden State**!
How did Ellen Karel, the chair of Health Care for All-California, come to support Medicare for All? What lead her to advocate for healthcare equity? Join host Brenda Gazzar and Ellen Karel as they discuss how expensive getting care can be, even with health insurance. Why should hardworking Californians, struggling to survive on low incomes, face hurdles to getting the care they need? What is holding California back from embracing single-payer healthcare, which would cover everyone for less money? Learn more at HEAL California!
How did Hawaii’s effort to establish universal healthcare get derailed by the Affordable Care Act? What’s an all-payer healthcare system and is it an alternative (or a path) to single-payer? What really happened with Vermont’s attempt at single payer? Dr. Stephen Kemble, psychiatrist and past president of the Hawaii Medical Association, and host Brenda Gazzar discuss what key feature of a single-payer plan is absolutely essential to reduce overall healthcare costs. Learn more & subscribe at HEAL California!
For Mental Health Awareness month, this week's pod looks at how Medicaid Managed Care affects the availability of mental health services for low-income patients. Do corporate insurance industry practices, like preauthorization, complicate the treatment of mental health patients? Dr. Stephen Kemble, psychiatrist and past president of the Hawaii Medical Association, and host Brenda Gazzar discuss how Managed Care burdens patients and psychiatrists alike and how new models, such as collaborative care, might help.
How do common health insurance industry practices affect doctors’ ability to remain independent? Can doctors stay in business when today’s reimbursement rates in some specialties can be lower than they were 30 years ago? What happens when billing-related administrative expenses are too high? Dr. Nancy Niparko, a pediatric neurologist in the Los Angeles area, explains to host Brenda Gazzar how she came to shut down her private practice and accept employment. Learn more & subscribe at HEAL California!
What can doctors do when they learn the best treatment for their patients is not covered by health insurance? How are American children impacted by coverage denials and the high cost of medicines? Brenda Gazzar and Dr. Nancy Niparko, a pediatric neurologist at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, discuss the frustrating and unnecessary insurance hassles doctors routinely face while trying to properly treat their patients, and how different it is in Canada. Learn more & subscribe at HEAL California!
How were everyday Americans affected when they lost their jobs and their health insurance during the pandemic? Is subsidized health insurance from Affordable Care Act marketplaces an answer, given out-of-pocket limits as high as $8,150 in 2020? Host Brenda Gazzar and Cathy Munzer, a fitness instructor living in Flushing Queens, discuss the fear and stress she felt when facing a medical emergency while unemployed and unable to afford health insurance. Learn more at HEAL California!
What would the political path to winning Medicare for All look like? How can we take on the power of corporate health care? Why is it essential that people understand how our for-profit healthcare system affects them personally? Host Brenda Gazzar and Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, physician and politician, discuss how his compelling new book, “Medicare for All: A Citizen’s Guide” was written for skeptics and advocates alike, and why this fight matters for everyone.
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What impact did having roots in two worlds - Detroit, Michigan and Alexandria, Egypt - have on a young Dr. Abdul El-Sayed? How did his life experience sharpen his perception of the systems of inequality? What motivated him to first pursue a career in medicine, then move on to public health and now politics? Host Brenda Gazzar and Dr. El-Sayed, physician and politician, discuss his compelling life and best-selling new book, “Medicare for All: A Citizen’s Guide.”
What are the key features of CalCare, California’s new single-payer bill (AB 1400)? Will it save money, or cost more? If we had single-payer, would Californians still have to pay premiums and deductibles? University of California San Francisco professor emeritus James G. Kahn, health economics expert, and host Brenda Gazzar discuss facts about CalCare, including options to finance it, and what we can do to help get it passed!
What convinced a global health expert that single-payer healthcare systems are the way to go? How did the coronavirus pandemic impact the existing American healthcare system? Why has the California Legislature failed to get to single-payer despite widespread support for it? University of California San Francisco professor emeritus James G. Kahn, health economics expert, and Brenda Gazzar discuss the state of past and future healthcare reform efforts.
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What about the people who earn too much for Medicaid but too little to afford Obamacare? How has our broken healthcare system taken center stage at the union bargaining table? Have racial and generational divisions held back the healthcare reform movement? Sean Cavanaugh, campaign director for Whole Washington, and host Brenda Gazzar, discuss why bridging the racial generation gap is key to winning Medicare for All.
How does our corporate healthcare system prevent us from fully investing in the public good? What about its disparate impact on Black Americans? How would we all benefit if our society prioritized taking care of people? Sean Cavanaugh, campaign director for Whole Washington, and host Brenda Gazzar, discuss why SB 5204, the latest single payer bill in Washington State, is vital and how it would work.
What are the traps that can keep survivors locked into abusive relationships? Is domestic violence more common in lower-income households? What advantages do higher-income survivors have when they seek help? Michele Hamilton, counselor and board member of Health Care 4 All-PA, joins host Brenda Gazzar to discuss how Medicare for All would change the dynamics for abuse survivors. Click here for transcript.
Domestic abuse victims often need urgent treatment for health problems resulting from physical and emotional assault. In many cases, they must find shelter in another town, county or state. How does the U.S. health insurance system respond to their needs? What about county-specific safety-net programs? Michele Hamilton, counselor in a domestic abuse shelter and board member of Health Care 4 All-PA, joins host Brenda Gazzar to discuss why Americans need health insurance that is not tied to their jobs, their parents or their abuser. Click here for transcript.
California’s migrant farmworkers suffer from more than inadequate housing, inaccessible health care and social isolation. What are the health risks they face at work each day while contributing to the state’s booming agricultural economy? Radio Bilingue's Hugo Morales and host Brenda Gazzar discuss the dangers farmworkers face at work, including pesticide exposure, working around farm animals and with mechanized equipment. Then there’s the constant fear of deportation. . . .Click for the transcript!
What health challenges do California’s farmworkers and their families routinely face as a consequence of dire poverty? What’s it like to be socially isolated and treated like an alien? Hugo Morales, co-founder and executive director of Radio Bilingue, and host Brenda Gazzar discuss his incredible life, starting as a Mexican-born indigenous child who joined his father at a farm labor camp in Healdsburg, California to his time studying at Harvard.
What options are there for an uninsured performing artist facing financial destruction from medical bills? How does one’s state of residence impact the affordability of health care? Eliska Hahn and host Brenda Gazzar discuss the challenge of affording health care after developing a devastating illness even with the Affordable Care Act.
How did a hardworking, highly talented performance artist end up declaring medical bankruptcy at age 23? Does the desire for dignity, independence and healthcare security mean Americans must give up their dreams of working in creative fields? Host Brenda Gazzar and Eliska Hahn, voice talent, model and actor, examine how America’s fragmented healthcare system let her down as she started a family while pursuing an ambitious entertainment career across the country.
Why are incarcerated people experiencing devastating coronavirus outbreaks? What special vulnerabilities do they face that increase their susceptibility to the virus? Host Brenda Gazzar and Dr. Nina Harawa discuss how the day-to-day realities of life in prisons and jails make it nearly impossible to avoid exposure, and what needs to be done about it.
Today we’re celebrating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a racial equity champion, with a look at how stigmatized communities such as HIV-positive, transgender and incarcerated people are faring overall and during the coronavirus pandemic. Host Brenda Gazzar and Dr. Nina Harawa discuss the special vulnerabilities they face, and how to effectively communicate vital health-related information in light of a history of mistreatment in the medical system.
How can a father cope with the senseless death of a beloved son following a missed $20 premium payment? What devastating consequences can result when a patient's health insurance changes without warning? Host Brenda Gazzar and Scott Desnoyers discuss how an unexpected health insurance change meant that his son Danny lost access to critical medication, which he says contributed to his son's suicide. How would things be different if we had Medicare for All?
How can we overcome vaccine hesitancy among Americans? What role does distrust of the medical establishment play in the decision to be vaccinated? Why do some communities have serious concerns around seeking medical care? Host Brenda Gazzar and Dr. Rob Davidson, practicing emergency room doctor, discuss the targeted messaging campaign being launched bythe Committee to Protect Medicare, the latest mRNAvaccine technology and why he trusts the new COVID-19 vaccines.
Why is it that an advanced nation like the U.S. has experienced over 2 million COVID-19 infections? How have factors like the lack of a coordinated federal response and an inadequate health insurance system contributed to our national health tragedy? Host Brenda Gazzar and Dr. Rob Davidson, practicing emergency room doctor and head of Committee to Protect Medicare, discuss how wearing masks and getting vaccinated would save countless American lives.
Why did a man in his 20s die from a totally treatable disease? How do social determinants affect patients’ ability to get to doctors appointments or buy prescribed medicines? Host Brenda Gazzar and Dr. Susan Rogers, new president of Physicians for a National Health Program, discuss how essential it is to acknowledge the role inequities play in health care and to stop blaming patients.
What was it like growing up Black in America during the Civil Rights struggles of the 1960's? What was the experience of systemic racism faced by students of color - especially Black women - in medical school during that era? With host Brenda Gazzar, Dr. Susan Rogers, new president of Physicians for a National Health Program, describes the life experiences that helped shape her commitment to social justice and healthcare equity.
What are the prospects for single payer in California? What role might the Healthy California for All Commission play in the future of the state's healthcare system? What about Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature? Michael Lighty, founding fellow of the Sanders Institute and former healthcare constituency director for Bernie 2020, and host Brenda Gazzar discuss who and what California single-payer supporters should focus on in 2021.
What are the prospects for Medicare for All under President-elect Joe Biden's tenure given his stated opposition to it? What steps can we expect the federal government to take to address healthcare inequities? What about reform efforts within the states? Michael Lighty, founding fellow of the Sanders Institute and former healthcare constituency director for Bernie 2020, and host Brenda Gazzar discuss how Biden's presidency might affect federal and state efforts to win Medicare for All.
How likely is it that the U.S.Supreme Court would rule the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional? What does “unconstitutional” actually mean in this context? Scott Nelson, a public interest attorney working with Public Citizen, and host Brenda Gazzar discuss possible outcomes to the case against Obamacare, and the reasons why Public Citizen, a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization, believes Medicare for All would be a better option for Americans than our current market-based system.
The Affordable Care Actis before the Supreme Court again. What's the latest case about? Why are California and Texas suing over the landmark legislation? What impact might the court's decision have on Americans' health care? Scott Nelson, a public interest attorney working with the nonprofit consumer advocacy organization Public Citizen, and host Brenda Gazzar discuss the latest legal challenge to Obamacare and the possible consequences.
What recourse do performers and media professionals have in the face of rising health insurance premiums? Is the entertainment industry bouncing back from the pandemic? Ayesha Orange, professional dancer, choreographer, and single mom, joins host Brenda Gazzar to discuss how increased health insurance expensesmay affect her and her young son next year.
Changes to SAG-AFTRA’s benefit plansconcern working-age performers and retirees alike. What happens when an artist can't get enough work to qualify for benefits - like, during a pandemic? And what about COBRA? Ayesha Orange, professional dancer, choreographer, and a single mom, joins host Brenda Gazzar to discuss how changes to SAG-AFTRA’s benefit plans are throwing even more worries into the mix ahead of 2021.
How does having to work to qualify for employer-sponsored health insurance affectAmericans with chronic illness? Does managing health insurance get any easier after retirement? (Hint - not necessarily.) Are Medicare Advantage plans really advantageous? And for whom? Retired actor Kathy Fields Lander, wife of actor and comedian David L. Lander, and host Brenda Gazzar talk about how fears for a loved one’s health care can keep family members up at night, and the importance of health care to our democracy.
Did you hear about the upcoming changes to SAG-AFTRA’s employee-benefit plans? How are union health plans coping with America’s out-of-control healthcare costs? Are retiree health benefits guaranteed for life? David L. Lander, his wife Kathy Fields Lander, and host Brenda Gazzar discuss how changes to SAG-AFTRA’s benefit plans impact long-time union members like them and the complicated, costly insurance alternatives they are left with.
Is healthcare inequality more evident to America’s mayors than to our federal representatives? How differently might the pandemic have played out if Medicare for All had already been in place? Did the link between employment and health insurance force Americans to keep working - not just for the income but also for the insurance? Libby Schaaf, Oakland, California mayor, and host Brenda Gazzar discuss how coronavirus suffering in the U.S. could have been reduced.
Why have two California mayors joined forces to launch Mayors for Medicare for All? How are American cities "laboratories for democracy?" How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected local communities? Libby Schaaf, Oakland mayor and the City Council's former senior policy adviser for Community & Economic Development, and host Brenda Gazzar discuss how fixing America's broken healthcare system is critical to equity, justice and decency.
What healthcare policies are necessary to expand access to care to low-income people? How will these policies benefit every person in our country? What happens to the billions of dollars undocumented workers pay into Medicare and Social Security each year? Angelica Salas, executive director of CHIRLA (Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights) and host Brenda Gazzar discuss how the pandemic has highlighted our interdependence and the need to take care of one another.
What happens when immigrant workers become ill? Hear the story of how Guillermo, an undocumented construction worker in his late fifties, was exposed to coronavirus on the job and lost his life. How does his death impact his family and his community? Angelica Salas, executive director of CHIRLA (Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights) and host Brenda Gazzar discuss how access to emergency health care alone is simply not enough.
Why are immigrant workers* more vulnerable than other workers during this pandemic? When they do get sick, what options do immigrants without documentation have when it comes to care? What public health policies are absolutely critical during a pandemic? *Angelica Salas, executive director of CHIRLA (Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights) and host Brenda Gazzar discuss the impact that exclusion from the social safety net has had on immigrants whose work is considered essential to the economy.
What are commonalities in the undocumented experience? Is denial of access and punishment the chief purpose of U.S. immigration policy? How did California evolve from one of the most anti-immigrant states to be more welcoming and inclusive? Angelica Salas, executive director of CHIRLA (Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights) and host Brenda Gazzar discuss the struggles undocumented immigrants face when it comes to health care, education and the social safety net.
What's the one common denominator among women experiencing homelessness? Is homelessness a moral failing, or a consequence of complex trauma? Does substance abuse cause homelessness, or is it a coping mechanism? Amy Turk, a social worker and chief executive officer of the Downtown Women’s Center, and host Brenda Gazzar discuss how when it comes to our health care, it's always cheaper to do the right thing.
Why is it that 60% of the women living on Skid Row are African-American? What happens when women become too sick to work and lose their health insurance? What programs promote access to health care for those experiencing homelessness? Amy Turk, a social worker and chief executive officer of the Downtown Women’s Center, and host Brenda Gazzar discuss how Medicare for All could help deter homelessness.
What special challenges do people without permanent housing face with coronavirus? And what programs have served to protect them during the pandemic? How has the expansion of Medi-Cal under the Affordable Care Act impacted healthcare access for women experiencing homelessness? Amy Turk, a social worker and chief executive officer of the Downtown Women’s Center, and host Brenda Gazzar discuss the various public policies that have positively affected the lives of Angelenos living on the streets.
What are the root causes of homelessness among women? What role does gender-based violence play? What policies would reduce the risk of women becoming homeless? Amy Turk,a social workerand chief executive officer of the Downtown Women’s Center, and host Brenda Gazzar discuss the factors that drive women and their children out of their homes and into the streets.
Did Gov. Gavin Newsom change his mind on single payer? Is the Healthy California for All Commission meeting its mandate? Where are the major California healthcare foundations when it comes to reform? Michael Lighty, founding fellow of the Sanders Institute and former healthcare constituency director for Bernie 2020, and host Brenda Gazzar discuss the principal players in California’s struggle for health equity and Medicare for All.
Why won’t our legislators take up the political fight against health insurers and pharmaceutical companies? How can we shift the definition of what’s politically possible when it comes to our health care? In this third episode in a podcast series with host Brenda Gazzar, Michael Lighty, founding fellow of the Sanders Institute and former healthcare constituency director for Bernie 2020, discusses the need for a broad reorganization of society based on racial justice, solidarity and compassion.
What’s holding the U.S. back from Medicare for All? (Hint: It’s not just Trump.) What about California? In this second episode in a podcast series with host Brenda Gazzar, Michael Lighty, founding fellow of the Sanders Institute and former healthcare constituency director for Bernie 2020, discusses the political obstacles to winning single payer and the essential connection to the issue of racial equity in health care.
Will "a little bit of this and a little bit of that" solve America's healthcare problems? Is COVID-19 a game-changer in the fight for single-payer? In this first episode of a podcast series with host Brenda Gazzar, Michael Lighty, founding fellow of the Sanders Institute and former healthcare constituency director for Bernie 2020, discusses the Medicare-for-All movement and the Democratic Party's new unity task force.
How are some hospitals conserving personal protective equipment? (Hint: In ways that would be unthinkable before the pandemic.) And who’s ultimately responsible for assuring sufficient PPE supplies? Code WACK! host Brenda Gazzar and Rose Roach, executive director of the Minnesota Nurses Association, compare the rules for PPE use before and after COVID-19. Plus, if PPE is in such short stock, why are hospitals pushing to reinstate elective surgeries?
Who and what gets left out when health care is driven by profit? How does “lean model management” affect public health preparedness? Code WACK! host Brenda Gazzar and Rose Roach, executive director of the Minnesota Nurses Association, compare racial inequities in Minnesota and the rest of the nation. Plus, what's the cost of the perverse incentives implicit in our for-profit healthcare system?
How are nurses of color impacted by racism, both on the job and in the streets? Could using weapons of war against protesters increase the spread of coronavirus? Code WACK! host Brenda Gazzar and Rose Roach, executive director of the Minnesota Nurses Association, discuss the concerns nurses have today, as America struggles against both a pandemic and its racist past.
How do U.S. policies intensify the vulnerability of Black communities, including during pandemics? What caused the historical distrust between the Black community and the American healthcare system? Code WACK! host Brenda Gazzar and Janel Bailey, Co-Executive Director of Organizing and Programs at the Los Angeles Black Worker Center, discuss how public policies around eviction, employment and medical exploitation combine to harm Black workers and their families. Could Medicare for All help?
How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting Black workers? What does it mean in light of the inequality the Black community already faces? Code WACK! host Brenda Gazzar and Janel Bailey, Co-Executive Director of Organizing and Programs at the Los Angeles Black Workers Center, discuss the racial inequities of "flattening the curve" and explore how shelter-in-place rules are less likely to protect black workers.
Why are people of color disproportionately affected by chronic illnesses like diabetes and asthma? Is it the individual’s fault, or is it their environment? Would better health insurance help? Listen as John Kim, Executive Director of Advancement Project California and Code WACK! host Brenda Gazzar explore strategies to build trust and save lives. Plus, why universal health insurance is only part of the answer.
What's America’s deadliest underlying condition? How have decades of unbridled gentrification, racial and economic segregation and discrimination intersected to keep communities of color in the eye of the pandemic in Los Angeles? John Kim, Executive Director of Advancement Project California, and Code WACK! host Brenda Gazzar examine the systemic injustices exacerbated by COVID-19. Plus, why building trust is essential to any solution.
How does it feel to risk your life just going to work, like during the coronavirus pandemic? What's the best way to tackle the PPE shortage? In this final episode in a four-part series, Dr. Philip Verhoef, Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Hawaii and ICU physician, joins host Brenda Gazzar to discuss these issues, plus how South Korea’s government-run healthcare system bolstered its ability to control the spread of the deadly virus.
Why was there such an uneven distribution of testing capacity in the United States and how can we address that problem in the future? How does bureaucracy impact American health care? In this third of a podcast series, Dr. Philip Verhoef, Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Hawaii and ICU physician, joins host Brenda Gazzar to explore how pooling resources and minimizing bureaucracy with Medicare for All would save lives. Plus, what are the downsides to Medicare for All?
How has our fragmented healthcare system affected our ability to perform basic public health functions? What lessons can we learn from other countries with nationally-centralized electronic health records? With host Brenda Gazzar, Dr. Philip Verhoef, Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Hawaii and ICU physician, takes a closer look at Taiwan’s Medicare-for-All system and how it made identifying COVID hotspots faster and easier. How can the U.S. strengthen its response to future pandemics?
How can we maximize our ability to confront pandemics like the coronavirus? Which strategies are working for us, and which are failing? With host Brenda Gazzar, Dr. Philip Verhoef, Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Hawaii and ICU physician, contrasts America’s failure to efficiently distribute resources like PPE with the successful adoption of telemedicine - an effort led by Medicare. Learn how a unified Medicare-for-All system could have helped the U.S. better respond to the pandemic.
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Why does the U.S. lack a universal, Medicare-for-All-type healthcare system like many other developed countries have? What are the consequences? In this fifth and final episode of a podcast series with host Brenda Gazzar, Dr. Tony Iton, senior vice president for Healthy Communities at The California Endowment, discusses America’s long history of racism and both its impact on healthcare reform and on our fragmented response to the deadly coronavirus pandemic.
How does the lack of universal sick leave and health care affect America's ability to respond to pandemics? In this fourth in a series with host Brenda Gazzar, Dr. Tony Iton, Senior Vice President for Healthy Communities at The California Endowment, explains why Western Europe and the U.S. may have very different public policies. Will the coronavirus finally create a sense of shared fate and solidarity among Americans?
Learn which of us are most vulnerable during this pandemic, and why. In this third of a podcast series with host Brenda Gazzar, Dr. Tony Iton, senior vice president for Healthy Communities at The California Endowment, describes the intersection of* policy, income inequality, race and social vulnerability*. Which policy solutions weaken our nation in the face of health crises like the coronavirus and which will increase our resilience? After all, the next pandemic may be just around the corner.
Learn how deforestation and climate change are increasing the likelihood of future pandemics and what America can do to prepare for them. In this second of a podcast series with host Brenda Gazzar, Dr. Tony Iton, senior vice president for Healthy Communities at The California Endowment, explains how our market-based healthcare system incentivizes profits over public health investments. How would Medicare for All help us respond to future crises? The answer is more complicated than you might think!
Find out how the erosion of America’s public health system undermined our response to the deadly coronavirus pandemic. In this first of a podcast series, Dr. Tony Iton, senior vice president for Healthy Communities at The California Endowment, explains how having a patchwork health insurance system, along with a weakened public health system, has left America even more vulnerable during the crisis. Host Brenda Gazzar asks "Would Medicare for All help?" The answer may surprise you.
What's more precious than our children? Yet a growing number of children are losing insurance and as a result, access to health care. How does this impact them?
Join host Brenda Gazzar as Dr. Ana Malinow, UCSF pediatrician, shares stories of young patients and the sometimes devastating consequences they faced.
Why are children losing their health insurance today, after the Affordable Care Act? How can we assure our children will never lose access to the care they need to survive and thrive?
How do parents balance their own needs and their children's in America's high-stakes healthcare system? Learn how one devoted mother was forced to make a choice with traumatic consequences.
Rebecca Wood, a Boston mother, has faced a years-long struggle to pay for the care needed by her daughter Charlie, who was born severely premature at only 26 weeks gestation. How were their lives changed by the ordeal? Hear how Rebecca is committing her life to passing Medicare for All to ensure lifelong care for her beloved daughter and herself.
Learn how America’s corporate healthcare system delays and/or denies care to save money and increase profits. Wendell Potter, co-founder of Business for Medicare for All and former Communications Director for CIGNA, explains the often arbitrary nature of insurance coverage denials. Host Brenda Gazzar explores how such denials impact patients and their doctors. Guests include Dr. Barbara Goff, board-certified gynecologic oncologist, and Dr. Anthony Cardillo, an Emergency Room doctor and CEO of Mend Health, who detail the serious consequences for their patients. Rachel Madley, a PhD candidate at Columbia University Medical Center, describes her personal difficulties trying to get coverage approved for medication she needs to survive. How would things be different if America had Medicare for All?
Learn about the unique challenges women face when it comes to accessing health care. Dr. Ana Malinow, a pediatrician, and her husband Dr. Aleksandar Rajkovic, an obstetrician, talk with host Brenda Gazzar about how women are vulnerable, and reveal the risky calculation some women make when forced to delay or avoid care.
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Find out why health care costs so much -- and how Medicare for All would help. Host Brenda Gazzar and long-time consumer advocate Harry Snyder, a lecturer at UC Berkeley School of Public Health, discuss how our current healthcare system is failing us. Then, Dr. James G. Kahn, a health economics expert and emeritus professor at UC San Francisco, explains how our complicated system of public and private insurance adds unnecessary costs to our care.
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Join host Brenda Gazzar as she explores how our ultra-complicated healthcare system affects doctors and their patients. Dr. Paul Song, radiation oncologist and president of Physicians for a National Health Program – California, details the everyday health insurance hassles physicians face. And Dr. Ron Birnbaum, dermatologist at the USC-Eisner Family Clinic, explains how the type of health plan you have determines the care you get and the impact this has on patients with potentially life-threatening conditions. Learn why Dr. Song and Dr. Birnbaum believe Medicare for All is the answer.
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