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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!