Code WACK!

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 practic...

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 su...

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,...

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 Cent...

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 Jen...

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 a...

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 rar...

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...

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...

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 wo...

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,...

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,...

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 Sander...

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...

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 treatme...

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 st...

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...

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 larg...

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...

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 th...

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 , th...

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 hea...

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...

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,...

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 bur...