Code WACK!

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...

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...

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 a...

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 '...

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 an...

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 r...

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...

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 heal...

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 wi...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 Soci...

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 , e...

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 .      Check out the Transcript...

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...