Code WACK!

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...

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 t...

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 t...

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 an...

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 s...

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 wh...

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...

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 YE...

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 quali...

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...