Code WACK!

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 gend...

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...

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 Networ...

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 L...

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 Loc...

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 lowe...

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 c...

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 an...

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 f...

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...

  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 L...

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...

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 organiza...

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...

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...

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...

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 Alb...

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...

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...

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 rep...

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, ed...

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 Brow n and in movies such as It's Complicated opposit...

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 dir...

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...