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How do health insurance companies avoid insuring more costly patients?   What's a "trojan horse" when it comes to single-payer legislation? Does financing health care through an insurance system make sense? Join Dr. Stephen Kemble , practicing psychiatrist and past president of the Hawaii Medical Association, and Brenda Gazzar as they discuss one of the biggest challenges to winning Medicare for A...

What's long COVID like, after a year? How much does it cost to treat? Are some Americans still having to "stay married for the health insurance" - in 2021? What's one way Medicaid fails special needs kids? Listen as  Mariana Pineda , a New York teacher, mother of four and single-payer activist pulls back the curtain on the campaign for the New York Health Act. Why, on the heels of a devastating pa...

As if having Long COVID weren't enough, does America's broken healthcare system make things worse? Does the social safety net - meaning Medicaid, unemployment and disability insurance -   actually save us? Join Mariana Pineda , a New York teacher and mother of four, as she shares her COVID long-haul nightmare with host Brenda Gazzar . It was hard enough just trying to stay alive and keep her healt...

What if your surgery were suddenly cancelled the day before because your insurer deemed it "medically unnecessary?" What choices do Americans have when it comes to their care? Would global budgeting have helped rural hospitals cope with the pandemic? Stephanie Kang, PhD , health policy director for Rep. Pramila Jayapal, shares with Brenda Gazzar how her father's personal experience with a marketpl...

What's the point of pushing for Medicare for All when President Biden opposes it? What about racial equity in healthcare - is winning single payer enough? Is there any value in supporting incremental legislation expanding Medicare to some?   Host Brenda Gazzar and guest, Dr. Stephanie Kang, PhD , health policy director for Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal discuss legislative strategies worth pursuing...

What's holding the U.S. back from implementing system-wide solutions to our healthcare woes? How do other countries rein in prescription drug prices? What are the 5 most important lessons about health care that the U.S. could learn from other wealthy nations?   Host Brenda Gazzar and her guest, Dr. Thomas Rice , health economist and Distinguished Professor at UCLA's Fielding School of Public Healt...

Why does the U.S. healthcare system perform poorly in equity and efficiency compared to other wealthy nations? How does the U.S. ration access to health care based on cost?  How do other countries manage to cover everyone for less ? What lessons can we learn from their health insurance systems? Host Brenda Gazzar and her guest, Dr. Thomas Rice , health economist and Distinguished Professor in UCLA...

What's happening with healthcare reform in one of the bluest states in the nation, California ? On which three fronts are single-payer advocates battling? What's essential to winning a healthcare justice ground game ? Join host Brenda Gazzar and her guest, Ellen Karel , Chair of Health Care for All - California , as they discuss this historic moment for single-payer in the Golden State !

How did Ellen Karel , the chair of Health Care for All-California , come to support Medicare for All? What lead her to advocate for healthcare equity? Join host Brenda Gazzar and Ellen Karel as they discuss how expensive getting care can be, even with health insurance. Why should hardworking Californians, struggling to survive on low incomes, face hurdles to getting the care they need? What is hol...

How did Hawaii's effort to establish universal healthcare get derailed by the Affordable Care Act? What's an all-payer healthcare system and is it an alternative (or a path) to single-payer? What really happened with Vermont's attempt at single payer?  Dr. Stephen Kemble, psychiatrist and past president of the Hawaii Medical Association, and host Brenda Gazzar discuss what key feature of a single-...

For Mental Health Awareness month , this week's pod looks at how Medicaid Managed Care affects the availability of mental health services for low-income patients . Do corporate insurance industry practices, like preauthorization, complicate the treatment of mental health patients ? Dr. Stephen Kemble , psychiatrist and past president of the Hawaii Medical Association, and host Brenda Gazzar discus...

How do common health insurance industry practices affect doctors' ability to remain independent ? Can doctors stay in business when today's reimbursement rates in some specialties can be lower than they were 30 years ago ? What happens when billing-related administrative expenses are too high ? Dr. Nancy Niparko, a pediatric neurologist in the Los Angeles area, explains to host Brenda Gazzar how s...

What can doctors do when they learn the best treatment for their patients is not covered by health insurance ? How are American children impacted by coverage denials and the high cost of medicines? Brenda Gazzar and Dr. Nancy Niparko , a pediatric neurologist at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, discuss the frustrating and unnecessary insurance hassles doctors routinely face while trying to properl...

How were everyday Americans affected when they lost their jobs and their health insurance during the pandemic? Is subsidized health insurance from Affordable Care Act marketplaces an answer, given out-of-pocket limits as high as $8,150 in 2020? Host Brenda Gazzar and Cathy Munzer , a fitness instructor living in Flushing Queens, discuss the fear and stress she felt when facing a medical emergency...

What would the political path to winning Medicare for All look like? How can we take on the power of corporate health care ? Why is it essential that people understand how our for-profit healthcare system affects them personally ?  Host Brenda Gazzar and Dr. Abdul El-Sayed , physician and politician, discuss how his compelling new book, "Medicare for All: A Citizen's Guide" was written for skeptic...

What impact did having roots in two worlds -  Detroit, Michigan and Alexandria, Egypt  - have on a young Dr. Abdul El-Sayed ? How did his life experience sharpen his perception of the systems of inequality ? What motivated him to first pursue a career in medicine, then move on to public health and now politics?  Host Brenda Gazzar and Dr. El-Sayed , physician and politician, discuss his compelling...

What are the key features of CalCare , California's new single-payer bill (AB 1400)?   Will it save money, or cost more? If we had single-payer, would Californians still have to pay premiums and deductibles? University of California San Francisco professor emeritus James G. Kahn, health economics expert, and host Brenda Gazzar discuss facts about CalCare, including options to finance it, and what...

What convinced a global health expert that single-payer healthcare systems are the way to go ? How did the coronavirus pandemic impact the existing American healthcare system? Why has the California Legislature failed to get to single-payer despite widespread support for it ? University of California San Francisco professor emeritus James G. Kahn , health economics expert, and Brenda Gazzar discus...

What about the people who earn too much for Medicaid but too little to afford Obamacare? How has our broken healthcare system taken center stage at the union bargaining table? Have racial and generational divisions held back the healthcare reform movement? Sean Cavanaugh, campaign director for Whole Washington , and host Brenda Gazzar, discuss why bridging the racial generation gap is key to winni...

How does our corporate healthcare system prevent us from fully investing in the public good ? What about its disparate impact on Black Americans ? How would we all benefit if our society prioritized taking care of people ? Sean Cavanaugh , campaign director for Whole Washington , and host Brenda Gazzar , discuss why SB 5204, the latest single payer bill in Washington State, is vital and how it wou...

What are the traps that can keep survivors locked into abusive relationships ? Is domestic violence more common in lower-income households? What advantages do higher-income survivors have when they seek help?  Michele Hamilton , counselor and board member of Health Care 4 All-PA , joins host Brenda Gazzar to discuss how Medicare for All would change the dynamics for abuse survivors. Click here for...

Domestic abuse victims often need urgent treatment for health problems resulting from physical and emotional assault .  In many cases, they must find shelter in another town, county or state. How does the U.S. health insurance system respond to their needs? What about county-specific safety-net programs?  Michele Hamilton , counselor in a domestic abuse shelter and board member of Health Care 4 Al...

California's migrant farmworkers suffer from more than inadequate housing, inaccessible health care and social isolation . What are the health risks they face at work each day while contributing to the state's booming agricultural economy ? Radio Bilingue's Hugo Morales and host Brenda Gazzar discuss the dangers farmworkers face at work, including pesticide exposure, working around farm animals an...

What health challenges do California's farmworkers and their families routinely face as a consequence of dire poverty ? What's it like to be socially isolated and treated like an alien?   Hugo Morales , co-founder and executive director of  Radio Bilingue , and host Brenda Gazzar discuss his incredible life, starting as a  Mexican-born indigenous child who joined his father at a farm labor camp in...

What options are there for an  uninsured performing artist  facing  financial destruction from medical bills ? How does one's  state of residence  impact the  affordability of health care ? Eliska Hahn and host Brenda Gazzar discuss the challenge of affording health care after developing a devastating illness even with the Affordable Care Act.