Code WACK!

What if you don't have health insurance but need medical care to save your life? If you're drowning in bills from the hospital, what can you do? To find out, we spoke to Venus Lockett , a financial services professional who lives near Atlanta. After an ambulance ride, one night in the hospital and multiple tests, she faced over $30,000 in medical bills while she was in-between jobs, uninsured and...

This time on Code WACK!     How do people get into medical debt in the first place? Sometimes it can happen when a business reorganization turns employees with benefits into contractors with no benefits . Or maybe you live in one of the 12 states that did not expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act?    To find out, we spoke to Venus Lockett , a financial services professional who lives near...

This time on Code WACK!  What's the latest threat to original Medicare? What could happen if we link health outcomes to physician compensation? How is it that a whole new program affecting millions of Americans on original Medicare can be rolled out without congressional oversight?    To find out, we spoke to the new president of Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP), Dr. Philip Verhoef...

This time on Code WACK!   What say should doctors have in reforming America's healthcare system? Are their decades-long efforts to stop the commercialization of medicine having an impact? How can health professionals, and students in the health sciences, get involved in the movement for single-payer health care?  To find out, we spoke to the new president of Physicians for a National Health Progra...

This time on Code WACK!  At least 20 legislative bills targeting transgender medical care were pre-filed in at least nine states for 2023, according to The Hill . And last year, more than two dozen states sought to enact measures to ban or severely restrict access to gender-affirming healthcare for transgender youth.  To learn more about the challenges transgender individuals face when seeking suc...

This time on Code WACK! What would you do if you were faced with thousands of dollars of medical debt? Would you file for bankruptcy or let the debt go to collections? What help is out there for people facing such difficult dilemmas? Would Medicare for All protect patients from the hassles and financial burdens that face ill patients today?  To find out, we spoke with Monique Davis , a nonprofit e...

Can you count on your health insurance when you need it? What if you and your spouse are "double-covered?" What are your options when medical debt is dragging you down?   And if you can't pay, what happens after you get well and start looking for a new job? To find out, we spoke with Monique Davis , a nonprofit executive in Southern California, who, during midlife, faced an unexpected diagnosis wi...

Why does America STILL have a healthcare system with so many cracks to fall through? A routine job change, a move, or a divorce can trigger a change in health insurance eligibility, premiums, out-of-pocket costs, provider networks, etc. What's the true cost of our fragmented, bureaucratic and for-profit healthcare system? To find out, we spoke to Scott Desnoyers, an anguished New York father who s...

Was the Affordable Care Act a cure-all or a mixed bag for freelancers? Where can gig workers turn for expert insurance information and coverage? How would Medicare for All affect independent workers?  To find out, we spoke to Rafael Espinal and Jonathan Gray of the New York-based Freelancers Union . Rafael, a former New York state assemblyman and former New York City councilman , is executive dire...

This time on Code WACK!  Why are so many Americans choosing to freelance these days? What are some of the benefits - and risks - of choosing to work for yourself? What challenges do gig workers face when it comes to getting the basics, like health insurance and quality health care? To find out, we spoke to Rafael Espinal and Jonathan Gray of the New York-based Freelancers Union . Rafael, a former...

This time on Code WACK! What can be done to ensure that nonprofit hospitals are delivering fairly on their community benefits – and worthy of their huge tax breaks? How does corporate lobbying complicate efforts to improve the oversight of these facilities? Who benefits when hospitals reduce costs without lowering prices for patients? To find out, we spoke to filmmaker Sandra Alvarez , director of...

This time on Code WACK!  When it comes to our broken healthcare system, are nonprofit hospitals part of the solution ... or part of the problem? What are their priorities? How do their actions affect patient care?  To find out, we spoke to filmmaker Sandra Alvarez , director of the new documentary InHospitable , which tells the story of patients and advocates as they fight for their lives and take...

Medicare's 2023 enrollment period is ending on Dec. 7 and Code WACK! is on the case! What are the true risks of choosing Medicare Advantage instead of original Medicare with a Medigap supplement? Are you risking your pocketbook, or your health?  Both , suggests expert Dr. Ed Weisbart, a retired family physician, former chief medical officer of Express Scripts and a national board member of Physici...

This time on Code WACK!. How do the results of the midterm elections affect the prospect for state-based single payer healthcare systems? Will state governments continue to subsidize the private insurance system and defend the status quo as we lose money and lives?  To find out, we asked Michael Lighty , president of Healthy California Now , a statewide coalition dedicated to winning single payer,...

This time on Code WACK!. What do the tight midterm elections mean for our nation's health care? Hanging in the balance are the fates of those who are dependent on pandemic emergency programs for their health care and millions of American seniors who anxiously face the privatization of traditional Medicare .  To find out, we asked Michael Lighty , president of Healthy California Now , a statewide c...

This time on Code WACK! In 2022, nearly half of people eligible for Medicare are enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans. So what's the problem? Good question.  To find out, we spoke to Diane Archer , founder and president of Just Care USA , an independent digital media hub covering health and financial issues facing boomers and their families.  What pitfalls does Medicare Advantage pose? Is the Medi...

What are the major differences between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage? How do the two programs compare when it comes to accessing quality care?    To get the facts, join host Brenda Gazzar and Ed Weisbart, MD, a retired family physician, former chief medical officer of Express Scripts and a national board member of Physicians for a National Health Program.  From narrow provider networks...

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?   The skyrocketing cost of treatment and rising insurance premiums are driving some Americans to seek affordable health care abroad. While the COVID pandemic slowed international travel, in 2019 nearly 2 million Americans sought health care abroad, a numbe...

How would most families and individuals fare financially with a single-payer Medicare for All system? What about you? Would you pay more - or less - for health care than you're paying now? If saving money (and lives) weren't enough, what else could we gain if we had Medicare for All? Could Medicare for All help unite our divided nation? To find out, we spoke to James G. Kahn, a professor emeritus...

What do Medicare beneficiaries need to know about open enrollment and their drug plans? How can they get free and unbiased help navigating their Medicare options? Most importantly, how can they save money on their medicines? To find out, we spoke to Steve Maas , a freelance writer and a retired Boston Globe editor. The Maryland resident is currently a volunteer for the State Health Insurance Assis...

What's up with America's prescription drug market? Why do some of us pay a lot more for our prescriptions than others? How can people on Medicare get the best prices for the medicines they need? To find out, we spoke to Steve Maas , a freelance writer and a retired Boston Globe editor. The Maryland resident is currently a volunteer for the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (or SHIP program...

What are the primary drivers of poverty in America?  How has the commodification of medicine affected health care? What's behind immigrants' fear of accessing programs established to provide them lawful services?  For these answers and more, we spoke with Maribel Nuñez, executive director of Inland Equity Partnership , an economic justice coalition working to reduce poverty for the most vulnerable...

State by state, advocates of guaranteed health care for immigrants are slowly making gains - what's their formula for success?   Which California immigrants will get access to full Medicaid coverage in 2024, for the first time? How did this happen in an America that sometimes holds complicated feelings about people who are undocumented?   For these answers and more, we spoke with Maribel Nuñez, ex...

How do we know that nearly 340,000 Americans died during the pandemic because they did not have health insurance?   How does this compare to American deaths related to uninsurance during a non-COVID year? How could the U.S. have saved $5 billion or more in healthcare costs during the pandemic?  To find out, we spoke to James G. Kahn, MD/MPH, a professor emeritus of health policy, epidemiology, and...

Why are nearly half of all U.S. residents burdened with medical debt? Does it simply result from people making poor personal choices, or is it a symptom of a deeper, systemic problem with our healthcare system? What are the scary implications of this and what can we do about it? To find out, we spoke to James G. Kahn,  MD/MPH, a professor emeritus of health policy, epidemiology, and global health...