Care Talk with Laura Packard: American Health Care Explained

Did you know that Congress is working on a budget through the budget reconciliation process that could strip health care from millions of Americans to pay for tax giveaways to the rich? Maura Quint from Families Over Billionaires explains what’s at stake for Tax Day. Plus experts including show host, stage 4 cancer survivor and health care advocate Laura Packard from Health Care Voices , Louise No...

The subsidies which make Affordable Care Act health insurance plans more affordable for millions of Americans expire in 2025. What happens if they aren’t renewed by Congress? Mina Schultz of Young Invincibles talks about what’s at stake for our health insurance. Plus experts including show host, stage 4 cancer survivor and health care advocate Laura Packard from Health Care Voices , Diane Archer f...

25% of the workforce at the National Institutes of Health slashed. Scientific research paused or canceled. Measles and other infectious diseases spreading. Dr. Elle Saine of Doctors for America talks about public health under attack in America. Plus experts including show host, stage 4 cancer survivor and health care advocate Laura Packard from Health Care Voices , Diane Archer from Just Care &amp...

How fifteen years of the Affordable Care Act has changed health care in America, and what is at risk in 2025. Anne Shoup of Protect Our Care talks about current attacks on the ACA including insurance premium subsidies set to expire this year, Medicaid expansion under attack in the House budget, and more. Plus experts including show host, stage 4 cancer survivor and health care advocate Laura Packa...

Congress passed a continuing resolution to fund the federal government through September 30. Bobby Kogan of Center for American Progress talks about what changes are in that budget, what happens next, and how it will affect you. Plus experts including show host, stage 4 cancer survivor and health care advocate Laura Packard from Health Care Voices and Rachel Madley from Center for Health & Dem...

If Congress does not pass a budget or budget extension (continuing resolution) by March 14, the federal government will shut down. Alex Lawson of Social Security Works talks about t he budget process, how government shutdowns work, and how it will affect you. Plus experts including show host, stage 4 cancer survivor and health care advocate Laura Packard from Health Care Voices , Rachel Madley fro...

The U.S. House just passed a budget resolution, which would include massive cuts to health care including Medicaid. Bobby Kogan of Center for American Progress talks about how the budget process works in Congress, what the House and Senate need to do next, and how it could affect you. Plus experts including show host, stage 4 cancer survivor and health care advocate Laura Packard from Health Care...

The House and the Senate are battling on budgets, and health care for 80 million Americans on Medicaid is at stake. Allison Orris of Center on Budget & Policy Priorities talks about President Trump & Congress’ budget reconciliation crisis, potential government shutdown, and how it threatens our health care. Plus experts including show host, stage 4 cancer survivor and health care advocate...

What’s going on with America’s budget? The House and the Senate have different versions, conservative politicians want to strip health care from millions of Americans to pay for tax cuts for the rich, and without agreement by March 14th the government will shut down. Margarida Jorge of Health Care for America Now talks about President Trump & Congress’ budget reconciliation crisis and how it t...

What’s going on with medical research in America? Grant funding through NIH and NSF was paused. What does this mean for medical breakthroughs and cures? Dr. Meena Bewtra of Doctors for America talks about the attacks on medical research funding in America, and abroad through the shutdown of U.S.A.I.D. Plus experts including show host, stage 4 cancer survivor and health care advocate Laura Packard...

Dr. Oz has been nominated by President Trump to run CMS, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Ed Weisbart of Physicians for a National Health Program talks about the dangers of putting Dr. Oz in charge of Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. Plus experts including show host, stage 4 cancer survivor and health care advocate Laura Packard from Health Care Voices , Diane Arche...

The Inflation Reduction Act finally allows Medicare to negotiate drug prices, starting in 2026. Did you know that Big Pharma sued the government several times to try and stop it? Temi Amoye of Patients for Affordable Drugs talks about drug price negotiations, the lawsuits, and what happens next. Plus experts including show host, stage 4 cancer survivor and health care advocate Laura Packard from H...

What does our health care system look like under President Trump? Margarida Jorge of Health Care for America Now talks about what happened with health care under the first Trump administration, and what could happen under the second Trump administration, including appointments, legislative actions, executive orders and more. Plus experts including show host, stage 4 cancer survivor and health care...

Is contraception at risk in 2025? Dana Singiser of the Contraceptive Access Initiative talks about past and ongoing attacks on access to birth control in America, and what we could face under the Trump administration. Plus experts including show host, stage 4 cancer survivor and health care advocate Laura Packard from Health Care Voices , Diane Archer of Just Care & Social Security Works , and...

Edwin Park of Georgetown Center for Children and Families talks about what cuts to Medicaid this year could look like, including work requirements, block grants, and per capita cuts, how changes to Medicaid worked (or didn't work) in Arkansas and Georgia so far, and how cuts could affect your state’s health care. Plus experts including show host, stage 4 cancer survivor and health care advocat...

Naveed Shah of Common Defense talks about what has happened over the past several years for veterans on health care, including changes to the VA, the PACT Act, what could happen in 2025 under President Trump next year including Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy's DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) recommendations for spending cuts, and how it will affect veterans. Plus experts including sh...

The nominees to run the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)--Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)--Dr. Oz, have controversial records and views on medicine. Dr. Meena Bewtra of Doctors for America talks about what they could mean to our public health in 2025 if confirmed. Plus experts including show host, stage 4 cancer survivor and health care...

The health insurance industry in America is broken. What can we do about it? Wendell Potter , whistleblower and former health insurance industry exec, and founder of Center for Health and Democracy talks about Brian Thompson, the former UnitedHealthcare CEO, and the stories that have been revealed about the greedy underbelly of our health insurance system.  Plus experts including show host, stage...

In Alabama, a state supreme court decision led to fertility clinics suspending in vitro fertilization (IVF) services, and some have now closed for good. Tina Sherman, National Director of  MomsRising  talks about fertility treatments and IVF, what happened in Alabama with the Supreme Court, fetal personhood laws, what could happen in 2025 under the Trump administration and beyond, and how it will...

Is your reproductive health care at risk under the Trump administration? Ianthe Metzger from Planned Parenthood talks about what has happened to reproductive care and abortion care over the past several years in America including the Supreme Court Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision overturning Roe v Wade, abortion bans on a state level, what could happen to reproductive serv...

Is Medicaid at risk under the Trump administration? Nicole Jorwic from Caring Across Generations talks about Medicaid, how the program works, what could happen including possible cuts to benefits and eligibility through work requirements, block grants and per capita caps, and your health care in 2025 under President Trump. Plus experts including show host, stage 4 cancer survivor and health care a...

Is your health insurance at risk next year under President Trump? Adam Hoyer from Protect Our Care talks about the Affordable Care Act aka Obamacare, and what could happen to your health insurance in 2025, including the advanced premium tax credit (APTC) subsidies through the Inflation Reduction Act which expire at the end of the year. Plus experts including show host, stage 4 cancer survivor and...

Could the Inflation Reduction Act and Medicare drug price negotiation really be at risk in 2025? Alex Lawson from Social Security Works talks about the future of the Inflation Reduction Act under President Donald Trump including Medicare drug price negotiations and out of pocket prescription drug and insulin co-pay caps, Project 2025, and what may happen next year that could raise the cost of medi...

How can you apply for and receive charity care to help cover hospital medical bills? Special guest Jared Walker of Dollar For talks about applying for hospital charity care for medical bills and medical debt. Plus experts including stage 4 cancer survivor and health care advocate Laura Packard from Health Care Voices, and Aleka Gürel from Health Sherpa answer your health care and health insurance...

What's in the debt ceiling deal? Special guest Tory Cross from Caring Across Generations talks about the debt ceiling bill recently passed by Congress and signed into law by President Biden, what’s in it, and how it will affect your care. Plus experts including stage 4 cancer survivor and health care advocate Laura Packard from Health Care Voices. New episodes of Care Talk every Tuesday, subsc...