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Why are incarcerated people experiencing devastating coronavirus outbreaks ? What special vulnerabilities do they face that increase their susceptibility to the virus?  Host Brenda Gazzar and Dr. Nina Harawa discuss how the day-to-day realities of life in prisons and jails make it nearly impossible to avoid exposure , and what needs to be done about it. 

Today we're celebrating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr ., a racial equity champion, with a look at how stigmatized communities such as HIV-positive, transgender and incarcerated people are faring overall and during the coronavirus pandemic. Host Brenda Gazzar and Dr. Nina Harawa discuss the special vulnerabilities they face,  and how to effectively communicate vital health-related informat...

How can a father cope with the senseless death of a beloved son following a missed $20 premium payment ? What devastating consequences can result when a patient's health insurance changes without warning ? Host Brenda Gazzar and Scott Desnoyers discuss how an unexpected health insurance change meant that his son Danny lost access to critical medication , which he says contributed to his son's suic...

How can we overcome vaccine hesitancy among Americans? What role does distrust of the medical establishment play in the decision to be vaccinated? Why do some communities have serious concerns around seeking medical care? Host Brenda Gazzar and Dr. Rob Davidson , practicing emergency room doctor, discuss the targeted messaging campaign being launched by   the  Committee to Protect Medicare , the l...

Why is it that an advanced nation like the U.S. has experienced over 2 million COVID-19 infections ?  How have factors like the lack of a coordinated federal response and an inadequate health insurance system contributed to our national health tragedy? Host  Brenda Gazzar  and  Dr. Rob Davidson , practicing emergency room doctor and head of Committee to Protect Medicare , discuss how wearing masks...

Why did a man in his 20s die from a totally treatable disease?  How do social determinants affect patients' ability to get to doctors appointments or buy prescribed medicines? Host  Brenda Gazzar  and  Dr. Susan Roger s, new president of  Physicians for a National Health Program , discuss how essential it is to acknowledge the role inequities play in health care and to stop blaming patients .

What was it like growing up Black in America during the Civil Rights struggles of the 1960's? What was the experience of systemic racism faced by students of color - especially Black women - in medical school  during that era? With host Brenda Gazzar , Dr. Susan Roger s, new president of Physicians for a National Health Program , describes the life experiences that helped shape her commitment to ...

What are the prospects for single payer in California ? What role might the Healthy California for All Commission play in the future of the state's healthcare system? What about Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature? Michael Lighty , founding fellow of the Sanders Institute and former healthcare constituency director for Bernie 2020, and host Brenda Gazzar discuss who and what California single-pa...

What are the prospects for Medicare for All under President-elect Joe Biden 's tenure given his stated opposition to it? What steps can we expect the federal government to take to address healthcare inequities ? What about reform efforts within the states ?   Michael Lighty , founding fellow of the  Sanders Institute  and former healthcare constituency director for  Bernie 2020 , and host  Brenda...

How likely is it that the   U.S.   Supreme Court would rule the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional? What does "unconstitutional" actually mean in this context?  Scott Nelson, a public interest attorney  working with  Public Citizen,  and host  Brenda Gazzar  discuss  possible outcomes  to the case against Obamacare, and the reasons why Public Citizen, a nonprofit consumer advocacy organizatio...

The Affordable Care Act   is before the Supreme Court again . What's the latest case about? Why are  California and Texas suing over the landmark legislation?  What  impact  might the court's decision have on Americans' health care ?  Scott Nelson, a public interest attorney  working with the nonprofit consumer advocacy organization  Public Citizen,  and host  Brenda Gazzar  discuss the latest leg...

What recourse do performers and media professionals have in the face of rising health insurance premiums ? Is t he entertainment industry bouncing back from the pandemic? Ayesha Orange, professional dancer, choreographer, and single mom, joins host Brenda Gazzar to discuss how increased health insurance expenses   may affect her and her young son  next year.

Changes to  SAG-AFTRA's benefit plans  concern working-age performers and retirees alike. What happens when an artist can't get enough work to qualify for benefits - like, during a pandemic? And what about COBRA ? Ayesha Orange, professional dancer, choreographer, and a single mom, joins host Brenda Gazzar to discuss how changes to SAG-AFTRA's benefit plans are throwing even more worries into the...

How does having to work to qualify for employer-sponsored health insurance  affect   Americans with chronic illness? Does managing health insurance get any easier after retirement ? (Hint - not necessarily.) Are Medicare Advantage plans really advantageous ? And for whom?  Retired actor  Kathy Fields Lander,  wife of actor and comedian David L. Lander, and host  Brenda Gazzar  talk about how fears...

Did you hear about the upcoming changes to SAG-AFTRA's employee-benefit plans ? How are union health plans coping with America's out-of-control healthcare costs ? Are retiree health benefits guaranteed for life ?   David L. Lander, his wife Kathy Fields Lander , and host  Brenda Gazzar  discuss  how changes to SAG-AFTRA's benefit plans impact long-time union members like them and the complicated,...

Is healthcare inequality more evident to America's mayors than to our federal representatives?   How differently might the pandemic have played out if Medicare for All had already been in place ? Did the link between employment and health insurance force Americans to keep working - not just for the income but also for the insurance ? Libby Schaaf,   Oakland, California mayor , and host  Brenda Gaz...

Why have two California mayors joined forces to launch Mayors for Medicare for All ? How are American cities " laboratories for democracy ?" How has the COVID-19 pandemic  affected local communities?  Libby Schaaf,   Oakland mayor and the  City Council's  former  senior policy adviser  for Community & Economic Development, and host  Brenda Gazzar  discuss how fixing America's broken healthcare sys...

What healthcare policies are necessary to expand access to care to low-income people ? How will these policies benefit every person in our country? What happens to the billions of dollars undocumented workers pay into Medicare and Social Security each year? Angelica Salas , executive director of CHIRLA (Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights) and host  Brenda Gazzar  discuss how the pandemic has hi...

What happens when immigrant workers become ill? Hear the story of how Guillermo , an undocumented construction worker in his late fifties, was exposed to coronavirus on the job and lost his life . How does his death impact his family and his community ? Angelica Salas , executive director of CHIRLA (Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights) and host  Brenda Gazzar  discuss how access to emergency hea...

Why are immigrant workers more vulnerable than other workers during this pandemic? When they do get sick, what options do immigrants without documentation have when it comes to care? What public health policies are absolutely critical during a pandemic? Angelica Salas , executive director of CHIRLA (Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights) and host  Brenda Gazzar  discuss the impact that exclusion f...

What are commonalities in the undocumented experience ? Is denial of access and punishment the chief purpose of U.S. immigration policy? How did California evolve from one of the most anti-immigrant states to be more welcoming and inclusive ? Angelica Salas , executive director of CHIRLA (Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights) and host  Brenda Gazzar  discuss the struggles undocumented immigrants...

What's the one common denominator  among women experiencing homelessness? Is homelessness  a moral failing , or a consequence of  complex trauma ? Does  substance abuse cause homelessness, or is it a  coping mechanism ?  Amy Turk , a social worker and chief executive officer of the Downtown Women's Center , and host  Brenda Gazzar  discuss how when it comes to our health care,  it's always cheaper...

Why is it that 60% of the women living on Skid Row are African-American?   What happens when women become too sick to work and lose their health insurance? What programs promote access to health car e for those experiencing homelessness? Amy Turk , a social worker and chief executive officer of the Downtown Women's Center , and host Brenda Gazzar discuss how Medicare for All could help deter homel...

What special challenges do people without permanent housing face with coronavirus? And what programs have served to protect them during the pandemic?   How has the expansion of Medi-Cal under the Affordable Care Act impacted healthcare access for women experiencing homelessness ?   Amy Turk , a social worker and chief executive officer of the Downtown Women's Center , and host Brenda Gazzar discus...

What are the root causes of homelessness among women? What role does  gender-based   violence play? What policies would reduce the risk of women becoming homeless?  Amy Turk ,   a social worker   and chief executive officer of the  Downtown Women's Center , and host  Brenda Gazzar  discuss the factors that drive women and their children out of their homes and into the streets.