Code WACK!

This week on CodeWACK! Which states have received the highest scores in the rePROs Fight Back's 13th annual 50-state report card on sexual and reproductive health and rights released in March -- and why? And what specific threats - whether federal, state or local - should reproductive rights advocates be most concerned about? And what policies should they be promoting?  To find out, we spoke with...

This week on CodeWACK! How is America doing on sexual and reproductive health nearly three years after the Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade? What are the real-life human rights consequences of abortion bans now sweeping across many states? To unpack the fallout, we spoke with Jennie Wetter, Director of the rePROs Fight Back initiative at The Population Institute , where she champions sexual a...

This week on CodeWACK! Single payer is back in the spotlight with Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Pramila Jayapal  submitting new Medicare for All bills for 2025-26! How will the upcoming National Day of Action on May 31st keep the need for healthcare reform in the spotlight? And how do physicians feel about single payer today, 60 years after the American Medical Association's infamous '...

This week on CodeWACK!   Why is National Single Payer organizing a National Day of Action on May 31 amid cuts and freezes to public health programs? How has an incremental approach to universal health care in America made comprehensive healthcare reform more difficult?  To find out, we recently talked to Dr. Ana Malinow , who spent three decades working as a pediatrician with immigrant, refugee an...

This week on CodeWACK!   The Wyoming legislature effectively shut down the only surgical abortion clinic in the state. How did it use "TRAP" (Targeted Regulations Against Abortion Providers) as its legislative strategy? And how does this make getting an abortion even more challenging for residents in Wyoming and nearby states that have abortion bans? We recently spoke to Julie Burkhart, longtime r...

This time on CodeWACK!... What's it like operating an abortion clinic in Wyoming , one of the most anti-abortion states in the nation? Meet  Julie Burkhart — longtime reproductive rights advocate, founder and CEO of Trust Women Foundation , which works to expand access to abortion care in underserved communities, and protégé of Dr. George Tiller , who was murdered for providing abortion care. Hear...

This time on Code WACK!  Can our local health departments counteract the mixed messages given by RFK, Jr. the secretary of Health and Human Services, about vaccine safety and efficacy? What about us? How can we combat disinformation and highlight the benefits of vaccinating our children and ourselves? To find out, we spoke with Dr. Abdul El-Sayed —physician, epidemiologist, author, and county heal...

This time on Code WACK!  What could Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s appointment as Secretary of Health and Human Services mean for the public health of everyday Americans, given his history of vaccine misinformation? With measles already on the rise and deadly, and the looming threat of future pandemics, how might his leadership shape the nation's response to infectious diseases? To find out, we spoke wi...

THIS TIME ON CODE WACK!   How is Ireland's plan for single-tier, universal health care, known as Sláintecare, funded? Is it sustainable long term? What improvements has the nation's healthcare system seen so far – and what can America learn from this? To find out, we spoke to Dr. Sara Burke, associate professor and director of the Centre for Health Policy and Management in Trinity College Dublin's...

This time on Code WACK!  In honor of St. Patrick's Day , we're featuring Ireland's healthcare reform agenda known as Sláintecare . What healthcare challenges have plagued the country – and how will Sláintecare help? To find out, we interviewed Dr. Sara Burke , associate professor and director of the Centre for Health Policy and Management in Trinity College Dublin's School of Medicine . She is the...

This time on Code WACK!  How did desegregation impact Black patients in America? What hasn't changed? What does racism in medicine look like today? And what should we do when we see it?  To break it down, we spoke to Dr. Barbara Berney, project creator and producer of the documentary " Power to Heal: Medicare and the Civil Rights Revolution ." She's also an emeritus professor at City University of...

This time on Code WACK!  What did segregation look like in hospitals and medical facilities in America, and did it only extend to the South? What finally brought an end to the deadly practice that cost countless Black and Brown lives?  To break it down, we spoke to Dr. Barbara Berney, project creator and producer of the documentary " Power to Heal: Medicare and the Civil Rights Revolution ." She's...

This time on Code WACK!  What would cutting off or limiting Social Security benefits – or privatizing Social Security – mean for the roughly 68 million retirees who rely on such benefits? And what could that mean for those who receive disability benefits?  To break it down, we spoke with Alex Lawson , executive director of Social Security Works , an organization fighting to protect and expand Soci...

This time on Code WACK!    What's at stake for Medicaid —the lifeline for millions of low-income Americans—under President Donald Trump and a Republican-controlled Congress determined to slash spending? How would cutting Medicaid affect the more than 72 million people who rely on it for health care? And is Social Security next on the chopping block?  To break it down, we spoke with Alex Lawson , e...

This time on Code WACK!    Why are some 200,000 Americans dying each year due to issues with their health insurance and access to care? Would a single payer healthcare system put a stop to this?  To find out, we interviewed Dr. James G. Kahn , an expert in health policy and economics, and advisor to Code WACK! and editor and primary blogger of Health Justice Monitor .      Check out the Transcript...

This time on Code WACK!    The strong reactions to the tragic murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson by alleged killer Luigi Mangione are bringing renewed attention to the abuses of for-profit health insurance. How does our complex, costly, and callous for-profit healthcare system contribute to America's high mortality rate and how many people are believed to die each year as a result? To...

This time on Code WACK!    For the second episode in our two-part series on racism in medicine, in honor of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr, we're asking the question: What is racially concordant care and how does it help save lives? What else can be done to reduce deadly disparities in medicine?    To find out, we spoke to Dr. Uché Blackstock . Blackstock, author of the New York Times best-selling bo...

This time on Code WACK!    In honor of Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy of equality and justice for all, we welcome Dr. Uché Blackstock, author of the New York Times bestselling book "Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine."  Trained as an ER physician, the Harvard Medical School graduate is founder and CEO of Advancing Health Equity , an organization that aims to dismantle racis...

This time on Code WACK!    How is the Department of Veterans Affairs becoming increasingly privatized and what could this mean for those who have served and sacrificed for our country? Is corporate health insurance better than the VA healthcare system - or not? How is privatization affecting the financial viability of the VA -- and what can be done to stop it? To find out, we recently spoke to Wen...

This time on Code WACK!    Why have U.S. administrations from both sides of the aisle chosen to privatize Medicare and how has that complicated health care for patients? How do mega insurance companies benefit as a result? How much is all this costing us, anyway? And what can we do about it? To find out, we spoke with Wendell Potter, a former health insurance industry executive turned whistleblowe...

THIS TIME ON CODE WACK! In the wake of the recent presidential election , we're revisiting one of our favorite podcast episodes from 2023 about the hurdles America's Indigenous peoples face in accessing health care.  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 enoug...

This time on Code WACK!    What could another Trump presidency mean for the rise in Medicare private plans and what would that mean for patient care and financial waste in our healthcare system and for the Medicare Trust Fund?  To find out, we recently interviewed Dr. Diljeet Singh , an integrative gynecologic oncologist and incoming president of Physicians for a National Health Program [PNHP]. Wi...

This time on Code WACK!    Why are seniors between a rock and a hard place when choosing between various Medicare options? How do private Medicare plans, known as Medicare Advantage, limit patients' options and why are they considered riskier than traditional Medicare? And what's the 'Medigap Trap?' To find out, we spoke to Dr. Diljeet Singh , an integrative gynecologic oncologist and the incoming...

This time on Code WACK!    What questionable justifications did a major insurance company give to repeatedly deny coverage to treat a baby's brain tumor? What would have been the financial impact on the family if they had to pay for their baby's treatment out-of-pocket? What specific health policies could we implement to avoid situations like this?    To find out, we spoke to Dr. Eunice Stallman ,...

This time on Code WACK! Imagine learning that your baby girl has a brain tumor that's causing seizures and disrupting her development, and your health insurance company is denying coverage for the treatment her pediatric oncologist says she needs to survive and thrive? What would you do? Where did one mother turn when repeated health insurance denials delayed time-sensitive treatment to shrink her...