Code WACK!

THIS WEEK ON CODE WACK! As federal officials carry out large-scale, military-style raids and widespread arrests of undocumented immigrants, another fight is quietly brewing — one that could push thousands of people off their health insurance. More than half a million young people who were brought to the U.S. as children and grew up here could soon lose eligibility for affordable and subsidized health coverage.  A new rule proposed by the Trump Administration would once again block DACA recipients from buying Marketplace insurance or receiving financial assistance. What would this mean for their health, their communities and the widening gap in health and economic equity? To find out, we spoke with Kristin McGuire, Executive Director of Young Invincibles — the nation's largest young adult policy and advocacy organization — where she leads the charge to amplify the voices of young adults in the political process. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more! And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation.   

This time on CodeWACK! How are big insurance companies dodging the very rules meant to protect patients — and turning our health care system into a profit machine for Wall Street? What can we the people do to stop it? Join us as we dive into the dark side of corporate loopholes, for-profit health care, and policy failure with Rachel Madley, Director of Policy and Advocacy at the Center for Health and Democracy. A former FDA staffer and health policy advisor to Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, Rachel played a key role in crafting and reintroducing the House Medicare for All bill in 2023. With a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from Columbia University, she brings both scientific rigor and firsthand policy experience to this eye-opening conversation.   Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more! And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation at heal-ca.org/donate

This week on CodeWACK!   Are Americans finally waking up to the truth about single-payer healthcare? With new Medicare for All bills recently reintroduced in Congress, we're setting the record straight. Will it really save us money? Is it socialized medicine? And why aren't our legislators addressing the REAL causes of our skyrocketing healthcare costs? To unpack this, we spoke with Rachel Madley, Director of Policy and Advocacy at the Center for Health and Democracy. A former health policy advisor to Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal — lead sponsor of the House Medicare for All bill — Rachel helped shape and reintroduce the landmark legislation in 2023. She's also a former FDA staffer and holds a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from Columbia University, where she was active in both Physicians for a National Health Program and Students for a National Health Program. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more! And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation at heal-ca.org/donate.

This week on CodeWACK! Medicare for All is back in the spotlight! With two new bills recently introduced in Congress, what makes these proposals different from earlier versions— and why are some advocates feeling hopeful, even in the current political climate? What would a truly public, universal health care system look like, and how could it help curb the soaring costs, corporate greed, and bureaucracy plaguing our current system? To unpack this, we spoke with Rachel Madley, Director of Policy and Advocacy at the Center for Health and Democracy. A former health policy advisor to Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal — lead sponsor of the House Medicare for All bill — Rachel helped shape and reintroduce the landmark legislation in 2023. She's also a former FDA staffer and holds a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from Columbia University, where she was active in both Physicians for a National Health Program and Students for a National Health Program. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more! And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation at heal-ca.org/donate.

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 Jennie Wetter, Director of the rePROs Fight Back initiative at The Population Institute, where she champions sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice every day. Jennie also hosts the rePros Fight Back Podcast, offering deep dives into abortion access, birth control, sex ed, LGBTQ+ rights, and  This is part two of a powerful two-part series with Jennie. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!  And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation at heal-ca.org/donate.   

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 and reproductive health, rights, and justice every day. Jennie also hosts the rePros Fight Back Podcast, offering deep dives into abortion access, birth control, sex ed, LGBTQ+ rights, and more. This is part one of a powerful two-part series with Jennie. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more! And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation at heal-ca.org/donate.   

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 ‘stealth campaign' against socialized medicine (featuring none other than Ronald Reagan)?  To find out, we recently talked to Dr. Ana Malinow, who spent three decades working as a pediatrician with immigrant, refugee and underserved children before retiring as clinical professor of Pediatrics from UC San Francisco School of Medicine. The past president of Physicians for a National Health Program, she is on the steering committee of National Single Payer. She's also a lead organizer for The Movement to End Privatization of Medicare. This is the second episode in a two-part series. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more! And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation at heal-ca.org/donate.   

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 and underserved children before retiring as clinical professor of Pediatrics from UC San Francisco School of Medicine. The past president of Physicians for a National Health Program, she is on the steering committee of National Single Payer. She's also a lead organizer for The Movement to End Privatization of Medicare. This is the first episode in a two-part series. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more! And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation at heal-ca.org/donate.   

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 reproductive rights advocate, founder and CEO of Trust Women Foundation, which works to expand access to abortion care in underserved communities. Julie is president of Wellspring Health Access, in Caspar, Wyoming and a protégé of Dr. George Tiller, who was murdered for providing abortion care in 2009. This is the second episode in a two-part series. We interviewed Julie just before the Wyoming legislature passed a bill that effectively shut down her women's health clinic in Casper, Wyoming. Since this interview, the clinic has put a pause on performing abortions and is awaiting further guidance from a regulatory body. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!  And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation at heal-ca.org/donate.

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 how Dr. Tiller's legacy lives on through her work.  Why are patients traveling hundreds of miles for abortion care, post-Roe? What's it been like to offer care in as state where arson, litigation, and political threats against reproductive care providers are part of daily life.   Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!  And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation at heal-ca.org/donate.

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 health commissioner. He is formerly the health director for the city of Detroit.  As the host of the award-winning America Dissected podcast, he breaks down the forces shaping public health for tens of thousands of listeners each week. This is the second of two episodes with Dr. El-Sayed.  Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more! And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation at heal-ca.org/donate.

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 with Dr. Abdul El-Sayed—physician, epidemiologist, author, and county health commissioner. He is formerly the health director for the city of Detroit.  As the host of the award-winning America Dissected podcast, he breaks down the forces shaping public health for tens of thousands of listeners each week. This is the first of two episodes with Dr. El-Sayed.    Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!  And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation at heal-ca.org/donate.

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 School of Medicine.  She is the Principal Investigator of a research project entitled 'Health system foundations for Sláintecare implementation in 2020 and beyond …' and Co-Director of  SPHeRE, Ireland's national research training program for population health, policy and health services research. Her research interests include health policy, inequities in health, healthcare access and the politics of health reform. This is the second of two episodes with Dr. Burke. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more! And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation at heal-ca.org/donate.

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 Principal Investigator of a research project entitled 'Health system foundations for Sláintecare implementation in 2020 and beyond …' and Co-Director of  SPHeRE, Ireland's national research training program for population health, policy and health services research.  Her research interests include health policy, inequities in health, healthcare access and the politics of health reform. This is the first of two episodes with Dr. Burke. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!  And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation at heal-ca.org/donate.

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 New York School of Public Health and a distinguished scholar in public health, environmental justice, and the U.S. healthcare system. This is the second of two episodes with Dr. Berney. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!  Keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation at heal-ca.org/donate.

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 also an emeritus professor at City University of New York School of Public Health and a distinguished scholar in public health, environmental justice, and the U.S. healthcare system. This is the first of two episodes with Dr. Berney. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!

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 Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid; lower drug prices; and ensure health care as a human right. This is part two of a two-part series. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!

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, executive director of Social Security Works, an organization fighting to protect and expand Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid; lower drug prices; and ensure health care as a human right. This is part one of a two-part series.   Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!

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 and Show Notes for more!

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 find out, we interviewed Dr. James G. Khan, an expert in health policy and economics, and advisor to Code WACK! and editor and primary blogger of Health Justice Monitor, a health policy blog.    Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!

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 book “Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine,” which is now available in paperback.  She's also the founder and CEO of Advancing Health Equity, an organization that aims to dismantle racism in healthcare and narrow racial health inequities. Blackstock was named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People in Global Health and one of the Top 13 Innovators Shaping the Future of Health by Fortune Magazine.   Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!

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 racism in healthcare and narrow health inequities.   Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!  

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 Wendell Potter, a former health insurance industry executive turned whistleblower, the New York Times bestselling author of Deadly Spin and the president of the Center for Health and Democracy. He's also the author of the Substack newsletter HEALTH CARE un-covered where he recently penned a post entitled “Privatizing the VA: The Unseen Costs to Veterans and Taxpayers Alike.”   Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!

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 whistleblower, the New York Times bestselling author of Deadly Spin and the president of the Center for Health and Democracy. He's also the author of the Substack newsletter HEALTH CARE un-covered which chronicles out-of-control profiteering in U.S. health care, its impact on everyday Americans, and potential policy solutions.  Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!

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 enough to meet their needs? Why are some members of this highly vulnerable population buying health insurance too?  To find out, we spoke to Elder Billie Tohee, acting executive director of the Albuquerque-based National Indian Council on Aging (NICOA) and former chair of the board. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!

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]. With more than 25,000 members across the United States, PNHP advocates for a universal, comprehensive, single-payer national health program. This is the second episode in a two-part series.  Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!

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 president of Physicians for a National Health Program [PNHP]. With more than 25,000 members across the United States, PNHP advocates for a universal, comprehensive, single-payer national health program. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!  

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, a psychiatrist in Idaho and mother of two-year-old Zoey, who has suffered seizures and developmental delays because of a brain tumor discovered when she was an infant. This is the second episode in a two-part series. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!

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 baby's tumor?  To find out, we spoke to Dr. Eunice Stallman, a psychiatrist in Idaho and clinical faculty at the University of Washington School of Medicine and the University of Washington Boise Psychiatry Residency Program. Her daughter Zoey is two years old now and still undergoing medical treatment. This is the first episode in a two-part series. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!  

This time on Code WACK!  What can be done to protect health care for the most vulnerable in the aftermath of Trump's victory? What does another Trump administration mean for single payer both nationally and in the states? How do many union leaders feel about single payer, and why? If we had Medicare for All, what other benefits could unions bargain for? To find out, we recently interviewed Ada Briceño, chair of Orange County Democrats and co-chair of Unite Here Local 11, which represents tens of thousands of workers in hotels, restaurants, airports, and sports arenas in Southern California and Arizona. This is the second episode in a two-part series. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!  

This time on Code WACK!  What could a Trump White House mean for your health care and your family's? What might it mean for public health at a time when the nation is still reeling from the devastating COVID-19 pandemic? And which populations stand to lose the most?  To find out, we spoke to Ada Briceño, chair of Orange County Democrats and co-chair of Unite Here Local 11, which represents tens of thousands of workers in hotels, restaurants, airports, and sports arenas in Southern California and Arizona. Ada is also a former National Steering Committee Member for the Labor Campaign for Single-Payer. This is the first episode in a two-part series. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!  

This time on Code WACK!  Why have healthcare giants like United Health and Cigna been purging some of their commercial accounts and pivoting to government-funded programs like Medicare Advantage and Medicaid? How is this affecting patients? And what is the government doing about it?  To find out, we spoke with Wendell Potter, a former health insurance industry executive turned whistleblower, the New York Times bestselling author of Deadly Spin and the president of the Center for Health and Democracy. He's also the author of the Substack newsletter HEALTH CARE un-covered which chronicles out-of-control profiteering in U.S. health care, its impact on everyday Americans, and potential policy solutions.  Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!

This time on Code WACK! How do some Australians, who have single-payer health care they call Medicare, view the American healthcare system? What do they think about the many people in America who need to have a job to get health insurance? Who set their wedding day with their health insurance in mind? Or who have health insurance but go bankrupt anyway, because it doesn't cover all their medical bills? To find out, we spoke to Australian Anna Candler, founder and CEO of The Circular Water Company. Through frequent visits to family in the U.S., Anna has gained firsthand insight into the stark differences between the Australian and American healthcare models. This is the second episode in a two-part series. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!  

This time on Code WACK! How does Australia's healthcare system work and why is it considered one of the best in the world? What are some of the ways the Australian healthcare system, which they call Medicare, and private health insurance differ from ours? To find out, we interviewed Anna Candler. An Australian citizen, Anna is founder and CEO of  The Circular Water Company in Sydney. Through frequent visits to family in the United States, particularly in Maryland, she's gained firsthand insight into the stark differences between the Australian and American healthcare models. This is the first episode in a two-part series. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!  

This time on Code WACK!  What is “data justice” and how does it inform and refine health policies for invisibilized communities? What policy solutions are needed to reduce health disparities among people, especially marginalized Latinx and indigenous communities? What role does the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California play in advancing the health of vulnerable communities throughout the state? And what are the hopes and fears of these communities when it comes to their health and the upcoming presidential election?  To find out, we recently interviewed Dr. Seciah Aquino, executive director of the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California. This is the second episode in a two-part series.  Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!  

This time on Code WACK!  Public health advocacy requires considerable insight into the major issues that affect communities. How best to gain this insight? What role does direct personal experience play?  Today Seciah Aquino, DrPH, MS shares how her lived experience as an immigrant has informed her work as Executive Director of a leading health equity advocacy organization, the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California. How did her experience, first as a young child in Guatemala and later as an immigrant living in Gardena, California, inspire her to pursue higher education and transform her life, and the lives of others? And how did that experience inform her response to the COVID pandemic? Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!  

This time on Code WACK!  Rebate aggregators? Group purchasing? Vertical integration? How exactly do Pharmacy Benefit Managers, or PBMs, operate to maximize profit? And how are everyday Americans suffering from these practices? To find out, we spoke to Dr. Ed Weisbart, national board secretary of Physicians for a National Health Program, a single-payer advocacy coalition that boasts more than 25,000 members,  and former chief medical officer for one of the largest PBMs in the country. This is the second episode in a two-part series. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!  

This time on Code WACK!  We're taking another look at Pharmacy Benefit Managers or PBMs. Why were PBMs started and how did they morph to become one of the most powerful entities in health care? Why have they caught the attention of the Federal Trade Commission? How are they a threat to consumers? To find out, we spoke to Dr. Ed Weisbart, the national board secretary of Physicians for a National Health Program and former chief medical officer of one of the biggest PBMs in the country. This is the first episode in a two-part series. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!  

  This time on Code WACK!  What's at stake in health care with the upcoming federal election? Would Donald Trump really try to repeal the Affordable Care Act - again? Would Kamala Harris continue fighting to rein in the skyrocketing cost of medicine? What will be the fate of Biden-era policies like enhanced tax credits limiting the cost of health insurance premiums? Or access to reproductive health care (including contraception)? With so much up in the air, how is Families USA, a leading national, non-partisan voice for healthcare consumers, responding? To find out, we spoke to Anthony Wright, Families USA's new executive director. This is the second episode in a two-part series. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!  

This time on Code WACK!  The fight for affordable, accessible health care in the U.S. has gone on for decades. Who's in the fight to win solutions that improve health care for everyone? What policies are they working on?  Today we're featuring the Washington DC-based Families USA, a leading national nonpartisan voice for healthcare consumers.  We welcome their new executive director, Anthony Wright, who previously served for 22 years as executive director of Health Access California. This is the first episode in a two-part series with Anthony Wright.  Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!  

This time on Code WACK!  What are lawmakers and the Federal Trade Commission doing about Pharmacy Benefit Managers and their undue influence over drug prices and access? Who is watching out for consumers when the pharmaceutical industry pursues self-serving arrangements? And what's the impact on independent pharmacies and their patients? To find out, we recently interviewed Hannah Garden-Monheit, the FTC's director of the Office of Policy Planning. Prior to joining the FTC, Garden-Monheit worked at the National Economic Council (NEC), where she served as Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and Director for Competition Council Policy. At the NEC, she was extensively involved in shaping the President's Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy, and much more. This is the second episode in a two part series. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!  

This time on Code WACK! So you might have heard the term pharmacy benefit managers – or PBMs – in the news. But what are they? How did these middlemen get to be so powerful? How are they causing drug prices to skyrocket? And what's the Federal Trade Commission doing about it?  To find out, we recently interviewed Hannah Garden-Monheit, the FTC's director of the Office of Policy Planning. Prior to joining the FTC, Garden-Monheit worked at the National Economic Council (NEC), where she served as Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and Director for Competition Council Policy. At the NEC, she was extensively involved in shaping the President's Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy, and much more. This is the first episode in a two part series. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!  

This time on Code WACK! As the United States faces an election possibly  unlike any other in our history, we wonder about the future of our healthcare system. What changes might we expect under President Trump, or President Harris? What would a new administration mean for single-payer efforts in states like California and Oregon? And what about Medicare, a lifeline for so many vulnerable Americans? To find out we spoke to the one and only Michael Lighty, president of the Healthy California Now coalition and former healthcare constituency director for Bernie 2020. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!  

This time on Code WACK! What's been happening on the healthcare front since California Senate Bill 770, which paves the way for a single-payer healthcare system, was passed last year? What's the process and the timeline? What are the necessary next steps to winning single payer in the Golden State and why is it so important to achieving healthcare equity?  To find out we spoke to the one and only Michael Lighty, president of the Healthy California Now coalition and former healthcare constituency director for Bernie 2020. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!  

This time on Code WACK! How far did one man have to go to get the health insurance he needed to cover a specialized surgery in another state? Despite jumping through many hoops to even qualify to buy the coverage he needed, why did he still end up paying tens of thousands of dollars in out of pocket costs? How much would you be willing to pay for the freedom to consult the doctor of your choice? We recently spoke to Rand, a commercial property manager, writer and father of three in Southern California who shared the formidable health and insurance challenges that he's faced with us. Rand asked that we not use his last name for this interview.  This is the second of a two-part series with Rand. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!  

This time on Code WACK! Imagine having to fight with your HMO insurer about compensating your surgeon who doesn't belong to your provider network, but happens to be a specialist in a particular procedure that you want because it has fewer side effects. Could you afford to cough up a few thousand dollars to pay the surgeon while hassling with your HMO? But the story doesn't end there. What if you then needed a followup procedure that is relatively new but has a 98% chance of a positive outcome? But the surgeon you want - who invented it - is not in your state, never mind your network? We recently spoke to Rand, a commercial property manager, writer and father of three in Southern California who shared the formidable health and insurance challenges that he's faced with us. Rand asked that we not use his last name for this interview.  This is the first of a two-part series with Rand. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!  

This time on Code WACK! Why did California's latest single payer bill fail and what can we do about it? How can the public learn the truth about how much they could save with unified financing when deep-pocketed corporations keep lobbying legislators against it? What will it take to make Medicare for All a reality once and for all?  To find out, we asked Jodi Reid,  executive director of California Alliance for Retired Americans or CARA, California's largest grassroots senior advocacy organization. Jodi represents her organization on the board of Healthy California Now, a single-payer advocacy coalition. This is the second of a two-part series with Jodi. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!  

This time on Code WACK! Why is long term care, including in-home health care, in crisis? How are skyrocketing costs affecting patients? How come two-thirds of people in California who are getting in-home health care get it from family members who are often unpaid?  Would universal long term care - or a single-payer system with unified financing - help?    To find out, we spoke to Jodi Reid, executive director of California Alliance for Retired Americans, California's largest grassroots senior advocacy organization. She has more than four decades of organizing experience on issues ranging from health care to housing. Jodi represents her organization on the board of Healthy California Now, a single-payer advocacy coalition. This is the first of a two-part series with Jodi about long-term care. Check out the Show Notes and Transcript for more!  

This time on Code WACK! How do insurance companies put up barriers to addiction treatments? How does this affect treatment programs and their clients? And how would it be if we had Medicare for All? To find out, we spoke to Arlene Stanich-Prince, executive director of Ohlhoff Recovery Programs in San Francisco, one of the longest standing treatment programs in the area. This is the first of two episodes with Stanich-Prince. Check out the Show Notes and Transcript for more!  

This time on Code WACK! What are some of the most common misconceptions about people who are addicted to substances like opioids? What medicines are revolutionizing the way people are being treated today – and how accessible are they?  To find out, we spoke to Arlene Stanich-Prince, executive director of Ohlhoff Recovery Programs in San Francisco, one of the longest standing treatment programs in the area. This is the first of two episodes with Stanich-Prince. Check out the Show Notes and Transcript for more!  

This time on Code WACK! What is the true cost of the American health insurance system? What toll is it taking on both patients and providers?  And what do we need instead? To find out, we recently interviewed Dr. Linda Peeno, a physician, ethicist and health insurance industry whistleblower who testified before Congress and who has spent nearly four decades working to protect patients from harm and death by corporate healthcare systems.  Dr. Peeno was played by actor Laura Dern in the 2002 docudrama “Damaged Care,” and she was also featured in Michael Moore's 2007 documentary “Sicko.”    Check out the Show Notes and Transcript for more!