Health or High Water

This episode concludes our conversation about private health insurance. First, we answer a listener question, and define universal coverage, single-payer healthcare, and “Medicare for All”. Then, we discuss different depictions of private health insurance on television, on shows like One Day at a Time, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and High Maintenance. Characters make job and marriage decisions for health care, navigate bureaucracy, and struggle to understand the system. How relatable and true are these depictions? We discuss. Last, Brooke and Cori briefly discuss media that feels like it was tailor-made for them.For more information and for links to everything discussed in this episode, visit our show notes at: https://hohwpodcast.com/008-affordable-care-in-two-acts-act-ii/.

Private health insurance can be confusing, but we'll help you decipher it. Join us as we delve into the world of private health insurance. Brooke will teach you the terminology you'll need to know before we look at the health insurance requirements of the Affordable Care Act. We learn about health insurance exchanges/marketplaces and the individual mandate, and then we revisit Joey Tribbiani from Friends, and decide what type of health insurance plan would best suit his needs. We also discuss how President Obama's appearance on Between Two Ferns positively affected health insurance enrollment, and express our excitement over Greta Gerwig's upcoming adaptation of Little Women. For more information and for links to everything discussed in this episode, visit our show notes at: https://hohwpodcast.com/007-affordable-care-in-two-acts-act-i/.

Confused or overwhelmed by your health insurance plan? Don’t understand the difference between Medicare and Medicaid? We’ve got you covered! On this first of two parts about health insurance, we dive into the world of public insurance, looking at how one qualifies for various state- and federally-funded insurance plans, like Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and the VA. We remember an episode of Friends, The One Where Joey Loses His Insurance, and look at Joey Tribbiani’s options, to see what types of health insurance a typical 30-year-old can enroll in today. On a similar note, we discuss how the VA health insurance plan is depicted on One Day at a Time. Last, Cori and Brooke discuss which Friend they are (spoiler: Brooke reluctantly accepts that she might be a Ross).Next time, we’ll talk about the history of health insurance and explain how your average private and employer-sponsored plans work. For more information and for links to everything discussed in this episode, visit our show notes at https://hohwpodcast.com/006-the-one-with-health-insurance/.

Building on our previous discussion of social determinants of health, we discuss how socioeconomic factors, like race, ethnicity, class, and income, can affect an individual's health, in both expected and unexpected ways. First, we talk about how racial disparities in life expectancy and health outcomes are discussed on black-ish. We examine how This is Us depicts the health of three black characters, raised in three different time periods and socioeconomic conditions. Then, we talk about how Latinx identity is discussed on both Switched at Birth and One Day at a Time, and how structural racism can unintentionally affect the health care one receives. We also review how class and income can directly affect access to health services and healthy living conditions, as shown on television shows like Breaking Bad, Good Girls, Call the Midwife and The Knick, and in films like The Florida Project. For further information, including where to stream or download everything we've discussed, visit our show notes at https://hohwpodcast.com/005-everyones-a-little-bit-racist/

Literally everything in life, including race, gender, and income, can have an impact on health. We introduce the concept of "social determinants of health" by looking at Leslie Knope from Parks and Recreation. We analyze the different elements of her life, ranging from her genetics, to her social circle, to society at large, to understand how each of these can play a role in an individual's health. Gender discrimination and its effects on health are also a primary focus, using Ruth Bader Ginsburg's story from the documentary RBG, as well as our own lived experiences. Last, we sip rosé and discuss some high- and low-brow European culture. For further information, detailed episode notes, or for links to everything we discuss in the episode, visit our website at http://www.hohwpodcast.com.

We discuss the history of hormonal birth control (HBC), and how pop culture has presented the pill and other forms of HBC over the past 50 years. First, we compare how different generations have talked about and learned about birth control, with examples from TV. Then, we discuss how birth control conversations play out within families. We wrack our brains for any references to less traditional forms of HBC, and then discuss future implications of legislation and court decisions like the Affordable Care Act and Hobby Lobby, on birth control usage and depictions in media. Last, we reminisce about our own pop culture sexual awakenings, and realize we may have been too young when we read certain books or watched certain films.

We discuss how the new film Beautiful Boy depicts how substance abuse affects addicts and their families and friends. The film's themes are then applied to the current opioid crisis in the United States. We (okay, mainly Brooke) fawn over Timothée Chalamet’s acting performance, and predict his awards season success. Bonus: a discussion of other films with substance abuse narratives, including A Star is Born, Trainspotting, and Requiem for a Dream.

Brooke and Lindsey define public health. Parks and Recreation is used to show public health issues depicted in a comedic but enlightening way. We discuss several other shows and films (e.g., Sesame Street, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) that have interesting depictions of broad-ranging public health topics, and talk about why it's important that diverse public health stories are told in film and television.