Code WACK!
Code WACK! shines a light on our callous healthcare system and what we can do about it. It reveals the healthcare hassles that - far from being just annoying - threaten our peace of mind, our financial security and at times, our very lives. Join us each week as we chat about the challenges that patients and healthcare providers face, amplifying their voices and examining a range of possible solutions, including Medicare for All. Powered by HEAL California, a project of the California OneCare Education Fund, Code WACK! informs the vital discussion of healthcare reform.
- Update frequency
- every 7 days
- Average duration
- 13 minutes
- Episodes
- 292
- Years Active
- 2019 - 2025
How states 'trap' abortion clinics to shut them down
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 l…
Roe to Resistance: Keeping Abortion Legal in the Heartland
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, foun…
How to Fight RFK Jr.'s Ambiguous Vaccine Agenda: Insights from Dr. Abdul El-Sayed
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?…
RFK Jr.s' dangerous new power over America's public health
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 misin…
Sláintecare: Could Ireland’s Universal Healthcare Model Work in the U.S.?
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…
How Ireland is Fixing Its Healthcare System – And What the U.S. Can Learn
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 Slá…
The lasting impact of racism in medicine
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 …
Segregation in health care: America's racist - and deadly - legacy
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 co…
Billionaires vs. Our Benefits: Who Really Wins With Social Security Cuts?
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 co…
Could Trump’s GOP Budget Cuts Kill Medicaid? Breaking Down the $2.3 Trillion Threat
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 spendin…
How Many Must Die? America’s Health Crisis
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 …
Murder, Money & Medicine: The United Healthcare CEO Tragedy and America’s Insurance Crisis
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-profi…
Health Equity Now: Tackling Racism in Medicine with Dr. Uché Blackstock
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 an…
MLK Day Special: Dismantling Racism in Medicine
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 …
Can veterans really get better care outside the VA?
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 h…
The sordid financialization of America's healthcare system
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 compani…
A second look at the Indian Health Service: A broken promise?
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 accessi…
Will Project 2025 sink traditional Medicare?
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 f…
The tricks and traps of Medicare ‘Disadvantage’ plans
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’ …
Forsaken? The problem with for-profit health care
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 …