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
The shocking influence of skin color on health care
This time on Code WACK!
Why do Black women have a 5-year mortality risk from endometrial cancer that’s 90 percent higher than White women? Is it about race or racism – and what can we do about it?
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The toxic brew of sexism & racism in American medicine
This time on Code WACK!
Why is it that infant mortality rates in America differ by race? Why are some American babies more likely to be born premature or underweight? And how could single-payer heal…
Making the case for single payer: When you've got yours, why fight for everyone else?
This time on Code WACK!
What would organized labor, and the workers they represent, gain under Medicare for All? Despite these gains, why are unions still divided on the issue? What would it take for…
Labor's brutal tradeoff - health care or pensions?
This time on Code WACK!
Who’s the powerhouse behind the Orange County Democratic Party in California? Why is she raising her voice in support of Medicare for All as a union leader representing more t…
How hospitals & insurers drive soaring healthcare costs
This time on Code WACK!
Are hospitals and health insurers incentivized to keep costs high? Are mergers and acquisitions in the healthcare sector helping - or hurting? How has the state of Maryland …
'Scot free from scrutiny?' The overlooked role of hospitals in America's healthcare fiasco
This time on Code WACK!
What led a CEO to produce a series of films to change America's healthcare system? What role do hospitals play in health care’s astronomical pricing? And what options do we h…
Rethinking the path to winning single payer
Winning Medicare for All in the U.S. may be at a standstill at the federal level, but it's a different story In the states. In 2021 alone, 18 single payer bills were introduced in states such as Mas…
Why we need more women lawmakers — and how to help them win
This time on Code WACK!
How does diversity in politics affect the policies that impact our everyday lives?
What challenges do women face when running for office and once they get there, how do thei…
Poverty & Policy: A Woman Lawmaker’s Perspective
This time on Code WACK! Longtime nurse advocate, single mother, and now California Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo was the only Democrat to unseat a Republican incumbent in the California assembly last …
Health care or rent? The Medicare Advantage dilemma
This time on Code WACK!
What are the latest attempts to rein in Medicare Advantage insurers and their questionable practices? What hurdles do patients face with Medicare Advantage plans when it com…
How would hospitals get paid under single payer?
This time on Code WACK!
How does running a hospital like a business run counter to providing reliable and affordable healthcare? How would having Medicare for All change the way hospitals are fin…
'Social triage': How patient transfers help rich hospitals stay rich
What's the story behind the EMTALA patient protection law of 1986, which requires hospitals to stabilize or treat patients who are in a health emergency regardless of their insurance status or abilit…
Charity Care? ‘If you don’t ask, they’re not going to tell you’
What if you don't have health insurance but need medical care to save your life? If you're drowning in bills from the hospital, what can you do?
To find out, we spoke to Venus Lockett, a financial se…
‘How am I going to pay this?’ The struggle to afford care in America
This time on Code WACK!
How do people get into medical debt in the first place? Sometimes it can happen when a business reorganization turns employees with benefits into contractors with no benef…
Medicare privatization, ACO REACH & the ethics of for-profit health care
This time on Code WACK! What’s the latest threat to original Medicare? What could happen if we link health outcomes to physician compensation? How is it that a whole new program affecting millions o…
Corporate health care? It's NOT what the doctor ordered!
This time on Code WACK! What say should doctors have in reforming America’s healthcare system? Are their decades-long efforts to stop the commercialization of medicine having an impact? How can heal…
‘Becoming Our Authentic Selves:’ Obstacles to Gender-Affirming Health Care
This time on Code WACK! At least 20 legislative bills targeting transgender medical care were pre-filed in at least nine states for 2023, according to The Hill. And last year, more than two dozen s…
Better off dead? The unbearable burden of medical debt
This time on Code WACK! What would you do if you were faced with thousands of dollars of medical debt? Would you file for bankruptcy or let the debt go to collections? What help is out there for peop…
Insured? You're not immune from medical debt
Can you count on your health insurance when you need it? What if you and your spouse are "double-covered?" What are your options when medical debt is dragging you down? And if you can't pay, what ha…
'Legalized manslaughter for profit?' Grieving dad demands change
Why does America STILL have a healthcare system with so many cracks to fall through? A routine job change, a move, or a divorce can trigger a change in health insurance eligibility, premiums, out-of-…