Nurse Talk

What kind of a healthcare system could actually promote equity? How does a new bill recently signed by Governor Gavin Newsom get California closer to universal, single-payer health care? And how is it different from previous Medicare-for-All bills? To find out, we spoke to Irene Kao, executive director of Courage California, a progressive grassroots advocacy organization for which she’s the first woman of color to lead. She’s also a board member of the Healthy California Now, a single-payer advocacy coalition. This is the first episode in a two-part series with Irene Kao.

What can be done in light of Medicare Advantage overcharging taxpayers to the tune of around $140 billion a year? What’s the Medigap Trap and why should you worry about it? Why should we work to improve traditional Medicare while pursuing Medicare for All? To find out, we spoke to Dr. Ed Weisbart, the national board secretary for Physicians for a National Health Program and president of the Consumers Council of Missouri.

Medicare Advantage is overcharging the federal government – and you won’t believe by how much! How’s this affecting taxpayers like you and me and what can be done about it? To find out, we spoke to Dr. Ed Weisbart, the national board secretary for Physicians for a National Health Program and president of the Consumers Council of Missouri.

THIS TIME ON Code WACK! We're taking a closer look at what the millions of people being kicked off Medicaid can do about it. What’s being done to help them? And what else could we do to make sure people don't get stranded without health insurance coverage? To find out, we spoke to Loretta Alexander, who recently retired as the health policy director of Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families. Ms. Alexander has over 40 years of experience in health care. This is the second episode in a two-part series with Loretta.

THIS TIME ON Code WACK! Now that COVID protections have ended, what does that mean for the millions of people getting booted off Medicaid in the country? Where does that leave our nation’s most vulnerable, including children and people with chronic diseases or mental health issues? To find out, we spoke to Loretta Alexander, health policy director of Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families. Ms. Alexander has over 40 years of experience in health care. This is the first episode in a two-part series with Loretta. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!

THIS TIME ON CODE WACK! 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.

In honor of Indigenous People’s Day, we’re examining healthcare inequities in Native communities. What challenges do they face when it comes to accessing quality health care in America? What problems could they encounter when they get their care through the Indian Health Service, the principal federal health care provider to American Indians and Alaska Natives? To find out, we spoke with Elder Billie Tohee, acting executive director of the National Indian Council on Aging and former chair of the board. She’s an enrolled member of the Otoe-Missouria tribe and a descendant of the Iowa Nation of Oklahoma.

How did UnitedHealth Group, America’s largest health insurer by revenue, make billions in profit in the second quarter of 2023? How do UnitedHealth Group, CVS and Cigna control 80 percent of the drug supply market -- and why should we be concerned? To find out, we 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 is the author of the Substack newsletter HEALTH CARE un-covered which covers out-of-control profiteering in U.S. health care, its impact on everyday Americans, and potential policy solutions.

What policy solutions are needed to help people with disabilities get and keep quality health care - and which policies may do more harm than good? What would a Medicare for All system mean to this community? To find out, we spoke to Angela Gardner, a disability rights advocate who lives in the Los Angeles area. Angela is also a board member of Healthy California Now representing Hand in Hand, which fights for access to home care and disability justice, among other things. This is the second of two episodes with Angela.

What challenges do people living with disabilities face when it comes to accessing quality health care? And are they being included in decisions about health policies that affect them? To find out, we spoke to Angela Gardner, a disability rights advocate who lives in the Los Angeles area. Her work focuses on helping people with disabilities in the areas of employment, education, healthcare, services and support to live independently in the community. This is the first of two episodes with Angela.

What challenges do people living with disabilities face when it comes to accessing quality health care? And are they being included in decisions about health policies that affect them? To find out, we spoke to Angela Gardner, a disability rights advocate who lives in the Los Angeles area. Her work focuses on helping people with disabilities in the areas of employment, education, healthcare, services and support to live independently in the community. This is the first of two episodes with Angela.

What’s the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike about and what’s at stake for actors? Plus, what could the ongoing strike mean for their health care? To find out, we spoke to Pat Finn, a Los Angeles-based actor who has worked in Hollywood for more than 25 years. He’s appeared in such shows as Seinfeld, Friends, Drew Carey, and Murphy Brown and in movies such as It’s Complicated opposite Meryl Streep.

This time on CodeWACK! In honor of Labor Day, we're looking at the trade-offs some workers face in order to have health care. What choices are families forced to make when they can't afford to insure everyone? To find out, we spoke to Rose Roach, chair of Healthcare for All Minnesota and national coordinator for the Labor Campaign for Single Payer. She recently retired as the executive director of the Minnesota Nurses Association.

This time on Code WACK! How is Minnesota on the front lines of healthcare reform? What gains has the state legislature made when it comes to busting dangerous corporate healthcare mergers and moving closer to Medicare for All? To find out, we spoke to Rose Roach, chair of Healthcare for All Minnesota and national coordinator for the Labor Campaign for Single Payer. She recently retired as the executive director of the Minnesota Nurses Association.

This time on Code WACK! How are corporate health insurers using artificial intelligence to step up their claims’ denials? And what’s being done to out some of the bad actors in Medicare Advantage? To find out, we spoke to Diane Archer, founder and president of Just Care USA, an independent digital media hub, covering health and financial issues facing boomers and their families. Miss Archer is the past chair of the Board of Consumer Reports, currently serves as a senior advisor at Social Security Works and as a member of the board of the Center for Health and Democracy.

This time on Code WACK! How do Medicare Advantage plans use pre-authorizations and claim denials to maximize their profits at the expense of senior citizen’s lives? And how are health insurers getting away with this? To find out, we spoke to Diane Archer, founder and president of Just Care USA, an independent digital media hub, covering health and financial issues facing boomers and their families. Miss Archer is the past chair of the Board of Consumer Reports, currently serves as a senior advisor at Social Security Works and as a member of the board of the Center for Health and Democracy.

This time on Code WACK! How does the way health insurance works discourage patients from seeking care in the first place? What other challenges do physical therapists face when dealing with a variety of insurance plans and regulations? To find out, we spoke to Ariel Wynne, a physical therapist and board certified pelvic health clinical specialist in Chicago. Ariel recently opened her clinic, Ground Floor Physical Therapy, which specializes exclusively in pelvic floor physical therapy for all genders. This is the second episode in a two-part series.

This time on Code WACK! Despite the proven value of physical therapy, what health insurance hassles do physical therapists and their patients face today? Why are patient costs all over the place? To find out, we spoke to Ariel Wynne, a physical therapist and board certified pelvic health clinical specialist in Chicago. Ariel recently opened her clinic, Ground Floor Physical Therapy which specializes exclusively in pelvic floor physical therapy for all genders. What can patients do to afford the physical therapy they need?

This time on Code WACK! How have health clinics that perform abortions been affected by the reversal of Roe vs. Wade one year ago? What kind of legal challenges have there been to individual states' limitations on abortion since then? To find out, we spoke to Cat Duffy, a policy analyst in the National Health Law Program’s Washington DC office. This is the second part of our recent interview on the state of abortion access in America.

This time on Code WACK! Now that the COVID health emergency has ended and millions of Americans are losing Medicaid coverage, we’re thinking about the nearly two million Americans who never got it in the first place because their state did not adopt the Medicaid expansion back in 2014. How did this affect them? To find out, we’re revisiting one of our favorite episodes about radio personality and performance artist, Eliska Hahn, who was struggling with multiple sclerosis while living in a state that did not accept the ACA’s Medicaid expansion. How did she avoid financial ruin? This oldie but goodie episode is an excellent reminder of why we need Medicare for All in America.