Code WACK!
233 episodes - English - Latest episode: 7 days ago - ★★★★★ - 10 ratingsCode 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.
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Episodes
Is addiction a choice? New perspectives on substance use disorder
July 08, 2024 12:30 - 17 minutes - 19.3 MBThis 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...
The ‘silent, slow apocalypse’ of corporate health insurance
July 01, 2024 12:30 - 18 minutes - 20.5 MBThis 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 ...
The deadly calculation of our for-profit healthcare system
June 24, 2024 12:30 - 18 minutes - 19.1 MBThis time on Code WACK! How did a single mom in Kentucky, in the 1970s, become a physician, then a health insurance medical reviewer and eventually a whistleblower? To find out, we recently interviewed Dr. Linda Peeno, a physician and ethicist 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 d...
Does silence still equal death? For too many Americans, the answer is yes.
June 17, 2024 12:30 - 20 minutes - 21.9 MBThis time on Code WACK! In honor of PRIDE Month, we’re revisiting a popular episode about the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980s and 1990s. What were the health policy failures that spurred so many Americans to militant activism? How did the LGBTQ+ community win the struggle to get government funding to address the deadly virus? Fortunately today, with appropriate medical intervention, more and more people are living, instead of dying, with HIV/AIDS. But the U.S. still trails many developed co...
The devastating 'domino effect' of state budget cuts
June 10, 2024 12:30 - 12 minutes - 12.7 MBThis time on Code WACK! At least seven states are grappling with budget shortfalls in 2024. What goes on behind the scenes when a state needs to cut costs? Who stands to lose the most as programs are trimmed or eliminated? Today we're looking at California’s multi-billion dollar budget deficit – and what's being done to protect the state’s most vulnerable residents. To find out, we spoke to Jodi Reid, executive director of California Alliance for Retired Americans, California’s largest g...
'Insidious, unethical,' yet legal: The Denial-of-Care model
June 03, 2024 12:30 - 18 minutes - 12.6 MBThis time on Code WACK! How do Managed Care health insurance plans hurt patients? Why is it legal for commercial health insurers to use Denial-of-Care as a business model? And what is one organization doing to call attention to such issues? To find out, we spoke to Kimberly J. Soenen, founder of “SOME PEOPLE,” a Chicago-based not-for-profit organization and multiverse channel dedicated to removing barriers to healthcare access. Soenen is also the COO of AMPERS Radio Association in ...
Health insurance: Is denying care the business model?
May 27, 2024 12:30 - 19 minutes - 13.1 MBThis time on Code WACK! What’s the impact of health insurance denial-of-care tactics? Who “wins” when new employees have to wait three months before their health insurance kicks in? What devastating physical, financial and emotional consequences did one young woman face after she was seriously injured during such a waiting period? To find out, we spoke to Kimberly Soenen, the Minnesota-based founder of “Some People,” a not-for-profit organization and multiverse channel that examines the...
Commercial health insurance: Is denying care the business model?
May 27, 2024 12:30 - 19 minutes - 13.1 MBThis time on Code WACK! What’s the impact of commercial health insurance Denial-of-Care tactics? Who “wins” when new employees have to wait three months before their health insurance kicks in? What devastating physical, financial and emotional consequences did one young woman face after she was seriously injured during such a waiting period? To find out, we spoke to Kimberly Soenen, founder of Chicago-based “SOME PEOPLE,” a not-for-profit organization and multiverse channel dedicated to...
Our healthcare system's hurting us. Why are lawmakers complicit?
May 20, 2024 12:30 - 16 minutes - 18.8 MBThis time on Code WACK! Why do lawmakers continue to ignore the toll our broken healthcare system takes on us? And what can we do, ourselves, to bring about change? What inspired single-payer advocate and mother Rebecca Wood to put much of her activism on hold to “sharpen her swords”? To find out, we interviewed Rebecca, a first-year law student and public interest fellow at the University of Massachusetts. She’s a 2024 Rappaport Fellow in Law and Public Policy and the president of th...
From rage to gratitude: A mother's harrowing journey to save her daughter (and herself)
May 13, 2024 12:30 - 15 minutes - 17.8 MBThis time on Code WACK! In honor of Mother's Day, we're talking about how our dysfunctional health insurance system affects moms. How far did one mother go to ensure that her daughter – born extremely premature – got the critical care she needed? How did our broken healthcare system push our guest, Rebecca Wood, to delay her own care for the sake of her daughter Charlie, with devastating consequences? How has Rebecca’s life been transformed since she testified before Congress in 2019 a...
Can single-payer advocates overcome the 'narcissism of small differences'?
May 06, 2024 12:30 - 18 minutes - 22 MBThis time on Code WACK! With all its apparent advantages, why hasn’t California passed single payer yet? Is organized labor fully in the Medicare-for-All game? Do managed care providers - like Kaiser Permanente - have outsized influence on healthcare reform in the state? To find out, we spoke to Peter Shapiro, a retired letter carrier and author of Song of the Stubborn One Thousand: the Watsonville Canning Strike (Haymarket Books 2016). He represented his union at the founding confere...
'Absolutely ruthless': The brutal privatization of U.S. health care
April 29, 2024 12:30 - 17 minutes - 20.6 MBThis time on Code WACK! How is private equity affecting our healthcare system? What’s being done about it? How does our fragmented healthcare system affect patients, including people who have cancer? And what cues can healthcare reform activists take from California's immigrant community? To find out, we spoke to Peter Shapiro, a retired letter carrier and author of Song of the Stubborn One Thousand: the Watsonville Canning Strike (Haymarket Books 2016). He represented his union at the...
The single-payer quandary: What would you do with an extra $5,000 a year?
April 23, 2024 12:30 - 16 minutes - 13.4 MBThis time on Code WACK! How would single-payer, Medicare for All affect the experience of getting care? Would it make it easier to find and see a primary care doctor? And just as importantly, how much money could individuals and families save under a state or national single-payer system? To find out, we spoke to Dr. James G. Kahn, an expert in health policy and economics, an advisor to Code WACK! and editor and primary blogger of Health Justice Monitor, a health policy blog. This is t...
Simplicity, savings & equity? The single-payer solution
April 15, 2024 12:30 - 17 minutes - 19.6 MBThis time on Code WACK! What the heck is going on with Medicare for All in California? Can single-payer advocates overcome their differences and finally win health care for all in the Golden State? What’s the significance of two recent bills, Senate Bill 770, and Assembly Bill 2200, in achieving Medicare for All in California? To find out, we spoke to Dr. James G. Kahn, an expert in health policy and economics, an advisor to Code WACK! and editor and primary blogger of Health Justi...
What's at stake in 2024? Your health care
April 08, 2024 12:30 - 10 minutes - 11.3 MBThis time on Code WACK! Will California’s new single payer bill, CalCare, be a tough sell for the state’s legislature, even if most of the state’s residents want Medicare for All? What political hurdles must be cleared before such a bill would pass? And what would it mean for single payer efforts if Donald Trump is re-elected president this year? To find out, we spoke to Assemblymember Ash Kalra. As a longstanding champion of single-payer health care, Assemblymember Kalra introduced st...
How California’s latest single-payer bill would revolutionize health care
April 01, 2024 12:30 - 14 minutes - 15.5 MBThis time on Code WACK! Once again, a new single-payer bill, AB 2200 or CalCare, sponsored by the California Nurses Association, has been introduced in the California state legislature. How will it help save lives? Will it break the bank, or will it save us money? What’s different about this version of the bill and what kind of support does it have in the state legislature? To find out, we spoke to Assemblyman Ash Kalra. As a longstanding champion of single-payer health care, Ass...
Forced pregnancies and racial bias: A deadly combination?
March 25, 2024 12:30 - 15 minutes - 17.4 MBThis time on Code WACK! Besides the Alabama IVF decision, how else are reproductive rights being rolled back in America? Why are some states going after emergency contraception known as the morning-after pill? What policy solutions are needed to better protect reproductive rights? To find out, we spoke to Vina Smith-Ramakrishnan, a fellow at The Century Foundation, where she works on issues related to maternal health and reproductive rights and justice. Vina’s work supports The Cent...
Is 'fetal personhood' coming to your state?
March 18, 2024 12:30 - 18 minutes - 20.9 MBThis time on Code WACK! Where are we today when it comes to reproductive rights in America? And what does the latest IVF case in Alabama mean for reproductive justice and healthcare equity in America? To find out, we spoke to Vina Smith-Ramakrishnan, a fellow at The Century Foundation, where she works on issues related to maternal health and reproductive rights and justice. Vina’s work supports The Century Foundation’s efforts to eliminate racial and gender disparities in health outcome...
What's fueling America's dreadful nursing home care
March 11, 2024 13:30 - 11 minutes - 11.5 MBThis time on Code WACK! Are regulations meant to protect nursing home residents being enforced? How is understaffing at the California Dept of Public Health affecting nursing home regulation? Are for-profit and nonprofit nursing homes comparable when it comes to the quality of care residents receive? What reforms are in the works to better protect residents? To find out, we spoke to Tony Chicotel, senior staff attorney at California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, or CANHR, where he...
'A race to the bottom:' How U.S. nursing homes are failing us
March 04, 2024 13:13 - 18 minutes - 18.5 MBThis time on Code WACK! The COVID pandemic devastated nursing homes and other long-term care facilities highlighting the need for major reforms. What are the policies behind the often dismal performance of the nursing home industry? What policy changes have been made so far and why are nursing home residents still so vulnerable? To find out, we spoke to Tony Chicotel, senior staff attorney at California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, or CANHR, where he promotes the rights of re...
How Medicare ACOs restrict care and offer dangerous incentives
February 26, 2024 13:00 - 19 minutes - 21.6 MBThis time on Code WACK! Why is tying a medical provider’s pay to the outcomes of their patients a bad idea? Why else should we be concerned about Accountable Care Organizations and the privatization of traditional Medicare? To find out, we spoke 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 the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine. ...
'You're not safe': How middlemen are corrupting traditional Medicare
February 19, 2024 13:30 - 19 minutes - 21.3 MBThis time on Code WACK! You've probably heard about the dangers of Medicare Advantage, but did you know that traditional Medicare is being privatized too? How is this corrupting our healthcare system even more and what does this mean for patients? To find out, we spoke to Dr. Ana Malinow, who spent three decades working as a pediatrician with immigrant, refugee and underserved children in Ohio, Texas, Pennsylvania, and California before retiring as Clinical Professor of Pediatr...
'Nothing about us without us!' The trans community fights back
February 12, 2024 13:00 - 17 minutes - 19.4 MBThis time on Code WACK! Some states are making it easier for trans and non-binary individuals to get gender-affirming care but in other states, a record number of laws have been passed to outlaw – or limit – such care. What kind of toll does this take on people in the trans community, their doctors and their advocates? What policy solutions are needed to ensure that everyone, regardless of gender identity, has access to the medical care they need? To find out, we spoke to Ash Orr, a t...
Transgender denied! Healthcare stigma & discrimination in rural America
February 05, 2024 13:30 - 17 minutes - 19.5 MBThis time on Code WACK! What unique challenges do transgender individuals face when it comes to accessing health care - especially in rural America? Why is gender affirming care considered potentially life saving for trans and nonbinary individuals? How do inaccessible health care, employment discrimination and medical mistreatment intersect for trans people? To find out, we spoke to Ash Orr, a trans organizer from West Virginia and press relations manager for the National Center for Tr...
A life-saving Rx for Skid Row? Methadone, harm reduction & reparations
January 29, 2024 13:30 - 15 minutes - 14.3 MBThis time on Code WACK! What can be done about the fentanyl crisis on Los Angeles’ Skid Row that disproportionately affects Black residents? What policy solutions are needed? In light of the historical evidence of racial disparities in the criminal justice and healthcare systems, should reparations be considered? To find out, we spoke to Nyabingi Kuti, director of the LA Harm Reduction Network. Harm reduction, an evidence-based public health approach, focuses on reducing harmful...
From Hollywood to Skid Row: What's behind LA County's ballooning overdose deaths?
January 22, 2024 13:10 - 12 minutes - 11 MBThis time on Code WACK! More than 3,000 people died of drug overdoses in Los Angeles County alone in 2022 and last October, Hollywood actor Matthew Perry, of “Friends” fame, became one of the latest overdose victims when he accidentally died of acute effects of ketamine at his Los Angeles home. Perry's story reminds us that no one is immune to drug overdoses, but who are the most vulnerable in LA County and why? How do poverty, homelessness and mental health issues intersect with addic...
Can we stem the tide of healthcare inflation?
January 15, 2024 13:00 - 15 minutes - 16.3 MBThis time on Code WACK! Can California’s new Office of Health Care Affordability stem the rising tide of healthcare inflation? Are similar efforts to rein in healthcare costs happening in other states? And what does the creation of the Office mean about the chance for single-payer, Medicare for All in the Golden State? To find out we spoke to Ian Lewis, the policy director for Unite Here Local 2, a union of over 15,000 hospitality workers in the San Francisco Bay Area. Ian previ...
A new sheriff in town? How one state is fighting high healthcare costs
January 08, 2024 13:00 - 16 minutes - 17.2 MBThis time on Code WACK! The New Year is ringing in higher health care premiums while U.S. life expectancy continues to fall. Despite spending more on health care than any other country, we don’t seem to be getting much bang for our bucks! For instance, in 2023 American men can expect to live to age 73 while Frenchmen can expect to live to age 80 - nearly 10% longer! What’s the link between lower life expectancy and high healthcare costs? And what can we do to about it? To find out...
Why millions of Americans seek health care abroad, despite the risks
January 01, 2024 13:00 - 17 minutes - 19.2 MBThis time on Code WACK! In honor of more than 200 podcast episodes and the New Year, we’re running one of our oldies but goodies about the medical tourism phenomenon - Need surgery but your $7,000 deductible is in the way? How about major dental care that your insurance doesn't even begin to adequately cover? Could you save by going to another country for treatment? The skyrocketing cost of care and rising insurance premiums are driving some Americans to seek affordable health c...
'Absolutely bonkers': The hassles doctors face in treating patients
December 25, 2023 13:00 - 17 minutes - 19 MBThis time on Code WACK! Patients aren’t the only people who are frustrated with our current healthcare system. So are doctors! Why? And why doesn’t free market capitalism work with health care? To find out, we spoke to award-winning filmmaker Maddy Purves, who is editor of the documentary Healing US narrated by Susan Sarandon, and Laura Fielding, founder of Red Berets for Medicare for All and associate producer of Healing US. This is the second episode in a two-part series.
Healing US: Uniting across the political spectrum to save lives?
December 18, 2023 13:00 - 15 minutes - 18.1 MBThis time on Code WACK! How did the new documentary Healing US, about the drawbacks of America’s for-profit healthcare system, get made? Which harrowing stories did they highlight? When Americans need health care, why do so many worry whether they can afford to be treated? For answers to these questions and more, we spoke to award-winning documentary filmmaker Maddy Purves, who is editor of the film, and Laura Fielding, founder of Red Berets for Medicare for All and associate producer of...
A ‘village of support’: Changing the game for Black expectant parents
December 11, 2023 13:00 - 16 minutes - 18.6 MBThis time on Code WACK! How can we, as a society, better support Black expectant parents and their babies in light of how vulnerable they are to dying in America? And what root causes must be addressed do this most effectively? To find out, we spoke to Melissa Franklin, the first Black director of Maternal Child and Adolescent Health for LA County’s Department of Public Health. Dr. Franklin is a system transformation leader with over 25 years of experience in organizational development,...
Abundance, joy & dignity. Healing the Black birth experience
December 04, 2023 13:00 - 13 minutes - 15 MBThis time on Code WACK! Why are Black people so vulnerable to maternal and infant mortality - and what’s being done about it? What will the closing of a maternity ward in South Los Angeles County – a trend happening around the country – mean for local residents there? To find out, we spoke to Melissa Franklin, EdD, MBA, the first Black director of Maternal Child and Adolescent Health for LA County’s Department of Public Health. Dr. Franklin is a systems transformation leader...
Money, money, money! The politics of funding single payer
November 27, 2023 13:00 - 15 minutes - 17 MBThis time on Code WACK! What are the main obstacles in implementing a new law paving the way to Medicare for All in California? Where does the biggest opposition lie – and what’s at stake if the law doesn’t fulfill its mission? How is the 2024 election key to our healthcare future? To find out, we spoke to Irene Kao, executive director of Courage California, a progressive grassroots advocacy organization. She’s also a board member of the single payer advocacy coalition Healthy Cali...
Fed up with profit-driven health care? New law puts patients first.
November 20, 2023 13:30 - 15 minutes - 16.7 MBThis time on Code WACK! 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 H...
Fighting the Medicare Advantage scourge
November 12, 2023 13:00 - 13 minutes - 14.9 MBThis time on Code WACK! 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. Check out the Transcript and Show ...
Four Ways Medicare Advantage is ripping you off
November 06, 2023 12:00 - 14 minutes - 16 MBThis time on Code WACK! 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.
Stranded: Throwing a lifeline to the millions losing Medicaid
October 30, 2023 12:00 - 14 minutes - 15.6 MBTHIS 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 e...
Millions of Americans lost in the Medicaid purge
October 23, 2023 12:00 - 16 minutes - 17.8 MBTHIS 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...
Indian Health Service: A broken promise?
October 16, 2023 12:00 - 17 minutes - 16.5 MBTHIS 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. Chec...
Enduring Inequalities: Health Care in America's Indigenous Communities
October 09, 2023 12:02 - 15 minutes - 14.6 MBTHIS TIME ON CODE WACK! 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...
Meet the Wall Street darlings ruining our health care
October 02, 2023 12:00 - 18 minutes - 41.2 MBTHIS TIME ON CODE WACK! 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 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 Democra...
Inclusion, Independence & Dignity: Health care & people with disabilities
September 25, 2023 12:00 - 13 minutes - 14.9 MBThis time on Code WACK! 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 ot...
No place at the policy table? Failing those most in need
September 18, 2023 12:00 - 14 minutes - 16 MBThis time on Code WACK! 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 with 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 i...
SAG-AFTRA on strike: the Hollywood hustle in the age of AI
September 11, 2023 12:00 - 17 minutes - 14.4 MBThis time on CodeWACK! 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. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
Hostages to health care? The American workers' dilemma
September 04, 2023 12:00 - 15 minutes - 12.8 MBThis time on Code WACK! 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. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes ...
Minnesota's taking on corporate health care -- and winning!
August 28, 2023 12:00 - 16 minutes - 14.1 MBThis 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. Check out the Transcript and Show...
Profits over people? There's an algorithm for that.
August 21, 2023 12:00 - 16 minutes - 12.9 MBTHIS 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 a...
Delays, denials & death: The Medicare Advantage Scam
August 14, 2023 12:00 - 16 minutes - 10.8 MBThis 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...
'If You Give a Mouse a Cookie' & other healthcare myths
August 07, 2023 12:00 - 15 minutes - 12.7 MBThis 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 f...