Tag: Universal Healthcare

States Push Back Against Medicaid Managed Care

            THIS TIME ON CODE WACK!   Today, most people on Medicaid get their care through private insurers called Managed Care Organizations, or MCOs – like Aetna and UnitedHealthcare. Critics say these companies add layers of bureaucracy that make it […]

The Middlemen Making Money Off Medicaid

            THIS TIME ON CODE WACK!   Why are there middlemen in Medicaid – and what are they doing to our most vulnerable patients and physicians? How and why are private insurance intermediaries permitted to put profits ahead of patients? […]

The Hidden Cost of Private Equity Hospital Buyouts

          THIS TIME ON CODE WACK!   We’re taking a closer look at what happens when private equity buys hospitals. Our guest is Dr. Renee Hsia (pronounced “Shaw”). An emergency physician at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, Dr. Hsia explains how […]

Is private equity in health care killing us?

          THIS TIME ON CODE WACK!   What happens to staff and patients when private investors buy hospitals to make them more profitable? And why should this concern us all? To break it down, we spoke to Dr. Renee Hsia ( […]

Insured But Still Can’t Afford Care? The Underinsured Crisis

        THIS TIME ON CODE WACK!   Millions of Americans have health insurance, but still can’t afford to use it. So what happens when high deductibles and corporate profit pressures shape the care patients receive? To break it down, we spoke with […]

The Deadly Design of U.S. Health Care

        THIS TIME ON CODE WACK!   Why do Americans live about four years less, on average, than people in similar European countries, despite spending far more on health care? And why are so many dying from illnesses we already know how […]

Is racism in health care still a problem in 2026? Absolutely.

        THIS TIME ON CODE WACK!   This time on Code WACK! In celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we’re rebroadcasting this episode examining how desegregation shaped the experiences of Black patients in America – and what still hasn’t changed. […]

Revisiting America’s racist – and deadly – legacy

        THIS TIME ON CODE WACK!   In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we’re rebroadcasting our Anthem Award–winning episode on one of the most overlooked civil rights battles in American history: the desegregation of hospitals. The episode features Dr. […]