New Code WACK! episode
What questionable justifications did a major insurance company give
to repeatedly deny coverage to treat a baby’s brain tumor?
Forsaken? The Problem with
For-Profit Health Care
Featuring Eunice Stallman, MD
Find us on Apple podcasts, our website or your favorite podcast platform.
Breaking News in Healthcare Reform
Snippets of news & commentary with a special focus on
health policy, Medicare for All & California
Like Weekly News Roundup? Then you’ll love our popular podcast Code WACK! where we shine a light on the outrageous hassles patients face when dealing with America’s callous healthcare system. Subscribe below!
“Pharmacy closures aren’t just an inconvenience; in some disadvantaged areas, a pharmacy can be the difference between having care or not.”
Why America’s Drug Stores Are Vanishing
Axios | Tina Reed | December 9, 2024
“The fact that this is the US public response, en masse, to the murder of a human being speaks volumes about Americans’ widespread disgust with a profit-driven health care system that leaves so many destitute or simply dead.”
Americans Hate Their Private Health Insurance
Jacobin | Branko Marcetic | December 7, 2024
“On social media over the past few days, many posters have published screenshots of a proprietary analysis by personal finance website ValuePenguin finding that UnitedHealthcare denied 32% of claims in 2023 — twice the industry average.”
Health Insurers Remove Executive Bios, Images from Websites After UnitedHealthcare CEO Killing
Healthcare Dive | Rebecca Pifer | December 6, 2024
“Americans tend to give their health insurance positive reviews — unless they’re sick and actually need to use it, according to a KFF survey of more than 3,600 insured adults conducted last year.”
UnitedHealth CEO’s Killing Unleashes Social Media Rage Against Insurers
Axios | Maya Goldman | December 5, 2024
“…the drug is impossibly cheap to produce; if the company sold a year-long course of the medication for $40, they would still make a 30% profit. … Gilead is currently selling Lenacapavir for over $42,000 a year.”
Your Money Or Your Life: Pharmaceutical Giant Holds Lifesaving HIV “Vaccine” Hostage
Socialist Alternative | Audrey Reed | December 3, 2024
“Half of the state’s birth centers have closed since 2020, leaving only four licensed facilities open. … We have a whole population that is losing access to maternal care….”
California Birth Centers Are Shutting Down. A Lawmaker Has a New Plan to Help Them
CalMatters | Kristen Hwang | December 2, 2024
“Carriers faced major hurdles…. The most significant is the impact of the [Inflation Reduction Act] on prescription drug costs.”
Disruption Hitting Medicare for 2025
Insurance News Net | Susan Rupe | December 2, 2024
“23% of working-age adults with health insurance struggle to afford care due to high out-of-pocket costs.”
High Costs Challenge US Health Coverage — Commonwealth Fund
Insurance Business Magazine | Rod Bolivar | December 2, 2024
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Shining a light on ongoing inequities in health care
and the impact they have on vulnerable individuals and communities.
Our podcast Code WACK! brings to life the failures of America’s healthcare system with stories, commentary and analysis.
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