New Code WACK! episode
“…when pain is not adequately treated, people most likely have an
underlying diagnosis that’s being missed. And so what we see are missed and
delayed diagnoses … sometimes even resulting in harm and death.“
– Uché Blackstock, MD
MLK Day Special:
Dismantling Racism in Medicine
Featuring Dr. Uché Blackstock
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!
“‘In a single-payer system, hospitals, clinics and doctors would exist as they do now,’ [Hank Abrons] said … [but] ‘medical facilities would operate on a nonprofit basis and there wouldn’t be shareholders. Shareholders are people who buy shares in for-profit corporations. We don’t have shareholders dominating the finances of our fire departments, police departments, public schools and public libraries.’”
Is a ‘People Before Profit’ Model the Solution in the United States?
Insurance News Net | Samantha Campos, East Bay Express | January 18, 2025
“…the deliberations — mandated by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 — face an uncertain future under the incoming Trump administration….”
Medicare Announces 15 New Drugs Up for Price Negotiations, Including Ozempic
NBC News | Berkeley Lovelace Jr. | January 17, 2025
“Private equity has investments… [including] physician practices, emergency room staffing companies, nursing homes, mental health and substance use facilities, and hospitals … one study … estimates more than 40% of the country’s emergency rooms are managed by private-equity backed staffing companies.”
Private Equity Poses ‘New and Unique Risks’ to Healthcare, Federal Agencies Warn
Healthcare Dive | Susanna Vogel | January 16, 2025
“…we have a regulatory system that allows pillaging of hospitals in the United States.”
A Second Hospital Bankruptcy Draws More Private Equity Scrutiny
Axios | Caitlin Owens | January 15, 2025
“…changes to immigration policy made by the first Trump administration contributed to growing fears among immigrant families about enrolling themselves and/or their children in Medicaid and CHIP even if they were eligible.”
Key Facts on Health Coverage of Immigrants
KFF | January 15, 2025
“…these so-called Big Three health care companies — which [the FTC] estimates administer 80% of all prescriptions in the U.S. — are inflating drug prices ‘at an alarming rate, which means there is an urgent need for policymakers to address it.’”
Top Three Insurers Reaped $7.3 Billion Through Their Drug Middlemen’s Markups, FTC Says
NBC News | Steve Kopack, Adiel Kaplan | January 14, 2025
“A new coalition of more than 700 public health professionals, scientists and activists signed an open letter to oppose Senate confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health secretary, saying his ‘fringe’ views and inexperience would put the country at serious risk from severe infectious diseases.”
Public Health Experts, Scientists Warn Senators on Confirming RFK Jr
The Hill | Nathaniel Weixel | January 13, 2025
“‘[UnitedHealth] has been in the media and legislative spotlight for some time given its market dominance, aggressive marketing of Medicare Advantage and questionable use of AI algorithms to deny care to patients,’ stated Timnit Ghermay, a representative of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, a Quebec-based group that led the filing.”
Investors Ask UnitedHealth For Answers About Delayed, Denied Care
Healthcare Dive | Rebecca Pifer | January 13, 2025
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Shining a light on ongoing inequities in health care
and the impact they have on vulnerable individuals and communities.
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