Breaking News in Healthcare Reform
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“…here was a system that was not responding, and when I say system, it wasn’t just the facility he was in, but it was the facility, it was the corporation that oversees that facility, it was public health, it was all the way up on the line, not giving acknowledgement to the person.”
‘No Way to Live’: The Cost of Nursing Home Isolation
Featuring Melody Taylor Stark, founding member of Essential Caregivers Coalition, with over 10 years of advocacy and family caregiving experience.
Code WACK! | Podcast Episode 334 | June 15, 2026
“Spending less is not the same as spending wisely. And unlike buying a car or a refrigerator, most patients lack the information and leverage to shop for healthcare in moments of need.”
High-Deductible Health Plans Are Being Sold as a Cure. They Aren’t.
The Fulcrum | Marc Henry Estriplet | June 14, 2026
“People are worried this will mean loss of programming and services that are uniquely designed for LGBTQ+ veterans….”
Trump Admin Eliminates Health Care Programs for LGBTQ+ Veterans
Advocate | Christopher Wiggins | June 13, 2026
“They found that overall, the insurers denied almost two-thirds of requests for admission to a long-term care hospital and more than half of requests for admission to an inpatient rehab facility.”
Major Medicare Advantage Insurers Appear to Deny Care for Profit, Federal Watchdog Finds
Healthcare Dive | Rebecca Pifer Parduhn | June 12, 2026
“Health plans are projecting commercial healthcare costs will rise 9% next year, driven in part by increased adoption of artificial intelligence billing tools by providers….”
Health Plans Say AI Is Pushing Healthcare Costs Higher
Healthcare Dive | Emily Olsen | June 11, 2026
“…The UC Berkeley Labor Center has estimated that as many as 3 million Californians are at risk of losing Medi-Cal coverage by 2028 as a result of policy changes and funding cuts to the program under the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act. (Medi-Cal is the state’s version of Medicaid.) The potential annual hit to California’s Medi-Cal funding has been put at $30 billion.”
County Tax Measures Show Limits of Local Responses to Medicaid Cuts
Capital & Main | Mark Kreidler | June 11, 2026
“Insurance generates massive amounts of money in the time period between receiving premiums and paying out claims. This is known as float, and it can be invested, manipulated, and concealed in ways that benefit insurers…. Delaying those claim payouts or reducing government mandates for claims increases the float, and therefore the profits.”
The Threat of Big Insurance
The American Prospect | David Dayen | June 11, 2026
“CBO projects that the [Medicare] trust fund will run dry in 2040.”
Trustees Expect Medicare Trust Fund’s Reserves to Run Out in 2033
Fierce Healthcare | Paige Minemyer | June 10, 2026
“As of 2025, an estimated 15% of 26-year-olds are uninsured, making them the highest uninsured age group in the country.”
Turning 26 Creates Health Care Challenges for Americans
Insurance News Net | Angela Palo | June 8, 2026
“The work mandate is a significant undertaking for states, which have limited time to set up the infrastructure to oversee compliance and reach out to beneficiaries impacted by the policy.”
Over Half of Medicaid Enrollees Say They’re Unaware of Upcoming Work Requirements
Healthcare Dive | Emily Olsen | June 8, 2026
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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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