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New Code WACK! episode
“To hear my son had lead poisoning, I first, of course, I was really terrified and also really confused, and also felt really guilty. How did my son get exposure? Then you go down the rabbit hole.” —Shannon Burkett
From Healthy Infant to
Lead-Poisoned? One Family’s
Harrowing Journey
Featuring
Shannon Burkett
Registered nurse, mom and advocate
in the fight against lead poisoning
Find us on Apple podcasts, our website or your favorite podcast platform.
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Breaking News in Healthcare Reform
“Amy Frank said it took 17 hours on the phone over nearly three weeks, bouncing between her insurer and her local hospital system, to make sure her plan would cover her husband’s post-surgery care.”
When Hospitals and Insurers Fight, Patients Get Caught in the Middle
Medical Express | Bram Sable-Smith | September 8, 2025
“Catastrophic coverage only begins after a very large deductible, meaning it is “really designed for someone who has access to a large amount of financial assets or credit, and could cover about $9,000 in healthcare spending as an individual or $18,000 as a family….”
Health Coverage Expanding for Americans from November 1
Newsweek | Jasmine Laws | September 5, 2025
“With all these innovative advancements being leveraged across the American healthcare ecosystem, it is paramount that we ensure proper oversight is being applied….”
Lawmakers Scrutinize AI’s Role in Prior Authorization, Mental Healthcare in House Hearing
Healthcare Dive | Susanna Vogel | September 4, 2025
“…these companies’ average profits increased by 75%, from around $21 billion before the tax bill to about $35 billion afterward, and yet their federal tax rate was about the same.”
Healthcare Giants Have Raked in ‘Sick Profits’ From Trump Tax Cuts While Stiffing Patients: Report
Common Dreams | Stephen Prager | September 4, 2025
“The total health benefit cost per employee is expected to rise 6.5% on average in 2026 — the highest increase since 2010 — even after accounting for planned cost-reduction measures.”
Employers Prepare for the Highest Health Benefit Cost Increase in 15 Years
Mercer | Beth Umland, Sunit Patel | September 3, 2025
“UnitedHealthcare, the biggest [Medicare Advantage] insurer in the U.S., collected up to $785 more per beneficiary than local nonprofit plans in 2023, costing Medicare more than $6 billion in excess payments that year….”
UnitedHealthcare, Humana Are Gaming Medicare Advantage Risk Adjustment, Analysis Finds
Healthcare Dive | Rebecca Pifer | September 3, 2025
“The governors of California, Oregon and Washington announced Wednesday that they were working to provide unified recommendations to ‘ensure residents remain protected by science, not politics.’”
West Coast States Band Together to Provide Vaccine Recommendation After RFK Jr. Replaces CDC Panel
NBC News | Doha Madani | September 3, 2025
“The closure of rural hospitals is a looming problem across all of California.”
This Rural Hospital Almost Closed. Emergency State Funding Is Keeping It Open, But For How Long?
CalMatters | Deborah Brennan | September 3, 2025
“The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said it’ll experiment with its own version of prior authorization by using AI models to screen claims….”
Medicare Will Start Paying AI Companies a Share of Any Claims They Automatically Reject
Yahoo News | Frank Landymore | September 2, 2025
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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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