This time on Code WACK! How would single-payer, Medicare for All affect the experience of getting care? Would it make it easier to find and see a primary care doctor? And just as importantly, how much money could individuals and families save under a state or national single-payer system? See how much you would save with the new, national Medicare for All Household Savings Calculator! Join us as we chat with Dr. James G. Kahn, who led the calculator team. He's an expert in health policy and economics, an advisor to Code WACK! and editor and primary blogger of Health Justice Monitor, a health p ..read more

This time on Code WACK! What the heck is going on with Medicare for All in California? Can single-payer advocates overcome their differences and finally win health care for all in the Golden State? What’s the significance of two recent bills, Senate Bill 770, and Assembly Bill 2200, in achieving Medicare for All in California? To find out, we spoke to Dr. James G. Kahn, an expert in health policy and economics, an advisor to Code WACK! and editor and primary blogger of Health Justice Monitor, a health policy blog. This is the first episode in a two-part series ..read more

This time on Code WACK! Will California’s new single payer bill, CalCare, be a tough sell for the state’s legislature, even if most of the state’s residents want Medicare for All? What political hurdles must be cleared before such a bill would pass? And what would it mean for single payer efforts if Donald Trump is re-elected president this year? To find out, we spoke to Assemblymember Ash Kalra. As a longstanding champion of single-payer health care, Assemblymember Kalra introduced statewide legislation known as CalCare (AB 1400 in 2021 and AB 2200 in 2023), which would guarantee comprehensiv ..read more

This time on Code WACK! Once again, a new single-payer bill, AB 2200 or CalCare, sponsored by the California Nurses Association, has been introduced in the California state legislature. How will it help save lives? Will it break the bank, or will it save us money? What’s different about this version of the bill and what kind of support does it have in the state legislature? To find out, we spoke to Assemblyman Ash Kalra. As a longstanding champion of single-payer health care, Assemblymember Kalra introduced statewide legislation known as CalCare (AB 1400 in 2021 and AB 2200 in 2023), which wou ..read more

This time on Code WACK! Besides the Alabama IVF decision, how else are reproductive rights being rolled back in America? Why are some states going after emergency contraception known as the morning-after pill? What policy solutions are needed to better protect reproductive rights? To find out, we spoke to Vina Smith-Ramakrishnan, a fellow at The Century Foundation, where she works on issues related to maternal health and reproductive rights and justice. Vina’s work supports The Century Foundation’s efforts to eliminate racial and gender disparities in health outcomes. Vina has a master’s of pu ..read more

This time on Code WACK! Where are we today when it comes to reproductive rights in America? And what does the latest IVF case in Alabama mean for reproductive justice and healthcare equity in America? To find out, we spoke to Vina Smith-Ramakrishnan, a fellow at The Century Foundation, where she works on issues related to maternal health and reproductive rights and justice. Vina’s work supports The Century Foundation’s efforts to eliminate racial and gender disparities in health outcomes. Vina has a master’s of public health in global health policy from George Washington University’s Milken In ..read more

This time on Code WACK! Are regulations meant to protect nursing home residents being enforced? How is understaffing at the California Dept of Public Health affecting nursing home regulation? Are for-profit and nonprofit nursing homes comparable when it comes to the quality of care residents receive? What reforms are in the works to better protect residents? To find out, we spoke to Tony Chicotel, senior staff attorney at California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, or CANHR, where he promotes the rights of residents in long-term care facilities through litigation, legislation, regulatory pol ..read more

The COVID pandemic devastated nursing homes and other long-term care facilities highlighting the need for major reforms. What are the policies behind the often dismal performance of the nursing home industry? What policy changes have been made so far and why are nursing home residents still so vulnerable? To find out, we spoke to Tony Chicotel, senior staff attorney at California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, or CANHR, where he promotes the rights of residents in long-term care facilities through litigation, legislation, regulatory policy, and consumer education ..read more

Why is tying a medical provider’s pay to the outcomes of their patients a bad idea? Why else should we be concerned about Accountable Care Organizations and the privatization of traditional Medicare? To find out, we spoke to Dr. Ana Malinow, who spent three decades working as a pediatrician with immigrant, refugee and underserved children before retiring as Clinical Professor of Pediatrics from the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine. She’s past president of Physicians for a National Health Program and is currently a lead organizer for National Single Payer and The Moveme ..read more

This time on Code WACK! You've probably heard about the dangers of Medicare Advantage, but did you know that traditional Medicare is being privatized too? How is this corrupting our healthcare system even more and what does this mean for patients? To find out, we spoke to Dr. Ana Malinow, who spent three decades working as a pediatrician with immigrant, refugee and underserved children in Ohio, Texas, Pennsylvania, and California before retiring as Clinical Professor of Pediatrics from the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine. She’s past president of Physicians for a Natio ..read more