Imagine learning that your baby girl has a brain tumor that’s causing seizures and disrupting her development, and your health insurance company is denying coverage for treatment her pediatric oncologist says she needs to survive and thrive? What would you do? Where did one mother turn when repeated health insurance denials delayed time-sensitive treatment to shrink her baby’s tumor? 

To find out, we spoke to Dr. Eunice Stallman, a psychiatrist in Idaho and clinical faculty at the University of Washington School of Medicine and the University of Washington Boise Psychiatry Residency Program. Her daughter Zoey is two years old now and still undergoing medical treatment. This is the first episode in a two-part series.

New from Code WACK, Coverage denied: A doctor's fight to save her own baby

This time on Code WACK! 

What questionable justifications did a major insurance company give to repeatedly deny coverage to treat a baby’s brain tumor? What would have been the financial impact on the family if they had to pay for their baby's treatment out-of-pocket? What specific health policies could we implement to avoid situations like this? 

To find out, we spoke to Dr. Eunice Stallman, a psychiatrist in Idaho and mother of two-year-old Zoey, who has suffered seizures and developmental delays because of a brain tumor discovered when she was an infant. This is the second episode in a two-part series.

New from Code WACK, Forsaken? The problem with for-profit health care.

This time on Code WACK! 

Why are seniors between a rock and a hard place when choosing between various Medicare options? How do private Medicare plans, known as Medicare Advantage, limit patients’ options and why are they considered riskier than traditional Medicare? And what's the ‘Medigap Trap?’

To find out, we spoke to Dr. Diljeet Singh, an integrative gynecologic oncologist and the incoming president of Physicians for a National Health Program [PNHP]. With more than 25,000 members across the United States, PNHP advocates for a universal, comprehensive, single-payer national health program.


New from Code WACK,The tricks and traps of Medicare ‘Disadvantage’ plans

This time on Code WACK! 

What could another Trump presidency mean for the rise in Medicare private plans and what would that mean for patient care and financial waste in our healthcare system and for the Medicare Trust Fund? 

To find out, we recently interviewed Dr. Diljeet Singh, an integrative gynecologic oncologist and incoming president of Physicians for a National Health Program [PNHP]. With more than 25,000 members across the United States, PNHP advocates for a universal, comprehensive, single-payer national health program. This is the second episode in a two-part series. 


New from Code WACK,Will Project 2025 sink traditional Medicare?

THIS TIME ON CODE WACK!
In the wake of the recent presidential election, we’re revisiting one of our favorite podcast episodes from 2023 about the hurdles America's Indigenous peoples face in accessing health care. 

What’s being done to help elder Native Americans receive culturally competent long term care? Would it surprise you to learn that relying on the Indian Health Service may not be enough to meet their needs? Why are some members of this highly vulnerable population buying health insurance too? 

To find out, we spoke to Elder Billie Tohee, executive director of the Albuquerque-based National Indian Council on Aging (NICOA) and former chair of the board.


New from Code WACK,A second look at the Indian Health Service: A broken promise?

This time on Code WACK! 

Why have U.S. administrations from both sides of the aisle chosen to privatize Medicare and how has that complicated health care for patients? How do mega insurance companies benefit as a result? How much is all this costing us, anyway? And what can we do about it?

To find out, we spoke with Wendell Potter, a former health insurance industry executive turned whistleblower, the New York Times bestselling author of Deadly Spin and the president of the Center for Health and Democracy. He’s also the author of the Substack newsletter HEALTH CARE un-covered which chronicles out-of-control profiteering in U.S. health care, its impact on everyday Americans, and potential policy solutions. 

New from Code WACK, The sordid financialization of America's healthcare system

This time on Code WACK! 

How is the Department of Veterans Affairs becoming increasingly privatized and what could this mean for those who have served and sacrificed for our country? Is corporate health insurance better than the VA healthcare system - or not? How is privatization affecting the financial viability of the VA -- and what can be done to stop it?

To find out, we recently spoke to Wendell Potter, a former health insurance industry executive turned whistleblower, the New York Times bestselling author of Deadly Spin and the president of the Center for Health and Democracy. He’s also the author of the Substack newsletter HEALTH CARE un-covered where he recently penned a post entitled “Privatizing the VA: The Unseen Costs to Veterans and Taxpayers Alike.”

New from Code WACK, Can veterans really get better care outside the VA?

This time on Code WACK! 

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy of equality and justice for all, we welcome Dr. Uché Blackstock, author of the New York Times bestselling book “Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine.” 

Trained as an ER physician, the Harvard Medical School graduate is founder and CEO of Advancing Health Equity, an organization that aims to dismantle racism in healthcare and narrow health inequities.


New from Code WACK, MLK Day Special: Dismantling Racism in Medicine.

This time on Code WACK! 

For the second episode in our two-part series on racism in medicine, in honor of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr, we’re asking the question: What is racially concordant care and how does it help save lives? What else can be done to reduce deadly disparities in medicine? 

To find out, we spoke to Dr. Uché Blackstock. Blackstock, author of the New York Times best-selling book “Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine,” which is now available in paperback.  She’s also the founder and CEO of Advancing Health Equity, an organization that aims to dismantle racism in healthcare and narrow racial health inequities. Blackstock was named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People in Global Health and one of the Top 13 Innovators Shaping the Future of Health by Fortune Magazine.

New from Code WACK, Health Equity Now: Tackling Racism in Medicine with Dr. Uché Blackstock

This time on Code WACK! 

The strong reactions to the tragic murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson by alleged killer Luigi Mangione are bringing renewed attention to the abuses of for-profit health insurance. How does our complex, costly, and callous for-profit healthcare system contribute to America's high mortality rate and how many people are believed to die each year as a result?

To find out, we interviewed Dr. James G. Khan, an expert in health policy and economics, and advisor to Code WACK! and editor and primary blogger of Health Justice Monitor, a health policy blog. 


New tracks tagged #Code WACK