Code WACK!

Think Trump’s Medicaid Cuts Won’t Hit You? Think Again.

This time on Code WACK!  What will happen when Medicaid is slashed for millions of people as a result of Trump’s H.R. 1, the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill?”  How will the largest rollback of the social safety net in over 50 years harm children, families, and rural communities – and what could it mean for states that recently expanded Medicaid, like North Carolina? To find out, we spoke to Jennifer Wells, director of Economic Justice at Community Change Action, where she leads the organization’s work to advance policies and practices that improve the material conditions of low-income communities. This is the second episode in a two-part series.   Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more! And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation.  

Medicaid Saved My Mom’s Life – But Trump Could End It for Millions

This time on Code WACK!  While not perfect, Medicaid has served as a lifeline for millions of impoverished Americans, including Jennifer Wells and her mother, who suffered a brain aneurysm years ago. But that lifeline will soon be taken away. Jennifer joins us to talk about the expected ramifications of Trump’s H.R. 1, the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill.  She’s the director of economic justice at Community Change Action , where she leads the organization’s work to advance policies and practices that improve the material conditions of low-income communities. Over recent years, she has earned recognition as the 2020 Marshall University Commencement Speaker, 2020 TEDx Speaker, and 2018 National Association of Social Workers West Virginia Chapter's Social Worker of the Year. This is the first of two episodes with Jennifer Wells. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more! And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation.

The brutal dismantling of America's healthcare safety net

This time on Code WACK!  As a consequence of Trump's drastic cuts to Medicaid and other health programs, experts estimate that between nearly 8 million and 10 million more Americans will be uninsured by 2034. These include the most vulnerable among us, people who depend on Medicaid because they are poor, ill and/or live with disabilities. And here’s the kicker: experiencing disability isn’t as rare or improbable as we’d like to think.  That's why this fight for health care is about all of us, our families, our neighbors, and our future. From hospital care to home-based services to keeping rural clinics alive, Medicaid is a pillar of our healthcare system, and when it’s weakened, entire communities feel the impact. So what happens when that pillar is damaged? We recently spoke to Andy Imparato, executive director of Disability Rights California, and policy analyst Sabrina Epstein. This is the second episode in a two-part series with Disability Rights California.   Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more! And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation.

Why Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill' is a Disaster for People with Disabilities

This time on Code WACK!  What’s already changing for people with disabilities now that President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” has been signed into law? From pediatric clinics closing their doors to looming cuts in home and community-based services, the fallout is just beginning — and it’s hitting hard. Today we’re joined by two staff members of Disability Rights California, Executive Director Andy Imparato and Policy Analyst Sabrina Epstein, who have been working to track the bill’s impact and fight for the rights of those with disabilities across the state. This is the first episode in a two-part series with Disability Rights California. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more! And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation.  

Stealing our children's potential: The failure of lead poisoning policy

This time on Code WACK!  We talk a lot about how our healthcare system fails us when we get sick, but what about when regulators fail to PREVENT ILLNESS?  Case in point: lead poisoning. It’s not just a danger from the past. Thousands of children are sickened from lead poisoning each year across the country. This week we’re looking at New York State which has older, poorly maintained housing stock in several areas, and where we’ve seen some of the highest incidences of lead poisoning in the country.  So why hasn’t the state legislature passed the Lead Paint Right to Know Act, a bill that could help protect families from this entirely preventable harm? To learn more, we recently spoke with Shannon Burkett, a New York mother whose son Cooper was diagnosed with lead poisoning as an infant in 2008. Shannon is also the writer, producer, and editor of the podcast LEAD: How This Story Ends Is Up to Us. Both Shannon, a registered nurse, and Cooper, now 18, have been powerful voices in the fight to end lead poisoning. This is the second episode in a two-part series. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more! And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation.