Code WACK!

Transgender denied! Healthcare stigma & discrimination in rural America

This time on Code WACK!  What unique challenges do transgender individuals face when it comes to accessing health care - especially in rural America? Why is gender affirming care considered potentially life saving for trans and nonbinary individuals? How do inaccessible health care, employment discrimination and medical mistreatment intersect for trans people? To find out, we spoke to Ash Orr, a trans organizer from West Virginia and press relations manager for the National Center for Transgender Equality or NCTE. Ash is also a National Storyteller for Planned Parenthood, leveraging their personal experiences with abortion care and transition-related healthcare to help dispel societal stigmas around these topics. This is the first episode in a two-part series.    Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!  

A life-saving Rx for Skid Row? Methadone, harm reduction & reparations

This time on Code WACK!   What can be done about the fentanyl crisis on Los Angeles’ Skid Row that disproportionately affects Black residents? What policy solutions are needed? In light of the historical evidence of racial disparities in the criminal justice and healthcare systems, should reparations be considered?   To find out, we spoke to Nyabingi Kuti, director of the LA Harm Reduction Network. Harm reduction, an evidence-based public health approach,  focuses on reducing harmful consequences of substance use. It meets people where they’re at and acknowledges that many people aren’t willing or able to stop using.  This is the second episode in a two-part series.  Check out the Show Notes and Transcript for more!  

From Hollywood to Skid Row: What's behind LA County's ballooning overdose deaths?

This time on Code WACK!  More than 3,000 people died of drug overdoses in Los Angeles County alone in 2022 and last October, Hollywood actor Matthew Perry, of “Friends” fame, became one of the latest overdose victims when he accidentally died of acute effects of ketamine at his Los Angeles home.  Perry's story reminds us that no one is immune to drug overdoses, but who are the most vulnerable in LA County and why? How do poverty, homelessness and mental health issues intersect with addiction to create a deadly “perfect storm” for so many? To find out, we spoke to Nayabingi Kuti, director of the LA Harm Reduction Network, which aims to expand and enhance access to substance use disorder treatment for L.A. County and especially Skid Row. This is the first episode in a two-part series.   

Can we stem the tide of healthcare inflation?

This time on Code WACK!    Can California’s new Office of Health Care Affordability stem the rising tide of healthcare inflation? Are similar efforts to rein in healthcare costs happening in other states? And what does the creation of the Office mean about the chance for single-payer, Medicare for All in the Golden State?   To find out we spoke to Ian Lewis, the policy director for Unite Here Local 2, a union of over 15,000 hospitality workers in the San Francisco Bay Area. Ian previously served as a research director for the National Union of Healthcare Workers and is a board member of California's Office of Health Care Affordability established in 2022. This is the second episode in a two-part series.    Check out the Show Notes and Transcript for more!  

A new sheriff in town? How one state is fighting high healthcare costs

This time on Code WACK!   The New Year is ringing in higher health care premiums while U.S. life expectancy continues to fall. Despite spending more on health care than any other country, we don’t seem to be getting much bang for our bucks! For instance, in 2023 American men can expect to live to age 73 while Frenchmen can expect to live to age 80 - nearly 10% longer!  What’s the link between lower life expectancy and high healthcare costs? And what can we do to about it? To find out we spoke to Ian Lewis, the policy director for Unite Here Local 2, a union of over 15,000 hospitality workers in the San Francisco Bay Area. Ian previously served as a research director for the National Union of Healthcare workers and is a board member of California's Office of Healthcare Affordability established in 2022. This is the first episode in a two-part series.    Check out the Show Notes and Transcript for more!