Code WACK!

We can save billions on health care — why won’t Congress do it?

This week on CodeWACK!   Are Americans finally waking up to the truth about single-payer healthcare? With new Medicare for All bills recently reintroduced in Congress, we’re setting the record straight. Will it really save us money? Is it socialized medicine? And why aren't our legislators addressing the REAL causes of our skyrocketing healthcare costs? To unpack this, we spoke with Rachel Madley, Director of Policy and Advocacy at the Center for Health and Democracy. A former health policy advisor to Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal — lead sponsor of the House Medicare for All bill — Rachel helped shape and reintroduce the landmark legislation in 2023. She’s also a former FDA staffer and holds a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from Columbia University, where she was active in both Physicians for a National Health Program and Students for a National Health Program. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more! And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation at heal-ca.org/donate.

Profits over patients - America's sickening healthcare system

This week on CodeWACK! Medicare for All is back in the spotlight! With two new bills recently introduced in Congress, what makes these proposals different from earlier versions— and why are some advocates feeling hopeful, even in the current political climate? What would a truly public, universal health care system look like, and how could it help curb the soaring costs, corporate greed, and bureaucracy plaguing our current system? To unpack this, we spoke with Rachel Madley, Director of Policy and Advocacy at the Center for Health and Democracy. A former health policy advisor to Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal — lead sponsor of the House Medicare for All bill — Rachel helped shape and reintroduce the landmark legislation in 2023. She’s also a former FDA staffer and holds a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from Columbia University, where she was active in both Physicians for a National Health Program and Students for a National Health Program. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more! And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation at heal-ca.org/donate.

Sex Ed, Medicaid, & Abortion Access: A trio of policies worth fighting for

This week on CodeWACK! Which states have received the highest scores in the rePROs Fight Back’s 13th annual 50-state report card on sexual and reproductive health and rights released in March -- and why? And what specific threats - whether federal, state or local - should reproductive rights advocates be most concerned about? And what policies should they be promoting?  To find out, we spoke with Jennie Wetter, Director of the rePROs Fight Back initiative at The Population Institute, where she champions sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice every day. Jennie also hosts the rePros Fight Back Podcast, offering deep dives into abortion access, birth control, sex ed, LGBTQ+ rights, and  This is part two of a powerful two-part series with Jennie. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!  And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation at heal-ca.org/donate.   

Criminalizing Choice: The Deadly Cost of Denying Abortion

This week on CodeWACK! How is America doing on sexual and reproductive health nearly three years after the Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade? What are the real-life human rights consequences of abortion bans now sweeping across many states? To unpack the fallout, we spoke with Jennie Wetter, Director of the rePROs Fight Back initiative at The Population Institute, where she champions sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice every day. Jennie also hosts the rePros Fight Back Podcast, offering deep dives into abortion access, birth control, sex ed, LGBTQ+ rights, and more. This is part one of a powerful two-part series with Jennie. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more! And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation at heal-ca.org/donate.   

Taking It to the Streets: National Rally Against Greed in Health Care

This week on CodeWACK! Single payer is back in the spotlight with Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Pramila Jayapal  submitting new Medicare for All bills for 2025-26! How will the upcoming National Day of Action on May 31st keep the need for healthcare reform in the spotlight? And how do physicians feel about single payer today, 60 years after the American Medical Association’s infamous ‘stealth campaign’ against socialized medicine (featuring none other than Ronald Reagan)?  To find out, we recently talked 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 UC San Francisco School of Medicine. The past president of Physicians for a National Health Program, she is on the steering committee of National Single Payer. She’s also a lead organizer for The Movement to End Privatization of Medicare. 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 at heal-ca.org/donate.