Care Talk with Laura Packard: American Health Care Explained

2025 was a year of unprecedented attacks on public health in America, from the appointment of antivax conspiracy theorist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to run the Department of Health & Human Services, to devastating cuts to funding and medical research. Diseases like measles and whooping cough are making a comeback, and Americans are unprotected. Rebecca Parks from Protect Our Care explains what’s happened to public health over the past year, the newly announced children’s vaccine schedule changes, and how it affects our health in this #CareTalk episode with show host, cancer survivor, and health care advocate Laura Packard from Health Care Voices.

Plus Louise Norris from healthinsurance.org and Diane Archer from Just Care answer your American health insurance and health care questions on Medicare, the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid, private insurance and more.

This episode has more on what's happening with tax credits to make Affordable Care Act health insurance plans cheaper, Medicare Advantage open enrollment which runs now through March 31, and Affordable Care Act aka Obamacare marketplace open enrollment which runs until January 15th in most states.

New episodes of Care Talk every Tuesday, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Text or call in your health insurance and health care questions in to (202) 838-6837 to get answers in future shows!

Congress has still not acted to lower health insurance costs for next year. Two competing bills failed in the Senate, and now it’s the U.S. House’s turn. Margarida Jorge from Health Care for America Now explains what’s happening in Congress and how it affects our health care in this #CareTalk episode with show host, cancer survivor, and health care advocate Laura Packard from Health Care Voices.

Plus Louise Norris from healthinsurance.org and Diane Archer from Just Care answer your American health insurance and health care questions on Medicare, the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid, private insurance and more.

This episode has more on Affordable Care Act open enrollment which ends soon, what to do about a Medicare late enrollment penalty, a health insurance salesperson that lied about what medications are covered, and problems with Medicare Part D.

New episodes of Care Talk every Tuesday, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Text or call in your health insurance and health care questions in to (202) 838-6837 to get answers in future shows!

Prices for health insurance plans through the Affordable Care Act marketplace are dramatically increasing, because Congress hasn’t taken action. Felicia Burnett from MomsRising explains what’s happening and how you can take action to stop the health care price hikes in this #CareTalk episode with show host, cancer survivor, and health care advocate with show host & cancer survivor Laura Packard from Health Care Voices.

Plus Louise Norris from healthinsurance.org and Diane Archer from Just Care answer your American health insurance and health care questions on Medicare, the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid, private insurance and more.

This episode has more on rising premiums for Medicare, Medicaid income cut-off limits, and negotiated lower drug prices.

New episodes of Care Talk every Tuesday, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Text or call in your health insurance and health care questions in to (202) 838-6837 to get answers in future shows!

Premiums for Affordable Care Act plans are set to skyrocket next year, because Congress has failed to act. A new White House health care plan was rumored but not released yet. Charles Gaba from ACASignups.net explains what’s happening to the Affordable Care Act in this #CareTalk episode with show host, cancer survivor, and health care advocate with show host & cancer survivor Laura Packard from Health Care Voices.

Plus Louise Norris from healthinsurance.org and Diane Archer from Just Care answer your American health insurance and health care questions on Medicare, the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid, private insurance and more.

This episode has more on proposed changes to Medicare Advantage in 2027, what to do if you can't afford Affordable Care Act health insurance, and last call for Medicare open enrollment which ends December 7th.

New episodes of Care Talk every Tuesday, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Text or call in your health insurance and health care questions in to (202) 838-6837 to get answers in future shows!

The government in America is back open, but our health insurance costs are still set to dramatically increase next year. Alex Lawson from Social Security Works explains why and what happens now in this #CareTalk episode with show host, cancer survivor, and health care advocate with show host & cancer survivor Laura Packard from Health Care Voices.

Plus Louise Norris from healthinsurance.org and Diane Archer from Just Care answer your American health insurance and health care questions on Medicare, the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid, private insurance and more.

This episode has more on open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act aka Obamacare which runs until January 15th in most states, and open enrollment for Medicare which runs until December 7th. Get covered now with affordable health insurance that works for your family.

New episodes of Care Talk every Tuesday, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Text or call in your health insurance and health care questions in to (202) 838-6837 to get answers in future shows!

Over the weekend, 60 Senators voted to end the Federal Shutdown. What happens next? How might it impact healthcare? Margarida Jorge from Health Care for America Now is here to discuss in this #CareTalk episode with show host, cancer survivor, and health care advocate with show host & cancer survivor Laura Packard from Health Care Voices.

Plus Louise Norris from healthinsurance.org and Rachel Madley from Center for Health & Democracy answer your American health insurance and health care questions on Medicare, the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid, private insurance and more.

This episode includes more on Affordable Care Act open enrollment, the differences between deductibles, coinsurance, and maximum out of pocket amounts and how to find the best insurance plan for your circumstances, prior authorization in traditional Medicare, and Medicare open enrollment going on now.

New episodes of Care Talk every Tuesday, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Text or call in your health insurance and health care questions in to (202) 838-6837 to get answers in future shows!

Several states have set up prescription drug affordability boards to help lower drug prices. Colorado just became the first state to cap the price of a prescription drug, Enbrel. What happens next? Our guest Vinny DeMarco from Maryland Health Care For All is here to discuss in this #CareTalk episode with show host, cancer survivor, and health care advocate with show host & cancer survivor Laura Packard from Health Care Voices.

Plus Louise Norris from healthinsurance.org and Diane Archer of Just Care and Social Security Works answer your American health insurance and health care questions on Medicare, the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid, private insurance and more.

This episode includes more on Medicare open enrollment which has now begun, an update on the fight to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits and the government shutdown, and what to do if your Medicare Advantage plan has left the market.

New episodes of Care Talk every Tuesday, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Text or call in your health insurance and health care questions in to (202) 838-6837 to get answers in future shows!

Because there is no agreement on government funding, the American government has shut down. How will this affect our care? What happens next? Our guest Laura Rodriguez of Center for American Progress is here to discuss in this #CareTalk episode with show host, cancer survivor, and health care advocate with show host & cancer survivor Laura Packard from Health Care Voices.

Plus Louise Norris from healthinsurance.org and Diane Archer of Just Care and Social Security Works answer your American health insurance and health care questions on Medicare, the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid, private insurance and more.

This episode includes more on President Trump's drug pricing deal with Pfizer, what is the subsidy cliff on Affordable Care Act plans, and what to do if your Medicare B premium is high and your income is low.

New episodes of Care Talk every Tuesday, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Text or call in your health insurance and health care questions in to (202) 838-6837 to get answers in future shows!

Is our government about to shut down? Why? What happens next? How is our health care at stake? Our guest Anne Shoup of Protect Our Care is here to discuss in this #CareTalk episode with show host, cancer survivor, and health care advocate with show host & cancer survivor Laura Packard from Health Care Voices.

Plus Louise Norris from healthinsurance.org and Diane Archer of Just Care and Social Security Works answer your American health insurance and health care questions on Medicare, the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid, private insurance and more.

This episode includes more about the effects of tariffs on our drug prices, and open enrollment about to start for the Affordable Care Act aka Obamacare and Medicare, what do you need to know.

New episodes of Care Talk every Tuesday, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Text or call in your health insurance and health care questions in to (202) 838-6837 to get answers in future shows!

What’s happening to veterans’ health care with changes at the VA under the new administration? Our guest Allison Gill of The Daily Beans Podcast Mueller She Wrote is a veteran and worked at the Department of Veterans Affairs for over a decade. In this #CareTalk episode Dr. Gill talks about how VA health care works, and changes that veterans should know about with show host, cancer survivor, and health care advocate with show host & cancer survivor Laura Packard from Health Care Voices.

Plus Louise Norris from healthinsurance.org and Diane Archer of Just Care answer your American health insurance and health care questions on Medicare, the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid, private insurance and more.

This episode includes more about open enrollment and insurers pulling out of some health insurance markets, how cuts to one health care program will affect everyone, and how people can avoid inappropriate denials of treatment by insurance companies.

New episodes of Care Talk every Tuesday, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Text or call in your health insurance and health care questions in to (202) 838-6837 to get answers in future shows!