This time on Code WACK!

Suddenly, with little notice, you may find yourself having to step into a caregiving role for a friend or family member. Maybe you already have. It could be an aging parent, an ailing partner or an injured child. What does it really cost—emotionally, physically, and financially—to care for someone you love?

To find out, we recently spoke with Dr. Mary-Elizabeth Harmon, a scientist turned storyteller and caregiver whose life changed in an instant. What she thought would be a brief visit to her father ultimately became a years' long caregiving journey that nearly pushed her to the brink—and ultimately inspired her vision for "vertical villages," where neighbors foster caring communities and economies to support one another through life's toughest moments.

As the founder of Village Company 360 and the caregiver of her mother in Virgina, Dr. Harmon reveals just how unprepared our systems are for the caregiving crisis—and why all of us need to pay attention.

This is the first episode in a two-part series.

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This time on Code WACK!

Join us on a deep dive into the hidden forces behind soaring out-of-pocket costs, from rising medical costs to pandemic aftershocks and corporate profit pressures. Our guest, health insurance agent Sherry Davis Johnson, shares eye-opening stories from the front lines. We'll also explore how the Affordable Care Act has saved lives, what protections still matter most, and what it really takes to navigate today's healthcare maze. This is the second episode in a two part-series.

Sherry Davis Johnson — a former nurse turned long–time insurance agent in Southern California — has seen our challenging healthcare system from every angle, as a nurse and home health provider, insurance agent and patient. Today, she's here to help us make sense of it all.

Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!

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This time on Code WACK!

We're digging into big questions: Are reduced health insurance subsidies leaving Americans with a bad case of sticker shock? If you're shopping on the ACA marketplace, what should you watch out for before picking a plan? And what happens if you're pre-authorized for treatment in 2025, but can't afford to renew with the same plan in 2026? (It's not pretty).

For these answers and more, we talked to Sherry Davis Johnson — a former nurse turned long–time insurance agent in Southern California. Sherry has seen our challenging healthcare system from every angle, as a nurse and home health provider, insurance agent and patient, having personally gone through five major surgeries in just two years. Today, she's licensed in health, property, casualty, accident, and life insurance — and she's here to help us make sense of it all.

Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!

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This time on Code WACK!

Will Humana and UnitedHealth Group be found by the courts to have prematurely denied or cut off physician-ordered post-acute care for Medicare Advantage members using AI models with error rates as high as 90%? And could these same AI tools, which over 60% of doctors allege systematically deny patients necessary care, be used in Traditional Medicare as well? The answer is YES, depending on where you live.

To learn more, we spoke with Jeremy White, author of InHumana: An American Healthcare Story, published recently by White Lines Press. Jeremy and his wife, Edie, founded the award-winning satirical publication Red Shtick Magazine and its online version, The Red Shtick. They live in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. This is the second episode of a two-part series with Jeremy about his new book.

Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!

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This time on Code WACK!

Imagine watching your mom suffer a stroke and two seizures that left her unable to use her right side… and then having her Medicare Advantage health insurer deny coverage for the nursing home care she desperately needs.

Now imagine learning that the decision to deny her coverage may have been based on artificial intelligence (AI) instead of clinical observation by a qualified medical professional!

Here to share this shocking personal story is Jeremy White, author of InHumana: An American Healthcare Story, published by White Lines Press. Jeremy and his wife, Edie, founded the award-winning satirical publication Red Shtick Magazine - and its online version, The Red Shtick. They live in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, near Jeremy's mother. This is the first episode of a two-part series with Jeremy about his new book.

Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!

And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation.

How do health insurance hassles like denials and preauthorizations exacerbate inequities in our broken healthcare system? How do they rob physicians of precious time caring for patients and even jeopardize their practices? And why are some big insurance companies buying up physician practices?

To find out, we recently spoke with Dr. Erica Rowe Urquhart, a private practice orthopedic surgeon in northern New Jersey. Harvard-trained in biomedical engineering with an MD and PhD from Johns Hopkins, Dr. Urquhart is the author of the forthcoming book The Invisible Hand Wielding the Scalpel: Paying the Price in America's Fractured Healthcare System. This is the second episode of 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.

This time on Code WACK!

Why can working as a doctor in America feel like being on a battleground? What questionable tactics are insurance companies using? How are they affecting patients and physicians alike? And when coverage is denied, what can patients do? (See Helpful Links below for tips on appeals.)

To find out, we recently spoke with Dr. Erica Rowe Urquhart, a private practice orthopedic surgeon in northern New Jersey. A Harvard-trained biomedical engineer with an MD and PhD from Johns Hopkins, Dr. Urquhart is the author of the forthcoming book The Invisible Hand Wielding the Scalpel: Paying the Price in America's Fractured Healthcare System.

This is the first episode of 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.

This time on Code WACK! Millions of Americans are expected to forgo buying health insurance starting in 2026 as the cost of their coverage soars. Others who currently qualify for Medicaid may find the rules have changed and they are no longer eligible. What can people do when they need care but can't afford it? And why are young people especially at risk?

To find out, we spoke with Rachel Madley, director of policy and advocacy at the Center for Health and Democracy. She previously served as health policy advisor to Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal and worked in the Office of Legislative Affairs at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Having struggled personally with a chronic medical condition, Rachel shares her firsthand experience staying alive despite America's cruel healthcare system. This is the second episode of 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.

This time on Code WACK! With millions of Americans poised to lose their health coverage due to government cuts to Medicaid and other health programs, what can you do to protect your health and access to care? If you find yourself uninsured, are there ways to get free or low-cost prescription meds and health care?

To find out, we spoke with Rachel Madley, director of policy and advocacy at the Center for Health and Democracy. She previously served as health policy advisor to Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal and worked in the Office of Legislative Affairs at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Having struggled personally with a chronic medical condition, Rachel shares her firsthand experience staying alive despite America's cruel healthcare system. This is the first episode of 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.

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.