For Mental Health Awareness month, this week's pod looks at how Medicaid Managed Care affects the availability of mental health services for low-income patients. Do corporate insurance industry practices, like preauthorization, complicate the treatment of mental health patients? Dr. Stephen Kemble, psychiatrist and past president of the Hawaii Medical Association, and host Brenda Gazzar discuss how Managed Care burdens patients and psychiatrists alike and how new models, such as collaborative care, might help.

How do common health insurance industry practices affect doctors' ability to remain independent? Can doctors stay in business when today's reimbursement rates in some specialties can be lower than they were 30 years ago? What happens when billing-related administrative expenses are too high? Dr. Nancy Niparko, a pediatric neurologist in the Los Angeles area, explains to host Brenda Gazzar how she came to shut down her private practice and accept employment. Learn more & subscribe at HEAL California!

What can doctors do when they learn the best treatment for their patients is not covered by health insurance? How are American children impacted by coverage denials and the high cost of medicines? Brenda Gazzar and Dr. Nancy Niparko, a pediatric neurologist at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, discuss the frustrating and unnecessary insurance hassles doctors routinely face while trying to properly treat their patients, and how different it is in Canada. Learn more & subscribe at HEAL California!

How were everyday Americans affected when they lost their jobs and their health insurance during the pandemic? Is subsidized health insurance from Affordable Care Act marketplaces an answer, given out-of-pocket limits as high as $8,150 in 2020? Host Brenda Gazzar and Cathy Munzer, a fitness instructor living in Flushing Queens, discuss the fear and stress she felt when facing a medical emergency while unemployed and unable to afford health insurance. Learn more at HEAL California!

What would the political path to winning Medicare for All look like? How can we take on the power of corporate health care? Why is it essential that people understand how our for-profit healthcare system affects them personally? Host Brenda Gazzar and Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, physician and politician, discuss how his compelling new book, "Medicare for All: A Citizen's Guide" was written for skeptics and advocates alike, and why this fight matters for everyone.

Learn more & subscribe at HEAL California!

What impact did having roots in two worlds - Detroit, Michigan and Alexandria, Egypt - have on a young Dr. Abdul El-Sayed? How did his life experience sharpen his perception of the systems of inequality? What motivated him to first pursue a career in medicine, then move on to public health and now politics? Host Brenda Gazzar and Dr. El-Sayed, physician and politician, discuss his compelling life and best-selling new book, "Medicare for All: A Citizen's Guide."

What are the key features of CalCare, California's new single-payer bill (AB 1400)? Will it save money, or cost more? If we had single-payer, would Californians still have to pay premiums and deductibles? University of California San Francisco professor emeritus James G. Kahn, health economics expert, and host Brenda Gazzar discuss facts about CalCare, including options to finance it, and what we can do to help get it passed!

What convinced a global health expert that single-payer healthcare systems are the way to go? How did the coronavirus pandemic impact the existing American healthcare system? Why has the California Legislature failed to get to single-payer despite widespread support for it? University of California San Francisco professor emeritus James G. Kahn, health economics expert, and Brenda Gazzar discuss the state of past and future healthcare reform efforts.

Don't forget to subscribe for news, views & new podcasts!

What about the people who earn too much for Medicaid but too little to afford Obamacare? How has our broken healthcare system taken center stage at the union bargaining table? Have racial and generational divisions held back the healthcare reform movement? Sean Cavanaugh, campaign director for Whole Washington, and host Brenda Gazzar, discuss why bridging the racial generation gap is key to winning Medicare for All.

How does our corporate healthcare system prevent us from fully investing in the public good? What about its disparate impact on Black Americans? How would we all benefit if our society prioritized taking care of people? Sean Cavanaugh, campaign director for Whole Washington, and host Brenda Gazzar, discuss why SB 5204, the latest single payer bill in Washington State, is vital and how it would work.