Nurse Talk

THIS TIME ON CODE WACK!

What’s being done to help elder Native Americans receive culturally competent long term care? Would it surprise you to learn that relying on the Indian Health Service may not be enough to meet their needs? Why are some members of this highly vulnerable population buying health insurance too?

To find out, we spoke to Elder Billie Tohee, acting executive director of the Albuquerque-based National Indian Council on Aging (NICOA) and former chair of the board.

In honor of Indigenous People’s Day, we’re examining healthcare inequities in Native communities. What challenges do they face when it comes to accessing quality health care in America? What problems could they encounter when they get their care through the Indian Health Service, the principal federal health care provider to American Indians and Alaska Natives?

To find out, we spoke with Elder Billie Tohee, acting executive director of the National Indian Council on Aging and former chair of the board. She’s an enrolled member of the Otoe-Missouria tribe and a descendant of the Iowa Nation of Oklahoma.

How did UnitedHealth Group, America’s largest health insurer by revenue, make billions in profit in the second quarter of 2023? How do UnitedHealth Group, CVS and Cigna control 80 percent of the drug supply market -- and why should we be concerned?

To find out, we spoke to Wendell Potter, a former health insurance industry executive turned whistleblower, the New York Times bestselling author of Deadly Spin and the president of the Center for Health and Democracy. He is the author of the Substack newsletter HEALTH CARE un-covered which covers out-of-control profiteering in U.S. health care, its impact on everyday Americans, and potential policy solutions.

What policy solutions are needed to help people with disabilities get and keep quality health care - and which policies may do more harm than good? What would a Medicare for All system mean to this community?

To find out, we spoke to Angela Gardner, a disability rights advocate who lives in the Los Angeles area. Angela is also a board member of Healthy California Now representing Hand in Hand, which fights for access to home care and disability justice, among other things.

This is the second of two episodes with Angela.

What challenges do people living with disabilities face when it comes to accessing quality health care? And are they being included in decisions about health policies that affect them?

To find out, we spoke to Angela Gardner, a disability rights advocate who lives in the Los Angeles area. Her work focuses on helping people with disabilities in the areas of employment, education, healthcare, services and support to live independently in the community.

This is the first of two episodes with Angela.

What challenges do people living with disabilities face when it comes to accessing quality health care? And are they being included in decisions about health policies that affect them?

To find out, we spoke to Angela Gardner, a disability rights advocate who lives in the Los Angeles area. Her work focuses on helping people with disabilities in the areas of employment, education, healthcare, services and support to live independently in the community.

This is the first of two episodes with Angela.

What’s the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike about and what’s at stake for actors? Plus, what could the ongoing strike mean for their health care?

To find out, we spoke to Pat Finn, a Los Angeles-based actor who has worked in Hollywood for more than 25 years. He’s appeared in such shows as Seinfeld, Friends, Drew Carey, and Murphy Brown and in movies such as It’s Complicated opposite Meryl Streep.

This time on CodeWACK!

In honor of Labor Day, we're looking at the trade-offs some workers face in order to have health care. What choices are families forced to make when they can't afford to insure everyone?

To find out, we spoke to Rose Roach, chair of Healthcare for All Minnesota and national coordinator for the Labor Campaign for Single Payer. She recently retired as the executive director of the Minnesota Nurses Association.

This time on Code WACK!

How is Minnesota on the front lines of healthcare reform? What gains has the state legislature made when it comes to busting dangerous corporate healthcare mergers and moving closer to Medicare for All?

To find out, we spoke to Rose Roach, chair of Healthcare for All Minnesota and national coordinator for the Labor Campaign for Single Payer. She recently retired as the executive director of the Minnesota Nurses Association.

This time on Code WACK!

How are corporate health insurers using artificial intelligence to step up their claims’ denials? And what’s being done to out some of the bad actors in Medicare Advantage?

To find out, we spoke to Diane Archer, founder and president of Just Care USA, an independent digital media hub, covering health and financial issues facing boomers and their families. Miss Archer is the past chair of the Board of Consumer Reports, currently serves as a senior advisor at Social Security Works and as a member of the board of the Center for Health and Democracy.