Code WACK! shines a light on our callous healthcare system and what we can do about it. It reveals the healthcare hassles that - far from being just annoying - threaten our peace of mind, our financial security and at times, our very lives. Join us each week as we chat about the challenges that patients and healthcare providers face, amplifying their voices and examining a range of possible solutions, including Medicare for All. Powered by HEAL California, a project of the California OneCare Education Fund, Code WACK! informs the vital discussion of healthcare reform.
'The debt won't end until I'm gone.' Cancer & Medical Debt
This time on Code WACK!
What does it take to survive cancer in America? Working multiple jobs during treatment, borrowing from your 401K, launching a GoFundMe, or rationing your super-expensive cancer medication?
For Garrina Ross, the answer was all of the above, and then some. Diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer eight years ago, the Michigan resident soon discovered that fighting for her life also meant fighting to stay financially afloat and to keep a good credit score, even with what she describes as 'very good' health insurance.
Today, Garrina is a cancer awareness and healthcare policy advocate, and the founder and executive director of My Breast Friend, a nonprofit supporting women diagnosed with cancer.
But when she first received her diagnosis, the shock of having cancer was only the beginning. She was also stunned by the mounting costs of her care, from diagnostic tests to cancer treatments, and she's still dealing with new medical costs today.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation (http://heal-ca.org/donate).
12 Oct 2026
Cancer, Copays and the Cost of Staying Alive
This time on Code WACK!
In the United States, about 5,800 new cases of cancer are diagnosed each day. That's over 2 million people a year. In fact, excluding the most common skin cancers, nearly four in 10 Americans will develop cancer during their lifetime.
Yet cancer is increasingly treatable. Excluding the most common skin cancers, nearly four in 10 Americans will develop cancer during their lifetime. The good news is that the five-year survival rate for all cancers combined has reached 70%, according to the American Cancer Society.
But surviving cancer can come at great cost. It can mean years or even a lifetime of costly treatment and medical bills. Even people with good jobs and health insurance aren't immune from extraordinarily high copays and medical debt.
Today we're speaking with cancer survivor Garrina Ross, an automotive worker living in a Detroit suburb. Garrina is Founder and Executive Director of My Breast Friend (http://my_breastfriend), a nonprofit supporting women living with breast cancer. Eight years ago, Garrina was at work when she noticed that the tissue around her breast seemed different . . . .
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation.
5 Oct 2026
The Troubling Truth About Memory Care: What Families Need to Know
This time on Code WACK!
An estimated 5.7 million Americans are living with dementia in 2026, with that number expected to rise sharply as the population ages. And care isn't cheap. According to US News and World Report, it averages about $7,600 a month, more than $91,000 a year. For many, special care, especially 'memory care,' will be required at some point in their disease progression.
When an assisted living facility promises a patient specialized memory care, what exactly does that mean? What are patients and families actually being promised? And what happens when facilities can't deliver?
To learn more, we're speaking with Tony Chicotel, senior staff attorney with California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, or CANHR. For decades, Tony has fought to protect the rights of long-term care residents.
Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!
And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation.
Who has been a guest on Code WACK!
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Ian Lewis
Michael Lighty
Kristin McGuire
Rachel Madley
Wendell Potter
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.8 / 5
14 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 66 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
97
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
85
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Guest appearances
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