This time on Code WACK!  Privatized Medicare now covers more than half of older adults nationwide. But how do Medicare Advantage plans' lower star ratings, narrow networks, and "paper benefits" hit seniors of color hardest-and why are hospitals dropping these plans, leaving patients scrambling for care?  Our guest is Dr. Belinda McIntosh, an Atlanta-based psychiatrist with more than 20 years of experience, <a href= "https://pnhp.org/">Physicians for a National Health Program</a> board member, and co-author of the PNHP report <a href= "https://pnhp.org/no-real-choices/">No Real Choices: How Medicare Advantage Fails Seniors of Color</a>. This is part two of a two-part series. Check out the <a href= "https://heal-ca.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Transcript-McIntosh-2-2-26.pdf"> Transcript</a> and <a href= "https://heal-ca.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Show-Notes-McIntosh-2-2-2026.pdf"> Show Notes</a> <a href= "https://heal-ca.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Show-Notes-McIntosh-1-26-2026.pdf"> </a>for more!  Keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation at <a href= "http://heal-ca.org/donate">heal-ca.org/donate</a>.

The Real Cost of Health Insurance Nobody Talks About

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.