Care Talk with Laura Packard: American Health Care Explained

Every year, millions of Americans are blindsided by surprise medical bills and crushing debt - not because they did anything wrong, but because the system is designed to be confusing. Patricia Kelmar of PIRG explains your rights under the No Surprises Act, how surprise medical billing has changed, and what you can do about it in this #CareTalk episode with show host, cancer survivor, and healt...

Sixteen years ago, the Affordable Care Act transformed American health care. Anne Shoup of Protect Our Care breaks down the victories, and the relentless assault on Obamacare. What’s happening, who’s responsible, and what you can do to fight back in this #CareTalk episode with show host, cancer survivor, and health care advocate Laura Packard from Health Care Voices.

Plus Diane Archer of Just Care & Soc...

Casey Means is a wellness influencer and close ally of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. She was nominated by President Trump for Surgeon General on RFK Jr.'s recommendation. Kayla Hancock of Protect Our Care digs deeper into Casey Means’ background, and why she is dangerously unqualified to be America’s top doctor in this #CareTalk episode with show host, cancer survivor, and health care advocate Laura Packard fr...

Public health infrastructure represents the backbone of our nation's health security, yet decades of chronic underfunding have left the system fragile and increasingly vulnerable. Dr. Stella Safo of Civic Health Alliance discusses the current dismantling of public health institutions and what the healthcare sector can do to defend and strengthen these critical systems in this #CareTalk episode with sho...

Insurance denied your claim? You don't have to take no for an answer. Free AI tools help patients write professional appeal letters when their insurance company denies care. Whether you're fighting a prior authorization denial, a claim rejection, or being told a treatment isn't "medically necessary" – you can push back. Neal Shah from Counterforce Health talks about their free tools and resour...

Pharmacy Benefit Managers, otherwise known as PBMs, are third-party middleman companies that manage prescription drug benefits for insurers, employers, and government programs. They have been blamed for the high cost of prescription meds in America. Dr. Jeoffry Gordon from Doctors for America explains what PBMs are and what they do, and talks about the newest regulations from Congress and how that could affect yo...

President Trump recently announced TrumpRx, a new direct-to-consumer website that he claims will lower prescription drug costs in the U.S. What is TrumpRx and how does it work? Will it help you access cheaper medicines, or not? Peter Maybarduk from Public Citizen talks about it in this #CareTalk episode with show host, cancer survivor, and health care advocate Laura Packard from Health Care Voices.

Plus Diane Archer from Just Care &...

One year later, how has Health & Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. affected our public health? Rebecca Parks from Protect Our Care talks about it in this #CareTalk episode with show host, cancer survivor, and health care advocate Laura Packard from Health Care Voices.

Plus Diane Archer from Just Care & Social Security Works and Louise Norris from healthinsurance.org answer your American health insur...

After over a decade of promises, President Trump finally released a health care plan. What’s in it and how will it affect you? Charles Gaba from ACASignups.net talks about it in this #CareTalk episode with show host, cancer survivor, and health care advocate Laura Packard from Health Care Voices.

Plus Diane Archer from Just Care & Social Security Works and Louise Norris from healthinsurance.org answer your American health insura...

New U.S. dietary guidelines released earlier this month emphasize "real food" with more protein, full-fat dairy, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats, while significantly reducing highly processed foods, added sugars, and refined carbs. Dr. Rebecca Fujimura of Doctors for America explores the new food pyramid, and what they got right and wrong in this #CareTalk episode with show host, cancer surviv...

The U.S. House just passed a bill extending Affordable Care Act tax credits for three years, making health insurance plans more affordable to middle class voters. But the Senate already voted down this bill last year. Charles Gaba from ACASignups.net explains what’s happening and how it will affect your health insurance cost in this #CareTalk episode with show host, cancer survivor, and health care advocat...

2025 was a year of unprecedented attacks on public health in America, from the appointment of antivax conspiracy theorist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to run the Department of Health & Human Services, to devastating cuts to funding and medical research. Diseases like measles and whooping cough are making a comeback, and Americans are unprotected. Rebecca Parks from Protect Our Care explains what’s happened to public healt...

Congress has still not acted to lower health insurance costs for next year. Two competing bills failed in the Senate, and now it’s the U.S. House’s turn. Margarida Jorge from Health Care for America Now explains what’s happening in Congress and how it affects our health care in this #CareTalk episode with show host, cancer survivor, and health care advocate Laura Packard from Heal...

Prices for health insurance plans through the Affordable Care Act marketplace are dramatically increasing, because Congress hasn’t taken action. Felicia Burnett from MomsRising explains what’s happening and how you can take action to stop the health care price hikes in this #CareTalk episode with show host, cancer survivor, and health care advocate with show host & cancer surv...

Premiums for Affordable Care Act plans are set to skyrocket next year, because Congress has failed to act. A new White House health care plan was rumored but not released yet. Charles Gaba from ACASignups.net explains what’s happening to the Affordable Care Act in this #CareTalk episode with show host, cancer survivor, and health care advocate with show host & cancer survivor Laura Packard from Health ...

The government in America is back open, but our health insurance costs are still set to dramatically increase next year. Alex Lawson from Social Security Works explains why and what happens now in this #CareTalk episode with show host, cancer survivor, and health care advocate with show host & cancer survivor Laura Packard from Health Care Voices.

Plus Louise Norris from healthinsurance.org and Diane Archer from Just Care answer...

Over the weekend, 60 Senators voted to end the Federal Shutdown. What happens next? How might it impact healthcare? Margarida Jorge from Health Care for America Now is here to discuss in this #CareTalk episode with show host, cancer survivor, and health care advocate with show host & cancer survivor Laura Packard from Health Care Voices.

Plus Louise Norris from healthinsurance.org and Rachel Madley from Center for H...

Several states have set up prescription drug affordability boards to help lower drug prices. Colorado just became the first state to cap the price of a prescription drug, Enbrel. What happens next? Our guest Vinny DeMarco from Maryland Health Care For All is here to discuss in this #CareTalk episode with show host, cancer survivor, and health care advocate with show host & cancer survivor Laura Packard from Health ...

Because there is no agreement on government funding, the American government has shut down. How will this affect our care? What happens next? Our guest Laura Rodriguez of Center for American Progress is here to discuss in this #CareTalk episode with show host, cancer survivor, and health care advocate with show host & cancer survivor Laura Packard from Health Care Voices.

Plus Louise Norris from healthinsurance.org ...