#1595 Pushing for Medicare For All in the Laboratories of Democracy

Air Date 11/29/2023

The movement for universal health care is still underway, though it rarely gets recognized in mainstream discourse. The death of Medicare For All (M4A) activist Ady Barkan is an occasion worth using to look at the progress being made to improve our system of promoting the health of all people in the United States as well as efforts to rein in the power of big Pharma that's used to gouge the American people with exorbitant prices. So, that's what we're doing.

Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [e-mail]

Transcript

BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!)

Join our Discord community!

---

SHOW NOTES

Ch. 1: Healthcare Activist Ady Barkan Dies of ALS; Watch His 2021 Interview on Demanding Medicare for All - Democracy Now! - Air Date 11-27-23

Healthcare activist Ady Barkan has died at the age of 39 of the neurodegenerative disease ALS. His story is told in the documentary Not Going Quietly. In 2021, Democracy Now! spoke with Ady Barkan just ahead of the film’s premiere.

Ch. 2: Why your health insurance is tied to work - The Weeds - Air Date 10-18-23

The wartime policy that changed health insurance forever

Ch. 3: Rethinking the path to winning single payer - Code WACK! - Air Date 4-10-23

Winning Medicare for All in the U.S. may be at a standstill at the federal level, but it's a different story In the states. In 2021 alone, 18 single-payer bills were introduced in states such as Massachusetts, New York, Colorado, and Oregon.

Ch. 4: How Can This Predatory Exploitation Be Considered Health Care - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 11-15-23

If Medicare Advantage, the profit-driven entity that is decidedly NOT part of REAL Medicare, could be summed up in three words, they might be: deny, deny, deny.

Ch. 5: Biden vs. Big Pharma Medicare to Begin Negotiations to Lower Price of 10 Costly Drugs & Insulin - Democracy Now! - Air Date 8-30-23

Peter Maybarduk joins us to discuss how the new negotiation process aims to break up drug monopolies and disband the pharmaceutical industry’s profit incentive.

Ch. 6: Inequality Undermines Health & Healthcare in the U.S. - Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff - Air Date 11-14-23

Interview with Dr. Stephen Bezruchka on how economic inequality connects to stress, health problems, and inadequate healthcare."

Ch. 7: Big Pharma Explained Why Are Meds So Expensive [& The Solution] - The Laura Flanders Show - Air Date 6-12-23

Today's three integral guests (listed below) join the Laura Flanders Show to discuss the pharmaceutical industry and how to end Big Pharma companies' monopoly.

---

MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)

Ch. 8: The Challenge of Caring for Our Elders - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 11-15-23

Reed Abelson, New York Times reporter, talks about the financial challenges of caring for our elders since the United States does not have a comprehensive system to help pay for long-term care as the population ages.

---

FINAL COMMENTS

Ch. 9: Final comments on more good news from the fight against climate change

---

MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)

SHOW IMAGE

Description: A photo of Ady Barkan wearing a “Be A Hero” shirt while sitting in his specialized wheelchair and smiling at someone off-camera.

Credit: “Elizabeth Warren & Ady Barkan”, Elizabeth Warren, Flickr | License: CC By 2.0 | Changes: Cropped

 

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere!

Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft

Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft

Contact me directly at [e-mail]