A wise healthcare policy expert once articulated a sentiment many of us have felt when confronted with the failures of the American healthcare system: “S-O-S, please, someone help me. It’s not healthy for me to feel this. Y-O-U are making this hard. I can’t take it. See, it don’t feel right.” That healthcare policy expert was Rhianna in her prescient 2006 white paper “SOS,” and 20 years later, T-R-U-M-P is making getting the care you need even harder than ever before. That’s why on September 24, folks across the country participated in an “SOS for Health” national day of action to demand a stop to the administration’s war on the human body! Today we’re chatting with our friends at Public Citizen about “SOS for Health” and how they’re seizing the moment to hype up Medicare for All as our best hope for salvation!

Plus, as always, we’ve got the latest healthcare news!

Our pals from Public Citizen are Medicare for All Organizer Brittany Shannahan and Healthcare Policy Expert Eagan Kemp!

Read more about the SOS for Health events here.

Are you interested in taking action for Medicare for All in your community but not sure where to start? Passing a municipal Medicare for All Resolution is a great way to get people where you live talking about Medicare for All and show legislators this is an issue their constituents care about. Find out more about the Medicare for All Resolutions campaign and connect with Brittany and the team here.

Don’t forget to like this episode and subscribe to The Medicare for All Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform!

This show is a project of the Healthcare-NOW Education Fund! Chip in here to support our work!

Trump has been really feeling himself lately when it comes to one of the key pillars in his “affordability agenda” – prescription drug prices. At a press conference recently, he informed us that prescription drug prices were at their lowest point in 60 years, saying “ We went from the highest price for pharmaceuticals to the lowest.” If you’re feeling a little skeptical that Trump is our new healthcare champion, you aren’t alone! Today we’ve brought on an expert to unpack what Trump says he did, what he actually did, and whether that’s going to do anything to make your life easier!

Plus, as always, we’ve got the latest healthcare news!

Sarah Karlin-Smith is a research director for Public Citizen’s Access to Medicines Program. Her work explores how government policies and pharma industry lobbying influence how medicines are developed and approved, what diseases are prioritized by scientists, and who gets access to treatment and at what cost. She closely tracks and analyzes U.S. health policy impacting drug pricing, coverage, and reimbursement with the goal of advancing more equitable and fair pricing. She monitors activity in Congress, the courts, federal agencies such as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid and the Federal Trade Commission, and state and local governments.

You can check out Public Citizen’s excellent article, “Four reasons Trump’s Drug Pricing Claims are Bogus” on their website!

Don’t forget to like this episode and subscribe to The Medicare for All Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform!

This show is a project of the Healthcare-NOW Education Fund! Chip in here to support our work!

Over the past month, we’ve been covering the story of Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, who recently came out in support of Medicare for All. This was a surprise for one big reason — 20 years ago, when folks were talking about the next big healthcare reform, he was the guy who suggested we privatize Medicare and Medicaid. Of course, that kind of change of heart never happens in a vacuum — for many years, Medicare for All activists have been working on the ground for years to make Oregon a hot spot for healthcare justice! In this episode, we talk with our friends from the Health Care for All Oregon coalition about how they’ve been spreading the word about national universal healthcare and advocating for Oregon to get the ball rolling with its own state-based plan.

Plus, we get to announce ANOTHER important update from Oregon: US Representative Janelle Bynum of Oregon’s 5th district has signed on to the national Medicare for All Act!

Long story short, if you want to get excited about the power of organizing, the popularity of healthcare justice, and the political potential of this particular moment, you’re going to want to join us on this trip to the Beaver State!

Collin Stackhouse is the Communications Coordinator for Health Care for All Oregon. He currently serves on the Community Engagement and Communications Committee of the State of Oregon’s Universal Health Plan Governance Board (aka The Com & Com Comm). He is also the host of The Health Care for All Podcast.

Simon Hutton is the Mid Valley Health Care Advocates Outreach Coordinator, the Organizational Director of One-Payer States, and a new Board Member Healthcare NOW!

Don’t forget to like this episode and subscribe to The Medicare for All Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform!

This show is a project of the Healthcare-NOW Education Fund! Chip in here to support our work!