As we record this, the New York Knicks just might be poised to make history and win their first NBA championship since 1973 (Go Knicks!), but we’re here today to talk about a potential win that could be even bigger for New York than the Knicks taking it all… the passage of The New York Health Act! The New York Health Act, currently working its way through the NY state legislature, would guarantee high-quality, comprehensive healthcare to every single New Yorker, and – it turns out – save families, counties, cities, schools, and taxpayers billions of dollars! We’ve got two of the leaders of the Campaign for New York Health to bring us up to speed on the bill and tell us more about how they’re working to make universal healthcare a reality in the Empire State!

Our guests for this episode are Campaign for New York Health Executive Director Melanie D’Arrigo and Managing Director for Results for Development Dr. Cheryl Cashin. You can read the NY Health=NY Wealth report that details how passing the New York Health Act would guarantee healthcare for every New Yorker AND save billions of dollars for individuals, families, and entire counties, cities, and towns on their website.

Those new Medicaid work requirements are about to cause millions of Americans to lose their healthcare. This is a policy that was disastrous for Medicare in the 1990s and disastrous in all the states where it’s been tried for Medicaid so far. You have until July 30, 2026 to submit a public comment and let Chuck Grassley know how you feel about his ghoulish enthusiasm for making the lives of poor people shorter and more difficult.

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!

The fight for our health is heating up this summer! Across the country, folks are getting ready for a summer of action to demand real justice in our healthcare system. At Healthcare NOW, we’re calling it No Surrender Summer, and it’s all kicking off with Seven Days in June, a national week of action against healthcare cuts. Seven Days In June was conceived by iconic activist Cleve Jones. Cleve is the man who started the AIDS Memorial Quilt, which began with one square in 1985, became a key tool in educating the public about the AIDS epidemic, and is now the largest public folk art project in history. He’s an expert on public health organizing, he’s a legend, and he’s here to talk with us today about how we bring attention to the fight for human dignity this summer and beyond!

You can find more information about Seven Days In June and find an action near you at www.sevendaysinjune.org.

Find more actions you can take to defend healthcare all summer long at www.healthcare-now.org/no-surrender-summer.

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!

We usually stick to the healthcare news here, but this time, we’re covering a story happening right in our own backyard that could have huge public health consequences. Corpus Christi, Texas is about to be the first American city to run out of water, which threatens the health and wellbeing of the entire city, and especially the folks who are already in precarious health situations. Today we’re talking to local activist Isabel Araiza about what’s happening in Corpus, why we let big businesses put a price tag on our public goods, and why this isn’t just a Texas problem. PLUS, the latest healthcare news!

Isabel Araiza was born and raised in Corpus Christi. She earned her PhD in Sociology from Boston College and returned to Corpus to teach. She’s currently an Associate Professor of Social Sciences at Del Mar Community College.

For the Greater Good Coastal Bend, the grassroots group Isabel co-founded has been advocating for quality of life issues in the Coastal Bend since 2016. You can find out more about their work here.

For a Perfect Union has produced an excellent video about the Corpus Christi water crisis featuring Isabel and other local activists. Please watch and share to help spread the word!

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!