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Fight Back

Author: Healthcare Consumer Rights Foundation

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“Fight Back” is produced by the non-profit organization Healthcare Consumer Rights Foundation. Each episode takes a look at a pressing current medical issue, often including the story of someone who has been negatively affected by that issue, such as insurance claims denied, not getting the referral to a specialist or medical procedure one needs, an unexpected “out of network” bill, dealing with heart disease, COVID, mental illness, and more. Then we interview a relevant expert who can provide the insights and resources to help solve these kinds of problems while navigating our complex healthcare system.(The information provided on this podcast is for general information only, and is no substitute for obtaining legal advice from a qualified attorney. Consumers who need legal advice about health care access or insurance should consult a qualified attorney who can provide advice tailored to their particular situations. The views expressed by individuals in these podcasts are their own, and do not necessarily represent the views of the Healthcare Consumer Rights Foundation or the views any other organization or agency with which such individuals are affiliated.)
122 Episodes
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Today on FightBack! we discuss the latest information about the COVID 19 vaccine, and the new delivery systems that are being developed. We talk about this development and how the lessons learned with the COVID-19 pandemic are helping scientists gain ground on other vaccines. Joining us to shed light on these issues is Dr. Mike Ybarra, Emergency Room Physician and Chief Medical Officer at Pharmaceutical Researchers and Manufacturers of America who shares his knowledge regarding vaccine developments, not only regarding COVID, but other vaccines as well.
In this Fight Back Minicast, we talk about chiropractic care. Chiropractic is a healthcare discipline emphasizing the body’s inherent recuperative power to heal without using drugs or surgery. The chiropractic practice focuses on the relationship between structure (primarily the spine) and function (as coordinated by the nervous system) and how that relationship affects the preservation and restoration of health. We welcome our special guest, Dr. Steven Barham. After suffering a severe back injury playing college football, Steven faced major surgery but chose to try chiropractic care. The treatment he received provided quick and lasting results, and he decided to enter the chiropractic profession. For the last 30 years, he has been helping patients of all ages seek relief and healing from their health problems.
In this Fight Back Library release, Dr. Ted Mazer joins us to discuss how you can fit your medical expenses into your budget. We discuss the importance of shopping for medical procedures, ways to avoid surprise billing, understanding how in and out-of-network physicians and procedures affect your final bill, how to negotiate hospital bills, and more. Dr. Mazer is a former President of the California Medical Association. In 2015, San Diego County Medical Society named him one of the county’s “Top Doctors” in their annual “Physicians of Exceptional Excellence” survey published by San Diego Magazine. Please see the companion episode, “Negotiating Medical Bills,” one of our most popular.
In early April 2023, President Biden signed a bipartisan congressional resolution to end the federal government’s emergency response to the COVID pandemic. What does that mean for America? How does that affect access to healthcare? Will new vaccines still be produced? Our COVID expert, Dr. Brad Pollock, joins us to answer these and other questions, including the new medical diagnosis of long COVID.
Listen in to this minicast as “Fight Back” covers the critically important topic of advanced healthcare directives, a legal document that addresses such end-of-life issues as “do not resuscitate” orders, treatment options, healthcare proxies, and more. Our guest is Ashton Ellis, an expert on advanced directives and an attorney who creates advanced directives for families. Ashton is currently working to develop a curriculum that trains doctors and lawyers on how to apply the appropriate standard of care when complying with end-of-life care laws. Our conversation will briefly examine why a healthcare directive is so important for yourself and your loved ones.
On today’s new Fight Back episode, our hosts discuss the illegal Fentanyl drug crisis with California Assemblyman Joe Patterson and community advocate Laura Didier, who lost her son to illicit Fentanyl. With fentanyl deaths surging by 279% since 2016, public health and community leaders are looking for solutions.Assemblyman Joe Patterson was elected in November 2022 and represents California Assembly District 5. Before his election to the Legislature, Joe ran his own business and served on the Rocklin City Council as Mayor. Laura Didier, after the loss of her son, began advocating and educating youth and parents about the danger of illicit Fentanyl. She travels nationwide to raise awareness of this crisis. Join us as we learn about the crisis, what leaders are doing to try to solve the problem in California, and what resources could be available in your community.
In this Library Release of Fight Back, we talk extensively about chiropractic care. Chiropractic is a healthcare discipline that emphasizes the body’s inherent recuperative power to heal itself without using drugs or surgery. The chiropractic practice focuses on the relationship between structure (primarily the spine) and function (as coordinated by the nervous system) and how that relationship affects the preservation and restoration of health.We welcome our special guest, Dr. Steven Barham. After suffering a severe back injury playing college football, Steven faced major surgery but chose to try chiropractic care. The treatment he received provided quick and lasting results, and he decided to enter the chiropractic profession. For the last 30 years, he has been helping patients of all ages seek relief and healing from their health problems.Dr. Barham will discuss the origins and evolution of chiropractic care, what patients should do to find the right chiropractor for their needs, what patients can expect at their first visit, and much more.
In this Fight Back Minicast, Dr. Ted Mazer discusses various ear, nose, and throat conditions and disorders. We get to hear about general care for your ears, learn some basic information about sleep apnea, and the questions you need to ask your specialist.Dr. Mazer specializes in treating ear, nose, head, throat, and neck disorders. He was named one of the “Top Doctors” in the 2015 San Diego Magazine “Physicians of Exceptional Excellence” and is a former President of the California Medical Association.
On this Library Release of Fight Back, we talk with special guest Dr. Alan Sanders, a specialist in infectious diseases. Dr. Sanders previously served as Chief of Medicine at St Peter’s Hospital in Albany, NY, and currently is the Chief Medical Officer of St Peter’s Health Partners. He will soon be assuming the role of Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Albany Medical Center Hospital. Among many other responsibilities, he will spearhead establishing a telemedicine program to deliver clinical care—including diagnosing and treating infectious diseases—to underserved areas.Dr. Sanders gives us a behind-the-scenes look at telemedicine, from the implementation and use of the technology to what consumers should do to educate themselves on how telemedicine can work for them. Listen in now!
In this Fight Back minicast, we jump into the complex world of long-term care insurance and what that really means. Our special guest is Bonnie Burns, who has more than 40 years of experience in long-term care insurance and works to improve consumer protections in state and federal legislation and regulations. She has served as a consumer representative to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners since 1992. She is a consultant to California Health Advocates providing training, educational materials, and technical assistance on long-term care insurance. Let's find out if consumers really need long-term care insurance.
In this Fight Back library release, we meet Linda Garvin, a Health Advocate. Linda graduated from the University of Massachusetts, earning her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and Adult Nurse Practitioner training with honors. She has a Public Health Certificate in California. She has spent the last 20 years as a health advocate in California and nationwide.Health Advocates support and advocate on behalf of patients and their families when a third party’s expertise and knowledge can improve treatments and navigate a complicated health situation. Could a health advocate help you or your loved one? What specific kind of services do health advocates provide? Join us as Linda answers these and other questions.
In this Fight Back minicast, we welcomes our special guest, Dr. Jeff Poizner. Dr. Poizner is a Staff Psychologist at VA San Diego Healthcare System and specializes in providing evidence-based treatments via Telemental Health platforms to veterans with PTSD and other conditions. Dr. Poizner joins us to discuss a very complicated and challenging issue: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, more commonly known as PTSD. While most are familiar with PTSD as it relates to Armed Forces Services members, Dr. Poizner reminds us that there are many forms of PTSD, and anyone who has suffered a traumatic event can suffer from PTSD. Join us today as we learn more about this very complicated diagnosis.
In this Fight Back Library Release, our special guest, Dr. Ted Mazer discusses various ear, nose, and throat conditions and disorders. From ringing in the ears, the causes and treatment for hearing loss, to the loss of smell, we will cover it and get real-world answers for you.Dr. Mazer specializes in treating ear, nose, head, throat, and neck disorders. He was named one of the “Top Doctors” in the 2015 San Diego Magazine “Physicians of Exceptional Excellence” and is a former President of the California Medical Association.
In this FightBack! minicast, we discuss alternative health systems: different ways to deliver healthcare to patients, and how states, nonprofit organizations, and even companies—like Whole Foods—have implemented unique concepts to enable better and cheaper healthcare options for consumers.Our guest is Sean Flynn, Assistant Professor of Economics at Scripps College. He is the author of Economics for Dummies, which has now been translated into seven foreign languages, as well as the coauthor of the world's best-selling college textbook, Economics: Principles, Problems, and Policies. Sean's in-depth knowledge of our healthcare system makes for a great discussion.
In this FightBack Library Release, Adriana Contreras joins us to discuss the health and safety of student-athletes in high school and collegiate sports. Adriana is a voluntary Assistant Coach on the swim team at the University of Nevada, Reno, a former Assistant Coach at UC Davis, a former Senior Group Coach for the DART swimming team, a former Assistant Swimming Coach at the University of the Pacific, Head Swimming Coach at St. Francis High School, and a certified professional and collegiate Division I soccer referee.Adriana talks about how parents should communicate with their children’s coaches and doctors to create a healthy sporting experience, the mental health challenges brought on by high-pressure athletics—including the lessons learned from Simone Biles’ Olympic experiences—what student-athletes should know about the rules and regulations around performance-enhancing drugs, and much more.
Minicast: Pharmacy 101

Minicast: Pharmacy 101

2023-03-2807:51

In today's Fight Back! minicast we get a quick Pharmacy 101 with special guest Debby Johnson, a third-generation pharmacist and former President of the California Pharmacist Association. We'll take a quick look into several topics related to the world of pharmacy, including the importance of having your prescriptions at one pharmacy, the differences between brand name and generic medicines, and some advice for consumers interacting with pharmacists. 
Healthcare consumers often do not know the actual cost of health services. Whether it is a bed in a hospital, a prescription drug, or a procedure like an MRI, the price is usually buried beneath government regulations, insurance forms, and confusing terminology. In this FightBack Library release, we first hear from John about how a brief hospital visit to deal with kidney stones turned into a $20,000 surprise. Fortunately, his insurance paid most of the bill, but he might have made different decisions if he had known the true cost. David Balat, a former hospital CEO and now a policy healthcare advocate focusing on healthcare costs, explains that consumers have the right to proper billing, how to understand the actual cost of healthcare, and what resources are available for shopping for healthcare.
In this Minicast release, Fight Back revisits a conversation we had during the early days of the COVID-19 vaccine. We talked about how the vaccine was developed, how the clinical trial process works, and how herd immunity and vaccines work together. We were joined by vaccine expert Dr. Mike Ybarra, an Emergency Room physician and Vice President of Medical Affairs and Strategic Alliances at the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association. Dr. Ybarra has over ten years of advocacy, health policy, and direct patient care experience. His background and knowledge help us take a closer look into the development of the COVID vaccine, its technology, and its implications for the public.
Health insurance is critical for individuals and families. In this Library Release of FightBack, we talk about when you suddenly lose your health insurance: how it can feel overwhelming and difficult to determine where to start and what to do. Fortunately, there are many options available. Jenn Moore, Health Net’s chief commercial officer, joins us to talk about how to navigate this complicated and challenging process. For nearly 20 years, Jenn has overseen Health Net’s insurance plans for corporations, small businesses, families, and individuals. She also led the insurer’s planning for complying with and implementing the Affordable Care Act.
In part two of our Minicast on Autism, we talk with special guest Kristin Jacobson. Kristin is the Founder and Executive Director of the Autism Deserves Equal Coverage Foundation, which advocates for health policy and legal enforcement for autism and other mental health conditions. Kristin will help our listeners understand the laws and regulations that provide ASD patients with the rights to treatments, requirements for health insurance companies to cover such treatments, what you can do to fight back when facing coverage denials, and much more.
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