Who Gets A Choice?

With the U.S. being the most dangerous high-income nation for childbirth, postpartum is a critical time for new mothers to have continuous, uninterrupted healthcare. Most of the country has extended postpartum Medicaid coverage from 60 days to 12 months, but two states, Arkansas and Wisconsin, have yet to extend coverage – putting the lives of thousands of women at risk. In this episode, Arkansas mother of twins Maya Gobara talks about losing her healthcare while her preemie twins were on breathing tubes and she needed urgent surgery. This season of Uncared For is presented by the Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit foundation working toward a health care system where everyone – no matter who they are, where they live, or how much money they make – can get the health care they need. Learn more or donate to Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families at aradvocates.org. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

About half of people with mental illness aren’t able to access treatment – and it's not just because the U.S. is facing a provider shortage. Health insurance networks often create barriers to mental health care, rather than making it more accessible. Just ask Berkeley-based therapist Kendra F. Dunlap, who stopped taking insurance due to low reimbursements, coding errors, and endless paperwork. This week, we’re exploring how insurers make it so challenging for therapists like Kendra to stay in-network – and why patients often pay the price. This season of Uncared For is presented by the Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit foundation working toward a health care system where everyone – no matter who they are, where they live, or how much money they make – can get the health care they need. For access to sliding scale therapy, check out Open Path Collective. For Black women and nonbinary people, Loveland Foundation is another great resource offering therapy support. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rural healthcare is in crisis. Nearly 200 rural hospitals across the country have closed in the past two decades, and many more are on the brink. In this episode, we’re zeroing in on the state with the lowest-ranking health care system in the nation: Mississippi. With help from Dr. Kimberly Sanford, an OB/GYN, and Dr. Daniel Edney, Mississippi's State Health Officer, we’ll uncover what rural healthcare looks like today – and why it’s so important to support it. This season of Uncared For is presented by the Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit foundation working toward a health care system where everyone – no matter who they are, where they live, or how much money they make – can get the health care they need. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nearly one in five people report that they or a family member have been denied coverage for a service that their own doctor recommended. For cancer patients like Kay Hsu, those denials aren’t just about money – they’re about survival. When her insurance company denied a life-saving scan, Kay fought to get the care she needed and became an advocate along the way. In this episode, we’ll break down what it means to get a denial, and how – like Kay – you can fight back. This season of Uncared For is presented by the Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit foundation working toward a health care system where everyone – no matter who they are, where they live, or how much money they make – can get the health care they need. Check out Pro Publica’s Claim File Helper to request your claim file before submitting an appeal, and create appeal documents to send to your insurer using Fight Health Insurance. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Four in ten people in the United States have medical debt. It's something many of us deal with every day – by avoiding bills, paying with our credit cards, even crowdfunding to cover costs. Whether you have a chronic illness, need an expensive treatment, or are caring for a loved one, debt unfortunately seems to be unavoidable in our system. In this episode, we break all this down with KFF Health News  Senior Correspondent Noam Levey. And we hear from radiation oncologist Dr. Fumiko Chino about what drowning in medical debt felt like when her husband, Andrew, was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer. This season of Uncared For is presented by the Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit foundation working toward a health care system where everyone – no matter who they are, where they live, or how much money they make – can get the health care they need. Read Noam Levey’s reporting at KFF Health News, including the reporting series he led, Diagnosis: Debt. Learn more about Fumiko Chino’s research on health care costs and affordability here. If you’re struggling with a big medical bill, check out the website dollarfor.org. It’s a great resource for navigating a hospital’s financial assistance program. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.