About this episode
This episode discusses the role of middlemen in Medicaid and their impact on vulnerable patients and physicians.
This time on CodeWACK! Why are there middlemen in Medicaid—and what are they doing to our most vulnerable patients and physicians? How and why are private insurance intermediaries permitted to put profits ahead of patients? A recent report by Physicians for a National Health Program , titled Removing the Middlemen from Medicaid , pulls back the curtain on Managed Care Organizations (MCOs). To learn more, we spoke with Dr. Alankrita Olson, a public health physician and advocate for a universal single-payer system. She serves on the board of Physicians for a National Health Program and works to protect and expand healthcare access for all Americans. This is the first episode of a two-part series. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more! And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation at heal-ca.org/donate .
People in this episode
Guest: Dr Alankrita Olson
Topics covered
- Medicaid
- healthcare access
- Managed Care Organizations
- public health
- universal single-payer system
Keywords
- middlemen
- private insurance
- profits
- Physicians for a National Health Program
Mentioned in this episode
Products: Removing the Middlemen from Medicaid
Books & works: Removing the Middlemen, the Transcript and Show Notes
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- States Push Back Against Medicaid Managed Care · March 30, 2026 · 19 min
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- Is private equity in health care killing us? · March 9, 2026 · 18 min
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