WAMU 88.5FM American University Radio

Uninsured in Montgomery

Over the past few months, we have been examining the challenges facing low wage workers in the Washington area. Access to affordable health care is certainly one of them. Many working parents say they can't afford health insurance and they do without. Today, we turn to Montgomery County, where an estimated 80,000 to 100,000 adults are uninsured. But here, county leaders are proposing an ambitious plan to help many of them get better access to primary care. WAMU's Sarah Hughes reports.

Medical Malpractice

We stick with the subject of medicine now. The Washington Post ran a 3-part series this week, shining a spotlight on regional doctors that have records of providing poor patient care - and the articles made a strong case that the medical community has been unable, or unwilling, to discipline problem doctors in a responsible manner.

One of the biggest battles of the just-finished Maryland legislative session involved an effort to reduce the spiraling costs of medical malpractice insurance for doctors in the state. Among other things, doctors want to limit massive malpractice awards. But it has been argued by some that stricter discipline of doctors is the best way to reduce malpractice insurance costs - in theory, revoke the licenses of negligent doctors, and fewer mistakes will be made. It's an argument that will only increase in volume in the wake of the Post series.

Here to talk about medical malpractice and the Maryland legislative session is Michael Preston, Executive Director of Med Chi, the Maryland State Medical Society. And Bob Berenson, a Senior Fellow at the Urban Institute who specializes in healthcare and malpractice issues.

Commentary by Fred Fiske

Fred Fiske shares his thoughts on medical malpractice in the region.

Tax Season Volunteers

In case you somehow didn't look at the calendar today, it's April 15th. Tax Day. Yes, it all comes down to this. Tax season is rough on everybody, but it can be especially tough for those who aren't earning much. Low income workers and retirees often qualify for credits, but the paperwork can be difficult to navigate...and tax preparers charge money for their services. Luckily, there are more than a hundred sites in the metro area where volunteers offer tax help for free. Community Tax Aid is one of three main organizations that run these sites in D.C., including the largest in the basement of Martin Luther King library. WAMU's Sidsel Overgaard stopped by to hear what volunteers and clients had to say about the experience, and produced this piece.

D.C. Walking Tour

55 walking tours...in 20 neighborhoods...in two days. This weekend, Cultural Tourism D.C. is hosting "Walking Town DC - Stroll The City." The event will offer those who are curious about exploring D.C. neighborhoods they're not familiar with a chance to get their feet wet. Professional and amateur tour guides will be leading neighborhood tours all over the District - and not just in the typical tourist destinations like the Mall or Georgetown. We travel now to the Bellevue neighborhood in the far southern tip of the city, where David Furst was joined by Laura Brower with Cultural Tourism D.C. and by resident historian, Eugene Dewitt Kinlow. We met in a grassy park along 2nd Street, southwest, on a high ridge looking out on the Potomac River. Laura Brower explained the scope of the tours.

Psalmayene 24

For some, a night of theatre means catching a lavishly-produced Broadway musical. But an entirely different kind of excitement can be generated by seeing a young playwright reading a still-developing play in an intimate space. Downstairs in the Old Vat Room of Arena Stage, playwrights hoping to get their plays produced, have the chance to share their works with the public. On Monday, Hip Hop Theater artist Psalmayene 24 will be reading his latest work. Reporter Jacquie Gales Webb spoke with him about the play, his career and the new art form, "Hip Hop Theatre."

The reading of Undiscovered Genius of the Concrete Jungle is happening on Monday at 8pm, downstairs in the Old Vat Room of Arena Stage. For more information you can call 202-488-3303.

Gardening with Dr. Cathey

Ready...set...garden! The weather's getting warmer, we've been getting plenty of rain, and after a long winter it seems like everyone's been developing a green thumb lately. Here to guide us through the early gardening season is Dr. Mark Cathey, President Emeritus of the American Horticultural Society.