YOU EARNED THIS

The Social Security & Medicare Podcast

From NCPSSM
The National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare

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About The Podcast

Advocating for a Decent Quality of Life for Older Americans

Brought to you by NCPSSM (The National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare), the You Earned This Podcast features a new VIP guest each week, covering Social Security, Medicare, aging with dignity, and other vital topics affecting older Americans and their families today.

We discuss serious issues with a light touch with an average 15 minutes of listening time per episode. Tune in every week!

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RECENT EPISODES

Seniors are not the only group targeted by scammers, but they can be especially vulnerable. In this episode, AARP’s chief fraud prevention expert, Kathy Stokes, shares important advice for protecting yourself — and your older loved ones — against scammers. Kathy says scamming is an “epidemic” that can be fought with knowledge. Whether it’s the ‘Tech Support’ scam, the ‘Grandparent’ scam, the ‘Banking’ scam, or the ‘Romance’ scam…Kathy says you can empower yourself using a “Pause, Protect, Reflect” strategy. Listen and learn more about the $196 billion per year criminal underworld of scamming from one of America’s leading fraud-prevention specialists!

Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins was the first female cabinet member in U.S. history. Appointed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Perkins is known as the “Mother of Social Security” for her pivotal role in the creation of The New Deal’s greatest legacy. In this episode, Amanda Hatch, Executive Director of the Frances Perkins Center in Newscastle, ME, shares stories about this early feminist icon — and her lifelong commitment to social insurance for the American people. As Frances Perkins herself said, she came to Washington in 1933 for “God, FDR, and the common workingmen.”

Not only can everyone make a difference, says activist & entrepreneur Tula Thompson, but just by doing a little, you can have a big impact. One of Tula’s passions is protecting Social Security and Medicare. And when Tula is committed to something, she dives right in — whether it involves buttonholing a U.S. Senator after an airplane flight or preaching the importance of our earned benefits to younger adults. Tula has a long background in business, partnering in a metal insulation company with manufacturing facilities across the U.S. She is now a partner in For Fine Arts in Montana, one of the premier fine art galleries in the West. In 2025, Tula became a member of the board of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare. Anyone interested in affecting change will find inspiration in this episode.

This episode is a must-listen, featuring the “Mother of Mindfulness,” Dr. Ellen Langer of Harvard University. She explains that mindfulness is a key to healthy aging – both mentally and physically. Dr. Langer gives helpful tips about “actively noticing” the world around you — using her “bottom up/top down” approach. As a bonus, she tells us why 1 + 1 isn’t always 2! Tune-in… and you’ll be hanging on every word from one of our most eminent psychologists!

Tim Layton is a professor of public policy & economics at the University of Virginia. He analyzes Medicaid policy and its impact on real people. Professor Layton disagrees with some progressive arguments about health coverage, but agrees that taking medical insurance away from people is generally a bad idea. And that’s exactly what Trump’s “Big Beautiful” (Or Big Ugly) bill does. Prof. Layton also has some interesting angles on how to improve Medicaid — including letting nurse practitioners see patients without doctors’ supervision. Give this lively discussion a listen! Read Prof. Layton’s white paper, “An Abundance Agenda for Medicaid” here.

Savor the best moments from the podcast during 2025! This compilation features interviews with Jon ‘Bowzer’ Bauman of Sha Na Na, Senators Ron Wyden & Tom Harkin, Reps. Maxwell Frost & Debbie Wasserman Schultz, AARP’s Deb Whitman, and former Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley — among many others. Enjoy!

EXPLORE ALL EPISODES

Starting with Season 1

MEET YOUR HOST

WALTER GOTTLIEB

Walter is Director of Communications at the National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare. He is responsible for the organization’s public messaging and communications strategies – including earned media, social media, the Entitled to Know blog, and media relations.

Walter is also an Emmy award-winning television and video producer, writer, and director. He produced programming for Discovery, History Channel, Smithsonian Networks, Animal Planet, and National Geographic, among others.

As the host of the podcast, Walter brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to the subject, asking well-informed guests the most pressing questions our listeners want and need to know.

ABOUT NCPSSM

An Advocacy Group for Older Americans

The National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare (NCPSSM) routinely delivers letters of support or opposition to Congress and the White House on legislation that will impact the health and retirement security of older Americans now and in the future. Expert testimony from our President & CEO or policy advisors is also given during hearings before House and Senate committees.