Tradeoffs

We talk with STAT News reporter Lizzy Lawrence about the agency’s recent turmoil and its hunt for a new leader. Guest: Lizzy Lawrence , FDA Reporter, STAT News Learn more: Read the full reporting and explore additional resources on our website . Want more Tradeoffs? Join more than 5,500 readers who trust Tradeoffs for clear, deeply reported health policy insights. Sign up for our free weekly newsl...

Two physicians and an ethicist discuss how to make the best decisions in areas like artificial intelligence and gender-affirming care when there is limited evidence in a live conversation recorded at Aspen Ideas: Health. Guests: Ishani Ganguli , Primary Care Physician, Associate Professor of Medicine; Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital Christine Yu Moutier , Chief Medical Offi...

As millions of Americans are expected to lose health insurance coverage following federal cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, states are searching for new ways to prevent medical debt before it starts.  In this episode of Tradeoffs, economist Neale Mahoney explains the research into strategies for relief from high healthcare costs and evaluates policy fixes to protect consumers. Gue...

Washington is one of 19 states that have received federal approval to enroll people in Medicaid before they leave jail or prison — a radical change in Medicaid policy that health care and law enforcement leaders believe will save lives.  But this experiment in bringing Medicaid behind bars is now colliding with H.R. 1, the sweeping federal law that is forcing states to make major changes to M...

The No Surprises Act was designed to protect patients from unexpected medical bills, but nearly four years after the law took effect, many experts say parts of its implementation aren't working as intended. Insurers, hospitals, physician groups and federal regulators continue to battle over the law's payment dispute process, raising questions about whether one of the nation's most significant heal...

Hundreds of U.S. courts offer treatment over prison for some defendants with mental illness. But critics say mental health courts have outpaced research on their effectiveness. Guest(s): Grace Hauck , Investigative reporter, Illinois Answers Project  Debra Pinals , Adjunct Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical School and Law School Learn more on our website . Check...

Every year, millions of people’s medical care runs into the roadblock known as prior authorization, which requires an insurer to sign off before chemotherapy, surgery or countless other services can proceed. Who does this often onerous process help, who does it hurt and how could it work better for everyone? Guests: Tom Roberts , Oncologist, Mass General Cancer Center Aaron Schwartz , Assistant Pr...

President Trump and other leading conservatives are pushing policies they hope will empower patients to shop more wisely for the health care they need. Guests: Brian Blase , President, Paragon Health Institute Sherry Glied , Professor of Public Service, New York University Adam Leive , Assistant Professor of Public Policy, UC Berkeley Jason Levitis , Senior Fellow, Urban Institute Tony Lo Sasso ,...

New research from leading health economist David Cutler explores what’s behind a historic slowdown in health spending, even as millions of Americans struggle to afford their care. Guest: David M. Cutler , Dean of Social Science, Professor of Economics, Harvard University Learn more and read a full transcript on our website . Want more Tradeoffs? Sign up for our free weekly newsletter featuring our...

A collaboration with American Public Media’s Call to Mind, highlighting how Durham, North Carolina, has reimagined its mental health crisis response system — and what it has learned. Find more reporting on mental health from Call to Mind on their website , on your local public radio station, or by subscribing to the Call to Mind podcast . Guests: Patrice Andrews , Police Chief, Durham Police Depar...

Doctors are flocking to arbitration under the 2020 consumer protection law to settle pricing disputes with insurers. They’re winning, often securing high prices.  Guest: Margot Sanger-Katz, reporter, The New York Times Learn more and read a full transcript on our website . Want more Tradeoffs? Sign up for our free weekly newsletter featuring the latest health policy research and news. Support...

The state’s Medicaid director Amir Bassiri shares his plans for blunting the effects of Republican health reforms — starting with work requirements. Guest: Amir Bassiri , Medicaid Director, New York State Department of Health Learn more and read a full transcript on our website . Want more Tradeoffs? Sign up for our free weekly newsletter featuring the latest health policy research and news. Suppo...

As demand for new weight loss drugs soars, some employers are making workers track their diet and exercise in hopes of limiting use and keeping costs down. Guests: Nick Miller Ann Lewandowski , founder, Healthcare Rebel Alliance Sean Scanlon , Connecticut Comptroller Dr. Katherine Saunders , executive vice president and cofounder, Flyte Health Christopher Whaley , associate director of the Center...

The White House wants states to drop certificate of need laws in hopes of lowering health care costs. Researchers and state leaders are split. Guests: Nate Adler , founder, Gertie Matthew Mitchell , senior fellow, Fraser Institute; senior affiliated scholar, Mercatus Center at George Mason University Jill Horwitz , professor, Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law and Feinberg School of Me...

The administration is looking to former health care executive Chris Klomp to help RFK Jr. get Trump’s health agenda back on track. Guest: Dan Diamond , White House Reporter, Washington Post Learn more and read a full transcript on our website . Want more Tradeoffs? Sign up for our free weekly newsletter featuring the latest health policy research and news. Support this type of journalism today, wi...

The Supreme Court is set to hear Hikma v. Amarin, a battle over drug patents that could raise costs for patients and change the way generic companies do business. Guests: Hans Sauer , adjunct professor, Georgetown Law; former vice president of intellectual property, Biotechnology Innovation Organization Sean Tu , professor of law, University of Alabama Dennies Varughese , partner; Sterne, Kessler,...

Our friends at The Pulse from WHYY explore the economics behind the rise of urgent care and how it’s changing American medicine. Learn more and read a full transcript on our website . Want more Tradeoffs? Sign up for our free weekly newsletter featuring the latest health policy research and news. Support this type of journalism today, with a gift . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more i...

An employer in Chicago describes how another year of rising premiums forced her to consider dropping her workers’ insurance. Guest: Rachel Bernier-Green , Founder and CEO, EJ Consortium Learn more and read a full transcript on our website . Want more Tradeoffs? Sign up for our free weekly newsletter featuring the latest health policy research and news. Support this type of journalism today, with a...

We talk with physician and writer Bob Wachter about why he’s cautiously optimistic that artificial intelligence will usher in a ‘golden age’ of medicine — and the questions he still has about these powerful new tools. Guest: Bob Wachter , Chair, Department of Medicine, UC San Francisco; Author, A Giant Leap: How AI Is Transforming Healthcare and What That Means for Our Future Learn more and read a...

Patients are afraid to show up to medical appointments, while workers are being detained, deported or losing their visa statuses. Guests: Sahida Martinez , promotora, Enlace Jadhira Sanchez, director of community health, Enlace Steph Willding , CEO, CommunityHealth Jordan Herring , Postdoctoral scholar, Emergency medicine, Stanford Hannah Janeway, Emergency medicine physician, Los Angeles Laura Me...

Half of states have rejected federal vaccine guidance on childhood vaccines after controversial changes by the CDC. Public health experts say the split is sowing confusion and increasing the risk of outbreaks. Guests: Michelle Fiscus , physician, chief medical officer, Association of Immunization Managers Jen Kates , senior vice president; director, global and public health policy, KFF  Tao S...

How one addiction clinic in Baltimore has found success combining addiction care with support for the many other health problems older Americans often face. Guests: Malik Burnett , Medical Director, REACH Health Services Lisa Clemans-Cope , Senior Research Fellow, Urban Institute Renee Gray, Patient, REACH Health Services Phyllis Lindsay, Peer Recovery Specialist, REACH Health Services Maggie Lowe...

How Gov. Gavin Newsom’s ambitious plan to force more people into treatment left many families still searching for help. Guest(s): June Dudas Marisa Kendall , homelessness reporter, CalMatters Read CalMatters full “Courting Disappointment” series here. Learn more and read a full transcript on our website . Want more Tradeoffs? Sign up for our free weekly newsletter featuring the latest health polic...

Maryland finds out how much the state will get from a nationwide competition for federal rural health investment. Guest(s): Christina Koontz, paramedic  Elizabeth Kromm , assistant secretary for population health and strategic initiatives, Maryland Department of Health Mike Salvadge, chief of emergency medical services, Allegany County, Md.  Meena Seshamani, Maryland secretary of health...

We follow Maryland's 52-day rush to convince the Trump administration to give the state new funding to transform rural health care. Guests: Bonita Baer, Maryland resident Mark Boucot , president and CEO of Garrett Regional Medical Center and Potomac Valley Hospital  Elizabeth Kromm , assistant secretary for population health and strategic initiatives, Maryland Department of Health Levi Lantz,...