DC EKG

Join host Joe Grogan for an exclusive masterclass with Dr. Robert Burns, James Joo-Jin Kim Professor of Health Care Management at the Wharton School. A nationally recognized expert on the U.S. healthcare system, Dr. Burns unpacks the complex forces driving healthcare costs. With a background in sociology, anthropology, and decades of research, Dr. Burns reveals why so many healthcare reforms fail,...

Critics have been quick to attack the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB), but how much of what you’ve heard is true? In this episode, Joe Grogan sits down with Brian Blase to set the record straight on the bill’s health policy reforms and why they matter. From Medicaid funding changes to the role of provider taxes, Brian and Joe break down the bill’s impact, debunk common myths, and explore what’s next...

In this episode of DC EKG, Joe Grogan sits down with Sean Spicer, former White House Press Secretary and host of The Sean Spicer Show. Spicer shares his experiences from working in various political roles, his thoughts on Republican strategies for the midterms, and the challenges of communicating healthcare policies. The discussion also delves into the differences between legacy media and new medi...

Stephen Parente, former White House Chief Economist for Health Policy and current Minnesota Insurance Industry Chair of Health Finance and Associate Dean at the Carlson School of Management, joins host Joe Grogan to discuss the state of healthcare transparency. They dive into the pros and cons of price transparency, the impact of the No Surprises Act, challenges for insurers and providers, and wha...

In this episode of DC EKG , host Joe Grogan sits down with Dan Troy, former Chief Counsel of the FDA and a nationally recognized expert on healthcare law and the First Amendment. They explore Troy’s unique journey from free speech litigator to one of the FDA’s top legal voices, examining how the agency regulates what drugmakers, doctors, and companies are allowed to say—and what they’re not. The c...

In this episode, Michael F. Cannon, the Cato Institute’s Director of Health Policy Studies, dives into the policy decisions that shaped Medicare and fundamentally distorted the U.S. health insurance market. From how tax incentives nudged Americans into employer-sponsored plans to the unintended consequences that left many seniors uninsured, Cannon breaks down the government’s role in creating syst...

In this conversation, Joe Grogan interviews Peter Pitts, a former FDA associate commissioner and current president of the Center for Medicine and the Public Interest. They discuss the role of FDA advisory committees, the importance of transparency in regulatory processes, and the intersection of vaccination and nutrition in public health. Pitts emphasizes the need for better dosing guidelines for...

In this episode of DC EKG, host Joe Grogan interviews historian and political veteran Tevi Troy about the complex relationship between U.S. presidents and powerful industries. They discuss themes from his book The Power and the Money: The Epic Clashes Between Commanders in Chief and Titans of Industry and his op-ed In Defense of Big Pharma . The conversation explores why pharmaceutical companies a...

Joe Grogan sits down with Dr. Anthony DiGiorgio, a neurosurgeon and health policy researcher, for a wide-ranging conversation on the challenges facing America’s healthcare system. Drawing on his experience at a safety net hospital, Dr. DiGiorgio discusses the realities of trauma care, including the treatment of traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries, and the systemic issues within Medicaid that...

In this episode of DC EKG , policy expert Ryan Long unpacks the tangled evolution of the 340B program—from its origins in the early 1990s to its explosive, unintended role in today’s healthcare market. Originally designed to help hospitals serving the uninsured access affordable drugs, 340B has morphed into a tool for profit, driving hospital consolidation, inflating costs, and straining the biote...

In this episode of DC EKG, host Joe Grogan speaks with Kelly Cleary, a partner at Akin Law, about her career in healthcare regulatory law and her experience at HHS. They discuss the recent repeal of the Richardson waiver, its historical significance, and implications for healthcare policy and regulation. The conversation also touches on the end of Chevron deference and its potential impact on agen...

In this episode of DC EKG , host Joe Grogan sits down with Dr. Brian J. Miller to dissect the critical barriers slowing medical innovation in the United States. Together, they unpack the notorious "Valley of Death"—the daunting gap between FDA approval and Medicare coverage that delays patient access to groundbreaking treatments and technologies, often by an average of 5.7 years. Dr. Miller shares...

In this episode, Joe Grogan and Brian Blase dive into the current state of Medicaid, exploring the urgent need for reforms to tackle inefficiencies, improper payments, and discriminatory reimbursement rates. Blase discusses the challenges stemming from the Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and how it has impacted traditional enrollees. The conversation also uncovers the troubl...

In this episode, Joe Grogan and Sally Pipes dive into the future of U.S. healthcare policy, discussing potential reforms under a second Trump administration. They explore executive orders, Medicaid challenges, and the flaws in Canada’s healthcare system. The conversation also tackles a provocative question: Could Canada ever become the 51st state? Sally breaks down the political, economic, and hea...

In this episode, Joe Grogan speaks with Professor Josh Rauh about the ongoing pension crisis in the United States, focusing on the inefficiencies of government pension systems and the impact on taxpayers. They explore the history of government pensions, the shift from defined benefit plans to 401(k) plans, and the alarming statistics of underfunded pensions in major cities like Chicago. The conver...

In this episode, Joe Grogan sits down with Vance Ginn, an economist and host of the Let People Prosper podcast, to dive into healthcare reform, economic policy, and the power of state-level innovation. Vance shares his inspiring journey from his humble beginnings to his role as Chief Economist at the Office of Management and Budget. He discusses his work with think tanks, the challenges of federal...

In this episode, Joe Grogan speaks with Dr. Anthony Lo Sasso, a health economics expert, about the complexities of health insurance, healthcare access, and the role of employers in the healthcare system. They discuss the evolution of health economics, the misconceptions surrounding health insurance, and how these misunderstandings impact health outcomes. The conversation also covers the implicatio...

In this episode of DC EKG, Joe Grogan is joined by Kat McDavitt and Lisa Bari, hosts of the Health Tech Talk Show, to discuss the broader challenges and opportunities surrounding healthcare data interoperability. They explore the critical role of CMS, state data infrastructure, and private sector efforts in improving data movement across healthcare systems. The conversation emphasizes the need for...

In this conversation, Dr. Joel Zinberg discusses the complex relationship between health insurance and health outcomes, arguing that while insurance provides financial security, it does not significantly improve measurable health outcomes. He critiques the focus on government insurance programs like Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, highlighting issues with access to care and the effectiveness...

In this insightful episode of DC EKG, Dr. Robert Redfield, former CDC Director, discusses the critical issues facing America's public health system. He advocates for vaccine transparency, individual choice, and reflects on the failures of the COVID vaccine rollout. Redfield calls for a holistic approach to public health, focusing on obesity, mental health, and addiction as key priorities. He stres...

How can we reform our government’s institutions to remain effective in a politically polarized era, where elites influence policy, global competition is rising, and social media shapes public perceptions? Daniel Rothschild and Joe Grogan explore this urgent challenge in-depth. They discuss the need for fundamental reform to modernize bureaucratic systems, improve efficiency, and increase accountab...

In this episode, Joe Grogan and Eric Ueland are joined by Dr. Lanhee Chen to discuss the future of healthcare policy in the U.S. They reflect on healthcare reforms under the first Trump administration and what a second term could bring, including the importance of price transparency and reorienting the system around patients. The conversation also covers Medicaid reform, state-level innovations, a...

In this conversation, Joe Grogan and Justin Schubow discuss the recent World War I Memorial in Washington, D.C., exploring its artistic significance, contrasting it with other memorials, and examining the broader implications of architectural design in the city. Schubow emphasizes the importance of classical architecture and critiques modernist designs, advocating for a revitalization of Washingto...

In this conversation, Joe Grogan and Ge Bai discuss the complexities of healthcare finance, focusing on the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and its implications for drug pricing and Medicare. They delve into the role of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) in estimating the financial impacts of healthcare policies, highlighting the discrepancies between projected savings and actual costs. The discu...

In this episode of DCEKG, hosts Eric Ueland and Joe Grogan engage with economist Casey Mulligan to dissect the implications of the Inflation Reduction Act, the dynamics of Medicare Advantage, and the challenges posed by regulatory overreach. They explore the shortcomings of the Congressional Budget Office in accurately scoring healthcare legislation, the impact of environmental policies on market...