Tradeoffs

We talk with a Michigan OB-GYN determined to make sure her hospital is ready if abortion becomes illegal in her state. 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 . Follow us on Twitter .  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com...

Why are a growing number of private insurance companies starting to invest in medical respite — a decades-old idea to care for homeless people who are too healthy to be in the hospital, but too sick to be on the streets? Guests: Henry Jones, former medical respite patient Janelle Goetcheus , MD, Founder and Medical Director, Christ House Julia Dobbins , MSW, Director of Medical Respite, National H...

We explore the high cost of insulin in the U.S. and Congress’ latest push to address those prices with Kaiser Health News reporter Bram Sable-Smith. Guest: Bram Sable-Smith , Midwest Correspondent, Kaiser Health News Have a look at some additional resources and a full transcript . Support this type of journalism today, with a gift . Follow us on Twitter .  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priva...

After Medicare’s decision to restrict coverage of the controversial new Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm, we look at how this one drug has forced the nation to reexamine how to balance the needs of desperate patients, incomplete evidence and larger economic realities. Guests: Phil Gutis , Alzheimer’s patient and advocate Holly Fernandez Lynch , JD, MBe, John Russell Dickson, MD Presidential Assi...

An immunosuppressed physician explains what navigating her life – and her workplace – is like in this COVID-fatigued world. Guest: Lindsay Ryan , MD, San Francisco VA Medical Center Have a look at some additional resources and a full transcript . Support this type of journalism today, with a gift . Follow us on Twitter .  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

America’s largest health insurance companies moonlight as obscure middlemen, managing billions in health care spending for many of the country’s biggest employers. What could go wrong? Join us for a wild, wonky journey into the world of third-party administrators. Guests: Christin Deacon , JD, Senior Vice President, 4C Health Solutions; former Assistant Director, Division of Pension & Benefits...

The U.S. health care system is responsible for 8.5% of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions. We discuss how health care contributes to climate change, how some hospitals are trying to reduce their carbon footprint and what more needs to be done. NOTE: This episode has been updated to clarify Practice Greenhealth's operating model. Guest: Gary Cohen, co-founder and president of Health Care W...

We explore the impacts of charging Medicaid enrollees premiums and how phasing out premiums may affect Montana's Medicaid expansion program. Guests: Katharine Bradley , Principal Researcher, Mathematica Heather O'Loughlin , Co-Director, Montana Budget & Policy Center Ed Buttrey , State Representative, Montana Read a full transcript and dig deeper into the issues explored in today's episode on...

Jails and prisons are one of the few places in the United States where health care is a right. But for many incarcerated people, that care often falls short. This is the story one of those people: Princola Shields. This episode was originally produced for the podcast Sick , a production of Side Effects Public Media . Read a full transcript and dig deeper into the issues explored in today's episode...

We explore “cascades of care” — how a clinician's desire to be thorough can snowball into a harmful spiral of unnecessary care. Guests: Meredith Niess, MD, MPH , Clinical Academic Resource Director, University of North Carolina School of Medicine and Novant Health Ishani Ganguli, MD, MPH , Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital Cheryl Damberg, PhD,...

As Peter Lee prepares to step down after a decade of running California's Obamacare exchange, he reflects on his experience, the strengths and weaknesses of the Affordable Care Act, and what the next frontier for health care should be in the U.S. Guest: Peter Lee , Executive Director, Covered California Read a full transcript and dig deeper into the issues explored in today's episode on our websit...

Every 5 years, the FDA has to renegotiate billions of dollars in user fees with the drug and medical device companies it regulates. This is one of those years, and Congress has to pass the latest user fee agreements by the end of September to keep FDA running. We break down this controversial process and what other health policies could pass in its wake. Guest: Sarah Karlin-Smith , Senior Writer,...

This week, a pharmacist and co-owner of an independent pharmacy in Iowa shares what life is like nearly two years into the pandemic. Guest: Kelly Kent, RPh, PharmD, pharmacist and chief operating officer, Towncrest Pharmacy. Read a full transcript and dig deeper into the issues explored in today's episode on our website . Support this type of journalism today by making a donation . Sign up fo...

Starting July 16, 2022, anyone in the U.S. experiencing a mental health crisis will be able to dial 988 for help. We explore what it will take for this new nationwide hotline to meet the needs of millions of people struggling with suicide, addiction and mental illness. Guests: Andrea Harrison, Helpline Specialist,  First Choice Services Madhuri Jha , LCSW, MPH, Director, Kennedy-Satcher Cente...

The overdose crisis in the U.S. is as deadly as it’s ever been. In response, the Biden administration is embracing a controversial strategy known as harm reduction, which seeks to keep drug users safe even as they continue using. We explore how harm reduction has become more mainstream and what kind of impact we can expect it to have on the overdose crisis. Guests: Ricky Bluthenthal, PhD , Associa...

Last week, Medicare took an unprecedented step to restrict patients’ access to the first new Alzheimer’s disease treatment in nearly 20 years. We talk with a doctor, a patient and a former federal official about this unusual move and its wide-ranging implications. Guests: Jay Reinstein , Alzheimer’s disease patient and advocate Sharon Sha , MD, MS, Clinical Associate Professor of Neurology and Neu...

We've got a lot to share with you in 2022! We're looking into new strategies to battle overdose deaths; the unfolding saga of the new Alzheimer's drug; and the rollout of a new national hotline for mental health emergencies. Tradeoffs is here to take you through the health care year ahead. We’ll explore the policies and programs, and we’ll introduce you to the people whose lives they shape. New ep...

A young woman living with cerebral palsy shares the struggles, fears and silver linings she’s experienced during the pandemic. Guest:  Jeiri Flores , disability rights advocate Read a full transcript and dig deeper into the issues explored in today's episode on our website . Support this type of journalism today by making a donation . Sign up for our weekly newsletter to see what research hea...

As gun violence surges, researchers are using new federal funding to search for solutions. Emmy Betz , MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine and Director of the  Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative , University of Colorado Jonathan Jay , DrPH, JD, Assistant Professor of Community Health Sciences, Boston University Autumn Parkin, gun owner and advocate If you or someone you know...

Health care has long lagged behind other industries when it comes to cybersecurity. But with ransomware attacks against the industry on the rise, providers are quickly trying to close the gap and protect their systems and patients. Guests: Karen Sprenger , CISSP, GCFE, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Ransomware Negotiator, LMG Security M. Eric Johnson , PhD, Ralph Owen Dean and Bruce D. Henderso...

Like Tradeoffs, An Arm and a Leg tells stories about our complicated health care system. Host Dan Weissmann tells the story of an engineer, who worked for Boeing for over 30 years. When he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, he needed surgery but his insurance denied the claim. That’s when his wife called Laurie Todd, the Insurance Warrior.  Check out more of this story . Keep up with a...

We look back on some of the best health policy podcast episodes of the year with help from a few of our podcast host friends. Guests: Dr. Bapu Jean , host, Freakonomics, MD Kimberly Seals-Allers , host, Birthright Maiken Scott , host, The Pulse, WHYY Dr. Celine Gounder , host, American Diagnosis and Epidemic For a complete transcript and more recommendations . Support this type of journalism today...

Produced weekly by Politico, the Playbook Deep Dive podcast tells the stories behind the power, from Congress and the White House to bar stools and back rooms. This episode, considers what it means to be the nation’s second Catholic president. Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza talks with senior staff writer Ruby Cramer about how Joe Biden balances a very public role with the “private matter” of his fa...

COVID opened the door to treating addiction remotely. Now policymakers have to decide whether to keep telehealth around. Guests:  Allie Grant, patient Sarah Channell , MSN, APRN, CNP; Clinical Director of Addiction Services; Lower Lights Christian Health Center Allison Lin , MD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Addiction Center; Research Scientist, VA Ann Arbor Health...

Democrats are on the brink of passing a historic set of drug price reforms as part of the Build Back Better Act. How will they impact patients, insurers and the drug industry? Guest: Rachel Sachs , JD, Treiman Professor of Law, Washington University in St. Louis Find a full transcript of this episode and additional research and reporting on these potential drug price reforms on our website: ...