Tradeoffs

Letting private insurers offer Medicaid coverage was supposed to lower costs and improve care. We dig into the research on Medicaid managed care. Guests: Sayeh Nikpay , PhD, Tradeoffs Contributing Research Editor; Associate Professor of Health Policy and Management, University of Minnesota Kathleen Adams , PhD, Professor of Health Policy and Management, Rollins School of Public Health at Emory Uni...

It’s Medicare open enrollment — the one chance each year that all 62 million beneficiaries have to shop for better coverage. But choosing a new plan is much harder and riskier than it seems. Guests: Lilyan Grossman, Medicare beneficiary Tricia Neuman , ScD, Senior Vice President and Executive Director of the Program on Medicare Policy, Kaiser Family Foundation Amal Trivedi , MD, Professor of Medic...

President Biden wanted to spend $400 billion to help older and disabled Americans get health care at home, but the proposal has been cut by more than half as Democrats work to pare back their $3.5 trillion spending package. [This episode was originally published on April 8, 2021.] Guests: Howard Gleckman , Senior Fellow, Urban Institute Rachel Werner , MD, PhD, Executive Director, Leonard Davis In...

The pandemic has pushed hundreds of public health officials to leave their jobs. It's also inspired thousands to pursue a career in public health. We listen in on a conversation between two women pushed in different directions by the pandemic. Guests: Jen Miller, RN, Former Communicable Disease Nurse Consultant, Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services Nicole Snyder , PhD, Associate...

Congressional Democrats’ blockbuster spending bill could include some historic health reforms, but major political hurdles remain. Reporter Alice Miranda Ollstein joins us to discuss the tough health policy compromises facing Democratic lawmakers. Guest: Alice Miranda Ollstein, health care reporter, POLITICO A complete transcript of our conversation with Alice Miranda Ollstein is on our website:&n...

U.S. hospitals are facing a nursing crisis, but experts say it's not as bad as the nationwide shortage of the early 2000s. We talk with two experts about what needs to be done to prevent the current crisis from getting worse. Guests: Peter Buerhaus , PhD, RN, FAAN; Professor, Montana State University College of Nursing; Director, Center for Interdisciplinary Health Workforce Studies Karen Lasater...

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...

As President Biden ups the pressure on businesses to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for their employees, we talk with a preschool owner wrestling with the decision and a researcher with tips on how to make a mandate work. Guests: Lesia Daniel-Hollingshead , Co-owner, Funtime Clinton Ashley Ritter , APRN, PhD; Director of Clinical Care Research, NewCourtland; Adjunct Assistant Professor, NewCourtland Ce...

The Supreme Court just declined to block a controversial abortion ban in Texas. Now an even bigger case looms on their docket, and it could dramatically alter abortion access across the U.S. Guests: Laurie Sobel , JD, Associate Director, Women’s Health Policy, Kaiser Family Foundation Alina Salganicoff , PhD, Senior Vice President and Director of Women’s Health Policy, Kaiser Family Foundation The...

Kids are returning to in-person school this fall with increased rates of depression, anxiety and other pandemic-fueled mental health challenges, and schools are leaning on billions in new federal funding to meet the growing need. Guests: Kyron Harvell , Principal, Vivian Riddle Elementary School; Lansing, Michigan Sharon Hoover , PhD, Co-Director, National Center for School Mental Health, Universi...

New national guidelines say millions more Americans should get screened for lung cancer. The test can save lives, but it's inaccessible to many and harmful to some. How should we balance the promise and perils of lung cancer screening? Guests: Otis Brawley, MD , Professor of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Lisa Carter-Harris, PhD, APRN , Behavioral Scientist and Adult Nurse P...

With more employers requiring their employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19, we dig into the research to help employers weigh the pros and cons. [This episode was originally published on May 20, 2021.] Guests: Sayeh Nikpay , PhD; Tradeoffs Contributing Research Editor; Associate Professor of Health Policy and Management, University of Minnesota Corey White , PhD; Assistant Professor of Econom...

One of the hardest things about being healthcare workers going through this pandemic is that we've both experienced and borne witness to moments that nobody should have to go through alone. Who do we need by our side when everything falls apart? And what do we do when they can’t be there?  More information about this episode and The Nocturnists project: https://thenocturnists.com/stories-from...

Hosted by Maiken Scott and aired weekly on WHYY and other NPR member stations, The Pulse tells stories at the heart of health, science and innovation. This particular Pulse story, reported by Alan Yu and Nina Feldman, looks at a crisis of maternity ward closures that recently hit the city of Philadelphia, and the surprising alliances and unexpected outcomes that it catalyzed. Dig deeper into...

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...

As gun violence continues to soar in U.S. cities, one violence prevention specialist tries to stem the tide of homicides in his hometown. Guest: J ames "JT" Timpson , Director for Community Partnerships and Safety, Roca Maryland and Roca Impact Institute Read a full transcript and dig deeper into the issues explored in today's episode: https://tradeoffs.org/2021/07/22/sacrifices-and-small-wins-the...

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: https://tradeoffs.org/2021/07/15/one-womans-year-surviving-the-pandemic-with-a-disability Sign up for our weekly newsletter to see what...

A congressional ban on removing anyone from Medicaid is likely to expire early next year. What will happen to people who lose their coverage, and how are states preparing for this unprecedented undertaking? Guests: Sara Rosenbaum , JD, Harold and Jane Hirsh Professor of Health Law and Policy, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University Jami Snyder , Director, AHCCCS&nbsp...

Many cities across the United States are rethinking the role of police in responding to mental health emergencies. Miami-Dade County has spent the last two decades revamping their policing — along with many other aspects of how their criminal justice system treats people in crisis. What lessons have they learned? Guests: Steve Leifman , JD, Associate Administrative Judge, Eleventh Judicial Circuit...

How is the pharmaceutical industry reacting to the FDA’s surprising approval of a controversial Alzheimer’s drug, and what do they make of its $56,000 price tag? This is the last episode in our weeklong series examining the potentially sweeping consequences this drug, known as aducanumab, could have on millions of patients’ lives and billions of dollars in health care spending. Guest: Luke Timmerm...

A controversial new $56,000 Alzheimer’s drug could wreak financial havoc on insurers, seniors and taxpayers. This episode is part of a special weeklong series examining the potentially sweeping consequences this drug, known as aducanumab, could have on millions of patients’ lives and billions of dollars in health care spending. Guest: Mark Miller , PhD, Executive Vice President for Health Care, Ar...

Desperate to slow her cognitive decline, one patient shares her hopes and concerns about the first new Alzheimer’s drug in nearly 20 years. This episode is part of a special weeklong series examining the potentially sweeping consequences this drug, known as aducanumab, could have on millions of patients’ lives and billions of dollars in health care spending. Guest:  Arthena Caston , Alzheimer...

A costly, controversial new Alzheimer’s drug is sending shockwaves through the U.S. health care system. How are doctors grappling with questions about its safety and efficacy? This is the first episode in a special conversation series featuring different people reckoning with the potentially sweeping consequences this drug could have on millions of patients’ lives and billions of dollars in health...

Health policy experts are kicking off the summer with back-to-back conferences: AcademyHealth's Annual Research Meeting and the 10th Annual Conference of the American Society of Health Economists (ASHEcon). Hop on the Tradeoffs Tours bus for conference tips, stories and exciting research with a conference veteran, Kosali Simon. Guest: Kosali Simon , PhD, Herman B. Wells Endowed Professor, Associat...

The pandemic forced dentists across the country to shut down last spring. We talk with one dentist about what that meant for her business, her patients, and what it’s been like to open back up. Guest: Stacey Van Scoyoc , DDS, General Dentist, Co-Owner, Bloomington Family Dental Find additional resources and a full transcript of today's episode on our website: https://tradeoffs.org/2021/06/10/drill...