Tradeoffs

As the country debates the best way to reform our health care system, we explore a blueprint for universal coverage that looks a lot different from the Medicare for All proposals we’ve heard most about.  (Recorded in front of a live audience at the University of Pennsylvania on Feb. 21, 2020.) Guests: Kate Baicker , PhD, University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy Amitabh Chandra , P...

Shortages of basic medical supplies have become a familiar pattern for hospitals around the U.S. What causes them? And how can we prevent them? Guests: Dr. Eric Haas , Chief of Colorectal Surgery, Houston Methodist Matt Grennan , Assistant Professor of Health Care Management, Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania Ozlem Ergun , Professor of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Northeas...

The Iowa caucuses were a mess. But one thing is clear: Health care is a top issue for Democratic voters in 2020. We dive into the polls and talk with voters to understand how and why health care is shaping this year's election. Guests: Ashley Kirzinger , Associate Director of Public Opinion and Survey Research, Kaiser Family Foundation Ryan Levi , Producer, Tradeoffs Dig deeper into the Kaiser Fam...

Every time the U.S. tries to rein in rising drug prices, we hear the same thing from pharma: Stymie our profits, and you’ll get less innovation and fewer breakthrough treatments. Does the evidence back up this constant refrain? Guests: Chaitan Khosla , Director of Stanford ChEM-H Craig Garthwaite , Associate Professor of Strategy, Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University Stacie Duse...

In this debut edition of The Sidebar, your home for bonus Tradeoffs content, cohosts Dan and Sayeh take a closer look at the randomized controlled trial (RCT), a popular method for evaluating health interventions.   Learn more about the tradeoffs of RCTs on our website:  http://bit.ly/the-sidebar1   Listen to our story on the widely discussed new “hot spotting” RCT here:  https...

Nearly two decades ago, Dr. Jeff Brenner hypothesized that nurses and social workers could guide the country's most complicated patients toward better health ... and cut expensive hospital admissions along the way. Was he right? Jeff Brenner, Camden Coalition of Health Care Providers Amy Finkelstein, Economist, MIT Kathleen Noonan, Camden Coalition of Health Care Providers Allison Hamblin, Center...

As the opioid crisis continues to ravage the country, some states are turning to controversial laws that force people into treatment. Are they part of the solution or could they make things worse? (Note: This episode has been corrected to include the most updated number of states with compelled treatment laws.) Guests: Dr. Abhishek Jain , forensic psychiatrist Rep. Lauren Davis , Washington state...

Two friends have spent 20 years trying to redesign insurance around one simple but elusive goal: make the good stuff more accessible than the bad stuff.   Check out the research for yourself and learn more on our website:  https://bit.ly/tradeoffsep5   As they say in health care, there’s no such thing as a free podcast. Support our show:  https://tradeoffs.org/donate   Fol...

We know good nutrition is tied to good health. But is there evidence that food should be prescribed and paid for like medicine? Guests: Bouba Dieme and Desirée Allen David Waters, CEO of Community Servings Dr. Mandy Cohen, Secretary of North Carolina's Department of Health and Human Services Learn more and check out the evidence for yourself on our website: http://bit.ly/tradeoffsep4 As they say i...

The average doctor does more than 200,000 patient interviews in their career, making communication one of the most common procedures in medicine. How are we training providers in it and are those efforts working?   Get more content and resources on our website:  https://bit.ly/tradeoffsep3   As they say in health care, there’s no such thing as a free podcast. Support our show:&...

Many hospitals have spent the last 30 years buying up their competitors big and small. What have these mergers and acquisitions done to the cost and quality of care, and where do we go from here? Guests: Jaime King, Associate Dean and Professor of Law, UC Hastings College of the Law Bob Town, Professor of Economics, University of Texas See more information and a full list of resources on our websi...

A team of economists and coders has built one of the most influential machines in health care—a machine almost no one has ever heard of. Their latest analysis may shake up the Democratic debate. View our web story, photos, and more resources:  http://bit.ly/2VOnSsT   Select Resources:   The full new report from the Urban Institute:  https://urbn.is/31jYoEZ Accompanying issue br...

When it comes to fixing America's costly and complicated health care system, the truth is: there are no silver bullets, no cure-alls. There are only Tradeoffs. A new podcast about health care, policy, and people premiering October 16th. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.