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Tradeoffs
by Tradeoffs
Tradeoffs explores the toughest choices in health care, diving into issues like the cost of care, health equity, insurance, mental health and artificial intelligence. We connect policy to practice, uncovering the data and personal stories that help audiences understand the stakes — and the potential solutions. Learn more about us, find transcripts for each episode and additional reporting at https://tradeoffs.org. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
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Medicare Plans Keep Disappearing
Our friends at An Arm and a Leg dig into why Medicare Advantage plans that cover millions of seniors are disappearing from the market. Learn more and read a transcript of the episode on our website. Click here for updates to the story and tips on how to navigate Medicare open enrollment. This…
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Reimagining the Future of Health Research After Sweeping Cuts
The Trump administration’s decimation of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has many academics deeply concerned. Guests: Aaron Carroll, President and CEO, Academy Health Sebastian Tong, Family Physician and Associate Professor, University of Washington School of Medicine Learn more:...
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Hidden Help: What Happened When Oregon Forced Hospitals to Boost Financial Aid?
In the second episode of our special series on medical debt, we explore lessons from Oregon’s aggressive legislation to push hospitals to prevent patients from falling into medical debt. Guests: Sara R. Collins, Senior Scholar, Commonwealth Fund Lawrence J. Furnstahl, Former Chief Financial...
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Hidden Help: A New Push for Hospitals to Prevent Medical Debt
Hospitals can automatically wipe out the cost of care for low-income patients. A Tradeoffs analysis finds that hospitals in Texas could be doing more to protect people from unaffordable bills. See the full series at tradeoffs.org/hiddenhelp. Guests: Erin Fuse Brown, professor of health services,...
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With Millions Expected to Lose Coverage, States Look for New Ways to Prevent Medical Debt
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...
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States Weigh In on Medicaid Fraud
A live conversation with a bipartisan group of state Medicaid leaders on the impact of the Trump administration’s aggressive anti-fraud push. Guests: Amir Bassiri, Medicaid Director, New York State Department of Health Paula Chatterjee, Director of Innovation, Leonard Davis Institute of Health...
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911 Fails People in Mental Health Crises. Here's a Plan to Fix It.
911 calls related to mental health are the most likely to involve police use of force. A new book offers a blueprint for a 911 redesign that could save lives. Guests: Rebecca Neusteter, Executive Director, University of Chicago Health Lab; Author of “911, What’s Your Emergency? The Promise and...
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As SNAP Shrinks, What's the Future of Food Aid in America?
Cash-strapped states and struggling families are wrestling with the consequences of major reforms to the SNAP program passed as part of Republicans’ Big Beautiful Bill. Guests: Romina Boccia, Director of Budget and Entitlement Policy, Cato Institute Chloe East, Associate Professor of Economics,...
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Beyond Finger Pointing: The Fight to Lower Health Care Costs
In a live conversation recorded at Aspen Ideas: Health, executives from a hospital, insurer and pharmacy join a top Trump administration official and leading health economist to discuss how to collectively bring down health care costs. Guests: Stephanie Carlton, Deputy Administrator, Centers for...
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The Cost of Cutting NIH Research: Voices from the Frontlines
A candid conversation between a professor and a Ph.D. candidate about potential funding cuts from the National Institutes of Health and their impact on the future of medical research. Guests: Yvonne Commodore-Mensah, Associate Professor, Associate Dean of Research, Johns Hopkins School of Nursing...
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Trump's Pick to Quiet HHS Chaos Heads to the Senate
President Trump has nominated former health care executive Chris Klomp to help RFK Jr. get his health agenda back on track. Guest: Dan Diamond, White House Reporter, Washington Post This episode was produced by Ryan Levi, edited by Dan Gorenstein and Leslie Walker, and mixed by Andrew Parrella…
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‘I Feel Unsafe Almost Everywhere’: How Trump Has Changed Life for One Transgender Teen
A conversation with an 18-year-old and her dad about how anti-trans policies have impacted their lives during the second Trump administration. Guests: Harleigh Walker Jeff Walker Learn more: Read the full reporting and explore additional resources on our website. This episode was produced by Ryan...
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Should I Trust AI to Diagnose Me?
Physician and New Yorker writer Dhruv Khullar says artificial intelligence is a powerful tool to get quicker and more accurate diagnoses. But it can also be dangerous. Guest: Dhruv Khullar, Physician, Weill Cornell Medical College; Contributing Writer, The New Yorker Learn more: Read the full...
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Meet the Man Launching Trump's Medicaid Work Requirements Months Early
Nebraska Medicaid Director Drew Gonshorowski says the state’s data capabilities put it in a strong position to quickly implement the historic changes. Advocates and researchers warn that eligible people may still fall through the cracks. Guest(s): Drew Gonshorowski, Director of Medicaid and Long...
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A Wyoming Doctor’s Fight to Keep Abortion Legal in Her Deep Red State
Four years after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the fight over abortion access continues to rage. In Wyoming, where abortion is still legal but under constant legal challenge, OB-GYN and abortion provider Giovannina Anthony is helping lead the fight to keep it that way. In this episode...
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Call to Mind: Immigration and the Challenge to Belong
A deep dive on the unique mental health challenges faced by immigrants in America, produced by Call to Mind from American Public Media. Learn more and read a full transcript on our website. This episode was produced by Call to Mind, American Public Media's initiative to foster new conversations...
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As Drama at Trump's FDA Subsides, Doubts and Damage Linger
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...
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Making Medical Decisions with Uncertain Science
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...
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With Millions Expected to Lose Coverage, States Look for New Ways to Prevent Medical Debt
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...
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Medicaid Overhaul Complicates States’ Plans to Bring Care Into Jails and Prisons
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...
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Where Did the No Surprises Act Go Wrong? And Can It Be Fixed?
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...
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Mental Health Courts Offer People Facing Prison an Imperfect Alternative
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...
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A Closer Look at a Widely Despised Health Insurance Policy
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…
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Republicans Want to Change How You Buy Health Care
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...
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The U.S. Saved $1 Trillion on Health Care. Why Doesn't It Feel Like It?
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...
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Call to Mind: The Fifth Branch
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...
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Doctors Hated the No Surprises Act. Now Some Are Getting Rich Off of It.
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...
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New York Braces for Trump's Big Medicaid Shakeup
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…
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Should People Who Want GLP-1s Have to Work for Them?
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…
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High Health Care Costs Are Fueling a New Fight Over Old Laws
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…
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Trump's Pick to Quiet the Chaos at HHS
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...
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Generic Drugs Head to the Supreme Court
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...
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Inside the Urgent Care Boom
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....
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‘It Sucks’: Spiking Health Insurance Costs Hit Small Businesses
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…
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'We Can’t Afford All These Humans’: A Doctor's Take on AI in Health Care
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...
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Immigration Enforcement’s Twin Threats to Health Care
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...
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As States and CDC Split on Vaccines, What's Next?
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...
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A Better Way to Care for Older Adults with Opioid Addiction
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…
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Mental Illness Left Their Loved Ones on the Streets. California’s Big Fix Hasn’t Helped
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...
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One State's Sprint for its Share of $50 Billion for Rural Health: Part 2
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...
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One State's Sprint for its Share of $50 Billion for Rural Health: Part 1
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...
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Race to the Bottom: Where's the Cavalry?
Many potent new medicines pose a host of challenges for drug companies trying to copy and sell similar versions on the cheap. Can those companies find a sustainable path forward, or will patients get left stuck paying exorbitant prices? Guests: Christine Baeder, MBA, President, Apotex USA Alfred...
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Breaking Down Trump’s $50 Billion Rural Health Fund
Rural health experts dig into the Trump administration’s effort to transform rural health care. Guests: Kevin Bennett, Director Center for Rural & Primary Healthcare; Professor, Family and Preventative Medicine, School of Medicine Columbia, University of South Carolina Paula Chatterjee, Director…
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Race to the Bottom: Hard Bargain
America pays less, on average, than any other major country for our generic drugs. But selling essential drugs at such low prices comes with hidden costs — from quality problems to frequent shortages. This is the second episode of Race to the Bottom, a three-part series by Tradeoffs on the…
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Race to the Bottom: Boom Times
Generic drugs are, in many ways, the unsung hero of America’s health care system, bringing powerful medical innovations within the reach of millions more people. These cheaper copies of brand-name drugs — from pills that stop heart attacks to antibiotics that cure life-threatening infections —…
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One Doctor’s Crusade to Improve Health Literacy
Black Americans report higher levels of mistrust in the health care system than white Americans and suffer worse outcomes in everything from maternal mortality to life expectancy. What if improving health literacy and demystifying health information could be the part of the solution? This week…
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How Treating Teens’ Trauma Is Stopping Violence in Chicago
A Chicago violence prevention program is pairing cognitive behavioral therapy with intensive mentoring and wraparound support to help high-risk teens avoid incarceration. Guests: Nour Abdul-Razzak, Research Associate, University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy; Research Director,...
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One Scientist's Mission to Change How We Prevent Overdoses
A leading addiction expert explains how he’s driven by the memory of a friend who died, and why he believes giving data on the drug supply to people on the street is more important than using it to inform national drug policy. Guest: Nabarun Dasgupta, Epidemiologist, University of North Carolina...
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A New Kind of Primary Care Comes to America
A group of nurses in Baltimore wants to bring basic care to every person in a neighborhood regardless of age, health, income or insurance. Can this idea from abroad take root in the United States? Guests: Dawn Alley, PhD, Head of Scale, IMPaCT Care Asaf Bitton, MD, MPH, Executive Director…
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One Economist’s Plan to Blow Up America’s Health Insurance System
Economist Amy Finkelstein has studied America’s patchwork of health insurance policies for more than 20 years. In a forthcoming book she concludes it’s time tear the whole system down. This week, Dan talks with Amy about how she came to that conclusion and what a better system could look like....
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Tradeoffs explores the toughest choices in health care, diving into issues like the cost of care, health equity, insurance, mental health and artificial intelligence. We connect policy to practice, uncovering the data and personal stories that help audiences understand the stakes — and the potential solutions.
Learn more about us, find transcripts for each episode and additional reporting at https://tradeoffs.org.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
HOSTED BY
Tradeoffs
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Tradeoffs have?
Tradeoffs currently has 403 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Tradeoffs about?
Tradeoffs explores the toughest choices in health care, diving into issues like the cost of care, health equity, insurance, mental health and artificial intelligence. We connect policy to practice, uncovering the data and personal stories that help audiences understand the stakes — and the...
How often does Tradeoffs release new episodes?
Tradeoffs publishes regularly with 403 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
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You can listen to Tradeoffs on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
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Tradeoffs is created and hosted by Tradeoffs.
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