Health Affairs This Week

Health Affairs' Jeff Byers welcomes Farzad Mostashari, founder & CEO of Aledade and the former National Coordinator for Health IT, to the pod to break down insights in the latest MedPAC report, quality measurement reform, and areas of opportunity for value-based care.Health Affairs is hosting an Insider exclusive event on May 29 focusing on the FDA's first 100 days under the second Trump administration featuring moderator Rachel Sachs alongside panelists Richard Hughes IV and Arti Rai.Related Links:Crossing the Chasm: How to Expand Adoption of Value-Based Care (The New England Journal of Medicine)2025 MedPAC Report

Health Affairs' Senior Deputy Editor Rob Lott interviews Eric Topol, Executive Vice President of Scripps Research, on his new book, Super Agers, which provides an evidence-based approach on extending healthy lifespans.Currently, more than 70 percent of our content is freely available - and we'd like to keep it that way. With your support, we can continue to keep our digital publication Forefront and podcast

In this engaging discussion, Akilah Wise, Senior Editor at Health Affairs and former CDC employee, dives deep into the significance of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and its impact on health policy. She highlights how exercise dramatically affects health outcomes and addresses the pressing issue of physical inactivity. Wise also discusses initiatives like the Make America Healthy Again Commission, aiming to tackle chronic health challenges and advocate for better nutrition and health data transparency.

Health Affairs' Jeff Byers welcomes Deputy Editor Jessica Bylander to the program to celebrate the 200th episode of Health Affairs This Week and take a look back at the health care world of 2020 and see what has changed in terms of COVID-19, vaccinations, telehealth, and more.  Health Affairs published an ahead-of-print article this week from Yashaswini Singh and coauthors exploring explore how the expansion of private equity-owned physician practices has led to a decrease in access for certain eye conditions such as retinal detachment.  Yasahswini Singh also appeared as a guest on a live episode of A Health Podyssey discussing private equity's effect on health care staff turnover. Health Affairs is hosting an Insider exclusive event on May 29 focusing on the FDA's first 100 days under the second Trump administration featuring moderator Rachel Sachs alongside panelists Richard Hughes IV and Arti Rai.Related Links:The Many Ways Kennedy Is Already Undermining Vaccines (The New York Times)Health secretary RFK Jr. endorses the MMR vaccine — stoking fury among his supporters (NPR)Measles tracker: Follow cases, outbreaks and vaccination rates across the U.S. (NBC News)Fact Sheet: Telehealth (American Hospital Association)

Health Affairs' Jeff Byers welcomes Bob Herman of STAT News to the program to discuss the state of deals in the health care space, how vertical integration and consolidation have played a role in mergers & acquisitions as it relates to hospitals, and what might fly under the radar from even the most savvy of health policy wonks.Health Affairs Insiders can join us April 23 for an exclusive virtual event exploring site-neutral payments with health economist and health services researcher Brady Post of Northeastern University and Health Affairs' Meg Winchester.Also, we are hosting another Insider exclusive event on May 29 focusing on the FDA's first 100 days under the second Trump administration featuring moderator Rachel Sachs alongside panelists Richard Hughes IV and Arti Rai. Related Links:Sign up for STAT+Sign up for STAT newsletters including Bob Herman's Health Care Inc.

Heather Thomas, Director of A Place to Thrive and A Place for Kids, shares her journey as a mother of six battling food insecurity. She discusses the emotional process of transforming her poetry into a compelling narrative about hunger. The conversation delves into the complexities of navigating the bureaucratic system for food benefits and the often-overlooked struggles families face. Thomas emphasizes the importance of community advocacy, storytelling, and empathy in addressing food insecurity, highlighting initiatives that connect food access with broader social issues.

In a special podcast episode, Health Affairs Scholar Associate Editor Loren Adler interviews Elizabeth Popp-Berman about the Health and Political Economy series of papers recently published in Health Affairs Scholar. The series asks how might the U.S. build a more just and inclusive political economy for health rather than take the status quo for granted. This paper collection was developed in partnership with the The New School’s Health and Political Economy Project (HPEP), a field catalyst initiative advancing a just and inclusive economy for health, and supported by the Commonwealth Fund.Read the Collection:Health and political economy: building a new common sense in the United StatesAdvancing a political economy approach to health using lessons from US antitrust and climate policyReviving public provisioning in US health careThe fundamental importance of social insurance for health equityCentering marginalized care: Home care cooperatives and system change

Health Affairs' Jeff Byers welcomes David Simon from The University of Connecticut to the program to discuss the recent news that the Trump administration implemented reciprocal tariffs on imported goods and what this could mean for the health care industry.Become an Insider today to never miss out on David Simon's exclusive newsletter, Economic Intersections.Insiders can join us April 23 for an exclusive virtual event exploring site-neutral payments with health economist and health services researcher Brady Post of Northeastern University and Health Affairs' Meg Winchester.Order the April 2025 theme issue of Health Affairs focusing on food, nutrition, and health.And, join Health Affairs April 29 for a free and open for all virtual event featuring a conversation between consumer advocate, nutritionist, and award-winning author Marion Nestle of New York University and Angela Odoms-Young of Cornell University.

Welcome to the third episode in a special four-part series from Health Affairs on the intersection of food, nutrition, and health. This special series compliments the release of a theme issue on food, nutrition, and health to be released this week.In this episode, Health Affairs' Jessica Bylander and Ellen Bayer discuss the content in the theme issue.Order the Food, Nutrition, and Health Issue.

Health Affairs' Jeff Byers welcomes Senior Editor Michael Gerber back to the program to discuss the recent announcement from the Trump administration to cancel certain alternative payment models, their previous impact on health spending, and the difficult task of measuring success over a long period of time and across different administrations.Order the April 2025 theme issue of Health Affairs focusing on food, nutrition, and health.Join us for our theme issue briefing on April 8 featuring panels on Food is Medicine, Government Programs & Policies, Community Voices, and more. Save the date.Also, join us April 23 for an exclusive Insider virtual event exploring site-neutral payments with health economist and health services researcher Brady Post of Northeastern University and Health Affairs' Meg Winchester.Related Articles:Kennedy to slash 10,000 jobs in major overhaul of US health agencies (Reuters)Internal fallout at HHS delays 10,000 firings (Politico)Maryland Hospital All-Payer Model: Can It Be Emulated? (Health Affairs Forefront)CMMI cancels 4 payment models early (Healthcare Dive)Statement on CMS Innovation Center Aligning Portfolio with Statutory Obligation (CMS)