JAMA Health Forum Conversations

Ruth Shim, a leading expert in cultural psychiatry from UC Davis, joins the conversation on the urgent need for mental health reform in the US. They delve into the alarming rise in depression and anxiety, highlighting systemic inequalities and access challenges. The discussion emphasizes integrating mental health into primary care and the transformative impact of telehealth, particularly post-pandemic. Shim advocates for comprehensive policies that improve care for marginalized populations, underscoring the importance of community support and addressing social determinants of health.

The second Trump administration launched several actions in 2025 that directly affect the health of populations. Sara Bleich, PhD, of Harvard Chan School of Public Health joins JAMA Health Forum Editor in Chief Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH, to discuss the nonhealth policies that may matter most to health and warrant ever-more attention, particularly in a moment of policy turbulence. Related Content: The Health Consequences of Nonhealth Policies in a Time of Policy Disruption

The evolution of artificial intelligence technology has outstripped most health policy oversight in the US. Michelle M. Mello, JD, PhD, Professor of Law and Professor of Health Policy at Stanford University, discusses this and more with JAMA Health Forum Editor in Chief Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH. Related Content: Inaction on Artificial Intelligence Regulation in a Time of Upheaval

The US is an outlier in health system performance, spending more than other peer countries while performing worse. US economist David Cutler, who is the Otto Eckstein Professor of Applied Economics at Harvard University, discusses this and more with JAMA Health Forum Editor in Chief Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH. Related Content: On Making US Health Care Great and Affordable

Increased health insurance coverage in the US has had a broad range of positive impacts on US health, including increases in preventive care and better chronic disease management. Larry Levitt, MPP, of KFF joins JAMA Health Forum Editor in Chief Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH, to discuss challenges facing US health insurance coverage today. Related Content: The Ongoing, and Heightened, Threat to Health Insurance Coverage in the US A Backlash Against Health Insurers, Redux

The first months of the Trump administration have been marked by a flurry of actions, many that have affected agencies directly related to health domestically and globally. Joshua M. Sharfstein, MD, of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health joins JAMA Health Forum Editor in Chief Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH, to discuss the contemporary threats to the health of the American public. Related Content: The Potential Consequences of Disinvestment in Health in the US

US withdrawal from the World Health Organization will have significant implications for global health. Lawrence Gostin, JD, JAMA Legal and Global Health Correspondent and Faculty Director of the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University, joins JAMA Health Forum Editor in Chief Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH, to discuss global health in an era of new uncertainty. Related Content: The US, the World Health Organization, and the Global Health Infrastructure

Incoming Editor in Chief Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH, discusses the journal and the state of health policy with Deputy Editor Julie Donohue, PhD, and Senior Editor Melinda Buntin, PhD. Related Content: JAMA Health Forum: Meet the Editor in Chief, Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH JAMA Health Forum—Paving the Way for the Future of Health Policy Science and Scholarship

Founding Editor in Chief John Ayanian, MD, MPP, reflects on the origins and the highlights of the journal’s first 5 years, including seminal publications, the journal’s current No. 1 slot in the rankings, and the amazingly collegial editorial team, with JAMA Health Forum founding Deputy Editor Melinda Buntin, PhD. Related Content: Reflections on the First 5 Years of JAMA Health Forum

Research shows that Tobacco 21 (T21) policies with a minimum legal age to purchase tobacco products of 21 years reduce youth smoking, yet their potential long-term impact varies across US states. Jamie Tam, MPH, PhD, of the Yale University School of Public Health discusses these findings with JAMA Health Forum Editor John Ayanian, MD, MPP, and Deputy Editor Melinda Buntin, PhD. Related Content: US Tobacco 21 Policies and Potential Mortality Reductions by State