Tradeoffs

What happens if President Trump cuts billions from research on how to make our health care system work better?Guest(s):Aaron Carroll, President and CEO, Academy HealthStuart Buck, Executive Director, Good Science ProjectLearn more on our website.Want more Tradeoffs? Sign up for our free weekly newsletter featuring the latest health policy research and news.Support this type of journalism today, with a gift. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's been 90 days since Congress passed Trump’s megabill slashing health care spending and reshaping the Medicaid program. States are already knee-deep in dealing with the fallout. Guests:Hemi Tewarson, Executive Director, National Academy for State Health PolicyLeslie Walker, Senior Producer, TradeoffsLearn more on our website.Want more Tradeoffs? Sign up for our free weekly newsletter featuring the latest health policy research and news.Support this type of journalism today, with a gift. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a lively discussion, Jonathan Gruber, a prominent health economist from MIT, dives into the impact of extended federal support on health insurance accessibility. He highlights how enhanced subsidies have facilitated coverage for millions. The conversation explores potential risks if these subsidies shrink, touching on alarming estimates of uninsured rates. Gruber also discusses the role of state interventions and the consequences of high-deductible plans, while fellow economist Katherine Baicker emphasizes the health benefits of insurance versus its costs.

Prior authorization is a major roadblock for many patients seeking medical care, often delaying crucial treatments like chemotherapy. A caregiver shares her distressing journey through the system's confusion, highlighting the emotional toll. Experts discuss how prior authorization burdens both patients and clinicians, questioning its effectiveness as a cost-control tool. They propose meaningful reforms to streamline the process and reduce administrative burdens, emphasizing that the system should evolve to prioritize patient care.

Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Sarah Stillman explains why so many people with mental illness are starving to death in U.S. jails, who is profiting, and what can be done to prevent it.Guest:Sarah Stillman, Staff Writer, New Yorker; Founder, Yale Investigative Reporting LabLearn more on our website.Want more Tradeoffs? Sign up for our free weekly newsletter featuring the latest health policy research and news.Support this type of journalism today, with a gift. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Federal subsidies for Affordable Care Act health plans are scheduled to shrink next year. Many shoppers are expected to be priced out of the market, leaving those who stay with higher premiums. It’s a dynamic that threatens to repeat, leaving markets with fewer and more expensive options as insurers exit, too. How did we get here?Guest(s):Jonathan Kolstad, professor, Haas School of Business, University of California, BerkeleyNance L. Schick, employment attorney, founder of Third Ear Conflict ResolutionLearn more on our website.Want more Tradeoffs? Sign up for our free weekly newsletter featuring the latest health policy research and news.Support this type of journalism today, with a gift. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As states struggle to meet the needs of people with serious mental illness, some are signing on to a federal pilot project that’s funneling new funding into institutional care.Guests:Alex Barnard, Assistant Professor of Sociology, New York UniversityDanny Pasquini, patientTeresa Pasquini, AdvocateTyler Sadwith, Medicaid Director, California Department of Health Care ServicesMorgan Shields, Assistant Professor, Washington University in St. LouisRuth Shim, Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, UC DavisLearn more on our website.Want more Tradeoffs? Sign up for our free weekly newsletter featuring the latest health policy research and news.Support this type of journalism today, with a gift. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Worrying about deportation can literally make people sick. Health care providers are scrambling to cut through their undocumented patients’ panic about President Trump’s new immigration policies.Guests:MariaSteph Willding, CEO, CommunityHealthEmily Hendel, Director of Clinical Services, CommunityHealthSamantha Artiga, Vice President and Director for Racial Equity Health Policy Program, KFFLearn more on our website.Want more Tradeoffs? Sign up for our free weekly newsletter featuring the latest health policy research and news.Support this type of journalism today, with a gift. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A mandate to make health care prices public was one of President Trump’s signature health policies in his first term. But forcing hospitals to publish prices hasn’t yet helped patients shop around for medical care.Guest:Melanie Evans, Producer, TradeoffsLearn more and read a full transcript on our website.Support this type of journalism today, with a gift.Follow us on Twitter.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this engaging discussion, Alex Olgen, a reporter for TradeOffs, delves into how a Maryland company transformed health insurance decision-making using gamification. He highlights innovative strategies like the Benefit Builder game, where employees voice their healthcare priorities, leading to ethical debates over benefits allocation. Topics include the challenges of negotiating high-cost medications and the importance of empathy in fostering collaborative dialogue. This approach not only addresses employee needs but also reshapes the future of health benefits.