Tradeoffs

Congress banned most surprise medical bills back in 2020, with one major exception: ambulance rides. Most people agree that patients should be shielded from these unexpected charges. But who should pick up the tab instead? As state and federal policymakers grapple with that question, we delve into why finding a fair solution is harder than you’d think.Guests:Tara Bannow, Reporter, STATPrecious Mae Clark, patientDia Gainor, Executive Director, National Association of State EMS OfficialsZach Gaumer, Principal, Health Management AssociatesJames Gelfand, JD President and CEO, ERISA Industry CommitteeBob Herman, Reporter, STATPete Lawrence, Deputy Chief, Oceanside FireButch Oberhoff, President, Texas EMS AllianceLeslie Walker, Senior Reporter/Producer, TradeoffsMatt Zavadsky, At-Large Director, National Association of EMTsLearn 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.Support this type of journalism today, with a gift. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius shares what the country’s top health official can and can’t do, and what she wants senators to consider ahead of RFK’s confirmation hearings.Guest:Kathleen Sebelius, Former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services SecretaryLearn 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.Support this type of journalism today, with a gift. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Twenty-six states have passed bans on gender-affirming care for transgender minors, and the Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in December about Tennessee's ban. We take a closer look at gender-affirming care and the legal arguments that could influence how accessible that care is.Meredithe McNamara, MD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Yale School of MedicineKatie Eyer, JD, Professor of Law, Rutgers Law SchoolJames Blumstein, LLB, University Distinguished Professor of Constitutional Law and Health Law & Policy, Vanderbilt University Law SchoolLearn 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.Support this type of journalism today, with a gift. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s Medicare open enrollment season, and in this episode first aired in 2021, we explain why shopping for a new plan is often tougher than it seems.Guests:Lilyan Grossman, Medicare beneficiaryTricia Neuman, ScD, Senior Vice President and Executive Director of the Program on Medicare Policy, Kaiser Family FoundationAmal Trivedi, MD, Professor of Medicine and Health Services, Policy, and Practice, Brown UniversityLearn 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.Support this type of journalism today, with a gift. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the nation’s leading experts on the Affordable Care Act breaks down its track record and weighs in on the stakes the historic health care law faces in the lead-up to the election.Guest:Larry Levitt, Executive Vice President for Health Policy, KFFLearn 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.Support this type of journalism today, with a gift. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The next U.S. president will have to make consequential choices about the Affordable Care Act, prescription drug prices and abortion. We compare the positions of candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump on these major health policy issues. (NOTE: This episode has been updated to clarify the number of people who would lose health coverage if Affordable Care Act enhanced subsidies expired.)Guests:Michael Cannon, Director of Health Policy Studies, Cato InstituteEderlina Co, JD, Associate Professor of Law, University of the PacificCynthia Cox, Vice President and Director of Program on the ACA, KFFStacie Dusetzina, PhD, Professor of Health Policy, Vanderbilt University Medical CenterBenedic Ippolito, PhD, Senior Fellow, American Enterprise InstituteRyan Levi, Reporter/Producer, TradeoffsLearn 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.Support this type of journalism today, with a gift. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Journalist Paula Span, who writes The New Old Age column for the New York Times, shares what she’s learned about how to age well.Guest:Paula Span, reporter and The New Old Age columnist for the New York TimesLearn 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.Support this type of journalism today, with a gift. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

U.S. companies are rethinking their healthcare strategies as costs soar, with many opting to invest in on-site primary care clinics. This trend emphasizes cutting out insurers and bridging access gaps for employees like Lee Sagraves. Personal stories highlight the challenges of managing chronic conditions within a fragmented system. With a proactive approach to employee health, businesses hope to streamline care and reduce expenses, sparking discussions about equity and the future of workplace healthcare.

For decades, the most effective treatment for addiction to methamphetamine or cocaine has been mired in stigma and mostly limited to small research studies. But with deaths involving meth and cocaine on the rise, policymakers across the country are turning to gift cards to fight drug use.This story has been updated to clarify the research on long-term effects of contingency management and the eligibility requirements to deliver contingency management through CalAIM.Credits:Stephen Higgins, PhD, Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry, University of VermontRichard Rawson, PhD, Professor Emeritus, UCLA Department of PsychologyAndrew Dertien, Contingency Management Coordinator, HealthRIGHT 360Bernard GrovesAyesha Appa, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, UCSF and San Francisco General HospitalTyler Sadwith, Medicaid Director, California Department of Health Care ServicesLearn 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.Support this type of journalism today, with a gift. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Christine Baeder, President of Apotex USA, Alfred Engelberg, a retired attorney with a focus on the generic pharmaceutical industry, and Jeremy Greene, a professor at Johns Hopkins, dive into the rising costs of life-saving medications. They discuss the emotional toll on patients facing exorbitant prices and the struggles generics face against patent-holding brand companies. The conversation also covers the implications of recent reforms like the Inflation Reduction Act and the ongoing challenges of ensuring affordable medication access for all.