

A Health Podyssey
Health Affairs
Each week, Health Affairs' Rob Lott brings you in-depth conversations with leading researchers and influencers shaping the big ideas in health policy and the health care industry.
A Health Podyssey goes beyond the pages of the health policy journal Health Affairs to tell stories behind the research and share policy implications. Learn how academics and economists frame their research questions and journey to the intersection of health, health care, and policy. Health policy nerds rejoice! This podcast is for you.
A Health Podyssey goes beyond the pages of the health policy journal Health Affairs to tell stories behind the research and share policy implications. Learn how academics and economists frame their research questions and journey to the intersection of health, health care, and policy. Health policy nerds rejoice! This podcast is for you.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jul 29, 2025 • 26min
Margaret Sieger on How a Novel Policy Shift Reduced Child Protective Services Reports & Foster Placements
Health Affairs' Rob Lott interviews Margaret Sieger of the University of Kansas Medical Center about her recent paper that reviews how Connecticut's novel prenatal substance exposure policy was associated with declining Child Protective Services reports and foster placements. Order the July 2025 issue of Health Affairs.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

Jul 22, 2025 • 21min
J. Wyatt Koma on the Latest Medicare Enrollment Patterns
Health Affairs' Rob Lott interviews J. Wyatt Koma of Harvard University about his recent paper that explores enrollment trends and characteristics of low-income beneficiaries within Medicare Savings Programs.Order the July 2025 issue of Health Affairs.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

Jul 15, 2025 • 23min
Bohan Li on Two Decades of Medicaid Managed Care Market Changes
Health Affairs' Rob Lott interviews Bohan Li of Harvard University about her recent paper that explores substantial shifts in market landscape and acquisitions in Medicaid managed care.Order the July 2025 issue of Health Affairs.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

Jul 8, 2025 • 28min
Paula Chatterjee on Rural Hospital Finances Under Pennsylvania's Health Model
Health Affairs' Rob Lott interviews Paula Chatterjee of the University of Pennsylvania about her recent paper that explores whether or not rural hospitals saw financial improvements from participation in the Pennsylvania Rural Health Model.Order the July 2025 issue of Health Affairs.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

Jul 1, 2025 • 28min
Uché Blackstock on The Multi-Faceted Policies to Achieve Health Equity
Health Affairs' Rob Lott interviews Uché Blackstock, CEO and Founder of Advancing Health Equity (AHE), on her experiences founding AHE in 2019, the mission statement of the organization to pursue health equity in health care, and her generational memoir, LEGACY: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine. 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

Jun 24, 2025 • 23min
Robert Burke on The Impact of Value-Based Purchasing Programs on Skilled Nursing Facilities
In this discussion, Robert Burke, a hospitalist and associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania, delves into his recent research on value-based purchasing programs for skilled nursing facilities. He highlights the crucial transition from hospitals to these facilities and addresses the emotional toll on older adults during this shift. Burke reveals that many quality improvement efforts show limited impact on patient outcomes, often resulting in penalties for facilities instead of incentives. He also uncovers significant gaps in communication that hinder program effectiveness.

Jun 17, 2025 • 22min
MacKenzie Hughes on Health Outcomes and Costs Associated with Transitional Care
Health Affairs' Rob Lott interviews MacKenzie Hughes of NORC at the University of Chicago about her recent paper reviewing how transitional care management was associated with healthier days at home and lower spending after hospital discharges for patients.Order the June 2025 issue of Health Affairs.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

Jun 10, 2025 • 20min
Keith Drake on How Authorized Generics Shape Drug Competition
Health Affairs' Rob Lott interviews Keith Drake of Greylock McKinnon Associates about his recent paper that explores trends in authorized generic drug launches and the effects observed on competition in pharmaceutical markets in the US. Order the June 2025 issue of Health Affairs.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

Jun 3, 2025 • 34min
Thomas Dobbs on the Backsliding of Public Health Funding, the Field's Current Career Potential, & Being Attached to That One Supreme Court Case
Health Affairs' Rob Lott interviews Thomas Dobbs of the University of Mississippi Medical Center to offer observations on the current state of public health funding, current career potential in the public health field, and reflections from being the namesake on the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization Supreme Court Case.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

May 27, 2025 • 43min
Andrew Ryan on State Affordability Standards' Impact on Hospital Prices and Insurance Premiums
In this discussion, Andrew Ryan, a Health Services expert from Brown University, delves into Rhode Island's groundbreaking affordability standards. He highlights how these standards have significantly reduced hospital prices and influenced insurance premiums. Listeners learn about the nuances of the regulatory framework and the impact on both fully insured and self-funded plans. Ryan also addresses the declining hospital revenue and the implications for financial health in the sector. Excitingly, he explores the potential for global budgeting and hospital price caps to further enhance affordability.