
A Health Podyssey
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.
Latest episodes

Mar 11, 2025 • 24min
Richard Leuchter on ED Underuse Among Disadvantaged Communities
Subscribe to UnitedHealthcare's Community & State newsletter.Health Affairs' Senior Deputy Editor Rob Lott interviews Richard Leuchter from the University of California Los Angeles on his recent paper that explores how socioeconomically disadvantaged groups may have underused emergency departments for non-avoidable visits.Order the March 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 podcasts free for everyone.
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Mar 4, 2025 • 26min
Jihye Han Compares First-In-Class Drug Regulation in the US and Europe
Subscribe to UnitedHealthcare's Community & State newsletter.Health Affairs' Senior Deputy Editor Rob Lott interviews Jihye Han of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard University on her recent paper that takes a closer look at the regulatory treatments for first-in-class drugs and how those differ between the US and Europe.Order the March 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 podcasts free for everyone.
Subscribe to UnitedHealthcare's Community & State newsletter.

Feb 25, 2025 • 24min
Zirui Song on Private Equity’s Effect on Hospital Costs and Utilization
Subscribe to UnitedHealthcare's Community & State newsletter.Health Affairs' Senior Deputy Editor Rob Lott interviews Zirui Song of Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital on his recent paper that explores how private equity acquisition impacts hospital costs and utilization and what variations were seen throughout 2005–19. Order the February 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 podcasts free for everyone.
Subscribe to UnitedHealthcare's Community & State newsletter.

Feb 18, 2025 • 38min
J. Michael McWilliams on the Effects of Patient Survey Data on Risk Adjustment
Subscribe to UnitedHealthcare's Community & State newsletter.Health Affairs' Senior Deputy Editor Rob Lott interviews J. Michael McWilliams of Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital on his recent paper that explores opportunities for the use of patient health survey data for risk adjustment to limit distortionary coding incentives in Medicare. Order the January 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 podcasts free for everyone.
Subscribe to UnitedHealthcare's Community & State newsletter.

Feb 11, 2025 • 25min
Jennifer Wolff on The Growing Number of Family Caregivers for Older Adults
Subscribe to UnitedHealthcare's Community & State newsletter.Health Affairs' Senior Deputy Editor Rob Lott interviews Jennifer Wolff of John Hopkins University about her recent paper that explores the increasing number of family caregivers that are assisting older US adults, including adults with dementia. Order the February 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 podcasts free for everyone.
Subscribe to UnitedHealthcare's Community & State newsletter.

Feb 4, 2025 • 31min
Don Berwick on How to Fix US Health Care
Subscribe to UnitedHealthcare's Community & State newsletter.Health Affairs' Senior Deputy Editor Rob Lott interviews Don Berwick of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement about his paper as part of the Vital Directions for Health and Health Care: Priorities for 2025 package that proposes strategies for how health care in the US could be transformed.Order the February 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 podcasts free for everyone.
Subscribe to UnitedHealthcare's Community & State newsletter.

Jan 28, 2025 • 27min
Paige Nong Tracks the Use Of AI & Predictive Models In US Hospitals
Subscribe to UnitedHealthcare's Community & State newsletter.Health Affairs' Senior Deputy Editor Rob Lott interviews Paige Nong of the University of Minnesota about her recent paper that evaluates and explores the current use of artificial intelligence and predictive models in US hospitals.Order the January 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 podcasts free for everyone.
Subscribe to UnitedHealthcare's Community & State newsletter.

Dec 24, 2024 • 18min
Michael Lens on Low-Density Zoning and Neighborhood Segregation
Subscribe to UnitedHealthcare's Community & State newsletter.A Health Podyssey is taking a holiday break. We will return to regular production on January 14, 2025.Until that time, enjoy a special series we created on our other podcast, Health Affairs This Week. In this special series, Rob Lott gets an update on health policy briefs surrounding the release of our theme issue on housing and health, which was released in February of this year.In this episode, Health Affairs' Rob Lott interviews Michael Lens from the University of California Los Angeles.Order the issue here.Subscribe to Health Affairs This Week.Related Links:Low-Density Zoning, Health, and Health Equity (Health Affairs)Residential Segregation and Health: History, Harms, and Next Steps (Health Affairs)Public Policies to Address Residential Segregation and Improve Health (Health Affairs)
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Dec 18, 2024 • 41min
Research and Justice For All: AAMC Is Working To Thread Healthy Outcomes Through Health Equity
Subscribe to UnitedHealthcare's Community & State newsletter.Guest: Philip Alberti, Founding Director, AAMC Center for Health Justice & Senior Director, Health Equity Research & Policy at the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)Rhea Boyd, MD, MPH, Pediatrician and Child and Public Health Advocate, interviews Philip Alberti from the AAMC to discuss health outcomes and what it means to achieve health equity across sectors.This season is sponsored by Deloitte.Learn more about Deloitte's work with Drivers of Health or the Deloitte Health Equity Institute.Related Links: The projected costs and economic impact of mental health inequities in the United States (Deloitte)US health care can't afford health inequities (Deloitte)The $2.8 trillion opportunity: How better health for all can drive US economic growth (Deloitte)Ohio Presents Opportunities For Understanding Hospital Alignment With Public Health Agencies On Community Health Assessments (Health Affairs) To Design Equitable Value-Based Payment Systems, We Must Adjust For Social Risk (Health Affairs) The views and opinions expressed by podcast speakers and guests are solely their own and do not reflect the opinions of Deloitte or its personnel, nor does Deloitte advocate or endorse any individuals or entities featured on the episodes.
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Dec 17, 2024 • 16min
Ingrid Gould Ellen on Housing Mobility and Health
Subscribe to UnitedHealthcare's Community & State newsletter.A Health Podyssey is taking a holiday break. We will return to regular production on January 14, 2025.Until that time, enjoy a special series we created on our other podcast, Health Affairs This Week. In this special series, Rob Lott gets an update on health policy briefs surrounding the release of our theme issue on housing and health, which was released in February of this year.In this episode, Health Affairs' Rob Lott interviews Ingrid Gould Ellen from the NYU Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy.Order the issue here.Subscribe to Health Affairs This Week.Related Links:Eviction and Health: A Vicious Cycle Exacerbated by a Pandemic (Health Affairs)Housing Mobility Programs and Health Outcomes (Health Affairs)Gentrification and the Health of Legacy Residents (Health Affairs)
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