In this episode, we're speaking with Dr. Maria Polyakova, Professor of Health Policy and Economics at Stanford, about how insurance design influences far more than access to healthcare.  Simply put, what if health insurance isn’t just about paying for care, but it's one of the biggest levers shaping the economy itself?

From Germany’s expansion of long-term care insurance that unexpectedly reduced unemployment, to IVF coverage that reshaped who gets to have children, Dr. Polyakova reveals how health policy acts as both economic stimulus and social design. She also explores why inefficiency, not just ideology, is one of the greatest barriers to reform in the U.S., and why fixing administrative waste might do more for Americans than any new program.