Tradeoffs

Our friends at An Arm and a Leg dig into why Medicare Advantage plans that cover millions of seniors are disappearing from the market.

Learn more and read a transcript of the episode on our website. Click here for updates to the story and tips on how to navigate Medicare open enrollment.

This story was produced for An Arm and a Leg by Emily Pisacreta, with help from Lynn Barbera and Dan Weissmann. It was edited by Ellen Weiss and mixed by Adam Raymonda. Izabella Kulkarni provided additional production help. Music by Dave Weiner and Blue Dot Sessions.

An Arm and a Leg is produced in partnership with KFF Health News and distributed by KUOW. An Arm and a Leg’s reporting for this story was supported in part by Arnold Ventures.

Want more Tradeoffs? Join more than 5,500 readers who trust Tradeoffs for clear, deeply reported health policy insights. Sign up for our free weekly newsletter.

Tradeoffs helps you cut through the noise with clear, deeply reported journalism on the forces driving health care's toughest choices — reporting you won't find anywhere else. If our work helps you stay informed, support it with a donation today.

This episode was produced for Tradeoffs by Ryan Levi and mixed by Andrew Parrella.

The Tradeoffs theme song was composed by Ty Citerman.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Trump administration’s decimation of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has many academics deeply concerned.

Guests:

• Aaron Carroll, President and CEO, Academy Health
• Sebastian Tong, Family Physician and Associate Professor, University of Washington School of Medicine

Learn more: Read the full reporting and explore additional resources on our website.

Want more Tradeoffs? Join more than 5,500 readers who trust Tradeoffs for clear, deeply reported health policy insights. Sign up for our free weekly newsletter.

Tradeoffs helps you cut through the noise with clear, deeply reported journalism on the forces driving health care's toughest choices — reporting you won't find anywhere else. If our work helps you stay informed, support it with a donation today.

This episode was produced by Brit Stáinnak Hanson, edited by Ryan Levi and Dan Gorenstein, and mixed by Andrew Parrella and Cedric Wilson.

The Tradeoffs theme song was composed by Ty Citerman. Additional music this episode from Blue Dot Sessions and Epidemic Sound.

Special thanks to Lauren Adams, Stuart Buck, Dawn Ferdinand, Amal Trivedi, Elizabeth Viglianti and Quincy White.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the second episode of our special series on medical debt, we explore lessons from Oregon’s aggressive legislation to push hospitals to prevent patients from falling into medical debt.

Guests:

Sara R. Collins, Senior Scholar, Commonwealth Fund

Lawrence J. Furnstahl, Former Chief Financial Officer, Oregon Health & Science University

Sean Kolmer, Executive Vice President, External Affairs, Hospital Association of Oregon

Rob Nosse, Oregon House of Representatives

​Lisa Reynolds, Oregon Senate

Adam Zarrin, Director, State Government Affairs; Blood Cancer United

This episode was reported by Melanie Evans, edited by Dan Gorenstein and Ryan Levi and mixed by Andrew Parrella.

The Tradeoffs theme song was composed by Ty Citerman. Additional music this episode from Blue Dot Sessions and Epidemic Sound.

Learn more: Read the full reporting and explore additional resources on our website.

Want more Tradeoffs? Join more than 5,500 readers who trust Tradeoffs for clear, deeply reported health policy insights. Sign up for our free weekly newsletter.

Tradeoffs helps you cut through the noise with clear, deeply reported journalism on the forces driving health care's toughest choices — reporting you won't find anywhere else. If our work helps you stay informed, support it with a donation today.

Special thanks to Joe Amditis, Big Local News, Jason Buxbaum, Fred Cerise, Betsy Cliff, Elizabeth Colvin, Hacks/Hackers, Keith Hearle, Arthur Hong, Jake Kara, Ray Kluender, Luke Messac, Brian Mittendorf, Paige Moody, Dilcia Mercedes, Charles Minshew, Matthew Notowidigdo, Eli Rushbanks, Tatiane Santos, Eva Stahl, Jared Walker and Derek Willis.

Tradeoffs reporting for this story was supported, in part, by the California Health Care Foundation, the National Institute for Health Care Management Foundation and the Solutions Journalism Network.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hospitals can automatically wipe out the cost of care for low-income patients. A Tradeoffs analysis finds that hospitals in Texas could be doing more to protect people from unaffordable bills.

See the full series at tradeoffs.org/hiddenhelp.

Guests:

• Erin Fuse Brown, professor of health services, policy and practice, director of the health policy and law lab, Brown University
• Aimee Carlock, Grapevine, Texas, resident, patient
• Jill Horwitz, Trobman Innovation professor of law,
• professor of emergency medicine, Northwestern University
• Neale Mahoney, professor of economics, Trione Director of Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, Stanford University
• Dr. Tom Oliverson, Texas Representative
• Anna Stelter, vice president of policy, Texas Hospital Association
• Rebecca Wahl, Houston resident, patient

Learn more: Read the full reporting and explore additional resources on our website.

Want more Tradeoffs? Join more than 5,500 readers who trust Tradeoffs for clear, deeply reported health policy insights. Sign up for our free weekly newsletter.

Tradeoffs helps you cut through the noise with clear, deeply reported journalism on the forces driving health care's toughest choices — reporting you won't find anywhere else. If our work helps you stay informed, support it with a donation today.

This episode was reported by Melanie Evans and Dan Gorenstein, edited by Ryan Levi, and mixed by Andrew Parrella. Haley Lerner contributed to this report.

The Tradeoffs theme song was composed by Ty Citerman. Additional music this episode from Blue Dot Sessions and Epidemic Sound.

Special thanks to Joe Amditis, Big Local News, Jason Buxbaum, Fred Cerise, Elizabeth Colvin, Hacks/Hackers, Keith Hearle, Arthur Hong, Jake Kara, Ray Kluender, Luke Messac, Brian Mittendorf, Paige Moody, Dilcia Mercedes, Charles Minshew, Matthew Notowidigdo, Eva Stahl and Derek Willis.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As millions of Americans are expected to lose health insurance coverage following federal cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, states are searching for new ways to prevent medical debt before it starts.

In this episode of Tradeoffs, economist Neale Mahoney explains the research into strategies for relief from high healthcare costs and evaluates policy fixes to protect consumers.

Guest:

• Neale Mahoney, professor of economics, Trione Director of Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, Stanford University.

Learn more: Read the full reporting and explore additional resources on our website.

Want more Tradeoffs? Join more than 5,500 readers who trust Tradeoffs for clear, deeply reported health policy insights. Sign up for our free weekly newsletter.

Tradeoffs helps you cut through the noise with clear, deeply reported journalism on the forces driving health care's toughest choices — reporting you won't find anywhere else. If our work helps you stay informed, support it with a donation today.

This episode was produced by Melanie Evans, edited by Ryan Levi and Dan Gorenstein, and mixed by Andrew Parrella.

The Tradeoffs theme song was composed by Ty Citerman. Additional music this episode from Blue Dot Sessions and Epidemic Sound.

Tradeoffs reporting for this story was supported, in part, by Arnold Ventures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A live conversation with a bipartisan group of state Medicaid leaders on the impact of the Trump administration’s aggressive anti-fraud push.

Guests:

• Amir Bassiri, Medicaid Director, New York State Department of Health
• Paula Chatterjee, Director of Innovation, Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics; Assistant Professor of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine
• Drew Gonshorowski, Former Medicaid Director, State of Nebraska
• Kevin Lownds, Division Chief, Medicaid Fraud Division, Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office

Learn more: Read the full reporting and explore additional resources on our website.

Want more Tradeoffs? Join more than 5,500 readers who trust Tradeoffs for clear, deeply reported health policy insights. Sign up for our free weekly newsletter.

Tradeoffs helps you cut through the noise with clear, deeply reported journalism on the forces driving health care's toughest choices — reporting you won't find anywhere else. If our work helps you stay informed, support it with a donation today.

This episode was produced by Ryan Levi and mixed by Andrew Parrella.

The Tradeoffs theme song was composed by Ty Citerman.

Special thanks to Silvana Dillon, Dave Grande, Julia Hinckley, Hoag Levin and Katie Milholin.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

911 calls related to mental health are the most likely to involve police use of force. A new book offers a blueprint for a 911 redesign that could save lives.

Guests:

• Rebecca Neusteter, Executive Director, University of Chicago Health Lab; Author of “911, What’s Your Emergency? The Promise and Peril of Crisis Response”
• Ed Gonzalez, Sheriff, Harris County, Texas

Learn more: Read the full reporting and explore additional resources on our website.

Want more Tradeoffs? Join more than 5,500 readers who trust Tradeoffs for clear, deeply reported health policy insights. Sign up for our free weekly newsletter.

Tradeoffs helps you cut through the noise with clear, deeply reported journalism on the forces driving health care's toughest choices — reporting you won't find anywhere else. If our work helps you stay informed, support it with a donation today.

This episode was produced by Christine Herman, edited by Ryan Levi and Dan Gorenstein, and mixed by Andrew Parrella and Cedric Wilson.

The Tradeoffs theme song was composed by Ty Citerman. Additional music this episode from Blue Dot Sessions and Epidemic Sound.

Tradeoffs reporting for this story was supported, in part, by the Sozosei Foundation.

Thanks to all our listeners who help to support our work, including Daniel Woflson, Misha Fotoohi, Susan Carrel, Ellise Verheyen, Harold Pollack and David Asher.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cash-strapped states and struggling families are wrestling with the consequences of major reforms to the SNAP program passed as part of Republicans’ Big Beautiful Bill.

Guests:

• Romina Boccia, Director of Budget and Entitlement Policy, Cato Institute
• Chloe East, Associate Professor of Economics, University of Colorado Boulder
• Joël McClurg, former SNAP compliance officer
• Leslie Walker, senior reporter, Tradeoffs
• John Waxler, SNAP applicant
• Lori Ventura, operations director, Free Senior Health Clinic

This episode was reported and produced by Leslie Walker, edited by Ryan Levi and Dan Gorenstein, and mixed by Andrew Parrella.

The Tradeoffs theme song was composed by Ty Citerman. Additional music this episode from Blue Dot Sessions and Epidemic Sound.

Special thanks to Jossie Barroso, Jack Cardinal, Cindy Huddleston, Acadia Jacob, Joseph Llobrera and Kenny Palmer.

Learn more: Read the full reporting and explore additional resources on our website.

Want more Tradeoffs? Join more than 5,500 readers who trust Tradeoffs for clear, deeply reported health policy insights. Sign up for our free weekly newsletter.

Tradeoffs helps you cut through the noise with clear, deeply reported journalism on the forces driving health care's toughest choices — reporting you won't find anywhere else. If our work helps you stay informed, support it with a donation today.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a live conversation recorded at Aspen Ideas: Health, executives from a hospital, insurer and pharmacy join a top Trump administration official and leading health economist to discuss how to collectively bring down health care costs.

Guests:

• Stephanie Carlton, Deputy Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
• Brendan Carr, CEO, Mount Sinai Health System
• David Cutler, Professor of Applied Economics, Harvard University
• Katerina Guerraz, Chief Operating Officer, Aetna; President, Aetna Medicaid
• John Love, Vice President, Amazon Pharmacy

Watch a video of this conversation at Aspen Ideas: Health, along with another conversation about medical uncertainty moderated by our host Dan Gorenstein.

This episode was produced by Ryan Levi and mixed by Andrew Parrella.

The Tradeoffs theme song was composed by Ty Citerman.

Special thanks to Ifrah Asmat, Eric Baker, Tonya Bauer, Katie Taylor and Ryan Zynger.

Learn more: Read the full reporting and explore additional resources on our website.

Want more Tradeoffs? Join more than 5,500 readers who trust Tradeoffs for clear, deeply reported health policy insights. Sign up for our free weekly newsletter.

Tradeoffs helps you cut through the noise with clear, deeply reported journalism on the forces driving health care's toughest choices — reporting you won't find anywhere else. If our work helps you stay informed, support it with a donation today.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A candid conversation between a professor and a Ph.D. candidate about potential funding cuts from the National Institutes of Health and their impact on the future of medical research.

Guests:

• Yvonne Commodore-Mensah, Associate Professor, Associate Dean of Research, Johns Hopkins School of Nursing
• Laura Mata López, PhD Candidate, Johns Hopkins School of Nursing

This episode was produced by Ryan Levi, edited by Dan Gorenstein and mixed by Andrew Parrella and Cedric Wilson.

The Tradeoffs theme song was composed by Ty Citerman. Additional music this episode from Blue Dot Sessions and Epidemic Sound.

Additional thanks to Rachel Bender Ignacio, Jeremy Berg, Otis Brawley, Aaron Carroll, Dan Cooper, Elena Fuentes-Afflick, Robert Kelchen, Daniel Martinez, Raphe Reggie, Sarah Spreitzer and Sarah Szanton.

Reporting for this episode was supported in part by Arnold Ventures.

Learn more: Read the full reporting and explore additional resources on our website.

Want more Tradeoffs? Join more than 5,500 readers who trust Tradeoffs for clear, deeply reported health policy insights. Sign up for our free weekly newsletter.

Tradeoffs helps you cut through the noise with clear, deeply reported journalism on the forces driving health care's toughest choices — reporting you won't find anywhere else. If our work helps you stay informed, support it with a donation today.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.