Tradeoffs

Nebraska Medicaid Director Drew Gonshorowski says the state’s data capabilities put it in a strong position to quickly implement the historic changes. Advocates and researchers warn that eligible people may still fall through the cracks.

Guest(s):

• Drew Gonshorowski, Director of Medicaid and Long Term Care, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services
• Benjamin Sommers, Huntley Quelch Professor of Health Care Economics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health 
• Amy Behnke, CEO, Health Center Association of Nebraska

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

This episode was produced by Julie Wernau, 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.

Special thanks to Adrianna McIntyre, Rebecca Myerson, Kinda Serafi and Andrea Skolkin.

Tradeoffs 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.

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

Four years after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the fight over abortion access continues to rage. In Wyoming, where abortion is still legal but under constant legal challenge, OB-GYN and abortion provider Giovannina Anthony is helping lead the fight to keep it that way.

In this episode of Tradeoffs, Dr. Anthony shares what it's like to provide abortion care in a time of so much legal uncertainty, and how the ongoing battles over abortion laws, reproductive health and medication abortion are affecting physicians and patients in one of the nation's most conservative states.

Guest:

• Giovannina Anthony, OB-GYN, GMA Health

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

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

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

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 deep dive on the unique mental health challenges faced by immigrants in America, produced by Call to Mind from American Public Media.

Learn more and read a full transcript on our website.

This episode was produced by Call to Mind, American Public Media's initiative to foster new conversations about mental health. The program was produced and written by senior producer Jessica Bari, edited by Stephen Smith and hosted by Angela Davis. It featured reporting by Jessica Bari, Cari Spencer and Kristi Marohn. The technical director is Josh Savageau, and Hans Buetow scored the show. 

Additional thanks to Mohammad Ebrahim for his translation. This episode was produced and mixed for Tradeoffs by Ryan Levi. The Tradeoffs theme song was composed by Ty Citerman.

Find more reporting on mental health from Call to Mind on their website, on your local public radio station, or by subscribing to the Call to Mind podcast.

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Donate to support our work. Tradeoffs is a nonprofit, powered by listeners.

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

We talk with STAT News reporter Lizzy Lawrence about the agency’s recent turmoil and its hunt for a new leader.

Guest:

• Lizzy Lawrence, FDA Reporter, STAT News

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 Leslie Walker, edited by Ryan Levi and Dan Gorenstein, and mixed by 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 Alex Hogan.

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

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

Two physicians and an ethicist discuss how to make the best decisions in areas like artificial intelligence and gender-affirming care when there is limited evidence in a live conversation recorded at Aspen Ideas: Health.

Guests:

• Ishani Ganguli, Primary Care Physician, Associate Professor of Medicine; Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital
• Christine Yu Moutier, Chief Medical Officer, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention 
• Vardit Ravitsky, President, Hastings Center for Bioethics

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

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 Ifrah Asmat, Eric Baker, Tonya Bauer, Katie Taylor and Ryan Zynger [zinger].

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(s):

• 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.

Washington is one of 19 states that have received federal approval to enroll people in Medicaid before they leave jail or prison — a radical change in Medicaid policy that health care and law enforcement leaders believe will save lives. 

But this experiment in bringing Medicaid behind bars is now colliding with H.R. 1, the sweeping federal law that is forcing states to make major changes to Medicaid.

Guest(s):

• Autumn Boylan, Deputy director, California Department of Health Care Services
• Lauren Brinkley-Rubinstein, Professor, Population Health Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine
• Cody Coughenour
• Pete Croughan, Deputy secretary, Louisiana Department of Health
• Bruce Greenstein, Secretary, Louisiana Department of Health 
• Tyron Nixon, Medicaid Reentry Transformation Implementation Manager, Washington State Health Care Authority
• Emma Sandoe, Medicaid director, Oregon
• Penelope Sapp, Chief of corrections, Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office
• Marc Stern, Former assistant secretary for health care at the Washington Department of Corrections
• Tamara Vanover, Mental health specialist, Clallam County Sheriff’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 reported by Julie Wernau, edited by Dan Gorenstein and Ryan Levi, 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 Gabrielle de la Gueronniere, Jody Rich and Kinda Serafi. 

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

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

The No Surprises Act was designed to protect patients from unexpected medical bills, but nearly four years after the law took effect, many experts say parts of its implementation aren't working as intended. Insurers, hospitals, physician groups and federal regulators continue to battle over the law's payment dispute process, raising questions about whether one of the nation's most significant health care consumer protection laws is achieving its goals.

In this special live episode of Tradeoffs, host Dan Gorenstein moderates a conversation with three leading experts on surprise medical billing, health insurance regulation and federal health policy. They explain how the No Surprises Act was implemented, how litigation has shaped the arbitration process, why providers have won a disproportionate share of payment disputes and what policymakers could do to improve the law.

Guests:

• Zack Cooper, Associate Professor of Public Health and of Economics, Yale University; Director of Health Policy, Tobin Center for Economic Policy; Director, Health Care Affordability Lab at Yale
• Benjamin Chartock, Assistant Professor of Economics, Bentley University
• Lindsey Murtagh, Senior Fellow in Health Services, Policy and Practice, Brown University School of Public Health
• Rachel Werner, Executive Director, Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics; Professor of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

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.

Hundreds of U.S. courts offer treatment over prison for some defendants with mental illness. But critics say mental health courts have outpaced research on their effectiveness.

Guest(s):

• Grace Hauck, Investigative reporter, Illinois Answers Project 
• Debra Pinals, Adjunct Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical School and Law School

Learn more on our website.

Check out our 2025 Impact Report: https://tradeoffs.org/2025-impact-report/.

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Support this type of journalism today, with a gift.

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Every year, millions of people’s medical care runs into the roadblock known as prior authorization, which requires an insurer to sign off before chemotherapy, surgery or countless other services can proceed. Who does this often onerous process help, who does it hurt and how could it work better for everyone?

Guests:

Tom Roberts, Oncologist, Mass General Cancer Center

Aaron Schwartz, Assistant Professor, Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy and Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

Kathleen, Caregiver

Learn more 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.