Tradeoffs

The Inflation Reduction Act gave Medicare historic new power to directly negotiate the prices of some of the costliest prescription drugs. Now the federal agency must grapple with a difficult question: What makes a drug price fair?This week, we revisit our 2023 episode explaining how this negotiation process works and the impact it could have.Guests:Anton Avanceña, PhD, Assistant Professor of Health Outcomes, University of Texas Darius Lakdawalla, PhD, Professor of Pharmaceutical Economics and Public Policy, University of Southern California Lauren Neves, JD, Deputy Vice President, PhRMASteve Pearson, MD, MSc, Founder and President, Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER)Ben Rome, MD, MPH, physician and researcher, Harvard Medical SchoolMeena Seshamani, MD, PhD, Deputy Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid ServicesLeslie Walker, Senior Producer/Reporter, TradeoffsLearn more and read a full transcript 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.

Ishani Ganguli, MD, MPH, is an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and primary care physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital. She discusses the latest in cancer screening technologies like blood tests and full-body MRIs, weighing their potential benefits against psychological impacts and risks. The conversation also highlights the emotional toll on patients and doctors when navigating cancer diagnoses. Ganguli emphasizes the need for clearer doctor-patient communication to enhance understanding and accessibility in cancer care.

Alternative response teams are being asked to tackle vexing problems: mental illness, homelessness, addiction. How much can they actually do? We explore how Durham grapples with connecting people to long-term care and support, and where the city draws the line between crisis response and social services.Guests:Ryan Smith, Director, Durham Community Safety DepartmentSammetta Cutler, Peer Support Specialist, Durham Community Safety DepartmentSarah Hall, Durham residentDavid Prater, Peer Support Specialist, Durham Community Safety DepartmentJohn Warasila, Real estate developer and architect, Alliance ArchitectureBo Ferguson, Deputy City Manager, DurhamPatrice Andrews, Police Chief, Durham Police DepartmentChristie Thompson, Staff Writer, The Marshall ProjectAllison Casey, EMT, Durham Community Safety DepartmentEMS, Fire, Police and the 911 Call Center make up the existing four branches of the public safety system. A special series from Tradeoffs and The Marshall Project explores how a city radically changes its response to people in crisis, by creating a fifth branch. Nearly half of the country’s 50 largest cities - including San Francisco, New York, Houston, Chicago - have launched programs to send unarmed responders to 911 calls historically handled by cops. In the process creating a new generation of first responders made up of clinicians, EMTs and unarmed mental health workers all responding to people who struggle with addiction, homelessness and mental illness. To understand this work we head to Durham, North Carolina, which has - in the face of skepticism and downright opposition - built one of the most comprehensive programs in the country.How did Durham pull off what so many cities have struggled to do? Tradeoffs and The Marshall Project examine this groundbreaking work and the challenges it’s facing, both in Durham and around the country.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.

How do you keep everyone safe? We look at HEART’s impact on the safety of Durham residents in crisis, the mental health workers responding, and the police.Guests:David Prater, Peer Support Specialist, Durham Department of Community SafetyRyan Smith, Director, Durham Department of Community SafetyYolanda, Durham residentSgt. Dan Leeder, Durham Police DepartmentPatrice Andrews, Police Chief, Durham Police DepartmentChristie Thompson, Staff Writer, The Marshall ProjectEMS, Fire, Police and the 911 Call Center make up the existing four branches of the public safety system. A special series from Tradeoffs and The Marshall Project explores how a city radically changes its response to people in crisis, by creating a fifth branch. Nearly half of the country’s 50 largest cities - including San Francisco, New York, Houston, Chicago - have launched programs to send unarmed responders to 911 calls historically handled by cops. In the process creating a new generation of first responders made up of clinicians, EMTs and unarmed mental health workers all responding to people who struggle with addiction, homelessness and mental illness. To understand this work we head to Durham, North Carolina, which has - in the face of skepticism and downright opposition - built one of the most comprehensive programs in the country.How did Durham pull off what so many cities have struggled to do? Tradeoffs and The Marshall Project examine this groundbreaking work and the challenges it’s facing, both in Durham and around the country.The Marshall Project's Christie Thompson reports on the state of alternative crisis response across the country.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.

How do you convince police officers that it makes sense to send unarmed mental health workers to some 911 calls?Guests:Patrice Andrews, Police Chief, Durham Police DepartmentRyan Smith, Director, Durham Department of Community SafetySgt. Dan Leeder, Durham Police DepartmentAbena Bediako, Clinical Manager, Durham Department of Community SafetyChristie Thompson, Staff Writer, The Marshall ProjectEMS, Fire, Police and the 911 Call Center make up the existing four branches of the public safety system. A special series from Tradeoffs and The Marshall Project explores how a city radically changes its response to people in crisis, by creating a fifth branch. Nearly half of the country’s 50 largest cities - including San Francisco, New York, Houston, Chicago - have launched programs to send unarmed responders to 911 calls historically handled by cops. In the process creating a new generation of first responders made up of clinicians, EMTs and unarmed mental health workers all responding to people who struggle with addiction, homelessness and mental illness. To understand this work we head to Durham, North Carolina, which has - in the face of skepticism and downright opposition - built one of the most comprehensive programs in the country.How did Durham pull off what so many cities have struggled to do? Tradeoffs and The Marshall Project examine this groundbreaking work and the challenges it’s facing, both in Durham and around the country.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.

EMS, Fire, Police and the 911 Call Center make up the existing four branches of the public safety system. A special series from Tradeoffs and The Marshall Project explores how a city radically changes its response to people in crisis, by creating a fifth branch. Nearly half of the country’s 50 largest cities - including San Francisco, New York, Houston, Chicago - have launched programs to send unarmed responders to 911 calls historically handled by cops. In the process creating a new generation of first responders made up of clinicians, EMTs and unarmed mental health workers all responding to people who struggle with addiction, homelessness and mental illness. To understand this work we head to Durham, North Carolina, which has - in the face of skepticism and downright opposition - built one of the most comprehensive programs in the country.How did Durham pull off what so many cities have struggled to do? Join Tradeoffs and The Marshall Project for our new series The Fifth Branch as we examine this groundbreaking work and the challenges it’s facing, both in Durham and around the country. Episodes drop July 18, July 25 and August 1.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.

In this special bonus episode, we break down the Supreme Court’s recent abortion rulings with help from health reporter Shefali Luthra.Guest:Shefali Luthra, Health Reporter, The 19thLearn more and read a full transcript 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.Follow us on Twitter.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Medicare is betting that taking care of the caregiver will help dementia patients stay at home longer. Patients and their caregivers are often left to navigate the confusing world of dementia by themselves, but Medicare is launching a new program to change that.Guests:Malaz Boustani, MD, PhD, Founding Director, Sandra Eskenazi Center for Brain Care Innovation; Professor of Aging Research, Indiana University School of Medicine Rosanne Corcoran, Caregiver Liz Fowler, PhD, JD, Director of CMMI and Deputy Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services  Cindi Hart, Caregiver Alex Olgin, Reporter/Producer, Tradeoffs Lauren Sullivan, Care Coordinator, Eskenazi Health Learn more and read a full transcript 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.Follow us on Twitter.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Guests Jack Gentry, Naomi Kirtner, and Jeff Goldenberg discuss the impact of medical errors and advocate for transparent communication in healthcare. They share heartbreaking stories, confront guilt, and emphasize the importance of accountability. The podcast explores how hospitals are improving patient safety through transparent error reporting and Communication and Resolution Programs.

Employers are facing a big dilemma: how do they pay for the new highly effective and popular obesity medications without breaking the bank? This week, the questions are forcing companies to re-examine their attitudes on obesity as the understanding of the disease deepens.Guests:Sean Scanlon, Connecticut ComptrollerJeff Levin-Scherz, WTW population health leaderMike Thompson, President of the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser CoalitionsOlivia Quagliani, PatientLearn more and read a full transcript on our website.We're also excited to share that you can now find Tradeoffs on YouTube! Still not enough 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.