Tradeoffs

As adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities strive to live more freely and fully than ever before, many of America’s doctors, hospitals and insurers are getting in the way. We get an inside look at one doctor’s quest to improve health care for people with conditions like Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and autism. https://lnkd.in/eQYnfPjq

As an independent newsroom, Tradeoffs relies on donations to keep the lights on and tomorrow is the last day of our year-end fundraising campaign! We’re so close to hitting our goal of getting 100 new donors and we need your support. If our work has helped you better understand health policy this year, we hope you’ll donate today. https://bit.ly/3Z3ETQO

Our special series, The Fifth Branch, in partnership with The Marshall Project, examines what it looks like when one community dramatically changes how it responds to people in crisis. In the first episode, we hear from Ryan Smith, Director of Durham’s Department of Community Safety, and Patrice Andrews, Durham’s Chief of Police about how they convinced rank and file police officers that it makes sense to send unarmed mental health workers to some 911 calls. Listen to “Convincing the Cops” now: https://lnkd.in/eCwsC72Q

The U.S. has relied on cheap, effective generic drugs for 40 years. Now that promise is under threat. Supply chain vulnerabilities, rising costs, and limited competition could disrupt access to essential medicines that millions rely on daily. https://lnkd.in/eRphiZTV

RFK Jr. has been tapped to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and “make America healthy again.” But what power does the HHS secretary actually wield? We asked someone who’s done the job. https://lnkd.in/em9NQZUv

I started Tradeoffs with a clear goal: help people engage in smarter, more informed health policy discussions. With significant policy changes potentially ahead, that mission is more crucial than ever. And so is your support. As an independent newsroom, we rely on you to keep producing the journalism you trust. Join the 70 new donors this year and help us meet our fundraising goal by making your tax-deductible donation today. Thanks!

Five years ago it was nearly impossible in the U.S. to compare prices for medical care as you would in buying a car or TV. But Trump enacted two rules in his first term requiring hospitals and insurance companies to make their prices public. By one measure they made a vast number of health care prices that were once secret, out in the open. But by other measures, the rules have fallen short. Prices are still sometimes unavailable, inaccurate and indecipherable. This week, Melanie Evans and Dan Gorenstein talk about what the next Trump administration and Congress could do to strengthen health care price transparency as a tool for businesses and consumers. https://lnkd.in/gh6nnhWJ

Earlier this year, Ryan Levi produced The Fifth Branch—our series exploring what it looks like when one community reimagines the way it responds to people in crisis. It took several trips, 100+ conversations, and 150 hours of interviews to bring you the most complete picture of mental health emergency services in America. This level of journalism doesn’t happen overnight — and it doesn’t happen without your support. Donate $5 today to help us continue producing the thoughtful, deeply reported health policy journalism you value: https://lnkd.in/gYJeGgSy

I was Thrilled to join Dan Gorenstein on Tradeoffs to discuss the deeper, systemic issues behind America’s soaring health care costs. Tune in here: https://lnkd.in/e6UYHEFv

The murder of UnitedHealthcare's CEO put a violent point on the frustration some Americans feel toward health insurance companies. But insurers are just one piece of America’s broken and expensive health care system. At a moment when anger at our health system is at a fever pitch, Dan Gorenstein and Aaron E. Carroll, CEO of AcademyHealth, try to untangle why our health care costs so much, and why fixing it will require sacrifice from us all. https://lnkd.in/diz6E8Af