A Health Podyssey

Dhruv Khullar on Public Health, Pandemic Preparedness & the Future of Healthcare

Are we ready for the next public health emergency? Rob Lott speaks with physician, researcher, and New Yorker writer Dhruv Khullar about the state of U.S. public health preparedness, the growing challenges facing infectious disease surveillance, and the connection between chronic and infectious disease. The conversation also explores Khullar’s work as a clinician, health policy researcher, and journalist, including his research on health care consolidation, Medicare Advantage, and the commercialization of medicine. Sign up for our free Health Affairs newsletters to stay up to date on health policy news and analysis.

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Hospital-Owned Medicare Advantage Plans: A Look at Pricing Patterns

Health Affairs Publishing’s Rob Lott speaks to Grace Mackleby of the University of Southern California about her recent paper that explores how vertically integrated Medicare Advantage plans and hospital systems set prices, finding that most affiliated and unaffiliated plans pay similar rates, with notable variation in certain markets. Order the August 2026 issue of Health Affairs. Sign up for our free Health Affairs newsletters to stay up to date on health policy news and analysis.

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Health Care Acquisitions: What Happens to Patient Care Intensity?

Health Affairs Publishing’s Rob Lott speaks to Jiebing Wen of The University of Texas at Austin about her recent paper exploring how hospice acquisitions by investor-owned firms were associated with lower care staffing intensity and fewer patient visit minutes, especially in patients' final days. Order the August 2026 issue of Health Affairs. Sign up for our free Health Affairs newsletters to stay up to date on health policy news and analysis.

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How Inflation Skewed State Health Care Spending Targets

Health Affairs Publishing’s Rob Lott speaks to Keith Ericson of Boston University about his recent paper exploring how inflation-adjusted spending benchmarks would provide a more accurate picture of state health care cost growth. Order the August 2026 issue of Health Affairs. Sign up for our free Health Affairs newsletters to stay up to date on health policy news and analysis.

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Why Are Wealthy Americans Spending So Much More on Healthcare?

Health Affairs Publishing’s Rob Lott speaks to Betsy Cliff from the University of Chicago about her paper in the July 2026 issue of Health Affairs exploring trends in US healthcare spending by income. Order the July 2026 issue of Health Affairs. Sign up for our free Health Affairs newsletters to stay up to date on health policy news and analysis.

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BEST OF: Michael Chernew on Medicare Advantage Benchmarks

A Health Podyssey is on vacation in July. We will return with new episodes in August 2026. This episode originally aired on April 18, 2023 Health Affairs Editor-in-Chief Alan Weil interviews Michael Chernew from the Harvard Medical School on his recently-published paper examining the effects of lower Medicare Advantage benchmarks on plan generosity and benefits. The authors found that a $1,000 per year decrease in the benchmarks would lead to only moderate increases in annual premiums, deductibles and co-pays. Order the April 2023 issue of Health Affairs. Currently, more than 70 percent of our content is freely available - and we'd like to keep it that way. With your support, we can continue to keep our digital publication Forefront and podcasts free for everyone. Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts

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BEST OF: A Health Podyssey x Policy Spotlight w/ Meena Seshamani

A Health Podyssey is on vacation in July. We will return with new episodes in August 2026. This episode was originally aired on August 15, 2023. In a crossover episode with Health Affairs' Policy Spotlight event series, Editor-in-Chief Alan Weil interviews Meena Seshamani, director at the Center for Medicare at CMS. They discuss the evolution of Medicare Advantage, value-based programs, and more. Currently, more than 70 percent of our content is freely available - and we'd like to keep it that way. With your support, we can continue to keep our digital publication Forefront and podcasts free for everyone.

BEST OF: What Most Favored Nation Drug Pricing Would Mean for the US

A Health Podyssey is on vacation in July. We will return with new episodes in August 2026. This episode originally aired on April 14, 2026. Health Affairs' Rob Lott interviews James Robinson of the University of California Berkeley about his recent paper exploring most favored nation drug pricing, weighing its feasibility, likely effects on drug launch prices, and implications for global pharmaceutical innovation and investment. Order the April 2026 issue of Health Affairs.

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BEST OF: Will AI Fix Health Care? Robert Wachter Weighs In

This episode originally aired on February 3, 2026. Health Affairs' Rob Lott interviews Dr. Robert Wachter, Professor and Chair of the Department of Medicine at UCSF, about his new book A Giant Leap: How AI Is Transforming Healthcare and What That Means for Our Future. Wachter reflects on his own daily use of AI as a clinician, the reasons he has grown optimistic about its potential, and the challenges of regulating fast‑evolving technologies. Currently, more than 70 percent of our content is freely available - and we'd like to keep it that way. With your support, we can continue to keep our digital publication Forefront and podcast for everyone.

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How ACO Conveners Are Changing the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) Behind the Scenes

Health Affairs Publishing’s Rob Lott speaks to Adam Markovitz of the University of Michigan about his recent paper exploring the growing role of third-party firms in Medicare ACOs, highlighting how they have contributed to wider participation and more geographically dispersed networks while raising questions about how these structures relate to shared savings outcomes. Order the June 2026 issue of Health Affairs. Sign up for our free Health Affairs newsletters to stay up to date on health policy news and analysis.

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Why Medicare’s Hospital Wage Index Exceptions Jumped 60%

Health Affairs Publishing’s Rob Lott speaks to Geoffrey Hoffman of the University of Michigan about his recent paper exploring the structure of Medicare’s hospital wage index and discusses the growth of exceptions over time, exploring their implications for how the system functions and whether it meets its intended policy objectives. Order the June 2026 issue of Health Affairs. Sign up for our free Health Affairs newsletters to stay up to date on health policy news and analysis.

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Private Equity in Primary Care: Costs, Care, and Impact

Health Affairs Publishing’s Rob Lott speaks to Yashaswini Singh of Brown University about her recent paper that explores how private equity acquisitions in primary care are associated with changes in utilization, spending, and workforce composition. Order the June 2026 issue of Health Affairs. Sign up for our free Health Affairs newsletters to stay up to date on health policy news and analysis.

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Inside CVS Caremark: The Role of PBMs in Drug Costs & Access | SPONSORED

THIS SPONSORED PODCAST EPISODE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY CVS HEALTH. In this sponsored episode, James Margiotta, Chief Growth Officer at CVS Caremark, joins Health Affairs Publishing's Jessica Bylander to unpack the role of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), their impact on prescription drug costs, and the value PBMs bring to the health care system. James has nearly 35 years of experience driving innovation, operational excellence, and enterprise value across the healthcare system. In his current role, James leads the team responsible for partnering with clients to identify their unique needs and bringing forward strategic solutions to meet their objectives. Throughout his career at CVS Health, James has scaled businesses across CVS Caremark, CVS Accountable Care, Minute Clinic, Aetna, and CVS Pharmacy — each with its own challenges, cultures, and market dynamics. James and Jessica's conversation explores how PBMs help employers, health plans, governments, and unions manage rising prescription drug costs while balancing affordability, transparency, and member experience. James explains CVS Caremark’s approach to controlling costs, dives into the growing demands for price transparency, and how artificial intelligence may transform pharmacy benefits and member navigation services.

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Inside CMS: How Medicare Innovation Models Are Working to Lower Costs & Scale Digital Health

Health Affairs Publishing’s Rob Lott speaks to Abe Sutton, Director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, about the ACCESS model and broader efforts to test payment and delivery reforms aimed at improving affordability, expanding digital health, and generating real-world evidence in Medicare. Sign up for our free Health Affairs newsletters to stay up to date on health policy news and analysis.

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Policy Changes Reshaping Family Caregiving

Welcome to a new, limited podcast series exploring major policy changes affecting older adults. This episode is part of our Age-Friendly Health series, which explores topics at the intersection of aging, health, health care, and health policy. In our third and final episode for the series in 2026, host Katherine Ornstein welcomes Alison Barkoff of George Washington University to the program to discuss the rising economic and social importance of family caregiving, recent federal policy shifts affecting Medicaid and caregiver programs, and new interventions at the state and private‑sector levels. Support for the Age-Friendly Health series is provided by The John A. Hartford Foundation. Related Links: Reflections On Caregiving Policy: Progress, Challenges, And Opportunities (Health Affairs Forefront) History Repeats? Faced With Medicaid Cuts, States Reduced Support For Older Adults And Disabled People (Health Affairs Forefront) Long Term Services and Supports Initiative National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers Nation Alliance for Caregiving's Caregiver Nation Coalition

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Extreme Heat’s Impact on Healthcare Use and Spending

Health Affairs Publishing’s Rob Lott speaks to Jeff Romine of Carelon Research about his recent paper exploring new research on how extreme heat affects health care use and costs, finding consistent increases in emergency department visits and some hospitalizations, but little change in outpatient care. Order the May 2026 issue of Health Affairs. Sign up for our free Health Affairs newsletters to stay up to date on health policy news and analysis.

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How the Healthcare Workforce Is Responding to New Aging Policies | Age-Friendly Health Series

Welcome to a new, limited podcast series exploring major policy changes affecting older adults. This episode is part of our Age-Friendly Health series, which explores topics at the intersection of aging, health, health care, and health policy. In our second episode, host Katherine Ornstein welcomes Bianca Frogner, director of the Center for Health Workforce Studies at the University of Washington to discuss the role of direct care workers in long‑term care, workforce shortages, policy shifts affecting Medicaid, immigration, labor standards, and more. Support for the Age-Friendly Health series is provided by The John A. Hartford Foundation. Related Links Health Care Workforce Pay Gaps: COVID-19 Modestly Compressed Wage Disparities, 2015–24 The AWARD Network PHI

The Deadly Rise of Cold-Related Illness at the Intersection of Social Inequality

Health Affairs Publishing’s Rob Lott speaks to Dhara Patel of the Cambridge Health Alliance and Harvard Medical School about her recent paper exploring national trends in cold‑related illness hospitalizations and how climate change and social vulnerability shape health risks across the United States. Order the May 2026 issue of Health Affairs. Sign up for our free Health Affairs newsletters to stay up to date on health policy news and analysis.

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How the One Big Beautiful Bill Changes Medicaid for Older Adults and State Health Policy | Age-Friendly Health Series

Welcome to the first episode in a new, limited podcast series exploring major policy changes affecting older adults. The episode is part of our Age-Friendly Health series, which explores topics at the intersection of aging, health, health care, and health policy. In our first episode, host Katherine Ornstein welcomes Hemi Tewarson of the National Academy for State Health Policy to discuss how The Big Beautiful Bill will impact Medicaid and state health policies affecting older adults. Their conversation explores work requirements, Medicaid financing changes, rural health investments, the sustainability of age‑friendly services, and more. Support for the Age-Friendly Health series is provided by The John A. Hartford Foundation.

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Tenant Protections At The Intersection Of Climate And Health

Health Affairs Publishing’s Rob Lott speaks with Cynthia Strathmann of SAJE about her recent paper that examines how climate impacts such as extreme heat affect low‑income renters and what policymakers can do to balance climate adaptation with housing stability. Order the May 2026 issue of Health Affairs. Sign up for our free Health Affairs newsletters to stay up to date on health policy news and analysis.

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