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Tradeoffs

Tradeoffs
Medicaid
Health Insurance
Affordable Care Act
Mental Health
Medicare
Health Policy
Health Equity
Public Health
Healthcare Costs
Abortion
Health Care System
Artificial Intelligence
Generic Drugs
Trump Administration
Durham, North Carolina
Mental Illness
Opioid Addiction
Preventive Care
Healthcare Policy
Congress

Tradeoffs explores the toughest choices in health care, diving into issues like the cost of care, health equity, insurance, mental health and artificial intelligence. We connect policy to practice, uncovering the data and personal stories that help audiences understand the stakes — and the potential solutions.

Learn more about us, find transcripts for each episode and additional reporting at https... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes396Founded7 years ago
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Artwork for Tradeoffs

Latest Episodes

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:

* S... more

President Trump has nominated former health care executive Chris Klomp to help RFK Jr. get his health agenda back on track.

Guest:

* Dan Diamond, White House Reporter, Washington Post

This episode was produced by Ryan Levi, edited by Dan Gorenste... more

A conversation with an 18-year-old and her dad about how anti-trans policies have impacted their lives during the second Trump administration.

Guests:

Harleigh Walker

Jeff Walker

Learn more: Read the full reporting and explore additional resource... more

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):

more

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Recent Guests

Dan Diamond
Washington Post White House reporter; discussed Klomp profile
The Washington Post
Episode: Trump's Pick to Quiet HHS Chaos Heads to the Senate
Harleigh Walker
18-year-old transgender student featured in the interview
Harleigh Walker (individual guest)
Episode: ‘I Feel Unsafe Almost Everywhere’: How Trump Has Changed Life for One Transgender Teen
Drew Gonshorowski
Nebraska Medicaid Director
Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services
Episode: Meet the Man Launching Trump's Medicaid Work Requirements Months Early
Giovannina Anthony
OBGYN and abortion care provider in Jackson, Wyoming
GMA Health
Episode: A Wyoming Doctor’s Fight to Keep Abortion Legal in Her Deep Red State
Amanda Venta
Clinical psychologist; director of Youth and Family Studies Lab, University of Houston
University of Houston
Episode: Call to Mind: Immigration and the Challenge to Belong
Vardit Ravitsky
President and CEO of the Hastings Center for Bioethics; ethicist
Hastings Center
Episode: Making Medical Decisions with Uncertain Science
Christine Yu Moutier
Psychiatrist; Chief Medical Officer, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
AFSP
Episode: Making Medical Decisions with Uncertain Science
Neale Mahoney
Economist at Stanford University, leading researcher on medical debt and consumer protection
Stanford University
Episode: With Millions Expected to Lose Coverage, States Look for New Ways to Prevent Medical Debt
Lindsay Murtagh
Former CMS official, now at Brown University
Brown University (Center for Advancing Health Policy Through Research)
Episode: Where Did the No Surprises Act Go Wrong? And Can It Be Fixed?

Host

Dan Gorenstein
Host and founder/executive editor of Tradeoffs; leads reporting and interviews.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 510 ratings
  • Elizabeth Kromm’s kid

    Love how you included my mom

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Slay Joys
    United States7 months ago
  • Timely health policy

    One of my favorite weekly podcasts. They go in-depth on an important health policy issue in every episode. Tradeoffs’ reporting is particularly important in our current time of uncertainty about insurance costs and coverage. They cover federal policy regularly but also go to the state and even local level when needed. The show has a social justice angle too, highlighting underinsured and/or uninsured populations.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Aaron Weidman
    United States9 months ago
  • USAID cuts

    The episode on USAID cuts is superb. Every American with a heart should listen to this first-hand explanation of how the cuts are impacting global health now, with implications for future US health. In surgery, a scalpel is more useful than a buzzsaw.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Joe Pozawokiem
    United States2 years ago
  • Did anybody bother to read the Oregon paper?

    I went back and actually re-reviewed the New England Journal paper. If you see the population that they enrolled using the lottery, this was a healthy population to start with. They did not have hypertension, and they had no diabetes. It would’ve been very unlikely that Medicaid would’ve made them healthier. Also note they were only 10% African-Americans. This is a bio study from a relatively healthy. Population and should not be used to judge whether Medicaid makes people healthy or not. I woul... more

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Rdswinford
    United States2 years ago
  • Interesting but biased

    The host is good and the conversations are thought provoking but they are not interested in representing different sides on healthcare issues. They clearly are committed to the liberal/democratic side and not interested in representing alternate viewpoints. They followed an episode on transgendered care which only represented an expert who is pro gender affirming care with an episode with Obama’s former HHS secretary who was highly critical of the new Trump appointees without any pushback. As we... more

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    Joey Ken
    United States2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Deep dives into policy tradeoffs plus human perspectives make complex topics accessible.
Balanced, data-driven health policy storytelling with real-world impact.
Strong investigative edges and credible guests; sometimes perceived as left-leaning by critics.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Trump's Pick to Quiet HHS Chaos Heads to the Senate
Q: You ultimately decided you wanted to do a 1500 word profile on Klomp because you see him rising up through the administration into this role, and he's going to have some real power and influence. What do you expect to see two years out from an HHS that has all but been run by Klomp?
Two years out, Klomp could be in a position where he has solidified changes in internal processes, improved coordination across agencies, and possibly expanded influence over leadership appointments, depending on political dynamics and midterm outcomes.
Trump's Pick to Quiet HHS Chaos Heads to the Senate
Q: Final question, Dan. You covered the White House and public health. There's so many things you can and do right about. What do you expect to see two years out from an HHS that has all but been run by Klomp?
If empowered, Klomp would likely push for substantial back-end health care reforms, such as changing prior authorization and improving interoperability, while RFK Jr. may still influence other areas; the exact outcome will depend on how durable Klomp's power is in a volatile political environment.
Trump's Pick to Quiet HHS Chaos Heads to the Senate
Q: Vaccines, Dan, have obviously been a focus of Kennedy's HHS. Part of why Trump brought Klomp in is to keep the health department focused on the message the White House wants to see and away from abrupt vaccine policy shifts that cause political headaches. Based on your reporting, is Klomp's appointment a signal that the Maha vaccine agenda is in trouble?
I think so. This is a guardrail around some of what Maha wants to do on vaccines, with Kennedy empowered to make changes but Klomp providing the day-to-day management and focus on affordability and stable messaging.
‘I Feel Unsafe Almost Everywhere’: How Trump Has Changed Life for One Transgender Teen
Q: Harleigh, what makes you happy right now and how do you describe your life beyond being transgender?
Harleigh stresses that she is happy and enjoys everyday joys like friendships, music, travel, and college plans, emphasizing that being transgender is only one part of her identity and that she wants people to see her as a whole person with many interests and strengths.
A Wyoming Doctor’s Fight to Keep Abortion Legal in Her Deep Red State
Q: What has it been like to be at the center of that fight?
The host asks about the experience, and the guest explains the fusion of advocacy, medical care, and ongoing legal pressure, emphasizing the emotional and professional complexity of protecting patient access while navigating laws.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Tradeoffs

What is Tradeoffs about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A data-driven health policy show that blends rigorous analysis with human stories to explain complex topics like Medicaid, budgeting, and health care markets. Recent episodes spotlight state policy rollouts, abortion access in restrictive environments, mental health and jail reentry, and the economics of care, including debt, AI in medicine, and consumer-driven reforms. The program often features policymakers, researchers, physicians, journalists, and advocacy voices, offering practical takeaways for listeners who want to understand how policy changes play out in real-world care and costs. A standout trait is its combination of data storytelling and on-the-ground reporting, making intricate policy debates accessible without sacrificing nuan... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Tradeoffs?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Tradeoffs:

1. What the Health? From KFF Health News
2. An Arm and a Leg
3. The Daily
4. Public Health On Call
5. The Ezra Klein Show

How many episodes of Tradeoffs are there?

Tradeoffs launched 7 years ago and published 396 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Tradeoffs?

Recent guests on Tradeoffs include:

1. Dan Diamond
2. Harleigh Walker
3. Drew Gonshorowski
4. Giovannina Anthony
5. Amanda Venta
6. Vardit Ravitsky
7. Christine Yu Moutier
8. Neale Mahoney

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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