Podcasts about Health policy

(00:00:00) 234: Denied: How Your Insurance Company Gets Rich Watching You Suffer (00:00:11) Welcome to Itchy and Bitchy (00:00:42) Doc Itchy Medical Pet Supplements (00:01:06) Insurance Frustrations and System Failures (00:02:27) The Broken Lens and Broken System (00:04:31) Insurance Woes and Personal Experiences (00:08:19) Pre-Approvals and Administrative Burdens (00:15:31) The High Cost of a Broken System (00:20:04) Concierge Care: A Growing Alternative (00:28:17) The State of Healthcare in the US (00:31:50) Medical Debt and Systemic Issues Welcome to American healthcare, where a college dropout in a call center overrides your doctor and an algorithm denies your chemo before lunch. This episode rips the curtain off the profit machine: prior authorizations, surprise bills, and "peer" reviewers who couldn't spell the disease they're denying. The receipts are ugly — physicians now grind through ~40 prior auths a week, burning 13 hours; 94% say it fuels burnout; and 1 in 4 doctors reports a denial caused a serious patient harm, up to and including death. Claim denials jumped 25% while AI quietly batch-rejects thousands at a time.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/itchy-and-bitchy-podcast--4303608/support.Itchy & Bitchy: Have you felt dismissed, misdiagnosed, or gaslit by a broken medical system.  From gut health, hormones, autoimmune disease, chronic pain, holistic health, and alternative medicine ... medical gaslighting, patient advocacy , or misdiagnosis we'll call that too.  For chronic illness warriors, self-advocacy seekers: WE OFFER  No BS 

About this episode:   A new book argues that a wave of Reagan-era policies grounded in limited government intervention in the free market has given way to deregulation and corporate consolidation in healthcare, driving up costs and yielding poor health outcomes. In this episode: John McDonough, author of "America's Wrong Turn: U.S. Healthcare in the Neoliberal Era," walks through the pivotal policies of past political eras and provides his insights on where the country is headed next. Guest:  John McDonough, DrPH, MPA, is a health policy expert, author, and professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Host:  Dr. Josh Sharfstein is distinguished professor of the practice in Health Policy and Management, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department.  Show links and related content:  America's Wrong Turn: U.S. Healthcare in the Neoliberal Era—Johns Hopkins University Press (book) Why Are Americans Dying So Much Earlier Than Some Of Their Counterparts?—Public Health On Call (January 2025) Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. You can also email PublicHealthQuestion@jhu.edu to request a transcript. AI disclosure (as of September 2026): The conversations you hear on the podcast are happening between real humans, and real humans are developing and researching episodes behind the scenes. In addition to real human audio engineers, Public Health On Call uses AI production tools to assist with the removal of filler words and improve audio quality. If you have any questions about our use of AI, please reach out to PublicHealthQuestion@jhu.edu.  Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @‌PublicHealthPod on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

Why is it so difficult to know what healthcare will cost before you receive it?On this episode of Texas Talks, host Brad Swail sits down with Patrick Quigley, CEO and co-founder of Sidecar Health, following his testimony before the Texas House Select Committee on Health Care Affordability.Quigley explains Sidecar Health's approach to insurance and why he believes greater price and quality transparency, fewer restrictions on where patients receive care, and stronger financial incentives for consumers could help lower healthcare costs.The conversation explores provider networks, prior authorization, prescription drug prices, clinical quality data and the high cost of delayed care. Quigley also explains how Sidecar's model rewards members for choosing care that costs less than the plan's benefit amount and discusses the company's experience with primary care, mental health services and emergency room utilization.Finally, Quigley discusses Texas' healthcare affordability debate and what he would like lawmakers to consider as the state approaches the 90th Texas Legislature.00:00 — Introducing Patrick Quigley01:05 — Sidecar Health & the Healthcare Affordability Problem04:34 — Testifying Before Texas Lawmakers06:15 — What's Wrong With Provider Networks?07:43 — Why Patients Don't Know What Healthcare Costs10:14 — Measuring the Quality of Medical Care15:58 — Networks, Insurance Companies & Patient Choice17:20 — How Much Should Healthcare Cost?20:10 — The Texas Healthcare Opportunity22:12 — Prior Authorization & Trusting Doctors23:37 — Access to Care & Emergency Room Costs26:33 — Prescription Prices & Consumer Incentives29:26 — Why Healthcare Prices Vary by Location32:11 — What Should Texas Lawmakers Do?35:00 — Closing Thoughts Watch Full-Length Interviews: https://www.youtube.com/@TexasTalks Follow us on social mediaX: @Texas_DispatchInstagram: thetexasdispatchLinkedIn: The Texas DispatchTikTok: texas_talks_podcast Find more at The Texas DispatchYour source for state news, policy, and investigative journalism.https://thetexasdispatch.com

About this episode:   Private equity is purchasing hospitals, long-term care facilities, laboratories, and clinics—often promising to introduce efficient, cutting-edge care. But what's actually happening in communities? In this episode: Two health policy researchers explain one way that private equity operates in the healthcare system and its consequences for patients. Guest:  Karen Davenport, MPA, is a senior research fellow at the Center on Health Insurance Reforms (CHIR) at Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy. Kennah Watts, MSPH, is a research fellow at the Center on Health Insurance Reforms (CHIR) at Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy. Host:  Dr. Josh Sharfstein is distinguished professor of the practice in Health Policy and Management, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department.  Show links and related content:  Hollowed Out - How Private Equity Destabilized Safety-Net Hospitals in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Rhode Island—Center on Health Insurance Reforms Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. You can also email PublicHealthQuestion@jhu.edu to request a transcript. AI disclosure (as of September 2026): The conversations you hear on the podcast are happening between real humans, and real humans are developing and researching episodes behind the scenes. In addition to real human audio engineers, Public Health On Call uses AI production tools to assist with the removal of filler words and improve audio quality. If you have any questions about our use of AI, please reach out to PublicHealthQuestion@jhu.edu.  Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @‌PublicHealthPod on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

This episode is brought to you by Semafor Healthcare.Delivered weekly from David Lim, Semafor Healthcare connects the dots between decisions in government, business, and technology to reveal how they impact the future of healthcare. Each edition will provide the analysis you need to understand and stay ahead of a rapidly changing landscape. Subscribe for free.Health Affairs Publishing's Rob Lott speaks to Emily Dore of Tufts University School of Medicine about her recent paper exploring COVID-era WIC policy flexibilities, increased program participation, and what those findings mean for the future of safety net programs. Order the September 2026 issue of Health Affairs.Sign up for our free Health Affairs newsletters to stay up to date on health policy news and analysis. Subscribe to Semafor Healthcare for free.

“I don't need to track it. I just listen to my body,” says Ezekiel J. Emanuel, M.D., Ph.D., Ms.C.  Dr. Emanuel is an oncologist and world leader in health policy and bioethics. He is the Vice Provost for Global Initiatives at the University of Pennsylvania, and holds appointments in the Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy in the Perelman School of Medicine and the Department of Health Care Management in the Wharton School. He is Special Advisor to the Director General of the WHO, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He was founding chair of the Department of Bioethics at the NIH. He served as a Special Advisor on Health Policy to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget and National Economic Council. In this role, he was instrumental in drafting the Affordable Care Act. He served on the Biden-Harris Transition Covid Advisory Board. Dr. Emanuel is the most widely cited bioethicist in history with over 350 publications. He has authored or edited 16 books. His newest book, Eat Your Ice Cream, is out now.  00:00 - When tracking our health goes overboard 06:19 - The health markers worth testing 08:03 - Daily nutrition habits 09:34 - What it means to “eat your ice cream” 14:15 - The importance of social connection 19:12 - Why willpower fails & habits win 24:47 - Everest, introverts, & grip strength 27:52 - How purpose is linked to health 31:06 - Why & how the Emanuel brothers succeeded  35:21 - Rethinking retirement for brain health 36:42 - Age-old health wins (& that's a relief) 40:10 - Favorite ice cream shops Referenced in the episode:  For more about Emanuel, visit his website: https://www.ezekielemanuel.com/  Buy Eat Your Ice Cream here: https://www.amazon.com/Eat-Your-Ice-Cream-Healthy/dp/1324117532/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?tag=mind0a3-20  Find our episode on the rabbit cholesterol here: https://youtu.be/er3k40nlCh8?si=MxeG7IxEVnirxIoX We hope you enjoy this episode, and feel free to watch the full video on YouTube! Whether it's an article or podcast, we want to know what we can do to help here at mindbodygreen. Let us know at: podcast@mindbodygreen.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

About this episode:   New research examines the relationship between the legalization of medicinal or recreational cannabis and patterns of alcohol, tobacco, and opioid use. In this episode: Lead author of the study, Sarah Windle, explains what her team's systematic review, published in the Milbank Quarterly, can tell us about whether legal cannabis is being used to substitute or to complement other substances. Guest:  Sarah Windle, MPH, is a PhD student in epidemiology at McGill University. Host:  Dr. Josh Sharfstein is distinguished professor of the practice in Health Policy and Management, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department.  Show links and related content:  Impacts of Global Cannabis Policy Changes on Substance Use: A Systematic Review of Quasi-Experimental Studies—The Milbank Quarterly Here's how cannabis legalization affected tobacco, alcohol and opioid use: McGill study—CTV News The Hazy World of Cannabis Policy—Public Health On Call (February 2025) Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. You can also email PublicHealthQuestion@jhu.edu to request a transcript. AI disclosure (as of September 2026): The conversations you hear on the podcast are happening between real humans, and real humans are developing and researching episodes behind the scenes. In addition to real human audio engineers, Public Health On Call uses AI production tools to assist with the removal of filler words and improve audio quality. If you have any questions about our use of AI, please reach out to PublicHealthQuestion@jhu.edu.  Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @‌PublicHealthPod on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

About this episode:   Between the cyclosporiasis outbreak and other food safety issues, the ongoing measles outbreak, and the coming respiratory season, there's a lot going on in public health. In this episode: Dr. Josh Sharfstein, a pediatrician, former principal deputy commissioner of the FDA, and Public Health On Call host, covers these and other hot topics in public health. Guest:  Dr. Josh Sharfstein is distinguished professor of the practice in Health Policy and Management, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department.  Host:  Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the Public Health On Call podcast, an editor for Expert Insights, and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.  Show links and related content:  Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts—U.S. Food and Drug Administration Measles-related deaths in Pennsylvania mark first 2 US fatalities this year—CIDRAP AAFP Announces Fall Immunization Recommendations to Protect Patients and Communities—American Academy of Family Physicians The Executive Order on Childhood Vaccines—Public Health On Call (August 2026) The Explosive Diarrhea Episode—Public Health On Call (July 2026) An Update on Measles and the U.S.'s Elimination Status—Public Health On Call (April 2026) Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. You can also email PublicHealthQuestion@jhu.edu to request a transcript. AI disclosure (as of September 2026): The conversations you hear on the podcast are happening between real humans, and real humans are developing and researching episodes behind the scenes. In addition to real human audio engineers, Public Health On Call uses AI production tools to assist with the removal of filler words and improve audio quality. If you have any questions about our use of AI, please reach out to PublicHealthQuestion@jhu.edu.  Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @‌PublicHealthPod on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

Guest: Lindsey Haynes-Maslow Show Notes:What if improving health starts with making nutritious food more accessible in our communities? This episode explores how food policy, local programs, and community partnerships shape diet quality and chronic disease prevention—and what it will take to create more equitable access to healthy food.Guest Bio:Lindsey Haynes-Maslow is a professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at UNC-Chapel Hill. She is an expert on the intersection between public health and nutrition, as well as the impact of government policies and programs on health behaviors among disinvested communities.Quote:“I think one of my biggest moments, and this is when my research really started turning into it's not just nutrition education. We need to focus on larger systemic issues.”Question of the Day:What changes in your community would make it easier for people to access healthy, affordable food?On This Episode You Will Learn:Why access to healthy food depends on much more than nutrition education alone.How local, state, and federal policies shape the foods available in our communities.The biggest barriers people face when trying to buy healthy, affordable food and how they affect chronic disease.How programs like SNAP, WIC, and school meals improve health, reduce food insecurity, and support families.Practical ways healthcare leaders, educators, and communities can create food environments that make healthy choices easier.Connect with Yumlish!Yumlish Website: YumlishYumlish on Instagram: @yumlish_Yumlish on Facebook: YumlishYumlish on Twitter: @yumlish_Yumlish on LinkedIn: YumlishConnect with Lindsey Haynes-Maslow!Website URL: https://sph.unc.edu/adv_profile/lindsey-haynes-maslow-phd/LinkedIn URL: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsey-haynes-maslow-81b0008/

This episode is brought to you by Semafor Healthcare.Delivered weekly from David Lim, Semafor Healthcare connects the dots between decisions in government, business, and technology to reveal how they impact the future of healthcare. Each edition will provide the analysis you need to understand and stay ahead of a rapidly changing landscape. Subscribe for free.Health Affairs Publishing's Rob Lott speaks to Debra Lipson, health policy analyst and consultant, about her recent paper that explores how new federal limits on Medicaid state directed payments could force significant Medicaid spending cuts in many states, potentially reshaping provider funding and access to care. Order the September 2026 issue of Health Affairs.Sign up for our free Health Affairs newsletters to stay up to date on health policy news and analysis. Subscribe to Semafor Healthcare for free.

This time on Code WACK! This time, we're taking a closer look at the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program. In a nutshell, the program gives hospitals and clinics that serve low-income and other vulnerable patients deep discounts on prescription drugs. But who really benefits from these discounts? Patients? Or hospitals? Did the legislation really intend that patients be charged coinsurance based on the full price of drugs that their hospital bought for far less? Let's explore why consumer advocates say the program needs reform. Today's guests are from the National Consumers League, Sally Greenberg, CEO and Lisa Bercu, Senior Director of Health Policy. The NCL is one of the nation's oldest consumer and worker advocacy organizations. This is the second episode in a two-part series. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more! And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation.

About this episode:   During the recent pandemic, low-income countries struggled to access the COVID-19 vaccine, despite a global framework that had been established for this purpose. In this episode: Tahir Amin, a leader in the access to medicines movement, shares his perspective on what failed during the pandemic and how this experience reflects larger challenges in the availability and affordability of critical medications. Guest:  Tahir Amin, DPLP, is a founder and CEO of the Initiative for Medicines, Access & Knowledge (I-MAK), a nonprofit organization working to address the inequities in how medicines are developed and distributed. Host:  Dr. Josh Sharfstein is distinguished professor of the practice in Health Policy and Management, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department.  Show links and related content:  Pharma Monopoly: The Battle for the Future of Medicines—Polity Books (book) Americans' Challenges with Health Care Costs—KFF Patently imperfect—Science Could Patent Reform Lower Drug Prices?—Public Health On Call (March 2023) Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @‌PublicHealthPod on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

Elizabeth Tobin-Tyler is a professor of health services, policy and practice at the Brown University School of Public Health and of family medicine and medical science at Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Stephen Morrissey, the interviewer, is the Executive Managing Editor of the Journal. E. Tobin-Tyler and G. Chalker. Telehealth Access to Mifepristone — Evaluating Reproductive-Coercion Arguments. N Engl J Med 2026;395:833-835.

Welcome to PsychEd, the psychiatry podcast for medical learners, by medical learners. This episode covers homelessness and mental illness with Dr. Vicky Stergiopoulos, senior scientist with the General Adult Psychiatry and Health Systems Division at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). She is also a full professor in the Department of Psychiatry and the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto.She has served in several administrative roles, including vice-chair, clinical and innovation (2017-2022) and co-Director of the Division of Adult Psychiatry and Health Systems (2012-2017) in the Department of Psychiatry, as well as physician-in-chief at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (2016-2022), psychiatrist-in-chief at St. Michael's Hospital (2011-2016) and medical director, Inner City Health Associates (2017-2011).Dr. Stergiopoulos completed her medical training at Dalhousie University and residency training in psychiatry at the University of Toronto. She holds a MHSc in health administration from the University of Toronto's Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation and completed director's education training at the Rotman School of Management. The learning objectives for this episode are as follows:Define homelessness and housing insecurity and identify key social determinants that shape health outcomes in this populationUnderstand how homelessness intersects with mental health, substance use, trauma, and barriers to care and recoveryEvaluate clinical and systems-level approaches to improving care in the interdisciplinary practice and trainingGuest: Dr. Vicky StergiopoulosHosts: Dr. Sena Gok, Dr. Matthew Cho (PGY2), Dr. Angad Singh (PGY3), Dr. Sophie Gregoire-Mitha (PGY2)Audio editing by: Dr. Sena Gok

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.

Advocacy doesn't begin in the legislature—it begins wherever nurses use their voices to improve care.  In this episode of Palliative Perspective, HPNA Advocacy Committee member Janelle Williamson MSN, NP-C, APRN, ACHPN, FPCN, and Kansas State Representative Melissa Oropeza DNP, APRN, NP-C, CGRN, join the conversation to explore how nurses can influence healthcare at every level. From sharing patient stories and engaging in professional organizations to testifying on legislation and serving in elected office, they discuss the many ways nurses can shape policy and advance the profession.  Together, they reflect on their own advocacy journeys, the leadership skills that grow from speaking up, and why nurses are uniquely qualified to inform healthcare decisions. The conversation also addresses a common challenge: many nurses don't see themselves as policy experts, despite being the clinicians closest to patients and families.  Whether you're attending your first advocacy event, participating in an HPNA Hill Day, or simply wondering where to begin, this episode offers practical insights and inspiration to help you discover where your voice can make a difference. Advocacy isn't reserved for a select few—it's a natural extension of nursing practice, and every nurse has a role to play. HPNA Advocacy  __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Melissa Oropeza, DNP, APRN, NP-C, CGRN, is a board-certified Nurse Practitioner specializing in Gastroenterology at The University of Kansas Health System and a Kansas State Representative. With more than 27 years of healthcare experience, she has been a leader in advancing the role of Advanced Practice Providers and improving patient care through clinical practice, leadership, and advocacy.    Throughout her career, Dr. Oropeza has championed the nursing and advanced practice professions. She founded and served as the inaugural Chair of The University of Kansas Health System's Advanced Practice Providers (APP) Council, where she established professional recognition programs, created an APP endowment fund, and launched the institution's first APP Symposium. Her leadership has created lasting opportunities for professional development, recognition, and advocacy for advanced practice providers.    A nationally recognized healthcare advocate, Dr. Oropeza served on the Kansas State Board of Nursing and became the first actively practicing Nurse Practitioner elected to the Kansas House of Representatives in 2022. She currently serves as Chair of the Wyandotte-Leavenworth County Legislative Delegation and as Ranking Minority Member of the Kansas House Social Services Budget Committee, where she works to improve healthcare access, strengthen behavioral health services, and advance policies that support Kansas families and healthcare professionals.  In addition to her legislative service, Dr. Oropeza continues to provide direct patient care and mentor future healthcare leaders. She is a strong advocate for healthcare access, mental health, and patient-centered public policy. Her professional honors include the 2017 Kansas Nurse Practitioner Advocate Award and numerous leadership and service recognitions throughout her career. In 2026, she received the Legislative Leadership and Collaboration Award for Mental Health Advocacy, recognizing her commitment to building bipartisan solutions and improving mental health outcomes for Kansans.   Janelle Williamson, MSN, APRN, NP-C, ACHPN, FPCN, is a nurse practitioner with Palliative Medicine and Supportive Care at Stormont Vail Health in Topeka, Kansas. A nationally recognized leader in hospice and palliative care, she has held specialty certification in the field for nearly 15 years and was named a Fellow in Palliative Care Nursing in 2023—an honor recognizing significant contributions to the profession. She has been a strong advocate for improving access to palliative care across Kansas, helping lead efforts that established the state's Palliative Care and Quality of Life Advisory Council and contributing to Kansas' first five-year palliative care plan. Janelle also serves in leadership roles with the Kansas Advanced Practice Nurses Association and the Kansas Advanced Practice Nurses Association's Political Action Committee. She is passionate about advancing hospice and palliative care while advocating for APRNs to practice to the full extent of their education and training.

About this episode:   Global infant mortality has fallen dramatically since 1990, but neonatal sepsis—a serious bloodstream infection occurring in newborns—still accounts for a significant portion of preventable deaths. Simple interventions like good hygiene practices and sufficient staffing in delivery rooms could reduce infections and prevent fatalities. In this episode: Pablo Duran, a perinatal health expert with the Pan American Health Organization, explains how providers, parents, and public health can prevent, recognize, and treat neonatal sepsis early on for better outcomes. Guest:  Dr. Pablo Duran, PhD, MPH, is a pediatrician and neonatologist who serves as the regional advisor on perinatal health for the Pan American Health Organization. Host:  Dr. Josh Sharfstein is distinguished professor of the practice in Health Policy and Management, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department. He served as the Baltimore City Commissioner of Health from 2005 to 2009. Show links and related content:  A Simple Action, a Major Impact: Hand Hygiene Against Maternal and Neonatal Sepsis—Pan American Health Organization Strategies to prevent, detect, and treat neonatal sepsis in the face of AMR—PAHO TV via YouTube Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @‌PublicHealthPod on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

This time on Code WACK!   This time, we're taking a closer look at the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program. In a nutshell, the program gives hospitals and clinics that serve low-income and other vulnerable patients deep discounts on prescription drugs. But who really benefits from these discounts? Patients? Or hospitals? Did the legislation really intend that patients be charged coinsurance based on the full price of drugs that their hospital bought for far less? Let's explore why consumer advocates say the program needs reform. Today's guests are from the National Consumers League, Sally Greenberg, CEO and Lisa Bercu, Senior Director of Health Policy. The NCL is one of the nation's oldest consumer and worker advocacy organizations. This is the second episode in a two-part series.  Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more! And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation.  

This time on Code WACK! This time, we're taking a closer look at the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program. In a nutshell, the program gives hospitals and clinics that serve low-income and other vulnerable patients deep discounts on prescription drugs. But who really benefits from these discounts? Patients? Or hospitals? Did the legislation really intend that patients be charged coinsurance based on the full price of drugs that their hospital bought for far less? Let's explore why consumer advocates say the program needs reform. Today's guests are from the National Consumers League, Sally Greenberg, CEO and Lisa Bercu, Senior Director of Health Policy. The NCL is one of the nation's oldest consumer and worker advocacy organizations. This is the second episode in a two-part series. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more! And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation.

Health Affairs Publishing's Jeff Byers welcomes Dan Arnold of Brown University to discuss the rapid growth of Medicaid spending on autism treatment and the expanding role of private equity-backed providers in the applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy market. He explores the drivers behind rising costs, emerging concerns about care quality and fraud, and the challenge of balancing oversight with continued access to services for families.Related Links:The Business Of Autism Treatment: Private Equity Implications For State Medicaid Programs (Health Affairs Forefront)Sign up for Health Affairs' free newsletter to catch up on our new articles, podcasts, and events.

About this episode:   As electric scooters and bikes explode in popularity in cities across the globe, concerns about safety abound. Early data shows that injuries from collisions and falls on these devices can include severe head trauma and injuries to internal organs, culminating in increased visits to the hospital. In this episode: Road safety expert Johnathon Ehsani provides an epidemiological overview of the safety data and offers advice for parents and policymakers to prevent injuries. Guest:  Johnathon Ehsani, PhD, MPH, is an internationally recognized road safety researcher and an associate professor in Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Host:  Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the Public Health On Call podcast, an editor for Expert Insights, and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.  Show links and related content:  E-Scooters and Micromobility Are Potential Public Health Game Changers for Transportation and Equity—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Injuries From Electric Bikes and Scooters: Illinois, U.S., 2021–2023—American Journal of Preventive Medicine Crash-Related Protective and Risky Behaviors Among Micromobility Riders: A Nationally Representative Survey—American Journal of Public Health Riding an electric scooter: the rules—gov.uk Should Cities Be Welcoming Autonomous Vehicles?—Public Health On Call (July 2026) Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @‌PublicHealthPod on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

As summer comes to a close, some of the season's major health policy stories continue to simmer, including declining insurance coverage, increasing measles cases, and cuts to federal health programs. Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post join KFF Health News' Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Dean Rosen about his work for former Sen. Nancy Landon Kassebaum, a Kansas Republican and the first woman to lead a major Senate committee, who died last week at 94.  Plus, for “extra credit” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too: Julie Rovner: The Washington Post's “Why We Should Stop Eating Lettuce, Cyclospora or Not,” by Tamar Haspel.  Margot Sanger-Katz: Stat's “Comments on OMB Research Rule Mysteriously Removed From Federal Website,” by Anil Oza.  Rachel Roubein: The New York Times' “Americans Encounter Risks at Psychedelic Clinics Abroad,” by Noah Daly and Andrew Jacobs.  Shefali Luthra: The Washington Post and KFF Health News' “Why Some Couples Are Combining a European Vacation With Their IVF Treatments,” by LJ Dawson. 

It took forty years of neoliberal policy choices to dig the 'profits over patients' hole the American health care system has fallen into today.  How long will it take to dig us out of it?  And how can we do it?  John McDonough, professor of practice in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health tries to answer all of those questions in our conversation about his new book, America's Wrong Turn: US Health Care in the Neoliberal Era.

Cori Uccello, FSA, MAAA, FCA, MPP joins host Ankit Nanda, FSA, MAAA, FCA for a tour of the U.S. health insurance coverage landscape, including Medicare, Medicaid, and the ACA marketplaces. Drawing on a career as the senior health fellow at the American Academy of Actuaries, MedPAC commissioner, and Congressional Budget Office panel of health advisers member, she discusses how actuarial analysis enters policy debates, where it carries weight, and what actuaries should understand about the programs shaping the market they price in.

Understanding the decision of parents to opt-out of medically actionable secondary findings offered through genome sequencing   Guest Bios: Robin Hayeems is a Senior Scientist in Child Health Evaluative Sciences (CHES) at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and an Associate Professor in the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (IHPME) at the University of Toronto. She is trained in genetic counselling public health and bioethics, health policy research, and health services research.. Her research focuses on the development, implementation, and evaluation of genomic screening and diagnostic tools for the maternal-child health context. As a member of several provincial advisory committees, her work informs and is informed by policy development in this area.   Abby Hansen is a Master of Science in Genetic Counselling student at the University of British Columbia and a Clinical Research Project Assistant at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids). Her research focuses on exploring patient experiences with genetic testing and the factors that shape genetic testing-related decision-making. Drawing on both her research experience and clinical training, Abby is passionate about providing compassionate, patient-centred care, and supporting individuals and families in understanding complex genetic information and making informed healthcare decisions.   In this episode we discuss: - Exploring the unexpectedly high opt-out rate for medically actionable secondary findings in Genome-Wide Sequencing Ontario (GSO) and how Canadian guidance surrounding non-diagnostic results differs from U.S. standards. - Unpacking how the emotional workload of managing acute medical crises leads some parents to decline secondary findings to avoid living under a "cloud of worry," balancing proactive healthcare with current family peace of mind. - Challenges around pediatric autonomy, parental consent misunderstandings regarding data re-analysis, and the clinical case for flexible, two-step disclosure models. - Educational tools, scripts, and capacity-building strategies designed to improve genomic literacy among non-genetics providers as genome sequencing expands into mainstream care   Resources - Genome Sequencing Ontario URL website   Would you like to nominate a JoGC article to be featured in the show? If so, please fill out this nomination submission form here. Multiple entries are encouraged including articles where you, your colleagues, or your friends are authors.   Stay tuned for the next new episode of DNA Dialogues! In the meantime, listen to all our episodes Apple Podcasts, Spotify, streaming on the website, or any other podcast player by searching, “DNA Dialogues”.    For more information about this episode visit dnadialogues.podbean.com, where you can also stream all episodes of the show. Check out the Journal of Genetic Counseling here for articles featured in this episode and others.    Any questions, episode ideas, guest pitches, or comments can be sent into DNADialoguesPodcast@gmail.com.    DNA Dialogues' team includes Jehannine Austin, Naomi Wagner, Khalida Liaquat, Kate Wilson and DNA Today's Kira Dineen. Our logo was designed by Ashlyn Enokian. Our current intern is Vanaja Chavva.

The transplant system in America is evolving. And you deserve to know what that means. Today, we unpack the Securing the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) Act with experts Miriam Godwin and Jullie Hoggan. Learn why this legislation was introduced, how it could improve the organ transplant system, and what it means for people waiting for or living with a transplant. In this episode we heard from:  Miriam Godwin is a kidney donor and Vice President of Health Policy and Clinical Outcomes at the National Kidney Foundation. She previously led transformative initiatives at CMS, including the ESRD Treatment Choices Model, and supported groundbreaking programs like Kidney Care Choices. With a strong foundation in health policy, clinical trials, and drug development, Miriam has dedicated her career to advancing kidney care and increasing access to transplants. She holds a master's degree in public policy from George Washington University. Jullie Hoggan is the Transplant Director at patients.app and previously co-founded Square Knot Health, where she helped develop a peer-led transplant navigation program alongside a transplant nephrologist. She is also a kidney transplant recipient, bringing both lived experience and professional expertise to her work.  Jullie provides peer mentoring, education, and support to patients, living donors, and care partners through Kidney Solutions. She serves on the OPTN Patient Affairs Committee, the National Kidney Foundation Public Policy Committee, and several other national committees and advisory groups focused on improving transplantation and living donation.   Additional Resources NKF Advocacy Transplantation   Do you have comments, questions, or suggestions? Email us at NKFpodcast@kidney.org. Also, make sure to rate and review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Send us Fan MailA national standard for reproductive health data privacy is not coming. The political divide is too wide and the parties are too far apart.In this clip from our episode “State Health Data Laws Are a Patient Safety Problem”, host David E. Williams and Leigh Burchell, Vice President of Policy and Public Affairs at Altera Digital Health, break down why a federal fix to the state health data patchwork is unlikely and what HIPAA was never built to handle in the first place.Listen to the full episode here

Recent federal changes to SNAP eligibility have already led to an 8% decline in Michigan participation, leaving roughly 100,000 residents without access to food assistance. In this episode of the #FactsMatter podcast, Karley Abramson, Research Council Associate for Health Policy, outlines how the new federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) changed SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) eligibility, including the expansion of work requirements, the exclusion of refugees and asylum seekers, and the narrowing of geographic exemptions -- only counties experiencing extremely high unemployment now qualify. The episode also examines how these changes ripple through schools, health systems, and local economies, and what Michigan can do to mitigate the impact. From universal school meals to navigation support and stronger food bank partnerships, the loss of roughly 100,000 participants represents an estimated $300 million reduction in federal food dollars flowing into Michigan's economy, with ripple effects for families, grocers, and healthcare systems. The conversation also highlights what Michigan can do to soften the blow, including universal school meals, navigation support, stronger food bank partnerships, and broader tools such as the earned income tax credit. Karley underscores that while some losses are unavoidable, Michigan can still act to ensure that every eligible resident receives benefits and that those who fall through the cracks have access to alternative supports.

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.

Send us Fan MailDr. Stephen Sanders is a husband, father, and board-certified family medicine physician who helps men dominate life with purpose, strength, and energy. With more than 15 years of leadership in clinical medicine, consulting, and entrepreneurship, he leads Whole Men's Health, a precision men's health and performance clinic specializing in testosterone optimization, hormone therapy, longevity medicine, and peak vitality.His passion for men's health is personal. In his late 30s, Dr. Sanders battled intense fatigue, brain fog, and declining energy, until he rebuilt his own health through hormone optimization, nutrition, and performance medicine. That transformation revealed a truth he now teaches every day: men often push through symptoms until they crash.What began as his personal recovery became a professional mission to help men reclaim strength, focus, and purpose; to lead powerfully at home, at work, and in life. Dr. Sanders earned his MD from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, his MPH in Health Policy and Management from Emory University, and his BA in History and Chemistry from the University of Alabama. He provides nationwide medical oversight to a team of clinicians delivering personalized, physician-guided men's health care.A true believer in practicing what he preaches, Dr. Sanders lives men's health daily, integrating fitness, faith, family, and discipline into his own life. Outside of medicine, he's a fitness enthusiast, mountain adventurer, and lifelong learner who embodies the balance of physical strength, mental resilience, and spiritual grounding he teaches his patients.Find Dr. Stephan Sanders at-IG- @drstephansandershttps://www.wholemenshealth.com/Find Boundless Body at-myboundlessbody.comBook a session with us here! 

In this segment, Lee and Tara break down newly released emails between high-ranking federal health officials discussing early reports of COVID-19 vaccine adverse events and side effects.

Photo by Troy T on Unsplash Cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the United States. Over 2/3 of those adults who smoke want to quit and more than half try to do so in any given year; but only 1 in 10 will be successful. Nicotine e-cigarettes were designed to help people to stop smoking cigarettes but their use for withdrawing from regular cigarettes has been controversial, as some argue it perpetuated the nicotine addiction that cigarettes induce and with its own set of toxins. And an additional concern has been that youth, in particular, may be taking up e-cigarettes and quickly get addicted to nicotine. JAMA, the official publication of the AMA, just published evidence-based recommendations about the use of e-cigarettes from a working group within the Treatment Research Network of the International Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco on July 30th. In that same issue of JAMA, Dr. Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, DPhil, Associate Professor in Health Policy and Management at University of Massachusetts Amherst, wrote an editorial about the recommendations on the use of e-cigarettes for smoking cessation. HealthCetera Producer and Host, Diana Mason, PhD, RN, talked with Dr. Hartman-Boyce about e-cigarettes, their use for smoking cessation, and the evidence on whether people should be concerned about using e-cigarettes, including teens. This interview first aired on WIOX Radio on August 12, 2026. The post E-Cigarettes and Smoking Cessation appeared first on HealthCetera.

Examining the emergence of international public health policy between the 1930s and 80s, The Emergence of International Health Policy in Southeast Asia, India, and Sri Lanka, 1937–1978 (Palgrave Macmillan, 2026) by Dr. Vivek Neelakantan sheds light on the role that rural community health initiatives in South and Southeast Asia played in the movement towards ‘primary health care' and ‘health for all,' articulated ultimately at the 1978 International Conference on Primary Health Care in Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan. The author argues that the movement was not directed exclusively from the headquarters of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, but also by institutions such as the Rockefeller Foundation's International Health Division in rural Southeast Asia, and through local community initiatives including the Bandung Plan for Health in Indonesia. The book illustrates how an exclusive association of global health with the emergence of the WHO in the 1950s fails to account for the local, national, or regional contexts that shaped the evolution of primary health care in South and Southeast Asia. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Examining the emergence of international public health policy between the 1930s and 80s, The Emergence of International Health Policy in Southeast Asia, India, and Sri Lanka, 1937–1978 (Palgrave Macmillan, 2026) by Dr. Vivek Neelakantan sheds light on the role that rural community health initiatives in South and Southeast Asia played in the movement towards ‘primary health care' and ‘health for all,' articulated ultimately at the 1978 International Conference on Primary Health Care in Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan. The author argues that the movement was not directed exclusively from the headquarters of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, but also by institutions such as the Rockefeller Foundation's International Health Division in rural Southeast Asia, and through local community initiatives including the Bandung Plan for Health in Indonesia. The book illustrates how an exclusive association of global health with the emergence of the WHO in the 1950s fails to account for the local, national, or regional contexts that shaped the evolution of primary health care in South and Southeast Asia. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts.  Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/southeast-asian-studies

Examining the emergence of international public health policy between the 1930s and 80s, The Emergence of International Health Policy in Southeast Asia, India, and Sri Lanka, 1937–1978 (Palgrave Macmillan, 2026) by Dr. Vivek Neelakantan sheds light on the role that rural community health initiatives in South and Southeast Asia played in the movement towards ‘primary health care' and ‘health for all,' articulated ultimately at the 1978 International Conference on Primary Health Care in Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan. The author argues that the movement was not directed exclusively from the headquarters of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, but also by institutions such as the Rockefeller Foundation's International Health Division in rural Southeast Asia, and through local community initiatives including the Bandung Plan for Health in Indonesia. The book illustrates how an exclusive association of global health with the emergence of the WHO in the 1950s fails to account for the local, national, or regional contexts that shaped the evolution of primary health care in South and Southeast Asia. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/south-asian-studies

Health Affairs Publishing's Jeff Byers welcomes Erica Socker of Georgetown University to the pod to discuss her recent Forefront article that explores how the Medicare Advantage quality bonus program is working in the wake of a Clover Health-CMS lawsuit over star ratings. They discuss the court's ruling, CMS's policy response, and why the case could become a catalyst for broader reforms to a program that now distributes billions of dollars annually. Related Links:Medicare Advantage Quality Bonus Program: Court Decisions Spotlight Flaws (Health Affairs Forefront)Sign up for Health Affairs' free newsletter to catch up on our new articles, podcasts, and events.

Send us Fan MailA patient's right to control their own health data now depends almost entirely on which state they live in or happen to seek care in. The patchwork is growing, and the clinical and compliance consequences are catching up fast.Leigh Burchell, Vice President of Policy and Public Affairs at Altera Digital Health and Chair of the Electronic Health Record Association, joins host David E. Williams to discuss why states moving in opposite directions on sensitive health data are creating real patient safety risks, and what it costs EHR vendors in hundreds to thousands of engineering hours every time another state writes its own version of the rules.

About this episode:   Long flights at high altitudes can expose pilots and flight attendants to dangerous levels of cosmic radiation over their careers, potentially increasing their risk for a variety of cancers and posing special dangers to pregnant crewmembers. In this episode: a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine urges action on in-flight radiation exposure, including mandating airline safety programs and developing new ways to measure hazards. Guest:  Tom Burke, PhD, MPH, is an emeritus professor at Johns Hopkins and a former top official with the Environmental Protection Agency in the Obama administration. Lindsay S. Fenwick is an accomplished pilot with over 21,000 flight hours spanning military, corporate, VIP, and major airline operations. He also has extensive experience in aviation safety management. Host:  Dr. Josh Sharfstein is distinguished professor of the practice in Health Policy and Management, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department. He served as the Baltimore City Commissioner of Health from 2005 to 2009.  Show links and related content:  Assessing Radiation Exposure, Health Outcomes, and Mitigation Strategies for Flight Crewmembers—National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Aircrew and Cosmic Ionizing Radiation—CDC Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @‌PublicHealthPod on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are:Bill Hammond - Senior Fellow for Health Policy at The Empire Center for Public Policy.Robert Pondiscio - Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.Nic Rangel - Executive Director of The Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York.

About this episode:   Millions of children will experience sexual abuse before they turn 18, either in-person or online and often at the hands of people they know. The mental, behavioral, and physical health consequences can linger into adulthood. In this episode: Elizabeth Letourneau, director of the Moore Center for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse, explains why child sexual abuse is one of the nation's most pressing public health crises and what can be done to prevent it.  Guest:  Elizabeth Letourneau, PhD, MA, is a professor of mental health and the director of the Moore Center for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse. She is also the co-author of "One in Five: Why Child Sexual Abuse Is Our Biggest Public Health Crisis—and What We Can Do to Stop It." Host:  Dr. Josh Sharfstein is distinguished professor of the practice in Health Policy and Management, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department. He served as the Baltimore City Commissioner of Health from 2005 to 2009.  Show links and related content:  One in Five: Why Child Sexual Abuse Is Our Biggest Public Health Crisis—and What We Can Do to Stop It—Hachette Book Group What Would It Take to End Child Sexual Abuse?—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Dr. Elizabeth Letourneau and Luke Malone (on child sexual abuse prevention)—Armchair Expert Preventing Child Sexual Abuse—Public Health On Call (January 2023) Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @‌PublicHealthPod on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

With recent heat waves in many regions of the world, including parts of Asia, Europe and North America, Claudia Hammond speaks to Eran Bendavid, Professor of Medicine and Health Policy at Stanford University, about his global study which suggests that older people face dangers from heat exposure at much lower temperatures than previously thought. Claudia is joined by genito-urinary consultant and HIV expert, Vanessa Apea to discuss the ongoing mpox outbreak in Madagascar. It is the largest ever outbreak of mpox in the country, with authorities dividing vaccine doses into fifths in order to try and offer some protection to as many people as possible.In addition, Claudia and Vanessa discuss how inflammatory activity may be underrecognised in people with darker skin tones and they also investigate how the immune system adapts as people reach more than 110 years old!And we hear from Dr. Sriman Swarup, practicing oncologist based in Phoenix, Arizona, about what doctors minding their own business on a flight really think when they hear the words on the tannoy “Is there a doctor on board?”Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producers: Jonathan Blackwell & Georgia Christie

Rebecca Haffajee is a professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Yale School of Public Health. Stephen Morrissey, the interviewer, is the Executive Managing Editor of the Journal. R.L. Haffajee, R.A. Mikos, and Z.D. Cooper. Marijuana Rescheduling — A Game Changer for Research? N Engl J Med 2026;395:729-731.

This time on Code WACK! Got health insurance, but still can't get the care you need? This week, Brenda continues her conversation with Miranda Yaver, PhD, Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Management at the University of Pittsburgh and author of Coverage Denied: How Health Insurers Drive Inequality in the United States. Yaver calls the maze of denials, delays, paperwork, prior authorizations, and appeals “rationing by inconvenience.” She explains how those barriers can wear patients down, strain physicians and hospitals, and make access to care depend partly on how much time, money, and energy someone has to keep fighting. They also talk about insurers' growing use of AI, why appealing a denial is often worth it, and why Yaver says a simpler single-payer system would be easier for patients and providers to navigate. This is the second of two episodes with Miranda Yaver. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more! And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation: http://heal-ca.org/donate

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.

About this episode:   In the latest move to alter the childhood vaccine schedule, the president has signed an executive order seeking to scale back and restructure routine immunizations. In this episode: what's in the executive order, what it means, and what comes next. Guest:  Dr. Josh Sharfstein is distinguished professor of the practice in Health Policy and Management, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department. He served as the Baltimore City Commissioner of Health from 2005 to 2009.  Host:  Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the Public Health On Call podcast, an editor for Expert Insights, and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.  Show links and related content:  Delivering Gold Standard Childhood Vaccine Recommendations for Americans—The White House HHS Changes Its Pediatric Vaccine Recommendations: What's Different, What Remains, and What It Means for American Health—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health What Exactly is in a Vaccine?—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health A Judge Rules on Vaccines—Public Health On Call (April 2026) The Evidence on Vaccines and Autism—Public Health On Call (March 2025) Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @‌PublicHealthPod on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

On this month's podcast, Victoria Van de Vate, NACCHO's Director of Government Affairs, and Lauren Soule, Government Affairs Senior Specialist, cover news about the new Director of the CDC as well as the recent executive order on childhood vaccinations. In addition, they provide an update on federal funding and discuss tips for meeting with federal elected officials during August recess. Resources mentioned are available through NACCHO's Public Health is Local toolkit, and recordings of past Public Health is Local webinars can be found on NACCHO University. Let us know how your meetings went so we can track your great work and follow up with offices if necessary. The Public Health is Local one-pager is also available for you to bring to your meetings. Also on this podcast, Shannon Fox, Community Health Planner, Zanesville-Muskingum County Health Department and Siani Antoine-Isijola, NACCHO Senior Program Analyst - Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health discuss NACCHO's Maternal and Child Health Policy Innovation Program.

What did Dr. Anthony Fauci know privately about COVID vaccines—and what was the American public being told at the same time? On this episode of The Truth with Lisa Boothe, Senator Ron Johnson joins Lisa for an explosive conversation about his ongoing investigation into the government's COVID-19 response and newly obtained communications from Fauci’s government-issued devices. Johnson discusses a private Fauci message that he says raised concerns about vaccination and pregnancy, why he believes the issue goes far beyond the debate over miscarriage statistics, and his argument that Americans were denied information necessary to make fully informed medical decisions. The Wisconsin senator also reveals what investigators are finding as they work through tens of thousands of Fauci text messages, hundreds of voice messages and other government records. Johnson explains why identifying the people behind hundreds of phone numbers has become a critical part of the investigation—and why he says his team is being careful not to release private information unrelated to public policy. Lisa and Sen. Johnson also discuss Fauci’s handling of the COVID pandemic, gain-of-function research, vaccine safety surveillance, the relationship between government health agencies and pharmaceutical companies, and Johnson’s allegations that career bureaucrats are resisting efforts to uncover additional records. Johnson says investigators are now seeking devices and communications associated with other former government health officials as his probe expands—and declares that despite years of pursuing answers about the pandemic, the investigation has “only just begun.” Plus, Johnson explains why he believes America still needs a full COVID reckoning before the next public health crisis.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Senior Fellow for Health Policy at The Empire Center for Public Policy Bill Hammond, an Associate Professor in the department of sociology at Vassar College. Her research is on health, wellness, and medical knowledge Catherine Tan, and Investment Banker on Wall St. Mark Wittman.

About this episode:   Over four million children in the United States are uninsured, while many more lack health insurance that adequately meets their care needs. A proposed bill aims to fix that by providing universal health coverage for everyone aged zero to 26. In this episode: Senator Andy Kim, sponsor of the MediKids Act, on why now is the right time for this bill to become law and how it can be implemented by building on the existing Medicaid framework. Guest:  Andy Kim, PhD, is a U.S. Senator from New Jersey. He previously held roles at the Pentagon, State Department, and White House. Host:  Dr. Josh Sharfstein is distinguished professor of the practice in Health Policy and Management, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department. He served as the Baltimore City Commissioner of Health from 2005 to 2009.  Show links and related content:  MediKids Act—Congress.gov U.S. and State-by-State Child Health Coverage Trends—Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy Underinsurance Among Children in the United States—Pediatrics Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @‌PublicHealthPod on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

About this episode:   If you've ever been prescribed a new medication from your doctor only to be told by the pharmacy that your insurance won't cover it, you're not alone. In fact, new research shows that denials and requirements for prior authorizations are happening more frequently and that, in half of these cases, patients are subsequently forgoing their prescriptions. In this episode: Joseph Levy, lead author of the study, explains why this is the case and discusses the tradeoffs between controlling drug spending and ensuring access to necessary treatments.  Guest:  Joseph Levy, PhD, is a health economist and assistant professor in Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Host:  Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs. Show links and related content:  Insurance Denials for Brand-Name Prescription Drugs Rose Sharply From 2018 to 2024—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Insurance deny your prescription? You're far from alone, Hopkins study finds—The Baltimore Banner Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @‌PublicHealthPod on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.