On Background - A Healthcare Podcast

In this episode of On Background, host Stephen Parente leads a roundtable at the HEAL Network’s 3rd annual Washington Health Economic Symposium (WHES). Health economists, academics, industry participants, and future leaders debate how to reform 340B without destabilizing hospitals that depend on its revenue. The discussion weighs transparency and auditing, patient-based payments, Medicaid transitions, hospital data access, and targeted support for financially vulnerable facilities.

In this episode of On Background, host Stephen Parente leads a roundtable discussion at the HEAL Network's 3rd annual Washington Health Economics Symposium (WHES) debateing whether a private-sector Medicare Advantage for All proposal could become politically viable by 2030, contrasting it with Medicare for All and Medicaid for All. Participants weigh consumer frustrations, competition, coverage gaps, risk adjustment, provider reimbursement, innovation, and the political coalition required for major reform.

In this episode, hosts Stephen Parente and Thom Gunderson explore the complexities of the 340B drug pricing program, its origins, current challenges, and potential reforms. Guest expert Sayeh Nikpay from the University of Minnesota provides insights into how the program operates, its unintended consequences, and policy options for better transparency and effectiveness.

In this episode of On Background, host Stephen Parente conducts a roundtable with previous guests Marta Wosinska, Rena Conti, and Doug Holtz-Eakin on the current challenges, innovations, and future prospects in the healthcare marketplace, including drug pricing, insurance markets, and technological advancements like AI.