A Health Podyssey

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 [https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/full/10.1377/hlthaff.2025.01127?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=a+health+podyssey&utm_campaign=april+2026+issue], 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 [https://www.pubservice.com/backissue/subbi.aspx?CO=PJ&PC=HR&BI=HRI&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=A+health+podyssey].

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 [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/776443/a-giant-leap-by-robert-wachter-md/]. 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 [https://www.healthaffairs.org/membership?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=a+health+podyssey&utm_campaign=insider], we can continue to keep our digital publication Forefront and podcast for everyone.

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 [https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2025.01574?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=a+health+podyssey&utm_campaign=june+2026+issue], 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 [https://www.pubservice.com/backissue/subbi.aspx?CO=PJ&PC=HR&BI=HRI&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=A+health+podyssey]. Sign up for our free Health Affairs newsletters [https://share.hsforms.com/26dGfZSq8SjaPUznLYa3kfQnnawj] to stay up to date on health policy news and analysis.

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 [https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2025.01378?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=a+health+podyssey&utm_campaign=june+2026+issue] 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 [https://www.pubservice.com/backissue/subbi.aspx?CO=PJ&PC=HR&BI=HRI&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=A+health+podyssey]. Sign up for our free Health Affairs newsletters [https://share.hsforms.com/26dGfZSq8SjaPUznLYa3kfQnnawj] to stay up to date on health policy news and analysis.

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 [https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2025.01703?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=a+health+podyssey&utm_campaign=june+2026+issue] are associated with changes in utilization, spending, and workforce composition. Order the June 2026 issue of Health Affairs [https://www.pubservice.com/backissue/subbi.aspx?CO=PJ&PC=HR&BI=HRI&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=A+health+podyssey]. Sign up for our free Health Affairs newsletters [https://share.hsforms.com/26dGfZSq8SjaPUznLYa3kfQnnawj] to stay up to date on health policy news and analysis.