On Background - A Healthcare Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 6: Tomas Philipson – Free Riders and Price Controls: The Global Economics of Drug Innovation Nov 24, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, Tomas Philipson, a professor at the University of Chicago and former acting chair of the Council of Economic Advisors, alongside financial analyst Thom Gunderson and pharmaceutical expert Briana Mayer, discusses drug innovation, pricing policies, and the role of the FDA in the drug approval processes. Philipson shares insights on the impact of U.S. pharmaceutical spending on global health, critiques the Most Favored Nation pricing model, and emphasizes the importance of innovation in healthcare. The conversation also touches on the implications of the Inflation Reduction Act on drug development and the feedback from the pharmaceutical sector regarding recent policy changes.

Episode 5: Tony Losasso – The Next Claritin? GLP-1 Drugs and the Future of Obesity Treatment Nov 02, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, Tony Losasso, a professor of economics and Driehaus Fellow at Depaul University, discusses his experiences in public service, particularly his role in the Center for Program Integrity at CMS during the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. He shares insights on the challenges of government work, the importance of translating academic research into public understanding, and the role of pharmaceuticals in addressing obesity from his recent Wall Street Journal op-ed.

Episode 4: Doug Holtz-Eakin – Pharmaceutical Policy, Drug Pricing, and the Cost of Bad Policy May 12, 2025

Show notes

In EP4, Bryana Meyer joins us to talk with Doug Holtz-Eakin, former CBO head and president of the American Action Forum.

Episode 3: Marta Wosinska – Drug Shortages and How to Prevent Them Mar 20, 2025

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On this episode, Marta Wosinska of the Brookings Institution talks about drug shortages and the challenges of preventing them.

Episode 2: Karen Mandelbaum – CMS Privacy Standard for the Public Health Exchanges Mar 07, 2025

Show notes

In EP2, we interview Karen Mandelbaum at Epstein Becker Green and discuss her work at CMS drafting privacy standards for the public health exchanges after the passage of the Affordable Care Act.

Episode 1: Paul Howard – The Developing Role of AI Healthcare Mar 07, 2025

Show notes

In the first episode of On Background, we talk to Paul Howard, former senior advisor to the commissioner of the FDA, about the developing role of AI in healthcare.

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