Some of the most powerful new medicines pose a host of challenges for drug companies trying to copy and sell similar versions on the cheap. Can those companies find a sustainable path forward, or will patients get left stuck paying exorbitant prices?
Leslie Walker
Leslie is a senior reporter and producer for Tradeoffs covering a wide range of health policy issues including prescription drugs and Medicare. Her story, “Inside Big Health Insurers’ Side Hustle,” was awarded first place in audio reporting by the Association of Health Care Journalists and her work has been featured on Marketplace, NPR and STAT News. Before Tradeoffs, Leslie worked as a freelance writer and editor, in nonprofit communications, and at a health care social enterprise. She lives in San Francisco.
Posted inCost of Care
3 Big Threats to the Cheap, Effective Medicines That Underpin U.S. Health Care
The U.S. has relied on cheap, effective generic drugs for 40 years. Now that promise is under threat.
Posted inCost of Care
Race to the Bottom: Hard Bargain
America pays less, on average, than any other major country for our generic drugs. But selling essential medicines at such low prices comes with hidden costs — from quality problems to frequent shortages.
Posted inCost of Care
Race to the Bottom: Boom Times
In this first part of our three-part series “Race to the Bottom,” we trace the origins of America’s generic drug industry — groundbreaking, bipartisan legislation signed by President Ronald Reagan that saved us trillions and also got us into trouble.
Posted inNews & Announcements
“Race to the Bottom”: A New Series from Tradeoffs on the Ailing Generic Drug Industry
Debuting Sept. 12, this three-part series examines the problems plaguing an industry that America now relies on to fill 9 out of every 10 prescriptions.
Posted inHealth Law
The Court’s Big Abortion Decisions Are Out. What Now?
We break down the Supreme Court’s recent abortion rulings with help from health reporter Shefali Luthra.
Posted inHealth Equity
A New Kind of Primary Care Comes to America
A group of nurses in East Baltimore is piloting a bold plan to bring basic primary care to everybody no matter their age, income or insurance. Can this idea from abroad take root in the United States?
Posted inCost of Care
The Hunt for Lasting Fixes to America’s Medical Debt Crisis
A major new study throws cold water on a popular approach to relieving medical debt, but the research also reveals a promising path forward.
Posted inCost of Care
How Do You Help Patients Who Show Up in the ER 100 Times a Year?
Health care leaders share what they’ve learned from two decades of trying to keep this group of costly, complicated patients out of the hospital.
Posted inHealth Equity
One Doctor’s Quest to Improve Health Care for People with Disabilities
As adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities strive to live more freely and fully than ever before, many of America’s doctors, hospitals and insurers are getting in the way.