Health Care Policies Archives

Split image of two people speaking, one wearing a blue suit and red tie, the other in a dark blazer and white blouse.

3 Health Care Decisions Awaiting the Next President

by Ryan Levi October 24, 2024December 20, 2024

The next U.S. president will have to make consequential choices about the Affordable Care Act, prescription drug prices and abortion.

Older woman staring out her kitchen window photographed from behind

Public Health

How New York Times Columnist Paula Span Navigates ‘The New Old Age’

by Leslie Walker October 17, 2024October 15, 2025

Journalist Paula Span, who writes The New Old Age column for the New York Times, shares what she’s learned about how to age well.

Two men smiling, standing arm-in-arm in front of a whiteboard with motivational messages.

Mental Health

The Best Way to Fight Meth Addiction? Gift Cards

by Ryan Levi October 3, 2024December 20, 2024

For decades, the most effective treatment for methamphetamine and cocaine addiction has been mostly locked away in small research studies. California is trying to change that.

Person in a striped shirt holding an object in a wooded area.

Cost of Care

3 Big Threats to the Cheap, Effective Medicines That Underpin U.S. Health Care

by Leslie Walker and Dan Gorenstein September 24, 2024December 20, 2024

The U.S. has relied on cheap, effective generic drugs for 40 years. Now that promise is under threat.

Podcast cover art titled 'Race to the Bottom.' The image depicts a swirling vortex of colorful pills and capsules against a dark background. The title 'Race to the Bottom' is prominently displayed in white text at the center of the image, with the word 'TRADEOFFS' in smaller text below the title.

Cost of Care

Race to the Bottom: Boom Times

by Leslie Walker September 12, 2024January 1, 2026

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.

News & Announcements

“Race to the Bottom”: A New Series from Tradeoffs on the Ailing Generic Drug Industry

by Leslie Walker September 5, 2024January 6, 2025

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.