Tradeoffs

12/21/2025

Tradeoffs Executive Editor Dan Gorenstein joined CNN this morning to discuss what’s at stake as President Donald Trump considers meeting with health insurance companies this week to address rising health care costs.

As Dan explained, the consequences of being uninsured are well-documented, not just for individuals, but for the entire health care system:

"The literature is pretty clear, that when they don't have insurance, they delay or forgo needed care and end up in worse health. Some people will die sooner than they need to, and, people are also more likely to face medical debt or bankruptcy. And at the same time, people still get sick even if they're uninsured. And someone has to pick up the cost. And that affects all of us."

12/20/2025

Join us on Tuesday, Jan. 6 for our latest virtual event co-hosted with the University of Pennsylvania's Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics.

We'll be talking with national experts about the challenges facing health care access in rural America, evidence-based solutions to those issues, and how states and the federal government are looking to use a new pot of federal money.

Register and learn more:
https://tradeoffs.org/event/50-billion-rural-health-transformation-program/

12/20/2025

There are only a few hours left to donate to Tradeoffs by midnight for our $2,000 matching challenge, where every amount donated will be matched, dollar for dollar.

As an independent nonprofit newsroom, listener support is a crucial part of how we sustain this work.

Give a gift to help continue to make our reporting possible during a turbulent time for health policy.

Tradeoffs.org/donate

Support smarter health policy conversations.

12/19/2025

Today is the last day to raise $2,000 to unlock a matching gift from our Audience Match Fund.

Donate by midnight to Tradeoffs so each dollar you give can be doubled, increasing the effect of your support.

Less than 1% of our audience donates to support our reporting. If our work has been valuable to you, this is a powerful moment to pitch in.

Even $10 makes a difference.

Tradeoffs.org/donate

Support smarter health policy conversations.

12/18/2025

Violence is one of the biggest threats to the health of American children. Millions of kids every year are victims of violence or witness it in their communities — fights, assaults and shootings.

Research shows that young people who are exposed to high levels of this sort of trauma are more likely to struggle with depression, addiction and su***de. They’re also more likely to perpetrate violence and end up incarcerated.

With a tragic school shooting in Rhode Island and the Trump administration cutting funding to violence prevention programs, we wanted to revisit our episode about a program in Chicago called Choose to Change that’s having success using therapy to prevent violence among kids who are most at risk.

Listen to the story, co-published with The Marshall Project, to learn about the program and hear from a young man who has experienced the benefits of Choose to Change firsthand.

We want to do more solutions-focused reporting in 2026, so please consider supporting Tradeoffs with a donation. For the next two days, every dollar you give to Tradeoffs will be matched, up to $2,000, by our Audience Match Fund. Your support helps keep our reporting independent, rigorous and accessible to all. http://tradeoffs.org/donate

https://tradeoffs.org/2025/06/05/treating-teens-trauma-stopping-violence-chicago/

A Chicago violence prevention program is pairing cognitive behavioral therapy with intensive mentoring and wraparound support to help high-risk teens avoid incarceration.

12/18/2025

We need to raise $2,000 by midnight Friday to unlock a matching gift from our Audience Match Fund.

Less than 1% of our listeners support this podcast financially. As an independent nonprofit newsroom, listener support is a big part of what makes this reporting possible.

For the next two days, every dollar you give will be matched, up to $2,000, doubling the impact of your support for reporting on what’s broken in our health care system — and what it will take to fix it.

Help us get there by donating now:

Support smarter health policy conversations.

12/15/2025

"We’re trying to make sure that people don’t die in the streets, that everyone has access to essential medical care. We’re not succeeding."

Listen why economist Amy Finkelstein says it's time for a total overhaul of America’s health insurance system, and what she believes we should build in its place.

Economist Amy Finkelstein has studied America’s patchwork of health insurance policies for more than 20 years. She’s finally concluded that it’s time to tear the whole system down.

12/13/2025

Nabarun Dasgupta has spent two decades studying and trying to turn the tide on America’s drug addiction and overdose crises.

His work was recognized this fall with a MacArthur Fellowship, often known as a “Genius Grant.”

Listen to the latest episode or read the transcript to hear about the very personal reasons that drive Dasgupta’s work.

A leading addiction expert explains how he’s driven by the memory of a friend who died, and why he believes giving data on the drug supply to people on the street is more important than using it to inform national drug policy.

12/12/2025

This year has been one of the most fast-paced, unpredictable stretches in health policy we’ve seen in years. From sweeping shifts in the Trump administration’s health agenda to the ripple effects of AI in medicine, change has been constant, and the stakes have been high.

At Tradeoffs, our job is to help you make sense of it all. Week after week, we’ve broken down the headlines, sorted fact from speculation, and delivered clear, evidence-based explanations of what these changes actually mean for patients, providers, and policymakers.

We’ll continue doing that in 2026 but we need your help to keep this nonprofit newsroom strong.

As we kick off our year-end campaign, we’re aiming to bring 200 new donors into the Tradeoffs community. If we hit that goal before December 31, we unlock a $5,000 match from NewsMatch and our Audience Match Fund. Your gift — whether it’s $10 or $100 — gets us one step closer.

Donate now: http://tradeoffs.org/donate

– Anthropocene Magazine – Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting – Asheville Watchdog – Aspen Journalism – Beach & Bay Press – Benito Link – Berkeleyside – Billy Penn – Borderless Magazine – Bridge Detroit – Bridge Michigan – Bucket List Community Cafe – Bucks County Be...

12/11/2025

Nabarun Dasgupta has spent two decades studying and trying to turn the tide on America’s drug addiction and overdose crises.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill epidemiologist explained why he thinks regulating street drugs will save lives, and how memories of the friends he’s lost drive him to continue this work.

https://tradeoffs.org/2025/07/31/scientists-mission-change-prevent-overdoses/

A leading addiction expert explains how he’s driven by the memory of a friend who died, and why he believes giving data on the drug supply to people on the street is more important than using it to inform national drug policy.

12/10/2025

Amid all the speculation and political noise this year, Tradeoffs cut through with rigorous reporting grounded in data and research.

But here’s the thing: less than 1% of our audience donates each year, and heading into 2026 — with just as many unknowns ahead — we need more people to step up.

Donate today to keep our independent newsroom going: tradeoffs.org/donate

12/08/2025

A group of nurses in East Baltimore piloted a bold plan to bring basic primary care to everybody no matter their age, income or insurance.

Could this idea from abroad take root in the United States?

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?