Episodes

Originally broadcast December 20, 2024

Billionaires who dream of extending human life, including Elon Musk, believe they will have very supportive partners in the incoming Trump administration. They’re excited that President Trump has nominated Jim O’Neill for the number two spot at the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services because of his history in the anti-aging movement.

David Gobel, the co-founder and CEO of the Methuselah Fund, says, “Jim O’Neill really understands the value of avoiding the suffering…of diseases that don’t actually have to happen if aging is held back. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and other nominees are very much in line with the idea of holding aging back by whatever means.” President Trump has nominated Kennedy to serve as HHS secretary.

But “Conversations on Health Care” recently spoke with S. Jay Olshansky, Ph.D., a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, who questioned private and public dollars going to such efforts. “We’ll be lucky if 5% of the age cohort makes it to 100,” he said. Olshansky and his colleagues have presented data that humans are approaching a biologically-based limit to life.

Join hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter for this look into the world of life extension and how Trump administration officials could push the country to embrace these unconventional practices. In addition, learn more about the first longevity patient protocol from Danielle Ruiz, MSN, APRN, AGNP-C, CEO and Medical Director, Everest Health.

Originally broadcast December 12, 2024

Nurse practitioners, at 385,000 strong in the U.S., are increasingly seen as a key part of the solution to the primary care provider shortage. What are the challenges and opportunities to ensure everyone can get the care they need when they need it? Our guest is the president of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, Stephen Ferrara, DNP. He also serves as the inaugural associate dean of artificial intelligence and a professor of nursing at the Columbia University School of Nursing.

Hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter (who has been a family nurse practitioner for many years) discuss the opportunities for Ferrara and his members as they seek to expand what’s called “scope of practice.” In fact, the percentage of medical visits handled by health care providers other than physicians nearly doubled between 2013 and 2019, with many of those patients seen by nurse practitioners.

Originally broadcast December 5, 2024

HIV/AIDS experts are cautiously watching as President Trump and his administration near inauguration day. On one hand, they remember how President Trump announced in 2019 his initiative called Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America. It included Ready, Set, PrEP, a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services initiative that provides free access to the HIV prevention medication PrEP for thousands of qualifying individuals.

But there are worries “about the next four years because we’re hearing about a potential decrease in funding,” that will be detrimental to programs, according to Dr. Marwan Haddad, Medical Director of the Center for Key Populations, Community Health Center, Inc., and a former chair of the HIV Medicine Association.

Vincent Guilamo-Ramos, Ph.D., MPH, Executive Director, Institute for Policy Solutions at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, highlighted these issues as communities recognized World AIDS Day on Dec. 1. For instance, the CDC reports new HIV infections fell by 19% from 2018 to 2022 but there’s been a 12% increase in infections among Latino people.

Our guests join hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter to discuss progress and the hurdles that still exist in the fight to end AIDS.

Originally broadcast on November 27, 2024

Dr. Amit Sood is called the “Happiness Doctor” for a good reason; his resilience approach has been included in over 35 clinical trials. The holiday season, occurring right after an intense election, is an ideal time to learn from Dr. Sood about how to recognize stress and reprogram the brain to deal with it. One of his top pieces of advice: Ask yourself if what is upsetting you will matter in five years? If the answer is no, let it go.

Dr. Sood is the CEO of Global Center for Resiliency and Wellbeing, the former chair of Student Life and Wellness at Mayo Clinic, and the author of the new book “ “It Takes You to Tango: Leverage the Science of Loneliness to Master the Art of Connection.” Join Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter for this insightful conversation that will help us all navigate negative thinking.

Originally broadcast November 21, 2024

TV ads focused on health care issues — including transgender care, abortion and costs — ricocheted across the airwaves in the months leading up to election day. Erika Franklin Fowler, Ph.D., is a co-director of the Wesleyan Media Project, which tracks political ads. She joins “Conversations on Health Care” to discuss a controversial anti-transgender surgery ad from the Republicans that also benefited from free media attention, as well as House and Senate candidates picking up on similar themes in their advertising.

Preliminary numbers show $4.5 billion was spent on political TV and radio ads this year. These ads and their messages reflect the goals of President Trump and his new administration as they plan a return to power in the nation’s capital. Hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter discuss the TV ad wars and their implications for health care policy with Dr. Franklin Fowler.  

Originally broadcast November 14, 2024

There are 27 million Americans who have medical debt on their credit reports right now—a drag on their pocketbooks and our health care system. Urban Institute researchers say they’ve found an interesting fact about those with medical debt: They live in communities with less healthcare competition because of common ownership. The data show that communities of color and people living in the South are disproportionately affected.

Fredric Blavin, Ph.D. and Breno Braga, Ph.D. say medical debt can intensify financial challenges, affect health care access and potentially worsen health outcomes. They report prices at monopoly hospitals are 12% higher than those in more competitive markets.

They share with hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter a variety of ways policymakers can explore unraveling the market concentration-medical debt link and we share the perspective of the American Hospital Association.