US health care is rife with high costs and deep inequities, and that’s no accident – a public health historian explains how the system was shaped to serve profit and politicians

Research shows that decades of policy choices shaped today’s fragmented health care system – which is precisely why reform is so difficult.

Zachary W. Schulz, Senior Lecturer of History, Auburn University • conversation
June 6, 2025 ~11 min

Doctor’s bills often come with sticker shock for patients − but health insurance could be reinvented to provide costs upfront

While some policies have made the price of certain health care services more transparent, they don’t guarantee patients won’t be surprised by how much they’ll need to pay out of pocket.

Michal Horný, Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Management, UMass Amherst • conversation
Nov. 21, 2024 ~9 min


Got an unaffordable or incorrect medical bill? Calling your hospital billing office will usually get you a discount

Researchers found that nearly 74% of patients who reached out about a billing mistake received bill corrections. For those who negotiated their bills, nearly 62% saw a price drop.

Erin Duffy, Research Scientist and Director of Research Training in Health Policy and Economics, University of Southern California • conversation
Aug. 30, 2024 ~6 min

Extreme heatwaves highlight climate injustice while western countries fail to act – here’s how governments can help

Governments can collaborate to deal with global climate change and advocate for the rights of people in developing countries through the Climate Vulnerable Forum.

Filippos Proedrou, Senior Lecturer in Global Political Economy, University of South Wales • conversation
July 2, 2024 ~7 min

Buyouts can bring relief from medical debt, but they’re far from a cure

Local governments are increasingly buying – and forgiving – their residents’ medical debt.

Erin Duffy, Research Scientist, University of Southern California • conversation
March 13, 2024 ~8 min

Climate change is making debt more expensive – new study

The first ‘climate-smart’ sovereign credit rating shows 59 nations will have lower ratings before 2030 without emissions cuts.

Matt Burke, WTW Research Fellow, University of Oxford • conversation
Aug. 18, 2023 ~7 min

College students with loans more likely to report bad health and skip medicine and care, study finds

College students who postpone medical care to save money end up paying for it down the line in the form of worse health, a researcher contends.

Joan Maya Mazelis, Associate Professor of Sociology, Rutgers University • conversation
Aug. 4, 2023 ~5 min

Will faster federal reviews speed up the clean energy shift? Two legal scholars explain what the National Environmental Policy Act does and doesn't do

Do environmental reviews improve projects or delay them and drive up costs? Two legal scholars explain how the law works and how it could influence the ongoing transition to renewable energy.

James Salzman, Professor of Environmental Law, University of California, Los Angeles • conversation
June 8, 2023 ~10 min


Medicaid work requirements would leave more low-income people without health insurance – but this policy is unlikely to pass this time around

Adults insured by Medicaid who are 19 to 55 years old and don’t have children or other dependents would need to spend 80 hours a month doing paid work, job training or community service.

Simon F. Haeder, Associate Professor of Public Health, Texas A&M University • conversation
May 8, 2023 ~9 min

4 signs of progress at the UN climate change summit

The biggest issues at COP27 involve financing for low-income countries hit hard by climate change. A former World Bank official describes some promising signs she’s starting to see this year.

Rachel Kyte, Dean of the Fletcher School, Tufts University • conversation
Nov. 14, 2022 ~9 min

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