Podcasts Feb 18, 2025

The Economics of Health Insurance: Denials, Pre-Authorizations, and Cost Control

Tess Vigeland, Zarek Brot-Goldberg, Joshua Gottlieb, and Maggie Shi
Listen / Subscribe:

The ongoing debate over health insurance denials has only intensified in recent months. In this episode of The Pie, host Tess Vigeland unpacks the economic forces shaping the US healthcare system with economists from the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy. Josh Gottlieb examines the financial burden of insurance denials, Zarek Brot-Goldberg explores how pre-authorizations influence prescription drug choices, and Maggie Shi reveals how hospitals adjust to oversight by reducing wasteful care.

View All Episodes
Related People

More on this topic

Podcasts Jan 21, 2025

Five Years Later: How COVID-19 Reshaped Our Economy and Lives

Tess Vigeland and Matthew J. Notowidigdo
It’s been five years since the COVID-19 pandemic transformed the world. In this episode of The Pie, Matt Notowidigdo, Professor at the Chicago Booth School of Business, explores the pandemic’s lasting effects on education, work, and daily life. Join us...
Topics: Health care
Podcasts Nov 12, 2024

Deadly Prescriptions: What Happens When Doctors Compete for Patients

Tess Vigeland and Molly Schnell
When some US states allowed nurse practitioners to prescribe controlled substances without physician oversight, a serious unintended consequence took hold: Doctors found themselves competing with those nurses for patients. Molly Schnell, BFI Saieh Family Fellow and assistant professor at Northwestern...
Topics: Health care
Podcasts Oct 15, 2024

How Do Buyouts Impact Hospital Performance? Evaluating the Role of Private Equity in Healthcare

Tess Vigeland and Maggie Shi
Private equity investors made some $200 billion worth of healthcare acquisitions in 2021, and $1 trillion worth in the 10 years leading up to 2023. In this episode of The Pie, Maggie Shi, professor at the Harris School of Public...
Topics: Health care