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DC EKG
30 episodes
REFILL | Jackson Hammond on NHE, CMS Reform, and Making Insurance Almost Obsolete (Originally Aired: January 22, 2026)
Aug 17, 2026 · 51 min
In this "REFILL" episode, Joe Grogan sits down with Jackson Hammond from Paragon Health Institute to unpack what the latest CMS National Health Expenditure data says about where U.S. healthcare is headed. They break down spending trends from $5.2 trillion to projections of $8.6 trillion, explaining what changed, what didn't, and what it means for affordability, Medicare, Medicaid, and long-run fiscal pressure. The conversation connects spending outlook to Jackson's work on CMS Innovation Center…
REFILL | Michael Cannon on STLDI and ACA Coverage: Costs, Choice, and Tradeoffs (Originally Aired: January 27, 2026)
Aug 10, 2026 · 42 min
This is a legacy episode recorded in January 2026. At the time of recording, Michael Cannon was Director of Health Policy Studies at the Cato Institute, a leading voice on healthcare reform, the Affordable Care Act, and market-based health policy solutions. Episode Description Joe Grogan sits down with Michael Cannon from the Cato Institute to discuss short-term, limited-duration insurance (STLDI), also known as "Obamacare-exempt" plans, and why they can be significantly cheaper than ACA exchang…
REFILL | Ryan Long on 340B Drug Pricing, Enhanced ACA Tax Credits, and Medicare Part D (Originally Aired: September 24, 2025)
Aug 3, 2026 · 48 min
Joe Grogan sits down with Ryan Long, healthcare policy expert and senior research fellow at Paragon, to discuss three critical healthcare policy issues facing Congress. First, the Congressional Budget Office's landmark analysis of the 340B drug pricing program, which revealed the program increases federal spending, drives up premiums, and channels most benefits to wealthy hospitals rather than those serving low-income patients. Second, the enhanced premium tax credits set to expire at the end of…
"REFILL" | Dutch Rojas on Healthcare Economics, Direct Contracting, and Tax-Exempt Health Systems (Originally Aired: September 15, 2025)
Jul 27, 2026 · 53 min
This is a "REFILL" episode recorded in September 2025. At the time of recording, Dutch Rojas was a healthcare entrepreneur, founder of multiple direct contracting companies, and board member of Physician Led Healthcare for America, with a growing following on social media advocating for market-based healthcare solutions. Joe Grogan sits down with Dutch Rojas, healthcare entrepreneur and social media advocate, to discuss his journey from accounting to building direct contracting companies that re…
"REFILL" | Dr. Brian Miller on FDA Regulatory Reform and the Valley of Death in Medical Innovation (Originally Aired: March 21, 2025)
Jul 20, 2026 · 45 min
In this "Refill" episode, Joe Grogan sits down with Dr. Brian Miller to discuss the "Valley of Death" - the gap between FDA approval and CMS coverage - and how regulatory reform can accelerate medical innovation. Miller explains how FDA product review can be made more efficient through automation and algorithmic analysis of routine tasks, allowing highly trained reviewers to focus on clinical interpretation rather than data processing. The conversation covers clinical trial reform, device review…
"REFILL" | Peter Pitt on FDA Advisory Committees, Make America Healthy Again, and Drug Pricing (Originally Aired: May 23, 2025)
Jul 13, 2026 · 45 min
Joe Grogan sits down with Peter Pitt, FDA veteran and expert on healthcare regulation, to discuss FDA advisory committees, the Make America Healthy Again initiative, and critical gaps in pharmaceutical labeling. Pitt addresses why obesity-related drug dosing information is missing from labels, the importance of vaccine safety, food regulation reform, and strategies for lowering drug prices through generic drug reviews and supply chain diversification. He also discusses the need for FDA and CMS t…
"REFILL" - Ryan Long on the ACA Subsidy Fight, Phantom Enrollees, and Reforming 340B
Jul 6, 2026 · 48 min
Podcast TitleDC EKG with Joe Grogan: A Healthcare Policy Podcast This is a REFILL of Episode124 - (Original air date: January 27, 2026) Episode Title - Ryan Long on the ACA Subsidy Fight, Phantom Enrollees, and Reforming 340B Episode Description - Joe Grogan is joined by Ryan Long of Paragon Health Institute and the University of Southern California to break down two fights shaping health policy right now: a California wealth tax pitch framed as a health care fix, and the battle over extending e…
"REFILL" White House Rivalries and CDC Reform with Dr. Tevi Troy
Jun 29, 2026 · 49 min
An episode pulled from the archives, Joe Grogan and Eric Ueland welcome Dr. Tevi Troy, former Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services, presidential historian, and best selling author of Fight House: Rivalries in the White House from Truman to Trump. First aired in February 2023 at the midpoint of the Biden administration, this conversation diagnoses how White House infighting actually works, why the Biden team leaked so much less than its predecessors, and what discipline does and does not…
"REFILL" | Dr. Jay Bhattacharya on COVID Infection Rates, Natural Immunity, and the Great Barrington Declaration (Originally Aired: July 20, 2023)
Jun 22, 2026 · 1 hr 8 min
Dr. Jay Bhattacharya on COVID-19 Seroprevalence, Natural Immunity, and the Great Barrington Declaration (Originally Aired July 20, 2023) This episode originally aired on July 20, 2023, the same day Stanford University President Tessier-Levine was forced to resign. Dr. Jay offers detailed commentary on the hostile work environment at Stanford and how government, big tech, and academia conspired to suppress scientific voices. Episode Description In this wide-ranging conversation, Joe Grogan and Er…
Tax Expenditures, 340 B Drug Pricing, and Kidney Donation Reform
Ep 137 · Jun 15, 2026 · 46 min
DC EKG with Joe Grogan Episode 137: Tax Expenditures, 340 B Drug Pricing, and Kidney Donation Reform Air Date: June 15, 2026 Episode Description In this episode, Joe Grogan sits down with Dr. Ike Brannon, President of Capital Policy Analytics and Senior Fellow at the Jack Kemp Foundation, to discuss hidden tax expenditures, the 340 B drug pricing program, and innovative solutions to the kidney shortage crisis. Dr. Brannon brings decades of Capitol Hill experience, inc…
"REFILL" - The Economics of Ozempic and Other Weight Loss Drugs (Originally Aired: May 2024)
Jun 8, 2026 · 43 min
DC EKG with Joe Grogan The Economics of Ozempic and Other Weight Loss Drugs Episode 136.5 (“Prescription Refill” – A replay from the archives) Original Air Date: May 2024 In this episode, Joe Grogan welcomes Ben Ippolito, Senior Fellow in Economic Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute, to discuss the rapidly evolving economics of GLP-1 weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Ben explains the two main competitors in this market—Novo Nordisk's Ozempic and Wegovy versus Eli Lilly's…
Tom Barker on The Truth About Drug Pricing Policy
Ep 136 · Jun 1, 2026 · 47 min
In Episode 136 of DC EKG, Joe Grogan hosts Tom Barker, a top drug-pricing attorney at Foley Hoag and former acting general counsel of Health and Human Services (HHS) under the Bush administration. Tom helped implement Medicare Part D and now advises drugmakers and policymakers on complex pricing issues. The episode traces 20 years of policy: what went right with Part D, what the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) did, and what effective policy should look like. Tom explains that Part D's success rest…
Dr. Mark McClellan on How FDA and CMS Should Work Together
Ep 135 · May 25, 2026 · 55 min
Dr. Redfield's Warning: Hantavirus| Bird Flu| Long COVID and More
Ep 134 · May 18, 2026 · 49 min
In Episode 134 of DC EKG, former CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield joins Joe Grogan to discuss his new book, Redfield's Warning, and break down three major threats to public health: Long COVID, Hantavirus, and bird flu. Dr. Redfield explains the persistent viral reservoirs in long COVID patients, the cognitive dysfunction and autonomic dysfunction that devastate these individuals, and why the federal government must partner with the private sector to develop meaningful treatments. He also walks t…
The European Union Explained with Christiaan Alting von Geusau
Ep 133 · May 4, 2026 · 1 hr 2 min
In Episode 133 of DC EKG, Joe Grogan welcomes back Dr. Christiaan Alting von Geusau for Part 2 of their conversation, this time turning to the European Union. Christiaan walks Joe through the post-World War II origins of the EU as a peace initiative built around the Schuman Plan, the pooling of coal and steel between France and Germany, and the visionary leadership of Robert Schuman and Konrad Adenauer. He explains why understanding the EU's founding purpose is essential to understanding what ha…
Hungary Election After Orban with Christiaan Alting von Geusau
Apr 30, 2026 · 49 min
In Episode 132 of DC EKG, Joe Grogan sits down with Dr. Christiaan Alting von Geusau for a timely discussion on Hungary’s election, Viktor Orbán’s loss, and what comes next under Peter Magyar. Christiaan explains why the size of the election wipeout surprised even seasoned observers, why the mainstream narrative about democracy in Hungary misses key facts, and why the new Hungarian parliament remains entirely on the right side of the political spectrum. Joe and Christiaan break down the st…
Obamacare, HSAs, and Reference Pricing with Dr. John Goodman
Apr 21, 2026 · 46 min
In Episode 131 of DC EKG, Joe Grogan sits down with Dr. John Goodman to discuss what both parties continue to get wrong about healthcare, why patient incentives still matter, and how market-based reforms could lower costs and improve access. Drawing on decades of work in health economics and policy, Dr. Goodman explains how special interests helped shape Obamacare, why supply-side constraints still distort care, and why patients are too often left out of the policymaking process. The conve…
340B | Part D | the Real Drivers of Drug Costs with Ryan Long
Mar 31, 2026 · 53 min
In Episode 130 of DC EKG, Joe Grogan sits down with Ryan Long to unpack two policy stories that are driving real-world drug costs and healthcare spending: the 340B program and the fallout from Medicare Part D changes under the Inflation Reduction Act. Ryan explains why the current 340B structure can incentivize higher costs, hospital consolidation, and contract pharmacy expansion, while often directing the biggest windfalls toward larger, wealthier systems rather than truly resource-constr…
340B, Part D, and the Real Drivers of Drug Costs with Ryan Long
Mar 31, 2026 · 53 min
In Episode 130 of DC EKG, Joe Grogan sits down with Ryan Long to unpack two policy stories that are driving real-world drug costs and healthcare spending: the 340B program and the fallout from Medicare Part D changes under the Inflation Reduction Act. Ryan explains why the current 340B structure can incentivize higher costs, hospital consolidation, and contract pharmacy expansion, while often directing the biggest windfalls toward larger, wealthier systems rather than truly resource-constrained…
State AI Laws, Preemption and Health Innovation with Adam Thierer
Mar 20, 2026 · 54 min
In Episode 129 of DC EKG, Joe Grogan sits down with returning guest Adam Thierer, Resident Senior Fellow for Technology and Innovation at the R Street Institute, to break down the surge of state by state AI laws and why a patchwork approach could slow innovation, especially in healthcare. Adam explains how more than a thousand state AI bills are flooding the zone, what types of “everything bills” are emerging, and why some states are trying to set national standards from Albany or Sacramento. Jo…
HTI 5, Health Data Control and AI with Kat McDavitt and Lisa Bari
Ep 128 · Mar 16, 2026 · 53 min
In Episode 128 of DC EKG, Joe Grogan is joined by Kat McDavitt and Lisa Bari, co-hosts of the Health Tech Talk Show, for a practical conversation on what the next wave of health IT policy could unlock for patients and innovation. They break down the proposed HTI 5 rule from ONC, why it is framed as deregulation, and how it aims to shift the market away from long EHR certification checklists toward one core goal: data that moves. The conversation digs into information blocking, TEFCA, patient acc…
Rural Health on the Front Lines: Dr. Manny Sethi on Access, Private Equity, and Prevention
Mar 6, 2026 · 42 min
Episode 127 Rural Health on the Front Lines: Dr. Manny Sethi on Access, Private Equity, and Prevention In Episode 127 of DC EKG, Joe Grogan sits down with Dr. Manny Sethi of Vanderbilt and Healthy Tennessee to talk about what rural health looks like up close and what policy changes could actually improve access. Dr. Sethi shares his story growing up in small town Tennessee as the son of immigrant physicians, then training as an orthopedic traumatologist and treating high-energy injuries that oft…
Alzheimer’s in Real Life: Sue Peschin on Early Detection, Biomarkers, CED, and the ASAP Act
Ep 126 · Feb 17, 2026 · 47 min
In Episode 126 Joe speaks with Sue Peschin, President and CEO of the Alliance for Aging Research, about what Alzheimer’s and dementia look like in the real world and how policy determines who gets help and when. Sue explains the mission and 40–year history of the Alliance for Aging Research and lays out the scope of the Alzheimer’s crisis in plain language: who is affected, how dementia types differ, and why neuropsychiatric symptoms like agitation, psychosis, and depression are so often i…
STLDI and ACA Coverage: Costs, Choice, and Tradeoffs
Jan 27, 2026 · 42 min
"Obamacare Exempt" Plans - STLDI and ACA Coverage: Costs, Choice, and Tradeoffs Joe Grogan is joined by Michael Cannon (Cato Institute) to break down short-term, limited-duration insurance (STLDI), also known as “Obamacare-exempt” plans. They explain why STLDI can be far cheaper than ACA exchange coverage, how renewal guarantees work, and why allowing more consumer choice can reduce pressure on exchange risk pools. They also dig into the politics of pre-existing conditions, how ACA rules change…
Ryan Long on the ACA Subsidy Fight, Phantom Enrollees, and Reforming 340B
Jan 27, 2026 · 48 min
Podcast TitleDC EKG with Joe Grogan: A Healthcare Policy Podcast Episode124 Episode TitleRyan Long on the ACA Subsidy Fight, Phantom Enrollees, and Reforming 340B Episode DescriptionJoe Grogan is joined by Ryan Long of Paragon Health Institute and the University of Southern California to break down two fights shaping health policy right now: a California wealth tax pitch framed as a health care fix, and the battle over extending enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies. They unpack how enhanced su…
Healthcare AI Gets Real: Naomi Lopez on ACCESS, TEMPO, and the Future of Care
Ep 122 · Jan 23, 2026 · 46 min
DC EKG with Joe Grogan: A Healthcare Policy Podcast Ep. 122 In this episode of DC EKG with Joe Grogan: A Healthcare Policy Podcast, Joe recaps the first Healthcare AI Policy Summit, held on December 10th in Washington, DC, with his co-host for the event, Naomi Lopez, founder of Nexus Policy Consulting. They walk through the big themes shaping healthcare AI right now: how HHS is approaching AI adoption, what real regulatory clarity could look like, and how new federal initiatives like ACCESS and…
Are We Getting Our Money’s Worth? Jackson Hammond on NHE, CMS Reform & Making Insurance Almost Obsolete
Jan 23, 2026 · 51 min
In Episode 123 of DC EKG, Joe Grogan sits down with Jackson Hammond (Senior Policy Analyst, Paragon Health Institute) to unpack what the latest CMS National Health Expenditure (NHE) data says about where U.S. health care is headed. They break down the June 2025 NHE release, compare it to Jackson’s earlier “Paragon Prognosis” analysis, and explain what changed, what didn’t, and what it means for affordability, Medicare, Medicaid, and long-run fiscal pressure. They also connect the spending…
Fixing Obamacare Without Repeal: Tony LoSasso on Competition, Subsidies & Fiscal Reality
Ep 121 · Dec 10, 2025 · 43 min
In this episode of DC EKG with Joe Grogan: A Healthcare Policy Podcast, Joe sits down with health economist Tony LoSasso to dissect what serious, workable Obamacare reforms could look like without blowing up the Affordable Care Act entirely. They dig into the structure of healthcare subsidies, why current premium tax credits dull price sensitivity, and how that undermines insurance competition, drives up healthcare costs, and threatens the law's fiscal sustainability. Tony lays out a path to mod…
Ryan Long on The Hidden Costs of 340B and ACA Subsidies—and Why Reform Matters
Sep 24, 2025 · 50 min
In this episode of DC EKG, host Joe Grogan is joined by Ryan Long, Capitol Hill veteran and senior research fellow at the Paragon Institute, to unpack two big health policy debates: the 340B drug discount program and the enhanced ACA premium tax credits. Ryan explains how 340B drives higher drug spending, hospital consolidation, and rising premiums, while often benefiting wealthier hospitals over safety-net providers. He also breaks down why the temporary ACA subsidies are set to expire in 2025,…
Dutch Rojas on Physician-Owned Hospitals, Transparency, and Ending Healthcare Monopolies
Sep 15, 2025 · 52 min
In this episode of DC EKG, Joe Grogan sits down with healthcare entrepreneur and advocate Dutch Rojas to unpack some of the most pressing and misunderstood issues in American healthcare. From his unconventional path from accounting into healthcare to his outspoken advocacy for physician-owned hospitals, Rojas brings a fresh, unapologetic perspective to how we can break through the gridlock of consolidation and outdated policy. Rojas makes the case for why charity care is often used as a business…
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