Season 13

1003 - The U.S.'s Insurance-Based Health Care System

Jan 29, 2026

20:42

Episode Description

About this episode:

The U.S. takes a unique approach to health care by tying coverage to employment. This has led to high rates of uninsured Americans, the creation of the Affordable Care Act, and ongoing fights about health care spending culminating in a government shutdown late last year. In this episode: Jonathan Cohn details the health care debate happening in Washington right now, the nuances of universal coverage in other countries, and what might come next for health insurance in the U.S.

Guests:

Jonathan Cohn is a writer for The Bulwark and the author of "The Ten Year War: Obamacare and the Unfinished Crusade for Universal Coverage".

Host:

Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs.

Show links and related content:

Lawmakers reached a surprise bipartisan health deal. Now they have to keep it.—POLITICO
Oregon Health Insurance Experiment—National Bureau of Economic Research
Defenders of Medicaid cuts are misunderstanding a study I worked on—STAT
Inside Rising Health Insurance Costs—Public Health On Call (November 2025)

Transcript information:

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