On Background

About On Background

Health policy analysis and interviews.

Publisher

OBG Podcast

Category

government · health & fitness

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

7 Mar 2025

Latest episode

5 Aug 2026

Latest episodes

1 of 17 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   5 Aug 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Episode 16: HHES 2026 Roundtable – Does the OMB Proposal Protect Public Funds or Subvert Public Science?

   Industry experts discuss whether the OMB proposal protects public funds or subverts public science in this roundtable interview.

2. 

   13 Apr 2026

   Episode 15: Sayeh Nikpay – From Safety Net to Profit Center: The Complicated Truth About the 340B Program

   Hosts Stephen Parente and Thom Gunderson interview Sayeh Nikpay, University of Minnesota, about the 340B program's evolution, challenges, and potential reforms for greater transparency and effectiveness.

3. 

   16 Mar 2026

   EP15 (Sayeh Nikpay)

   Host Stephen Parente and Thom Gunderson interview health services researcher Sayeh Nikpay about the 340B drug pricing program's impact on providers and patients.

4. 

   8 Mar 2026

   EP14 (Healthcare Marketplace FutureTalk 2026)

   Host Stephen Parente interviews Marta Wosinska, Rena Conti, and Doug Holtz-Eakin about healthcare marketplace challenges, innovations, and future prospects, including drug pricing and AI.

5. 

   8 Mar 2026

   EP13 (Kenny White)

   Host Michael B. Cohen interviews healthcare executive Kenny White about navigating the US health insurance industry, managed care, and AI's impact on future healthcare policy.

6. 

   4 Jan 2026

   EP12 (Look Back-n-Ahead)

   Hosts Stephen Parente, Thom Gunderson, and Matt Stoll review the impact of AI, investment trends, and market uncertainties covered in 2025, highlighting challenges and opportunities in healthcare and MedTech.

7. 

   29 Dec 2025

   EP11 (CHES Round Table on Health Data)

   Host Stephen Parente leads a roundtable discussion on health data, highlighting challenges in access, standardization needs, and the importance of linking it with social determinants for better policy-making in this interview episode.

8. 

   29 Dec 2025

   EP10 (CHES 2025 w/Eric Hargen)

   Former Deputy Secretary of HHS Eric Hargan and host Steve Parente analyze the Affordable Care Act subsidies, recent government shutdowns, and political dynamics impacting healthcare legislation in this interview.

9. 

   22 Dec 2025

   EP9 (Rena Conti)

   Rena Conti analyzes the 340B Drug Pricing Program, explaining its origins, misuse, and the urgent need for bipartisan reforms to ensure affordable healthcare access for vulnerable populations in this interview.

10. 

    22 Dec 2025

    EP8 (Joe Antos)

    Health policy expert Joe Antos analyzes the inefficiencies in healthcare delivery, the impact of consumer demand, and the challenges of pharmaceutical pricing in this interview episode.

11. 

    25 Nov 2025

    EP7 (Marta Wozinska)

    Marta Wosinska examines pharmaceutical quality oversight, contrasting FDA regulations with EU standards and emphasizing good manufacturing practices, in this interview.

12. 

    25 Nov 2025

    EP6 (Tomas Philipson)

    Tomas Philipson, Thom Gunderson, and Briana Mayer analyze drug innovation, pricing policies, and FDA's role, revealing the impact of pharmaceutical spending and policy changes in this interview.

13. 

    2 Nov 2025

    EP5: Tony Losasso

    Tony Losasso, economics professor, recounts his public service at CMS during the Affordable Care Act implementation and highlights translating research into public understanding, especially regarding pharmaceuticals role in addressing obesity, in this interview.

14. 

    13 May 2025

    EP4 (Doug Holtz-Eakin)

    In EP4, Bryana Meyer joins us to talk with Doug Holtz-Eakin, former CBO head and president of the American Action Forum.

15. 

    20 Mar 2025

    EP3 (Marta Wosinska)

    On this episode, Marta Wosinska of the Brookings Institution talks about drug shortages and the challenges of preventing them.

16. 

    7 Mar 2025

    EP2 (Karen Mandelbaum)

    In EP2, we interview Karen Mandelbaum at Epstein Becker Green and discuss her work at CMS drafting privacy standards for the public health exchanges after the passage of the Affordable Care Act.

17. 

    7 Mar 2025

    EP1 (Paul Howard)

    In the first episode of On Background, we talk to Paul Howard, former senior advisor to the commissioner of the FDA, about the developing role of AI in healthcare.

Inside a recent episode

Episode 16: HHES 2026 Roundtable – Does the OMB Proposal Protect Public Funds or Subvert Public Science?

Published 5 Aug 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] And part of it is, of course, a knee-jerk reaction that academics think we know best what we should study. And it's quite a large truth that I personally agree with that position. I don't think It's particularly bad to say there ought to be some voice for the American people in the kinds of things that our dollars would go to fund. And we might actually be quite bad at thinking about or understanding what regular people would like us to study for their benefit. But by and large, we do have the expertise to know where the more important unknown facts are and what space we ought to be studying. And so I think that we're deeply suspicious of political intrusion into these sorts of decisions. […]

Who has been a guest on On Background

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Sayeh Nikpay
• Marta Wosinska
• Rena Conti
• Doug Holtz-Eakin
• Kenny White

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Spotify

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 1 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

2

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

0

Contact On Background

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about On Background