How Do We Measure the Value of Health?
Setup
Who decides what something is worth? The price of health care doesn’t follow many of the rules of other commodities because it is so inelastic — people value restorative treatment and will almost always try to pay for it. And what happens when we confuse price with value? Care ends up being undervalued and things like medication end up being more expensive. Rather than generating treatment breakthroughs and pricing them fairly, the economics of health care often enables distortions that increase inequality and reward value extraction activities over value creation. Economist Mariana Mazzucato talks about costs, revamping economic structures, and her new book, The Value of Everything. Join us for a book signing immediately following the discussion.
- 2019 Health
- Full transcript
Explore More
Science
Research on aging and extending life and healthspan has ventured beyond humans to our best animal friends – dogs. In less than a year, dog owners may be able to buy a drug tha...
The recognition that all things are connected is at once a scientific principle and a philosophical touchstone. Humans, animals, and the environment are intertwined in complex...
For as long as humans have looked at the skies, we’ve speculated about whether there is life in space. Scientists, the U.S. military and the CIA have all searched for proof of...
It sounds like sci-fi: Scientists are beaming solar energy from space, subbing seaweed for plastic and brightening clouds to reflect sunlight to lower temperatures in a warmin...
*No food or service animals allowed in this session.* The creator of Fat Bear Week in Alaska gives insight on the importance of wildlife education, and then ecologists unpack...
Brain-computer interfaces show potential to restore function to people impacted by incurable neurological conditions such as stroke, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury...
Scientists are developing life-extending drugs for dogs, and new advancements could bring them to market by 2025. Two leaders working to slow the aging process for Fido discus...
Few people are more deeply steeped in science than Francis Collins, former director of the National Institutes of Health and the groundbreaking Human Genome Project, and forme...
Part 1. Contrary to Popular Opinion — Bill Maher in Real Time: The iconoclastic host of HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher” sits down with Tina Brown to talk about calling out...
From in vitro fertilization (IVF), which combines human eggs and sperm outside the body, to in vitro gametogenesis (IVG), which uses stem cells to create gametes, pregnancy is...
The idea of gathering DNA samples into a vast database in order to identify disease risks and breakthrough therapies was once a distant dream. Not long ago, immunotherapy seem...
The hormonal changes and hot flashes that accompany menopause are familiar to most women, but the accompanying brain changes have not received as much attention. We now know t...
The first drug in a class known as GLP-1 agonists was approved in 2005 to treat diabetes. GLP-1 drugs subsequently proved their mettle to treat obesity and prevent major cardi...
The communities we call home and the ways we live greatly influence health and longevity. By studying “Blue Zones” around the globe, Dan Buettner has uncovered the macro-level...
Scientific investigation is laser focused on psychedelics to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), ease end-of-life anxiety, and address mental health challenges, inclu...
Artificial intelligence is generating enormous excitement for its potential to predict health risks, speed diagnoses, and guide medical decision making. At the same time, the...
The health benefits of a nutritious diet are well-established, but just telling people to eat more plant-based foods and less unhealthy fat isn’t enough to reduce the toll of...
Managing disease is getting personal. With the genomic revolution upon us, we now understand that many diseases don't always follow the same predictable course and personalize...
Scientists are deeply engaged in efforts to slow aging and eliminate age-related diseases by editing genes, reprogramming cells, and developing novel molecular therapeutics. A...
To secure equitable global health and security, the world needs its own immune system. That’s the message from surgeon and author Atul Gawande, who leads global health assista...
