What does it take to make health care work for everyone? In this episode of Policy Punchline, former CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure joins Princeton students Alice McCarthy ’27 and Aiko Offner ’27 to reflect on her years leading the agency that runs Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and HealthCare.gov for more than 160 million Americans.
We explore how the U.S. achieved historic coverage gains under the Affordable Care Act and why maintaining that progress has proved so fragile. Brooks-LaSure reflects on the constant tension between innovation and cost control, the bureaucratic frictions that still leave millions without care, and the deeper question of who should bear responsibility for the social conditions that shape health. She offers a frank look at the limits of reform in a system constrained by politics, paperwork, and inequity, before turning to America’s maternal health crisis and her drive to embed equity at the core of CMS policy amid efforts to roll back years of progress.
This interview, conducted by Princeton students Alice McCarthy ’27 and Aiko Offner ’27, is part of the Policy Punchline podcast series. Supported by Princeton’s Julius Rabinowitz Center for Public Policy and Finance, the series aims to foster dialogue on critical public-policy issues, connecting listeners with leading experts from around the world.
Join us as Chiquita Brooks-LaSure offers a rare inside look at how America’s health-care system really works and what it would take to make it fairer, simpler, and more humane.
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What does it take to make health care work for everyone? In this episode of Policy Punchline, former CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure joins Princeton students Alice McCarthy ’27 and Aiko Offner ’27 to reflect on her years leading the agency that runs Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and HealthCare.gov for more than 160 million Americans.
We explore how the U.S. achieved historic coverage gains under the Affordable Care Act and why maintaining that progress has proved so fragile. Brooks-LaSure reflects on the constant tension between innovation and cost control, the bureaucratic frictions that still leave millions without care, and the deeper question of who should bear responsibility for the social conditions that shape health. She offers a frank look at the limits of reform in a system constrained by politics, paperwork, and inequity, before turning to America’s maternal health crisis and her drive to embed equity at the core of CMS policy amid efforts to roll back years of progress.
This interview, conducted by Princeton students Alice McCarthy ’27 and Aiko Offner ’27, is part of the Policy Punchline podcast series. Supported by Princeton’s Julius Rabinowitz Center for Public Policy and Finance, the series aims to foster dialogue on critical public-policy issues, connecting listeners with leading experts from around the world.
Join us as Chiquita Brooks-LaSure offers a rare inside look at how America’s health-care system really works and what it would take to make it fairer, simpler, and more humane.
Wall Street to Washington and Back Again: Meeting the Mooch
Policy Punchline
52 minutes 38 seconds
1 year ago
Wall Street to Washington and Back Again: Meeting the Mooch
In this episode of Policy Punchline, we delve into the remarkable career path and insights of Anthony Scaramucci, the founder and managing partner of SkyBridge and former White House Communications Director. We start with Scaramucci's upbringing on Long Island in the 1970s, its influence on him as he made his way into the heart of Wall Street and eventually the corridors of the White House. Scaramucci describes the corrupting dynamics of power in Washington, and explains conflicts and confrontations he encountered during his time in the Trump administration.
He offers his perspective on press freedom and Russian sanctions, which sometimes diverged from the administration's stance. Through this lens, Scaramucci provides a glimpse into the divisive leadership style of President Trump from firsthand experience. He gives us these reflections on the past, but a look forward as well, making his pitch for the role of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology in the future of our financial system. From the digitization of assets, to the disruptive potential of decentralized systems, to the role of Bitcoin as a digital store of value, Scaramucci expresses optimism about a world outside of traditional financial institutions. For a wide-ranging conversation about the winding paths to Wall Street, the travails of the Trump White House, the future of finance, and even some wisdom on the good life, join us for this episode with Anthony Scaramucci.
Policy Punchline
What does it take to make health care work for everyone? In this episode of Policy Punchline, former CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure joins Princeton students Alice McCarthy ’27 and Aiko Offner ’27 to reflect on her years leading the agency that runs Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and HealthCare.gov for more than 160 million Americans.
We explore how the U.S. achieved historic coverage gains under the Affordable Care Act and why maintaining that progress has proved so fragile. Brooks-LaSure reflects on the constant tension between innovation and cost control, the bureaucratic frictions that still leave millions without care, and the deeper question of who should bear responsibility for the social conditions that shape health. She offers a frank look at the limits of reform in a system constrained by politics, paperwork, and inequity, before turning to America’s maternal health crisis and her drive to embed equity at the core of CMS policy amid efforts to roll back years of progress.
This interview, conducted by Princeton students Alice McCarthy ’27 and Aiko Offner ’27, is part of the Policy Punchline podcast series. Supported by Princeton’s Julius Rabinowitz Center for Public Policy and Finance, the series aims to foster dialogue on critical public-policy issues, connecting listeners with leading experts from around the world.
Join us as Chiquita Brooks-LaSure offers a rare inside look at how America’s health-care system really works and what it would take to make it fairer, simpler, and more humane.
