Jan Himebaugh, president and CEO of the Washington Retail Association, discusses Washington state's approach to regulating chemicals in cookware, including PFAS and lead. She shares retailers' concerns about compliance costs, product availability, and affordability, arguing for measurable standards and greater alignment with federal requirements.

Tony LoSasso, a professor of health economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, discusses the unexpected phenomenon of silver plans costing more than gold plans in many Affordable Care Act marketplaces. He explains that this is a result of a tangled policy design, specifically the federal government ceasing direct cost-sharing subsidies in 2017. Insurers responded by inflating silver plan premiums to cover these costs, which in turn inflated premium tax credits for all enrollees, creating an expensive and distorted market. LoSasso proposes a fix: funding cost-sharing subsidies directly and restructuring premium tax credits to delink them from plan prices, thereby encouraging real competition among insurers and ensuring long-term market stability.

In this episode of the Health Policy Podcast, host Brian Hyde speaks with Peter Pitts, former FDA Associate Commissioner and President of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest. They discuss the growing popularity of GLP-1 weight loss drugs and the critical issues surrounding their use. Pitts emphasizes that while GLP-1s can be effective, they are not a "magic pill" and should be used under medical supervision, alongside diet and exercise, and not for chronic conditions without further research. The conversation highlights the serious dangers posed by counterfeit and unapproved GLP-1s sold online, stressing the lack of quality control and the potential for severe health consequences, including hospitalization and death. Pitts advocates for increased FDA enforcement against these criminal enterprises and advises consumers on how to avoid falling victim to illicit suppliers, emphasizing the importance of FDA approval and doctor consultation.