The Final Bill cover art

The Final Bill

The Final Bill

Written by: Pauline Cai
Listen for free

About this listen

The Final Bill is a student-led podcast that explores the hidden costs of dying in American society. Each episode examines the economic and systemic burdens of terminal illnesses. The podcast aims to focus on both problems and solutions.

Pauline Cai 2024
Economics Hygiene & Healthy Living
Episodes
  • Episode 3: The Nursing Home Equation
    Jun 20 2025

    Nursing homes ought to offer safety and support, but under today's economy, not only are they harder to pay for, they're harder to find. In this podcast, the analysis is given on why long-term care costs so much, how closings and corporate control affect quality, and what that all translates into for families coping with terminal illness.

    Thank you so much for listening!

    Links to read more:

    https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w28474/w28474.pdf

    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35977267/

    https://skillednursingnews.com/2025/03/nursing-home-room-costs-increase-by-7-to-9-as-all-long-term-care-costs-rise/

    Socials:

    spotify: The Final Bill

    youtube: The Final Bill Podcast

    facebook: @thefinalbill

    instagram: @thefinalbill

    email: pointsofpauline@gmail.com

    Show More Show Less
    6 mins
  • Episode 2: Hospice or Bankruptcy?
    Jun 20 2025

    For so many families, receiving hospice care amounts to ongoing treatment, and ongoing treatment amounts to drowning in debt. In this episode, I`d like to commemorate Juneteenth and explore why end-of-life care is so expensive, how race and income restrict your options, and what can be done to make dying less economically disastrous.

    Thank you so much for listening!

    Links to read more:

    https://www.capc.org/blog/increasing-awareness-palliative-care-minorities/

    https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2023/mar/inequities-coverage-access-black-hispanic-adults

    https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10022295/

    Socials:

    spotify: The Final Bill

    youtube: The Final Bill Podcast

    facebook: @thefinalbill

    instagram: @thefinalbill

    email: pointsofpauline@gmail.com

    Show More Show Less
    6 mins
  • Episode 1: When the Diagnosis Costs More than the Disease
    Jun 17 2025

    An opening episode explores the financial cost of terminal illnesses like cancer and Alzheimer's, from rising caregiving costs to the impact on healthcare systems. Drawing on hard facts and my own analysis, it explores how end-of-life care is reshaping economic facts and what choices can stem its impact.

    Thank you so much for listening!

    Links to read more:

    pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1464043/

    cancer.org

    Socials:

    spotify: The Final Bill

    youtube: The Final Bill Podcast

    facebook: @thefinalbill

    instagram: @thefinalbill

    email: pointsofpauline@gmail.com

    Show More Show Less
    9 mins
No reviews yet