Lown Institute

10/23/2026

“People are starting to feel that pinch,” said Dr. Vikas Saini, a cardiologist and president of the Lown Institute, a think tank focused on a more affordable health care system. “Amounts for co-pays and deductibles are rising.”

Much of the debt stems from hospital bills, researchers say. Even people with insurance are falling behind. But there are ways to get help.

10/22/2026

With AI rapidly reshaping the economy, scores of jobs are likely to be eliminated. What happens to all those folks who have relied on their employer for their healthcare coverage? Brenna & Vikas ask if this is the tipping point many have been warning about in this episode of The Lowdown.

10/22/2026

What happens when clinicians come to rely too much on AI when diagnosing and their treating patients? In turn, should we begin cultivating a new kind of med student? Brenna & Vikas get into it in this episode of The Lowdown.

10/22/2026

If both hospitals and insurers are using AI to maximize profits, what happens to patients caught in the middle? Will AI be used to squeeze every last dime out of us? Brenna & Vikas shine some light on this question on this episode of The Lowdown.

10/22/2026

Hospitals are bending to the Trump administration and refusing to offer gender affirming care for youth. Is this blackmail by the feds? Medical malpractice by clinicians? Something else? Brenna & Vikas dig into this question in this episode of The Lowdown.

10/22/2026

Every three years, nonprofit hospitals work with their communities to assess their most important health needs and develop plans to address these concerns. But are hospitals really improving community health, or are they just checking a box?

Senior Policy Analyst Judith Garber digs into this process and talks about a new tool, the CHNAudit, that's designed to assess just how hospitals are doing.

10/14/2026

Pharma bro Martin Shkreli, the namesake of our annual awards for the most egregious examples of profiteering and dysfunction in healthcare, is back in the news and just in time for our 10th awards show!

The Federal Trade Commission and a coalition of seven states asked a federal court on Tuesday to punish Martin Shkreli for “flagrantly and repeatedly” violating a lifetime ban from being involved in the pharmaceutical industry. In a court filing in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, the FTC said Shkreli has traded in at least 60 pharmaceutical stocks since being released from prison in 2022.

A leopard, it seems, cannot change its spots.

Submit your nomination by 10/31 for this year's awards at https://lowninstitute.org/shkreli-award-nominations/

10/09/2026

Is science too siloed, too beholden to certain points of view? If so, should the feds be able to drive federal dollars towards different points of view? Brenna & Vikas get into it in this episode of The Lowdown.

10/09/2026

This Tuesday, October 13, at 12pm join the Lown Institute for a conversation with Dr. Patricia A. Gabow, former Denver Health CEO and immediate past chairperson of the Lown Institute board, to discuss her new book, The Women’s Guide to Healthcare Leadership. We'll talk about the persistent gender gap in top healthcare executive roles, insights from industry leaders, and practical exercises to help women navigate systemic barriers.

Get your virtual seat and join the conversation @ https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/PofeyJcdQiGX9hFIuyoroQ #/registration

10/09/2026

The Trump administration just kicked 760,000 people off of public health insurance, claiming these enrollees were fakes and frauds. In this episode of The Lowdown, Brenna & Vikas try and figure out how we can provide insurance for legit patients in need while also stopping frauds from stealing from us.