Trade-Offs: Untangling the U.S. Healthcare Paradox
| Monday, October 6, 2025 |
| 8:45 AM - 9:30 AM |
Overview
The United States faces a striking contradiction in healthcare: despite spending nearly one-fifth of its GDP—and over a quarter of government expenditures—on health, outcomes and access continue to trail those of peer nations. With rising federal debt and economic uncertainty intensifying scrutiny of healthcare spending, policymakers are under growing pressure to deliver better value.
This panel offers a concise, policy- and economics-focused overview of U.S. healthcare spending—past and present—exploring where the money goes, the trade-offs embedded in our system, and the deeper nuances behind the perception that we “spend more but get less.” The session concludes with a critical look at recent and proposed state and federal reforms aimed at curbing costs and improving efficiency and assesses whether these efforts are likely to meaningfully shift the trajectory of American healthcare.
Cirrus Foroughi
Senior Managing Economist
Berkeley Research Group
Speaker
Cirrus Foroughi is an economist focused on the intersection of technology, healthcare, and the life sciences. Currently, he’s a Senior Managing Economist at Berkeley Research Group. He's also an Instructor in the Department of Economics at Harvard College and Department of Health Policy and Management at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. He received his PhD from Harvard Business School with a focus on Strategy.
