KFF Health News' 'What the Health?'

A Colorful Cast Could Lead Key Health Agencies

Dec 5, 2024

Joanne Kenen, a health policy reporter from Johns Hopkins and Politico, along with Shefali Luthra from The 19th, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet bring vibrant insights into recent health controversies. They discuss controversial HHS appointments under President-elect Trump and the implications for health agencies. The group also examines a pivotal legal challenge to a Tennessee law restricting gender-affirming care for minors and potential FDA regulation shifts regarding vaping products. Additionally, they explore systemic issues in Idaho’s coroner system.

45:08

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Episode guests

Sarah Karlin-Smith

Shefali Luthra

Joanne Kenen

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

The podcast emphasizes the historical context of racism as a public health threat, showing its correlation with chronic health conditions like heart disease and cancer.

It discusses concerns over controversial health policy appointees and the implications of restrictive laws on abortion access, particularly their impact on public health outcomes.

Deep dives

Exploring the Impact of Racism on Health

The podcast delves into the historical context of racism and its severe consequences on individuals' health. It recounts the stories of Cleo Wright, who was lynched, and Denzel Taylor, who was killed by police, highlighting the pervasive public health threats they faced in their respective times. This exploration emphasizes how systemic violence and discrimination correlate with increased rates of chronic conditions such as heart disease and cancer, showing that these issues are not isolated. Additionally, the discussion connects personal narratives, revealing how these societal issues have intruded into the speaker's family history and shaped their understanding of inherited fear surrounding these topics.

Intro

3min

Navigating Controversies in COVID-19 Health Appointments

12min

Legal Challenge Against Gender-Affirming Care Ban for Minors

3min

Implications of FDA Regulation on Vaping Products

2min

Shifting Health Policies and Maternal Rights

17min

Navigating ER Billing Confusion

3min

Examining the Failures of Idaho's Coroner System

2min

Navigating Health Misinformation and the Impact of Abortion Bans

3min

President-elect Donald Trump has made his choices to fill some top jobs at the Department of Health and Human Services. They include controversial figures who were vocal critics of the Biden administration’s handling of the covid pandemic and have proposed sweeping changes to the agencies they would lead. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court heard its first two health-related cases of the term, challenging a Tennessee law barring transgender medical care for minors and, separately, challenging the FDA’s handling of e-cigarettes.

Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins University and Politico, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Bram Sable-Smith, who reported and wrote the latest KFF Health News-Washington Post Well+Being “Bill of the Month” feature, about an emergency room bill for a visit that didn’t get past the waiting room.

Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week they think you should read, too:

Julie Rovner: The New Yorker’s “The Texas OB-GYN Exodus,” by Stephania Taladrid.

Shefali Luthra: The Washington Post’s “Post Reports” podcast’s “A Trans Teen Takes Her Case to the Supreme Court,” by Casey Parks, Emma Talkoff, Ariel Plotnick, and Bishop Sand.

Joanne Kenen: ProPublica’s “For Decades, Calls for Reform to Idaho’s Troubled Coroner System Have Gone Unanswered,” by Audrey Dutton.

Sarah Karlin-Smith: Stat’s “What YouTube Health Is Doing To Combat Misinformation and Promote Evidence-Based Content,” by Nicholas St. Fleur.

Click here to find a transcript of the episode.

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