What the Health? From KFF Health News Trump Almost Unveils a Health Plan
Nov 25, 2025
Alice Miranda Ollstein, a political journalist at Politico, and Sarah Karlin-Smith, health policy expert for The Pink Sheet, join forces to dissect the latest in health controversies. They dive into Trump’s questionable health plan, the GOP's swift backlash, and the fallout over new CDC vaccine language advocating links to autism. Additionally, Joanne Kenen and Joshua Sharfstein discuss their book on how misinformation undermines public health, tackling both the erosion of quality journalism and the societal need for credible communication in health.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Short-Lived Bipartisan Health Proposal
- A leaked two-year extension of enhanced ACA premium tax credits briefly looked bipartisan but collapsed under intra-party fights.
- Abortion coverage rules and last-minute process chaos made timely agreement unlikely before January 1st.
Reconciliation Limits And The Abortion Red Line
- Republicans face legal and procedural limits if they try to remake the ACA using reconciliation alone.
- Abortion coverage demands are a decisive red line complicating any subsidy compromise.
Personal Story Shows Research Cuts' Human Cost
- Julie Rovner highlighted Tatiana Schlossberg's New Yorker essay about her leukemia and policy cuts under RFK Jr.'s HHS direction.
- The personal story links research funding cuts to real patient consequences and public understanding.