KFF Health News' 'What the Health?'

Medicaid may have monopolized Washington’s attention lately, but big changes are coming to the Affordable Care Act as well.Meanwhile, Americans are learning more about what’s in the big budget bill President Donald Trump signed into law this month, and polls suggest many of them don’t like what they see.Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, and Julie Appleby of KFF Health News join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.Also this week, Rovner interviews historian and University of North Carolina health policy professor Jonathan Oberlander to mark Medicare’s 60th anniversary.  Visit our website for a transcript of this episode.Plus, for “extra credit” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too: Julie Rovner: KFF Health News’ “Republicans Call Medicaid Rife with Fraudsters. This Man Sees No Choice but To Break the Rules,” by Katheryn Houghton.  Jessie Hellmann: Roll Call’s “Kennedy’s Mental Health Drug Skepticism Lands at FDA Panel,” by Ariel Cohen.  Julie Appleby: NPR’s “Many Beauty Products Have Toxic Ingredients. Newly Proposed Bills Could Change That,” by Rachel Treisman.  Alice Miranda Ollstein: The Associated Press’ “RFK Jr. Promoted a Food Company He Says Will Make Americans Healthy. Their Meals Are Ultraprocessed,” by Amanda Seitz and Jonel Aleccia.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Senate narrowly approved the Trump administration’s request to claw back about $9 billion for humanitarian foreign aid projects and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting — but refused to cut funding for the international AIDS/HIV program PEPFAR. The House has a Friday deadline to approve the rescissions bill, or the funding remains in place.Meanwhile, a federal appeals court ruled that West Virginia can ban the abortion pill mifepristone, which could allow states to block other drugs approved by the FDA.Shefali Luthra of The 19th, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, and Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Plus, for “extra credit” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too: Julie Rovner: The New York Times’ “UnitedHealth’s Campaign to Quiet Critics,” by David Enrich.  Joanne Kenen: The New Yorker’s “Can A.I. Find Cures for Untreatable Diseases — Using Drugs We Already Have?” by Dhruv Khullar.  Shefali Luthra: The New York Times’ “Trump Official Accused PEPFAR of Funding Abortions in Russia. It Wasn’t True,” by Apoorva Mandavilli.  Sandhya Raman: The Nation’s “‘We’re Creating Miscarriages With Medicine’: Abortion Lessons from Sweden,” by Cecilia Nowell.  Visit our website to read a transcript of this episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President Donald Trump’s big budget bill became his big budget law on July 4, codifying about $1 trillion in cuts to the Medicaid program. But the law includes many less-publicized provisions that could reshape the way the nation pays for and receives health care. Meanwhile, at the Department of Health and Human Services, uncertainty reigns as both staff and outside recipients of federal funds face cuts.Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post, Tami Luhby of CNN, and Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Bloomberg News join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Julie Appleby, who reported the latest KFF Health News’ “Bill of the Month” feature, about some very pricey childhood immunizations.Visit our website for a transcript of this episode.Plus, for “extra credit” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too:  Julie Rovner: The New England Journal of Medicine’s “The Corporatization of U.S. Health Care — A New Perspective Series,” by Debra Malina, et al.  Rachel Roubein: The AP’s “RFK Jr. Promoted a Food Company He Says Will Make Americans Healthy. Their Meals Are Ultraprocessed,” by Amanda Seitz and JoNel Aleccia.  Rachel Cohrs Zhang: The Wall Street Journal’s “Prosecutors Question Doctors About UnitedHealth’s Medicare Billing Practices,” by Christopher Weaver and Anna Wilde Mathews.  Tami Luhby: The Washington Post’s “A New D.C. Hospital Grapples With Too Many Patients and Too Few Nurses,” by Jenna Portnoy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The House on Thursday moved to approve the largest-ever cuts to federal safety net programs, the last step before the measure goes to President Donald Trump’s desk. After the Senate very narrowly passed the bill, House GOP leaders ushered it past resistance from conservatives wary of adding trillions to the federal debt and moderates concerned about its cuts to Medicaid. Meanwhile, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has continued to pursue his anti-vaccine agenda, despite promises that he would not.Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Maya Goldman of Axios, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Visit our website for a transcript of this episode.Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too:  Julie Rovner: The Lancet’s “Evaluating the Impact of Two Decades of USAID Interventions and Projecting the Effects of Defunding on Mortality up to 2030: A Retrospective Impact Evaluation and Forecasting Analysis,” by Daniella Medeiros Cavalcanti, et al. Alice Miranda Ollstein: The New York Times’ “‘I Feel Like I’ve Been Lied To’: When a Measles Outbreak Hits Home,” by Eli Saslow. Maya Goldman: Axios’ “New Docs Get Schooled in Old Diseases as Vax Rates Fall,” by Tina Reed. Sarah Karlin-Smith: Wired’s “Snake Venom, Urine, and a Quest to Live Forever: Inside a Biohacking Conference Emboldened by MAHA,” by Will Bahr.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special episode taped before a live audience at Aspen Ideas: Health, three former governors — one of whom also served as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services — have a wide-ranging discussion about how state and federal officials can more effectively work together to improve Americans’ health. Democrat Kathleen Sebelius, a former governor of Kansas and HHS secretary under President Barack Obama; Republican Chris Sununu, former governor of New Hampshire; and Democrat Roy Cooper, former governor of North Carolina, join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner for this discussion.  Visit our website to read a transcript of this episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alice Miranda Ollstein, a health policy reporter at Politico, and Victoria Knight, a healthcare policy reporter at Axios, delve into critical issues surrounding the Supreme Court's decision to uphold a Tennessee law banning gender-affirming care for minors. They discuss its implications for similar laws nationwide and the ongoing legal battles over healthcare rights. The panel also tackles proposed Medicaid cuts, rural hospital funding challenges, and the impact of AI on mental health, shedding light on the complex landscape of healthcare policy and its effects on vulnerable populations.

In this engaging discussion, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Sarah Karlin-Smith from The Pink Sheet, Joanne Kenen of Johns Hopkins, and Douglas Holtz-Eakin from the American Action Forum delve into Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s controversial firing of the CDC's vaccine advisory committee. They explore the implications for public health and vaccine policy, alongside an open letter of dissent from NIH employees. Additionally, Holtz-Eakin clarifies the complexities and challenges of the Congressional Budget Office, shedding light on its vital role in health policy.

Join Alice Miranda Ollstein, a health policy and immigration reporter at Politico, Lauren Weber from The Washington Post, and KFF Health News’ Arielle Zionts for a lively discussion on the GOP’s gigantic budget reconciliation bill. They tackle the serious potential increase in uninsured individuals, the complexities of Medicaid changes, and how legislative challenges intertwine with public perception. Plus, dive into the unique healthcare struggles highlighted in Arielle's latest report, revealing the real-life impact of policy decisions on communities.

Rachel Nuzum, Senior VP for Policy at The Commonwealth Fund, Berenice Núñez Constant, Senior VP at AltaMed Health Services, and Anish Mahajan, Chief Deputy Director of Los Angeles County Public Health, dive into the turbulent waters of federal health policy. They discuss the ripple effects of proposed budget cuts, especially on vulnerable communities and critical public health initiatives. The panel also tackles pressing issues like reproductive health funding and the challenges of Medicaid, emphasizing the need for advocacy and sustainable solutions in these uncertain times.

Joining the discussion are Anna Edney, a Bloomberg News health policy reporter, Alice Miranda Ollstein from Politico, Sarah Karlin-Smith of The Pink Sheet, and Mary Ziegler, a law professor and abortion historian. They dive into the House's narrow passage of a contentious budget bill, highlighting proposed cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. Mary Ziegler shares insights on the evolving legal landscape of the personhood movement. The panel also analyzes the implications of COVID vaccine accessibility and health misinformation, emphasizing the need for compassion amid political maneuvering.