What the Health? From KFF Health News

Alice Miranda Ollstein, Politico health policy reporter who tracks federal regulation and political influence. Maya Goldman, Axios health reporter who explains how federal actions affect care delivery. They discuss how immigration enforcement is disrupting hospitals and patient access. They cover stalled spending fights tied to enforcement funding. They flag federal moves that pause grants, restrict research funding, and ripple through public health.

Ezekiel Emanuel, oncologist and bioethicist who wrote Eat Your Ice Cream, offers brief wellness rules. Paige Winfield Cunningham, Washington Post health policy reporter, breaks down congressional maneuvering. Sandhya Raman, CQ Roll Call health policy reporter, explains HHS budget stakes. Sheryl Gay Stolberg, New York Times political reporter, adds context on public health and research risks. They discuss HHS spending, bipartisan health fixes, vaccines, and policy shifts.

With lawmakers still mired over renewing enhanced tax credits for Affordable Care Act plans, much of Washington has turned its attention to culture war issues, including abortion and gender-affirming care. Meanwhile, “confusion” remains the watchword at the Department of Health and Human Services as personnel and funding decisions continue to be made and unmade with little notice. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, and Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss those stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Elisabeth Rosenthal, who created the “Bill of the Month” series and wrote the latest installment, about a very hot pepper and a very late ER bill. 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 York Times’ “E.P.A. to Stop Considering Lives Saved When Setting Rules on Air Pollution,” by Maxine Joselow.  Alice Miranda Ollstein: ProPublica’s “After Sowing Distrust in Fluoridated Water, Kennedy and Skeptics Turn to Obstructing Other Fluoride Sources,” by Anna Clark.  Joanne Kenen: The New Yorker’s “What ‘The Pitt’ Taught Me About Being a Doctor,” by Dhruv Khullar.  Anna Edney: MedPage Today’s “Worried About Liability After CDC Vaccine Changes? You Shouldn’t Be,” by Joedy McCreary.  

Congress returned from its holiday break facing a familiar question: whether to extend the expanded subsidies for Affordable Care Act health plans that expired at the end of 2025.  Meanwhile, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. broke a promise to Bill Cassidy (R-La.), the chairman of Senate health committee, by overhauling the federal government’s childhood vaccine schedule to reduce the number of diseases for which vaccines will be recommended.  Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of Pink Sheet join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss those stories and more. Visit our website for a transcript of this episode.Plus, for “extra credit” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read (or wrote) this week that they think you should read, too: Julie Rovner: KFF Health News’ “Advertisements Promising Patients a ‘Dream Body’ With Minimal Risk Get Little Scrutiny,” by Fred Schulte.  Alice Miranda Ollstein: SFGate’s “A Calif. Teen Trusted ChatGPT for Drug Advice. He Died From an Overdose,” by Lester Black and Stephen Council.  Sarah Karlin-Smith: ProPublica’s “The End of Aid: Trump Destroyed USAID. What Happens Now?” by Anna Maria Barry-Jester and Brett Murphy.  Lauren Weber: The Washington Post’s “How RFK Jr. Upended the Public Health System,” by Rachel Roubein, Lena H. Sun, and Lauren Weber.  

This past year marked the 60th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid, the twin government programs that have shaped the health care system into what it is today. In this special episode, re-aired for the holidays, KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner interviews two experts on the history, significance, and future of these perennially popular programs. First up, Medicare historian and University of North Carolina health policy professor Jonathan Oberlander talks about Medicare. He’s followed by Sara Rosenbaum of the George Washington University, who has not only studied Medicaid since nearly its beginning but has helped shape Medicaid policy over the past four decades.Visit our website for a transcript of this episode.

Tami Luhby, a senior health reporter at CNN, Alice Miranda Ollstein from Politico, and Lizzy Lawrence of Stat News engage in a critical discussion on the looming expiration of enhanced premium tax credits, highlighting the potential impact on millions of Americans. They explore the CDC's controversial decision to drop the hepatitis B recommendation for newborns and dissect the political complexities surrounding abortion policies affecting health care subsidies. The panel also shares insights on future health policy themes, including the resurgence of infectious diseases and the politicization of science.

In this lively discussion, Sheryl Gay Stolberg of The New York Times, Anna Edney from Bloomberg, Maya Goldman of Axios, and health policy expert Linda Blumberg delve into the impending ACA tax credit deadline. They warn about potential coverage losses and rising premiums as Congress debates subsidy extensions. The guests also tackle the implications of shifting vaccine policies influenced by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and dissect the Republican health proposals, emphasizing how segmented risk pools can harm access and affordability for those in need.

In this insightful discussion, Alice Miranda Ollstein, a politics and health reporter, dives into the Republican struggle over ACA subsidy extensions. Joanne Kenen, a public health journalist, highlights the tension between public health recommendations and individual freedoms regarding vaccines. Paige Winfield Cunningham shares insights on GOP proposals related to health savings accounts. The episode also features Aneri Pattani, who discusses tracking $50 billion from opioid settlements and its implications for communities. The panel wraps up with crucial health policy reading recommendations.

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.

Led by President Donald Trump, Republicans in Congress are solidifying their opposition to extending pandemic-era subsidies for Affordable Care Act plans and seem to be coalescing around giving money directly to consumers to spend on health care. Meanwhile, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continues to leave his mark on the agency, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention altering its website to suggest childhood vaccines could play a role in causing autism. Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, and Shefali Luthra of The 19th join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss those stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Avik Roy, a GOP health policy adviser and co-founder and chair of the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity. Visit our website to read 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: CNBC’s “Cheaper Medicines, Free Beach Trips: U.S. Health Plans Tap Prescriptions That Feds Say Are Illegal,” by Scott Zamost, Paige Tortorelli, and Melissa Lee.  Paige Winfield Cunningham: The Wall Street Journal’s “Medicaid Insurers Promise Lots of Doctors. Good Luck Seeing One,” by Christopher Weaver, Anna Wilde Mathews, and Tom McGinty.  Joanne Kenen: ProPublica’s “What the U.S. Government Is Dismissing That Could Seed a Bird Flu Pandemic,” by Nat Lash.  Shefali Luthra: ProPublica’s “‘Ticking Time Bomb’: A Pregnant Mother Kept Getting Sicker. She Died After She Couldn’t Get an Abortion in Texas,” by Kavitha Surana and Lizzie Presser.