KFF Health News' 'What the Health?'

The unprecedented early leak of a Supreme Court draft opinion that would overturn the landmark abortion-rights ruling Roe v. Wade has heated the national abortion debate to boiling. Meanwhile, the FDA, after years of consideration, moves to ban menthol flavors in cigarettes and cigars. Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico, Shefali Luthra of the 19th, and Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, Rovner interviews KHN’s Paula Andalo, who wrote the latest KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month” episode about a family whose medical debt drove them to seek care south of the border. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read too:Julie Rovner: Mother Jones’ “Meet Abortion Bans’ New Best Friend — Your Phone,” by Lil Kalish. Joanne Kenen: Stat’s “A Clash Over Online Adderall Prescriptions Is Raising New Questions About Telehealth,” by Mohana Ravindranath. Jessie Hellmann: Politico’s “Oregon, Kentucky Dust Off an Obama-Era Policy to Expand Health Insurance,” by Megan Messerly. Shefali Luthra: The 19th’s “Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito Argued Abortion Isn’t an Economic Issue. But Is That True?” by Chabeli Carrazana.Click here for a transcript of the episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Revisit our discussion of the Supreme Court arguments in the Mississippi abortion case, a draft opinion for which was leaked May 2, 2022. This episode originally aired Dec. 2, 2021. A Supreme Court majority appears ready to overturn nearly 50 years of abortion rights, at least judging by the latest round of oral arguments before the justices. And a new covid variant, omicron, gains attention as it spreads around the world. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet and Shefali Luthra of The 19th join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Blake Farmer of Nashville Public Radio about the latest KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month” episode.Extra credit reads:Julie Rovner: KHN and PBS NewsHour’s “How Unresolved Grief Could Haunt Children Who Lost a Parent or Caregiver to COVID,” by Sarah Varney and Jason KaneAlice Miranda Ollstein: The Washington Post’s “Long Overstretched, Abortion Funds in D.C., Maryland and Virginia Mobilize for an Uncertain Future,” by Rebecca TanSarah Karlin-Smith: Axios’ “The Push to Revive an Industry-Backed Medical Device Rule,” by Bob HermanShefali Luthra: The 19th’s “’Am I Even Fit to Be a Mom?’ Diaper Need Is an Invisible Part of Poverty in America,” by Chabeli CarrazanaClick here for a transcript of the episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Congress is back in session, but covid-19 diagnoses for Vice President Kamala Harris and two Democratic senators have temporarily left the Senate without a working majority to approve continued covid funding.Meanwhile, opponents of the Affordable Care Act have filed yet another lawsuit challenging a portion of the law, and we say goodbye to the late Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, who left a long legacy of health laws.Rachel Cohrs of STAT News, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, and Rebecca Adams of KHN join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read too:Julie Rovner: STAT News’ “He Had an M.D. and a Ph.D. but Didn’t Match Into a Residency. It Was the Push He Needed to Jump Into Health Tech,” by Tino Delamerced Rebecca Adams: The New York Times’ “'It’s Life or Death’: The Mental Health Crisis Among U.S. Teens,” by Matt Richtel Rachel Cohrs: BuzzFeed News’ “The Private Equity Giant KKR Bought Hundreds of Homes for People With Disabilities. Some Vulnerable Residents Suffered Abuse and Neglect,” by Kendall Taggart, John Templon, Anthony Cormier, and Jason Leopold Anna Edney: STAT News’ “The Doctor Who Is Trying to Bring Back Surprise Billing,” by Bob HermanClick here for a transcript of the episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amid covid-19, the potential overturn of Roe v. Wade, and a war in Europe, the Affordable Care Act has been flying under the radar in 2022. But this will be a pivotal year for the federal health law. Unless Congress acts, millions of Americans could see their costs for coverage rise dramatically as expanded subsidies expire. At the same time, the end of the public health emergency could boost the uninsured rate as states disenroll people from Medicaid. Peter Lee, who recently stepped down as the first executive director of the largest state-run ACA insurance marketplace, Covered California, has thought long and hard about how the ACA came to be, how it’s been implemented, and what should happen to it now. He joins host and KHN chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner for a wide-ranging discussion on the state of the ACA.Click here for a transcript of the episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Congress is in recess, so the slower-than-average news week gives us a chance to catch up on underreported topics, like Medicare’s coverage decision for the controversial Alzheimer’s disease drug Aduhelm and ominous new statistics on drug overdose deaths and sexually transmitted diseases.Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Joanne Kenen of Politico and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too:Julie Rovner: Politico’s “Mice Occupy FDA Offices After Food Left Behind in Pandemic,” by David Lim and Lauren GardnerMargot Sanger-Katz: Health Affairs’ “Many Medicare Beneficiaries Do Not Fill High-Price Specialty Drug Prescriptions,” by Stacie B. Dusetzina et. alJoanne Kenen: Vox’s “America Needs More Doctors and Nurses to Survive the Next Pandemic,” by Dylan ScottAlice Miranda Ollstein: Politico’s “Republicans See CDC’s Policy Change as ‘Massive Political Loser for Democrats,’” by Alice Miranda Ollstein and Krista MahrClick here for a transcript of the episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President Joe Biden welcomed former President Barack Obama back to the White House this week to announce a new policy for the Affordable Care Act that would make subsidies available to more families with unaffordable employer coverage.Meanwhile, Congress struggled to find a compromise for continued federal funding of covid-19 vaccines, testing, and treatments.Tami Luhby of CNN, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read too:Julie Rovner: KHN’s “Losing Sleep Over the Pandemic? Work Flexibility May Be a Boon for Night Owls’ Health,” by Krishna SharmaShefali Luthra: The Washington Post’s “With Roe Endangered, Democrats Divide on Saying the Word ‘Abortion’,” by Caroline KitchenerTami Luhby: Health Affairs’ “Health Care Is Now Healthcare,” by Alan WeilJessie Hellmann: KHN’s “$11M for North Carolina Work-Based Rehab Raises Concerns,” by Aneri Pattani and NC Health News’ Taylor KnopfClick here for a transcript of the episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In his proposed budget, President Joe Biden called for a boost in health spending that includes billions of dollars to prepare for a future pandemic. But that doesn’t include money he says is needed immediately for testing and treating covid.Also this week, federal regulators authorized a second booster shot for people over age 50 yet gave little guidance to consumers about who needs the shot and when.Amy Goldstein of The Washington Post, Jennifer Haberkorn of the Los Angeles Times, and Rachana Pradhan of KHN join KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey to discuss these issues and more.Plus, Julie Rovner interviews KHN’s Julie Appleby, who reported and wrote the latest KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month” episode about a very expensive air ambulance ride.For extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week that they think you should read, too:Mary Agnes Carey: The New Yorker’s “A Freelancer’s Forty-Three Years in the American Health-Care System,” by David OwenAmy Goldstein: Stat’s "NIH’s Identity Crisis: The Pandemic and The Search for a New Leader Leave the Agency at a Crossroads," by Lev FacherJen Haberkorn: The New York Times’ "F.D.A. Rushed a Drug for Preterm Births. Did It Put Speed Over Science?" by Christina JewettRachana Pradhan: The Washington Post’s "‘Is This What a Good Mother Looks Like?’” by William WanClick here for a transcript of the episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Although its fate was in doubt more than a few times, the Affordable Care Act turned 12 this week. Year 13 could be pivotal in determining how many Americans receive ACA health insurance, and at what price.Meanwhile, three leading credit bureaus agreed to stop using most medical debt to measure U.S. consumers’ credit-worthiness. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Rachel Cohrs of Stat, and KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too:Julie Rovner: KHN’s “As States Impose Abortion Bans, Young Doctors Struggle – And Travel Far—To Learn the Procedure,” by Sarah Varney.Anna Edney: Politico’s “’We’ve Learned Absolutely Nothing’: Tests Could Again Be in Short Supply if Covid Surges,” by David Lim.Rachel Cohrs: The Guardian’s “‘Betting Against the NHS’: £1bn Private Hospital to Open in Central London,” by Julia Kollewe.Mary Agnes Carey: KHN’s “Covid’s ‘Silver Lining’: Research Breakthroughs for Chronic Disease, Cancer, and the Common Flu,” by Liz Szabo.Click here for a transcript of the episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The White House makes a move as a new wave of covid threatens. President Joe Biden brings in Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of Brown University’s School of Public Health, to take over the executive branch effort.Meanwhile, it remains unclear if and when Congress can come up with the funds to continue much of the federal anti-covid effort.Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read too:Julie Rovner: KHN’s “‘American Diagnosis’: A Fuller Moon Rising – Revised ‘Violence Against Women Act’ Offers Hope,” hosted by Dr. Céline GounderJoanne Kenen: The Washington Post’s “Disease Took My Brother. Our Health-Care System Added to His Ordeal,” by Karen TumultySandhya Raman: The New York Times’ “As a Crisis Hotline Grows, So Do Fears It Won’t Be Ready,” by Steve EderAlice Miranda Ollstein: Politico’s “Covid Chaos Fueled Another Public Health Crisis: STDs,” by Alice Miranda OllsteinClick here for a transcript of the episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Biden administration’s request for billions more in funding to fight covid-19 hit a snag on Capitol Hill this week, as Democrats objected to Republican demands that money allocated to states but not yet spent be reclaimed.Meanwhile, the big annual spending bill about to cross the finish line addresses other health policy changes, such as giving the FDA authority to regulate “synthetic” nicotine.Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico, Rachel Cohrs of Stat, and Jessie Hellmann of Modern Healthcare join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too:Julie Rovner: The Atlantic’s “How Did This Many Deaths Become Normal?” by Ed YongJoanne Kenen: Politico’s “‘I Almost Lost My Baby’: Parents Demand Answers From FDA,” by Helena Bottemiller EvichRachel Cohrs: Vox.com’s “Maternity Wards Are Shuttering Across the US During the Pandemic,” by Dylan ScottJessie Hellmann: NPR’s “Delaware Is Shrinking Racial Gaps in Cancer Death. Its Secret? Patient Navigators,” by Yuki NoguchiClick here for a transcript of the episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.