KFF Health News' 'What the Health?'

Health is unlikely to be a top priority for the new GOP-led 119th Congress and President-elect Donald Trump. But it’s likely to play a key supporting role, with an abortion bill already scheduled for debate in the Senate. Meanwhile, it’s unclear when and how the new Congress will deal with the bipartisan bills jettisoned from the previous Congress’ year-end omnibus measure — including a major deal to rein in the power of pharmacy benefit managers.In this “catch up on all the news you missed” episode, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post 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 Wall Street Journal’s “UnitedHealth’s Army of Doctors Helped It Collect Billions More From Medicare,” by Christopher Weaver, Anna Wilde Mathews, and Tom McGinty.  Alice Miranda Ollstein: The New York Times’ “Ozempic, Lego Bricks and Hearing Aids: What Trump’s Greenland Plan Could Hit,” by Ana Swanson and Jenny Gross.  Shefali Luthra: Vox.com’s “Gigantic SUVs Are a Public Health Threat. Why Don’t We Treat Them Like One?” by David Zipper.  Lauren Weber: The Washington Post’s “Laws Restrict U.S. Shipping of Vape Products. Many Companies Do It Anyway,” by David Ovalle and Rachel Roubein.Visit our website for a transcript of the episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Francis Collins led the National Institutes of Health for 12 years, under three presidents. During the Biden administration, he added White House science adviser to his long list of roles. Now he runs his own lab on the NIH campus, and his latest book, “The Road to Wisdom: On Truth, Science, Faith, and Trust,” came out in September. In this special holiday episode of KFF Health News’ “What the Health?” Collins joins host and chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss health misinformation, the Trump administration’s plans for the NIH, and bringing together a fractured society. Click here for a transcript of the episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate successfully negotiated an enormous end-of-Congress health package, including bipartisan efforts to address prescription drug prices — only to see it blown up at the last minute after Elon Musk and President-elect Donald Trump applied pressure. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court accepted its first abortion-related case of the term, and the attorney general of Texas sued a doctor in New York for prescribing abortion pills to a Texas patient.Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, and Victoria Knight of Axios join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF President and CEO Drew Altman about what happened in health policy in 2024 and what to expect in 2025.Click here for a transcript of the episode.Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too:Julie Rovner: Vox.com’s “The Deep Roots of Americans’ Hatred of Their Health Care System,” by Dylan Scott.Alice Miranda Ollstein: KFF Health News’ “Native American Patients Are Sent to Collections for Debts the Government Owes,” by Katheryn Houghton and Arielle Zionts.Jessie Hellmann: KFF Health News’ “How a Duty To Spend Wisely on Worker Benefits Could Loosen PBMs’ Grip on Drug Prices,” by Arthur Allen.Victoria Knight: Bloomberg News’ “The Weight-Loss Drug Gold Rush Has a Dangerous Prescription Problem,” by Madison Muller. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The shocking shooting death of UnitedHealthcare’s chief executive in Midtown Manhattan prompted a public outcry about the problems with the nation’s health care system, as stories of delayed and denied care filled social media. Meanwhile, President-elect Donald Trump continues to avoid providing specifics about his plans for the Affordable Care Act and other health issues.Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, and Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Stat join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Francis Collins, who was the director of the National Institutes of Health and a science adviser to President Joe Biden.   Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too:  Julie Rovner: KFF’s “Medicare Spending was 27% More for People Who Disenrolled From Medicare Advantage Than for Similar People in Traditional Medicare,” by Jeannie Fuglesten Biniek, Alex Cottrill, Nolan Sroczynski, and Tricia Neuman.  Alice Miranda Ollstein: CNN’s “Most Women in the US Aren’t Accessing Family Planning Services, Even as Abortion Restrictions Grow,” by Deidre McPhillips.  Sandhya Raman: Stat’s “Spending Less, Living Longer: What the U.S. Can Learn From Portugal’s Innovative Health System,” by Usha Lee McFarling.  Rachel Cohrs Zhang: ProPublica’s “‘Eat What You Kill,’” by J. David McSwane. Visit our website for a transcript of the episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.

Public health, one of the more misunderstood concepts in the health world, is about the health of entire populations, rather than individuals. As a result, public health is closely tied to things like the environment, nutrition, and safety. With major concerns such as bird flu looming, President-elect Donald Trump’s priorities could translate into efforts that undermine those of public health workers.In this special episode of KFF Health News’ “What the Health?”, chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner is joined by Healthbeat editor-in-chief Charlene Pacenti, KFF Health News public health correspondent Amy Maxmen, and Healthbeat New York City reporter Eliza Fawcett. Read a transcript of the episode on kffhealthnews.org. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rachel Cohrs Zhang from Stat News, Sandhya Raman from CQ Roll Call, Riley Griffin from Bloomberg News, and Sarah Varney from KFF Health News dive into Trump’s controversial health nominations, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Mehmet Oz. They discuss the implications for Medicare, the potential shifts in health policy, and the urgency of legislative actions before Congress. Additionally, Varney reveals the trials in Idaho challenging strict abortion laws, highlighting the personal struggles faced by women affected by these regulations.

With Republicans now set to control the White House, Senate, and House of Representatives starting in January, their health agenda remains unclear. What is clear, however, is that just about anything could be on the table, from Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act, to drug prices and public health. Meanwhile, anti-abortion groups are preparing to fight the implementation of abortion rights ballot measures just passed by voters in seven states.Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post 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. Click here for a transcript of the episode. Julie Rovner: KFF Health News’ “In Vermont, Where Almost Everyone Has Insurance, Many Can’t Find or Afford Care,” by Phil Galewitz.  Anna Edney: The Atlantic’s “Throw Out Your Black Plastic Spatula,” by Zoë Schlanger.  Rachel Roubein: Politico’s “‘Been a Long Time Since I Felt That Way’: Sexually Transmitted Infection Numbers Provide New Hope,” by Alice Miranda Ollstein.  Lauren Weber: JAMA Network Open’s “Medical Board Discipline of Physicians for Spreading Medical Misinformation,” by Richard S. Saver.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Donald Trump readies for his return to the White House — with the backing of a GOP majority in the Senate and, possibly, the House — the entire health care industry is waiting to see what happens next. Clearly on the agenda: the future of abortion and reproductive rights, Medicare, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, and public health’s infrastructure.Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Stat and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Jackie Fortiér, who reported and wrote the latest KFF Health News-Washington Post “Bill of the Month” feature, about a 2-year-old who had a very expensive run-in with a rattlesnake. Click here for a transcript of the 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’ “Dentists Are Pulling ‘Healthy’ and Treatable Teeth to Profit From Implants, Experts Warn,” by Brett Kelman and Anna Werner of CBS News. Alice Miranda Ollstein: Politico’s “The Election’s Stakes for Global Health,” by Carmen Paun. Rachel Cohrs Zhang: KFF Health News’ “As Nuns Disappear, Many Catholic Hospitals Look More Like Megacorporations,” by Samantha Liss.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s the final days of the 2024 campaign, and Republicans are suddenly talking again about making changes to the Affordable Care Act if former President Donald Trump wins.Meanwhile, new reporting uncovers more maternal deaths under state abortion bans — and a case in which a Nevada woman was jailed after a miscarriage.Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call join KFF Health News’ Emmarie Huetteman to discuss these stories and more.Also this week, KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner interviews Irving Washington, a senior vice president at KFF and the executive director of its Health Misinformation and Trust Initiative.Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too: Emmarie Huetteman: KFF Health News’ “‘Dreamers’ Can Enroll in ACA Plans This Year — But a Court Challenge Could Get in the Way,” by Julie Appleby. Lauren Weber: The New York Times’ “What Drugmakers Did Not Tell Volunteers in Alzheimer’s Trials,” by Walt Bogdanich and Carson Kessler. Shefali Luthra: NBC News’ “They’re Middle Class and Insured. Childbirth Still Left Them With Crippling Debt,” by Aria Bendix. Jessie Hellmann: ProPublica’s “‘Not Medically Necessary’: Inside the Company Helping America’s Biggest Health Insurers Deny Coverage for Care,” by T. Christian Miller, ProPublica; Patrick Rucker, The Capitol Forum; and David Armstrong, ProPublica.  Also mentioned on this week’s podcast: KFF Health News’ “Ghosts, Ghouls, and Ghastly Drug Prices in Winning Halloween Haikus.” Click here for the transcript of this episode available on our website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.