What the Health? From 麻豆女优 Health News

Join Julie Rovner, chief Washington correspondent for 麻豆女优 Health News, along with top health policy reporters from The New York Times, The Washington Post, Politico and other media outlets to discuss the latest news and explain what the health is going on here in Washington.

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If you have a question for the podcast, you can send it to whatthehealth@kff.org.

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  • 麻豆女优 Health News' 'What the Health?'

    On Autism, It鈥檚 the Secretary鈥檚 Word vs. the CDC鈥檚

    Episode 393

    Tensions between Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his employees at the Department of Health and Human Services are mounting, as he made a series of claims about autism this week 鈥 contradicting his agency鈥檚 findings. Plus, President Donald Trump unveiled an executive order to lower drug prices as his administration explores tariffs that could raise them. Shefali Luthra of The 19th, Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, and Anna Edney of Bloomberg News join 麻豆女优 Health News鈥 Emmarie Huetteman to discuss these stories and more. Plus, 麻豆女优 Health News鈥 Julie Rovner interviews two University of California-San Francisco researchers about an upcoming Supreme Court case that could have major ramifications for preventive care.

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    American Health Gets a Pink Slip

    Episode 391

    The Department of Health and Human Services underwent an unprecedented purge this week, as thousands of employees from the National Institutes of Health, the FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other agencies were fired, placed on administrative leave, or offered transfers to far-flung Indian Health Service facilities. Altogether, the layoffs mean the federal government, in a single day, shed hundreds if not thousands of combined years of health and science expertise. Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Bloomberg News, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join 麻豆女优 Health News鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss this enormous breaking story and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews 麻豆女优 Health News鈥 Julie Appleby, who reported and wrote the latest 鈥淏ill of the Month鈥 feature about a short-term health plan and a very expensive colonoscopy.

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    The Ax Falls at HHS

    Episode 390

    Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has announced a proposed reorganization for the department 鈥 which, counting those who already have left the agency, amounts to about a 25% cut in its workforce. And its planned 鈥淎dministration for a Healthy America鈥 will collapse several existing HHS agencies into one. Meanwhile, the department continues to cut billions in health spending while the nation faces measles outbreaks in several states and the continuing possibility of another pandemic, such as bird flu. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Maya Goldman of Axios, and Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico join 麻豆女优 Health News鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss the news.

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    Federal Health Work in Flux

    Episode 389

    It鈥檚 the Trump administration vs. the federal courts, as the Department of Government Efficiency continues to try to cancel federal contracts and programs and fire workers. But in the haste to cut things, jobs and programs are being eliminated even if they align with the new administration鈥檚 goal to 鈥淢ake America Healthy Again.鈥 Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, and Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post join 麻豆女优 Health News鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.

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    The Cutting Continues

    Episode 388

    The Trump administration鈥檚 efforts to downsize the federal government continue, with both personnel and programs being cut at the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Social Security Administration. Meanwhile, the fight over cuts to the Medicaid program for those with low incomes heats up, as Republicans worry that more of their voters than ever before are Medicaid beneficiaries. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Anna Edney of Bloomberg News join 麻豆女优 Health News鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Jeff Grant, who recently retired from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services after 41 years in government service.

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    The State of Federal Health Agencies Is Uncertain

    Episode 387

    The Supreme Court opined for the first time that Trump administration officials may be exceeding their authority to reshape the federal government by refusing to honor completed contracts, even as lower-court judges started blocking efforts to fire workers, freeze funding, and cancel ongoing contracts. Meanwhile, public health officials are alarmed at the Department of Health and Human Services鈥 public handling of Texas鈥 widening measles outbreak, particularly the secretary鈥檚 less-than-full endorsement of vaccines. Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, and Stephanie Armour of 麻豆女优 Health News join 麻豆女优 Health News鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.

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    House GOP Plan Targets Medicaid

    Episode 386

    The House passed a budget plan that likely would result in major cuts to the Medicaid program. But the plan now faces a battle in the Senate, where even Republicans seem reluctant to dramatically reduce a health program that covers roughly 1 in 5 Americans. Meanwhile, federal judges and the Trump administration continue to differ over whether the administration has the authority to unilaterally cancel programs approved and funded by Congress and to fire federal workers. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Victoria Knight of Axios join 麻豆女优 Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.

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    Medicaid in the Crosshairs, Maybe

    Episode 385

    President Donald Trump has said he won鈥檛 support major cuts to the Medicaid health insurance program for people with low incomes, but he has endorsed a House budget plan that calls for major cuts, leaving the program鈥檚 future in doubt. Meanwhile, thousands of workers at the Department of Health and Human Services were fired over the holiday weekend, from the National Institutes of Health, the FDA, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with possibly more cuts to come.

    Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join 麻豆女优 Health News鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.

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    Courts Try To Curb Health Cuts

    Episode 384

    Some of the Trump administration鈥檚 dramatic funding and policy shifts are facing major pushback for the first time 鈥 not from Congress, but from the courts. Federal judges around the country are attempting to pump the brakes on efforts to freeze government spending, shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development, eliminate access to health-related webpages and datasets, and limit grant funding provided by the National Institutes of Health. Meanwhile, Congress is off to a slow start in trying to turn President Donald Trump鈥檚 agenda into legislation, although Medicaid is clearly high on the list for potential funding cuts. Shefali Luthra of The 19th, Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, and Maya Goldman of Axios News join 麻豆女优 Health News鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss these topics and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Mark McClellan, director of the Duke-Margolis Institute for Health Policy and a former health official during the George W. Bush administration, about the impact of cutting funding to research universities.

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    Chaos Continues in Federal Health System

    Episode 383

    The Senate has yet to confirm a Health and Human Services secretary, but things around the department continue to change at a breakneck pace to comply with President Donald Trump鈥檚 executive orders. Payment systems have been shut down, webpages and entire datasets have been taken offline, and workers 鈥 including those with civil service protections 鈥 have been urged to quit or threatened with layoffs. Meanwhile, foreign and trade policy changes are also affecting health policy. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post join 麻豆女优 Health News鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews 麻豆女优 Health News鈥 Julie Appleby, who reported the latest 鈥淏ill of the Month鈥 feature, about a young woman, a grandfathered health plan, and a $14,000 IUD.

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    RFK Jr. in the Hot Seat

    Episode 382

    President Donald Trump鈥檚 choice to lead the vast Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., faced sharp questioning from senators this week, particularly over his history of vaccine denialism. Meanwhile, the Trump administration鈥檚 second week has been even more disruptive than its first, with an on-again, off-again funding freeze that left many around the country scrambling to understand what was going on. Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join 麻豆女优 Health News鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Nicholas Bagley, a University of Michigan law professor, who explains how the federal regulatory system is supposed to operate to make health policy.

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    Creating Chaos at HHS

    Episode 381

    President Donald Trump was sworn in Monday and by Wednesday had virtually stopped scientific policymaking at the Department of Health and Human Services. While incoming administrations often pause public communications, the acting HHS head ordered an unprecedented shutdown of all outside meetings, travel, and publications. Meanwhile, Trump issued a broad array of mostly nonbinding executive orders, but notably none directly concerning abortion. Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Stat, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post join 麻豆女优 Health News鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Rodney Whitlock, a former congressional staffer, who explains the convoluted 鈥渂udget reconciliation鈥 process Republicans hope to use to enact Trump鈥檚 agenda.

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    Hello, Trump. Bye-Bye, Biden.

    Episode 380

    With just days to go before the official launch of a new administration, the GOP-led Congress is putting together plans on how to enact incoming President Donald Trump鈥檚 agenda, with a particular emphasis on cutting spending on the Medicaid program. Meanwhile, the Biden administration makes major moves in its last days, including banning a controversial food dye and ordering cigarette companies to minimize their nicotine content. Joanne Kenen of Johns Hopkins University and Politico Magazine, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join 麻豆女优 Health News鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Harris Meyer, who reported and wrote the latest 麻豆女优 Health News 鈥淏ill of the Month鈥 feature, about a colonoscopy that came with a much larger price tag than estimated.

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    New Year, New Congress, New Health Agenda

    Episode 379

    Health is unlikely to be a top priority for the new GOP-led 119th Congress and President-elect Donald Trump. But it鈥檚 likely to play a key supporting role, with an abortion bill already scheduled for debate in the Senate. Meanwhile, it鈥檚 unclear when and how the new Congress will deal with the bipartisan bills jettisoned from the previous Congress鈥 year-end omnibus measure 鈥 including a major deal to rein in the power of pharmacy benefit managers. In this 鈥渃atch up on all the news you missed鈥 episode, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post join 麻豆女优 Health News鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.

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    Francis Collins on Supporting NIH and Finding Common Ground

    Episode 378

    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, 鈥淭he Road to Wisdom: On Truth, Science, Faith, and Trust,鈥 came out in September. In this special holiday episode of 麻豆女优 Health News鈥 鈥淲hat the Health?鈥 Collins joins host and chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss health misinformation, the Trump administration鈥檚 plans for the NIH, and bringing together a fractured society.

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  • 麻豆女优 Health News' 'What the Health?'

    End-of-Year Chaos on Capitol Hill

    Episode 377

    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 鈥 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 麻豆女优 Health News鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews 麻豆女优 President and CEO Drew Altman about what happened in health policy in 2024 and what to expect in 2025.

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    A Killing Touches Off Backlash Against Health Insurers

    Episode 376

    The shocking shooting death of UnitedHealthcare鈥檚 chief executive in Midtown Manhattan prompted a public outcry about the problems with the nation鈥檚 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 麻豆女优 Health News鈥 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.

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    A Colorful Cast Could Lead Key Health Agencies

    Episode 375

    President-elect Donald Trump has made his choices to fill some top jobs at the Department of Health and Human Services. They include controversial figures who were vocal critics of the Biden administration鈥檚 handling of the covid pandemic and have proposed sweeping changes to the agencies they would lead. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court heard its first two health-related cases of the term, challenging a Tennessee law barring transgender medical care for minors and, separately, challenging the FDA鈥檚 handling of e-cigarettes. Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins University and Politico, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join 麻豆女优 Health News鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews 麻豆女优 Health News鈥 Bram Sable-Smith, who reported and wrote the latest 麻豆女优 Health News-Washington Post Well+Being 鈥淏ill of the Month鈥 feature, about an emergency room bill for a visit that didn鈥檛 get past the waiting room.

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    Public Health and the Dairy Cow in the Room

    Episode 374

    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鈥檚 priorities could translate into efforts that undermine those of public health workers. In this special episode of 麻豆女优 Health News鈥 鈥淲hat the Health?鈥, chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner is joined by Healthbeat editor-in-chief Charlene Pacenti, 麻豆女优 Health News public health correspondent Amy Maxmen, and Healthbeat New York City reporter Eliza Fawcett.

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