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As policymakers in Washington debate potentially steep funding cuts to Medicaid, Republicans are using terms such as 鈥渕oney laundering鈥 and 鈥渄iscrimination鈥 to make their case. Language experts and Medicaid advocates say their word choice is misleading and designed to sway the public against the popular program.
Should Marty Makary take the reins at the FDA, transitioning from gadfly to the head of an agency that regulates a fifth of the U.S. economy, he would have to engage in the thorny challenges of governing.
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.
Hoarding disorder disproportionately affects older people. As baby boomers age, it is a growing public health concern. Effective treatments are scarce, and treating hoarding can require expensive interventions that drain municipal resources. Some experts fear a coming crisis.
At a town hall in Orange County, California, angry residents said Congress should keep its hands off Medicaid. The cuts contemplated in a House budget blueprint would bore a giant hole in California鈥檚 version of the safety net health insurance program, Medi-Cal, which covers nearly 15 million residents.
At least 20 states have settled disputes with health insurance giant Centene since 2021 over allegations that its pharmacy benefit manager operation overcharged their Medicaid programs. Two holdouts appear to remain: Georgia has not yet settled, and Florida officials won鈥檛 answer questions about its Centene situation.
The Trump administration鈥檚 sudden firings have gutted training programs across the nation that bolstered state and local public health departments.
A special master found the Justice Department failed to prove wrongdoing by the giant health insurer.
The Trump administration鈥檚 first round of sweeping staff cuts to federal agencies eliminated dozens of positions at the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight, which is tasked with implementing the No Surprises Act.
California鈥檚 governor is pressuring Oakland to allow more police pursuits as part of a crackdown on crime. But more pursuits mean a greater risk to public health, with more potential injuries and deaths among bystanders. Policies in cities including New York and San Francisco reflect divergent local priorities.
A small program celebrated by its proponents helps people modify their homes and safely live independently as they age. But most insurers won鈥檛 pay for it, including Medicare.
Amid doctor shortages, several states have stopped requiring foreign-trained providers to repeat residencies before they鈥檙e fully licensed. Critics say patients could be harmed because of the loosened training requirements.
麻豆女优 Health News journalists made the rounds on national and local media recently to discuss topical stories. Here鈥檚 a collection of their appearances.
As Los Angeles recovers from historic wildfires, both previously unsheltered and chronically homeless people are facing even greater instability. Some lawmakers and providers argue now is the time to put in even more resources to maintain the progress the county and state have made in fighting the crisis.
In the waning days of the Biden administration, the Labor Department added ovarian, uterine, cervical, and breast cancer coverage for wildland firefighters. It鈥檚 unclear whether the new protections will stick under Trump.
A San Francisco man had friends drive him to the hospital after he was hit by a car. Doctors checked him out, then sent him by ambulance to a trauma center 鈥 which released him with no further treatment. The ambulance bill? Almost $13,000.
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.
A huge infrastructure project coupled with a new scientific review of microbes in the water could be bringing Washington, D.C., closer to a once-unimaginable goal 鈥 a safely swimmable Anacostia River.
Frustrated by high health care prices, many who backed President Donald Trump support strong government actions to protect patients. It鈥檚 unclear whether GOP leaders will listen.
As Los Angeles recovers from historic wildfires, both previously unsheltered and chronically homeless people are facing even greater instability. Some lawmakers and providers argue now is the time to put in even more resources to maintain the progress the county and state have made in fighting the crisis.
