Southern Bureau Archives - Page 13 of 57 - �鶹Ů�� Health News

Cutting Medicaid Is Hard — Even for the GOP

Episode 396

May 8, 2025

Republicans on Capitol Hill are struggling to reach consensus on cutting the Medicaid program as they search for nearly a trillion dollars in savings over the next decade — as many observers predicted. Meanwhile, turmoil continues at the Department of Health and Human Services, with more controversial cuts and personnel moves, including the sudden nomination of Casey Means, an ally of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s, to become surgeon general. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Maya Goldman of Axios, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join �鶹Ů�� Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews �鶹Ů�� Health News’ Lauren Sausser, who co-reported the latest “Bill of the Month” feature, about an unexpected bill for what seemed like preventive care.

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A photo of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. receiving a tour of a food distribution center. Shelves behind him show crates filled with orange bell peppers.

Meet the Florida Group Chipping Away at Public Benefits One State at a Time

The Trump administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” platform has boosted the agenda of a conservative think tank that’s been working for more than a decade to reshape the nation’s public assistance programs.

By Katheryn Houghton and Samantha Liss

May 8, 2025

A photo illustration shows the exterior of the White House seen behind a blurred picture of an American flag waving in the wind against a blue sky.

Trump Policies at Odds With ‘Make America Healthy Again’ Push

On the surface, President Donald Trump embraced the MAHA movement with a pledge to end the nation’s high rates of chronic disease. But the broader Trump agenda may prove to be the biggest barrier this effort confronts.

By Stephanie Armour

May 7, 2025

A photo of a mail package containing mifepristone and misoprostol.

Despite Historic Indictment, Doctors Will Keep Mailing Abortion Pills Across State Lines

When a New York physician was indicted for shipping abortion medications to a woman in Louisiana, it stoked fear across the network of doctors and medical clinics who engage in similar work. But some physicians vowed not to stop.

By Rosemary Westwood, WWNO

May 6, 2025

A woman sits in a folding chair in front of a blue van.

HIV Testing and Outreach Falter as Trump Funding Cuts Sweep the South

A disruption in federal funds has jeopardized HIV testing and outreach in Mississippi, and researchers warn of a resurgence of the epidemic in the South.

By Amy Maxmen

May 6, 2025

A photo of a man sitting in a Senate hearing room, speaking into a microphone at a desk.

Alabama Can’t Prosecute Groups Helping Patients Get Abortions Elsewhere, Judge Rules

Although most abortions remain illegal in Alabama, a judge’s decision in early April allows doctors and advocacy groups to tell patients about abortion options in other states, and help with travel and other costs.

By Drew Hawkins, Gulf States Newsroom

May 5, 2025

�鶹Ů�� Health News On Air

Journalists Explore Medicaid Work Rules, CDC Layoffs, and RFK Jr.’s ‘MAHA’ Mission

�鶹Ů�� Health News journalists made the rounds on national or local media recently to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.

May 3, 2025

The Week in Brief

Work Requirements Might Cut Medicaid Spending. But at What Cost?

Get our weekly newsletter, The Week in Brief, featuring a roundup of our original coverage, Fridays at 2 p.m. ET.

By Renuka Rayasam and Sam Whitehead

May 2, 2025

A photo of the exterior of a concrete office building: the headquarters of the Government Accountability Office.

Government Watchdog Expects Medicaid Work Requirement Analysis by Fall

This fall, the U.S. Government Accountability Office expects to release a report on how much it costs to run Georgia Pathways to Coverage — the country’s only active Medicaid work requirement program — as other states and Congress consider similar programs.

By Sam Whitehead and Renuka Rayasam

May 2, 2025

A photo of food bank attendees picking up loaves of bread, half-gallons of milk, and bags of produce.

Federal Cuts Gut Food Banks as They Face Record Demand

Food banks nationwide are being pinched by record demand, high food prices, and hundreds of millions of dollars in federal budget cuts. As the economy plods onto shaky ground, food bank leaders hope Congress patches the holes by passing a new farm bill.

By Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez

May 1, 2025

A close-up shot of a blister pack of contraceptive pills.

Trump Restores Title X Funding for Two Anti-Abortion States — While Wiping It Out Elsewhere

The Biden administration shut off federal family planning grants to Tennessee and Oklahoma after the states directed clinics not to provide abortion counseling. The Trump administration restored the money, claiming two lawsuits were settled. They weren’t.

By Rachana Pradhan

April 30, 2025

A photo of a woman in a lab coat using a pipette and flask.

As a Diversity Grant Dies, Young Scientists Fear It Will Haunt Their Careers

The Trump administration defunded the National Institutes of Health’s MOSAIC grant program, which launched the careers of scientists from diverse backgrounds.

By Brett Kelman

April 29, 2025

A photo of a clipboard resting horizontally on a table with a piece of paper that reads, "Medicare Advantage." In front of it are an open pill bottle spilled yellow capsules, a stethoscope, and a pen.

When Hospitals Ditch Medicare Advantage Plans, Thousands of Members Get To Leave, Too

Breakups between health providers and Advantage plans are increasingly common. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has allowed whole groups of patients to leave their plans.

By Susan Jaffe

April 28, 2025

A photo of a group of people in reflective vests standing in front of a An Adopt a Highway sign that reads, "Young People in Recovery, Louisville, KY."

Moms in Crisis, Jobs Lost: The Human Cost of Trump’s Addiction Funding Cuts

In many cases, the money flowed to addiction recovery programs that help rebuild lives by driving people to medical appointments and court hearings, crafting résumés and training them for new jobs, finding them housing, and helping them build social connections unrelated to drugs.

By Aneri Pattani

April 25, 2025

Donald Trump is pictured from afar. The raised hands of reporters are seen in the foreground.

What ‘Fertilization President’ Trump Can Learn From State Efforts To Expand IVF Access

State-level efforts to regulate fertility coverage reveal the gauntlet of budgetary and political hurdles such initiatives face — obstacles that have led to millions of people being left out even when mandates become law.

By Sarah Kwon

April 25, 2025

A photo of a flyer that reads, "Measles: Measles symptoms include high fever, cough, runny nose, red and watery eyes, rash breakout 3-5 days after symptoms begin. Measles can be serious. 1 out of 5 people who get measles will be hospitalized. One person can make 12 people sick. If someone in your family has measles, please try to stay away from other people."

Measles Misinformation Is on the Rise — And Americans Are Hearing It, Survey Finds

Attitudes about a debunked link between measles vaccines and autism haven’t budged that much. But there’s a sharp partisan divide over whether the vaccine is safe.

By Arthur Allen

April 23, 2025

A photo of a small video camera device resting on a table. A hand holds up a phone screen in front of it, showing that camera feed can be monitored on the phone.

The New Old Age

Why Cameras Are Popping Up in Eldercare Facilities

Roughly 20 states now have laws permitting families to place cameras in the rooms of loved ones. Facility operators are often opposed.

By Paula Span

April 21, 2025

A photo of a scientist's gloved hands using a pipette to take a sample from a petri dish.

Beyond Ivy League, RFK Jr.’s NIH Slashed Science Funding Across States That Backed Trump

A �鶹Ů�� Health News analysis underscores how the terminations have spared no part of the country, politically or geographically. Of the organizations that had grants cut in the first month, about 40% are in states President Donald Trump won in November.

By Rae Ellen Bichell and Rachana Pradhan

April 17, 2025

A man wearing glasses sits on a couch facing the camera.

States Push Medicaid Work Rules, but Few Programs Help Enrollees Find Jobs

Republicans are pushing to implement requirements that Medicaid recipients work in order to obtain or retain coverage. Some states try to help enrollees find jobs. But states lack the data to show whether they’re effective.

By Sam Whitehead, Phil Galewitz, and Katheryn Houghton

April 15, 2025

An abstract illustration shows the silhouette of a young girl's head filled with scribbles, unhappy faces, and a low battery symbol. The background depicts a rain shower in blues, greens, and pinks.

More Psych Hospital Beds Are Needed for Kids, but Neighbors Say Not Here

Amid a youth mental health crisis and a shortage of inpatient psychiatric beds, residents of a St. Louis suburb opposed a plan to build a 77-bed pediatric mental health hospital. Resistance to such facilities has occurred in other communities as misconceptions about mental health spur fear.

By Eric Berger

April 11, 2025

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