The Host
Julie Rovner
KFF Health News
Julie Rovner is chief Washington correspondent and host of KFF Health News’ weekly well being coverage information podcast, “What the Health?” A famous knowledgeable on well being coverage points, Julie is the creator of the critically praised reference e-book “Health Care Politics and Policy A to Z,” now in its third version.
Confusion continues to reign on the Department of Health and Human Services, the place insurance policies appear to be altering at a breakneck tempo even earlier than a brand new secretary or different senior officers are confirmed by the Senate. Some federal grantees report funds are nonetheless paused, outdoors communications are nonetheless canceled, and plenty of staff are being threatened with layoffs in the event that they don’t settle for a buyout supply that some observers name legally doubtful.
Meanwhile, that new HHS secretary might quickly arrive, given the Senate Finance Committee authorised Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination this week on a party-line vote — together with an “aye” vote from Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), a health care provider who had strongly condemned Kennedy’s anti-vaccine activism.
This week’s panelists are Julie Rovner of KFF Health News, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post.
Panelists
Alice Miranda Ollstein
Politico
Lauren Weber
The Washington Post
Among the takeaways from this week’s episode:
In Washington, the Trump administration’s federal funding freeze, buyout affords to scores of federal staff, and disabling of federal company web sites have left extra questions than solutions. A tangle of authorized points and lack of communication have solely served to sow confusion across the nation and globe for well being suppliers, researchers, and international help teams — to call just a few.
As the Trump administration runs by way of lots of the disruptive coverage adjustments prescribed final yr within the Heritage Foundation’s presidential transition playbook, Project 2025, some persons are asking: Where are the Democrats? Lawmakers have taken up largely particular person efforts to query and protest the administration’s adjustments, however, so far, Democrats are nonetheless pulling collectively a unified strategy in Washington to counter the Trump administration’s break-it-to-change-it strategy.
Faced with threats to essential federal funding, some within the well being trade are falling in step with President Donald Trump’s govt orders whilst they’re challenged within the courts. Notably, some hospitals have stopped offering therapy to transgender minors in Democratic-run states equivalent to New York.
Meanwhile, a health care provider in New York is going through a felony indictment over offering the abortion tablet to a Louisiana affected person. The physician is protected by a state protect legislation, and the indictment escalates the interstate struggle over abortion entry. And a Trump order barring federal funding from getting used to pay for or “promote” abortions is just not solely rolling again Biden-era efforts to guard abortion rights, but in addition going additional than any fashionable president to limit abortion — after Trump repeatedly stated on the marketing campaign path that abortion coverage can be left to the states.
Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Julie Appleby, who reported the most recent “Bill of the Month” function a few younger girl, a grandfathered well being plan, and a $14,000 IUD. If you could have an outrageous or baffling medical invoice you’d prefer to share with us, you can do that here.
Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists recommend well being coverage tales they learn this week that they suppose it’s best to learn, too:
Julie Rovner: The New York Times’ “How R.F.K. Jr. and ‘Medical Freedom’ Rose to Power,” on “The Daily” podcast.
Lauren Weber: CNN’s “Human Brain Samples Contain an Entire Spoon’s Worth of Nanoplastics, Study Says,” by Sandee LaMotte.
Alice Miranda Ollstein: The Washington Post’s “Did RFK Jr. or Michelle Obama Say It About Food? Take Our Quiz,” by Lauren Weber.
Also talked about on this week’s podcast:
Credits
Francis Ying
Audio producer
Emmarie Huetteman
Editor
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