Categories: Health

KFF Health News “What is health?” »: Starting to feel the bite of closure

The host

Julie Rovner Health News KFF

@julierovner.bsky.social Read Julie’s stories. Julie Rovner is chief Washington correspondent and host of KFF Health News’ weekly health policy news podcast, “What the Health?” A renowned expert on health policy issues, Julie is the author of the critically acclaimed reference work “Health Care Politics and Policy A to Z,” now in its third edition.

It’s not yet clear how the federal government shutdown will end, but Democrats continue to draw attention to the issue they’re championing: the upcoming expiration of additional subsidies for insurance plans from the Affordable Care Act. Some Republicans are now publicly expressing concerns about the huge cost increases facing many of their constituents.

Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration has quietly approved a second generic version of the abortion pill mifepristone, much to the dismay of anti-abortion groups – even as FDA officials investigate new claims about potential safety risks posed by the drug.

This week’s panelists are KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner, Pink Sheet’s Sarah Karlin-Smith, CNN’s Tami Luhby and Politico’s Alice Miranda Ollstein.

Panelists

Sarah Karlin-Smith Pink Sheet

@SarahKarlin

@sarahkarlin-smith.bsky.social Read Sarah’s stories.

Tami LuhbyCNN

@Luhby

Read Tami’s stories.

Alice Miranda Ollstein Politics

@AliceOllstein

@alicemiranda.bsky.social Read Alice’s stories.

Among the takeaways from this week’s episode:

As the shutdown dragged on, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene — a Georgia Republican known for her vocal opposition to Democratic policies, including the ACA — came out this week in favor of renewing federal grants. She noted that her adult children expect to see their health premiums double if the subsidies expire, a looming problem for many Americans on marketplace plans.
Federal officials recently warned that WIC — the supplemental nutrition program that helps many American families afford basic foods — has nearly exhausted its funding. The Trump administration has said it will use proceeds from the tariffs to keep the program running, but it is unclear whether it has the authority to do so, or whether the tariffs themselves are legal.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court heard a case challenging Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy, and based on the tone of the arguments, it seems likely that the ban will be overturned. And the vaccination schedule is changing – although this change also helps restart shipments needed for the children’s vaccine program.

Also this week, Rovner interviews Sarah Grusin of the National Health Law Program about the GOP’s misleading claims that Democrats shut down the government in an effort to ensure free health care for illegal immigrants in the country.

Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy articles they read this week that they think you should also read:

Julie Rovner: “How some veterans are exploiting a $193 billion VA program, due to lax controls,” from The Washington Post, by Craig Whitlock, Lisa Rein and Caitlin Gilbert.

Tami Luhby: The Washington Post’s “Trump plan would limit disability benefits for older Americans,” by Meryl Kornfield and Lisa Rein.

Sarah Karlin-Smith: “It’s just a virus, the emergency services told him. A few days later, he was dead,” from the New York Times, by Lisa Miller.

Alice Miranda Ollstein: The 19th “Ice Fears Put Pregnant Immigrants and Their Babies at Risk,” by Mel Leonor Barclay and Shefali Luthra.

Also mentioned in this week’s podcast:

“Greene doubles down on remarks on Affordable Care Act subsidies” from The Hill, by Tara Suter. “Six Surgeons General: It’s Our Duty to Warn the Nation About RFK Jr.” from The Washington Post, by Jerome Adams, Richard Carmona, Joycelyn Elders, Vivek Murthy, Antonia Novello and David Satcher.
“Animal Welfare Now Part of Politico’s RFK Jr.’s MAHA Agenda by Erin Schumaker.
“How Agriculture Made Its Way in the Latest MAHA Report” from The Washington Post, by Amudalat Ajasa and Rachel Roubein.
“Politico’s Health Agencies Are Losing ‘The People Who Can Make Things Work’ to India’s Health Rollouts,” by Alice Miranda Ollstein and Maya Kaufman.

Credits

Francis Ying Audio Producer Emmarie Huetteman Editor

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