Watch: Acknowledging Health Cares Great Divide
As part of her "How Would You Fix It?" series, podcast host Julie Rovner chats with health policy expert David Blumenthal about how politics can gum up health policy progress.
What the Health? From 窪蹋勛圖厙 News
Join Julie Rovner, chief Washington correspondent for 窪蹋勛圖厙 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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RFK Jr. vs. Congress
Episode 443HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. completed his tour of House and Senate committees this week, ostensibly to promote President Donald Trumps budget proposal for his department but also to answer for some of his more controversial positions, particularly on vaccines. Meanwhile, Trump signed an order to facilitate the use of hallucinogens to treat mental health conditions. Victoria Knight of Bloomberg Government, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Sheryl Gay Stolberg of The New York Times join 窪蹋勛圖厙 News Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, as part of our How Would You Fix It? series, Rovner interviews Harvard public health professor David Blumenthal.
A New CDC Nominee, Again
Episode 442President Donald Trump this week nominated a former deputy surgeon general who has expressed support for vaccines to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Considered a more traditional fit for the job, Erica Schwartz would be the agencys fourth leader in roughly a year, should she be confirmed by the Senate. And Health […]
Abortion Pills, the Budget, and RFK Jr.
Episode 441This week, the Trump administration won a court battle to delay a ruling on access to the abortion pill mifepristone, angering its own anti-abortion allies. Meanwhile, the presidents budget arrived on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers are unlikely to agree to its proposed cuts to Health and Human Services programs. Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Maya Goldman of Axios join 窪蹋勛圖厙 News Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.
GOP Mulls More Health Cuts
Episode 440Despite public opposition to the cuts they made to federal health programs in 2025, Republicans reportedly are considering more cuts to help pay for the war in Iran. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court ruled that Colorado cannot ban conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ minors. Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Sandhya Raman of Bloomberg Law join 窪蹋勛圖厙 News Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews 窪蹋勛圖厙 News Elisabeth Rosenthal, who wrote the last two Bill of the Month stories.
A Headless CDC
Episode 439The Trump administration faces the challenge of naming a new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who can both satisfy the Make America Healthy Again movement and get confirmed by the Senate. Meanwhile, a new Senate bill to rescind the approval of the abortion pill mifepristone is again elevating the abortion debate, which some Republicans would prefer to stay on the back burner until after the midterms. Shefali Luthra of The 19th, Lizzy Lawrence of Stat, and Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Bloomberg News join 窪蹋勛圖厙 News Julie Rovner to discuss the news. Also this week, Rovner interviews Georgetown University Law Centers Katie Keith about the state of the Affordable Care Act on its 16th anniversary.
RFK Jr.s Vaccine Schedule Changes Blocked For Now
Episode 438A federal judge in Massachusetts this week sided with public health groups to block changes to the federally recommended schedule of childhood vaccines, dealing at least a temporary setback to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.s efforts to remake the schedule. Meanwhile, Congress has put its debate over the future of the Affordable Care Act on the back burner, but the issue of rising health care costs is still front and center for the voting public. Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join 窪蹋勛圖厙 News Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF President and CEO Drew Altman to kick off a new series looking at health care solutions, called How Would You Fix It?
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Watch: Affordability Plagues Health Care in Its Shift From Nonprofit to Profit Machine
On What the Health? From 窪蹋勛圖厙 News, distributed by WAMU, chief Washington correspondent and host Julie Rovner sat down with Drew Altman, president and CEO of KFF, to talk about the likelihood of a national health care debate.
By Julie Rovner RFK Jr.s Very Bad Week
Episode 437HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had another tough week. In addition to Kennedy having rotator cuff surgery, the nomination of his ally to become surgeon general is teetering, the controversial head of the FDA's vaccine center is resigning next month, and a new survey shows Americans trust government health officials less than they do former Biden official Anthony Fauci. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, and Shefali Luthra of The 19th join 窪蹋勛圖厙 News Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.
40 Years of Health Policy
Episode 436This month is 40 years since host Julie Rovner, chief Washington correspondent for 窪蹋勛圖厙 News, began reporting on health policy in Washington. To mark the anniversary, Rovner is joined by two longtime sources to discuss what has and has not changed since 1986.
What About the State of Health?
Episode 435Health care got barely a mention in President Trumps State of the Union address. Ahead of the midterms, the Trump administration has presented few concrete plans to address what Americans say is the biggest problem with health care: its skyrocketing costs. Meanwhile, Trumps pick for surgeon general, Casey Means, got her long-delayed nomination hearing in the Senate, where she faced skeptical questions from Democrats and Republicans alike. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Sheryl Gay Stolberg of The New York Times, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post join 窪蹋勛圖厙 News Julie Rovner to discuss those stories and more.
Turnarounds and Shake-Ups
Episode 434The twists and turns continue at the nations health agency, where this weeks announcements included notice that the FDA will review Modernas new flu vaccine after all and that a handful of top agency officials are getting new jobs. Those developments and others can be traced to a White House looking to shake things up before the midterms and win over voters on health care. Tami Luhby of CNN, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post join 窪蹋勛圖厙 News Mary Agnes Carey to discuss these stories and more.
New Flu Vax? FDA Says No Thanks
Episode 433Its been a busy week at the FDA, with a political appointee overruling agency scientists to reject an application for a new flu vaccine. Meanwhile, anti-abortion Republicans on Capitol Hill complain the agency is dragging its feet on reviewing the abortion pill mifepristone. Jackie Forti矇r of 窪蹋勛圖厙 News, Lizzy Lawrence of Stat, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join 窪蹋勛圖厙 News Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.
HHS Gets Funding, But How Will Trump Spend It?
Episode 432Congress has passed and President Trump has signed the annual spending bill for the Department of Health and Human Services. But its unclear whether the administration will spend the money as Congress directed. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join 窪蹋勛圖厙 News Julie Rovner to discuss that story and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews 窪蹋勛圖厙 News Renuka Rayasam about a new reporting project, Priced Out.
The Hazards of ICE for Public Health
Episode 431The Trump administrations immigration crackdown is not just roiling politics but also directly affecting the provision of health care, medical groups say. Meanwhile, in Washington, federal spending bills have been stalled by the fight over immigration enforcement funding after the shooting death of a second person in Minneapolis this month. Maya Goldman of Axios, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post join 窪蹋勛圖厙 News Julie Rovner to discuss those stories and more.
Health Spending Is Moving in Congress
Episode 430Lawmakers appear on the brink of passing a spending bill for the Department of Health and Human Services and a bipartisan health policy bill delayed for over a year. But the outlook is bleaker for the health care outline released by President Trump last week. Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, Sheryl Gay Stolberg of The New York Times, and Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post join 窪蹋勛圖厙 News Julie Rovner to discuss those stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews oncologist and bioethicist Ezekiel Emanuel to discuss his new book, Eat Your Ice Cream.
Culture Wars Take Center Stage
Episode 429With lawmakers still mired over renewing enhanced tax credits for Affordable Care Act plans, much of Washington has turned to culture war issues. Meanwhile, confusion remains the watchword at HHS as personnel and funding decisions continue to be made and unmade with little notice. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join 窪蹋勛圖厙 News Julie Rovner to discuss those stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews 窪蹋勛圖厙 News Elisabeth Rosenthal, who wrote the latest Bill of the Month report.
New Year, Same Health Fight
Episode 428Congress returned from its break facing a familiar question: whether to extend the expanded subsidies for Affordable Care Act health plans that expired at the end of 2025. Meanwhile, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. broke a promise to Bill Cassidy, the chairman of Senate health committee, by overhauling the federal governments childhood vaccine schedule to reduce the number of diseases for which vaccines will be recommended. Sarah Karlin-Smith of Pink Sheet, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post join 窪蹋勛圖厙 News Julie Rovner to discuss those stories and more.
Times Up for Expanded ACA Tax Credits
Episode 427A last-minute push from Democrats and four moderate Republicans will force a House vote on renewing enhanced premium tax credits for Affordable Care Act plans, but not until January. That means millions will have to choose between paying dramatically more or dropping coverage next year. Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officially drops the federal recommendation for newborns to receive a hepatitis B shot. Tami Luhby of CNN, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Lizzy Lawrence of Stat join 窪蹋勛圖厙 News Julie Rovner to discuss those stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Tony Leys, who wrote the latest Bill of the Month feature, and the panel discusses the years biggest developments in health policy.
Crunch Time for ACA Tax Credits
Episode 426Dec. 15 is the deadline to sign up for Affordable Care Act plans that begin Jan. 1, and Congress remains at odds over letting expanded tax credits for the plans premiums expire and increasing the cost of insurance for millions of Americans. Meanwhile, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continues to remake vaccine policy to reflect ideology rather than science. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Maya Goldman of Axios, and Sheryl Gay Stolberg of The New York Times join 窪蹋勛圖厙 News Julie Rovner to discuss those stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Georgetown professor Linda Blumberg about the GOPs health plans.