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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  • 窪蹋勛圖厙 News' 'What the Health?'

    The Health of the Campaign

    Episode 366

    The 2024 presidential race is taking on a familiar tone with Democrats accusing Republicans of wanting to ban abortion and repeal the Affordable Care Act and Republicans insisting they have no such plans. Voters will determine whom they believe. Meanwhile, for the second time in a month, a state judge overturned an abortion ban, but few expect the decision to settle the matter. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, and Anna Edney of Bloomberg News join 窪蹋勛圖厙 News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews 窪蹋勛圖厙 News Lauren Sausser, who reported and wrote the latest 窪蹋勛圖厙 News-Washington Post Bill of the Month, about a teenage athlete whose needed surgery lacked a billing code.

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  • 窪蹋勛圖厙 News' 'What the Health?'

    Congress Punts to a Looming Lame-Duck Session

    Episode 365

    Congress left Washington for the campaign trail this week, but not before approving a spending bill that expires shortly before Christmas. Lawmakers will be busy after the election working on not just the legislation needed to keep the government running, but also several health programs set to expire. Meanwhile, Republicans continue to downplay abortion as Democrats press it as a campaign issue. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, and Joanne Kenen of Johns Hopkins University and Politico join 窪蹋勛圖厙 News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.

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  • 窪蹋勛圖厙 News' 'What the Health?'

    American Health Under Trump Past, Present, and Future

    Episode 364

    Dreaming of a Trump victory, Republicans have a wish list of health policy changes including loosening Affordable Care Act regulations to make cheaper coverage available and ending Medicare drug price negotiations. Meanwhile, after a publicly reported death stemming from a state abortion ban, Vice President Kamala Harris is emphasizing the consequences of Trumps work to overturn Roe v. Wade. Tami Luhby of CNN, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Joanne Kenen of Politico and Johns Hopkins University join 窪蹋勛圖厙 News senior editor Emmarie Huetteman to discuss these stories and more.

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  • 窪蹋勛圖厙 News' 'What the Health?'

    Trump-Harris Debate Showcases Health Policy Differences

    Episode 363

    As expected, the presidential debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris offered few new details of their positions on abortion, the Affordable Care Act, and other critical health issues. But it did underscore for voters dramatic differences between the two candidates. Meanwhile, the Biden administration issued rules attempting to better enforce […]

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  • 窪蹋勛圖厙 News' 'What the Health?'

    Live from Austin, Examining Health Equity

    Episode 362

    The term health equity means different things to different people. Beyond guaranteeing all Americans access to adequate, affordable medical care, the pursuit of equity can include addressing social determinants of health, such as housing, education, and environment. Systemic and historical racism manifested in over-policing or contaminated drinking water, for instance can negatively affect health. In a live taping at the Texas Tribune Festival, special guests Carol Alvarado, the Texas state Senates Democratic leader, and Ann Barnes, president and CEO of the Episcopal Health Foundation, along with 窪蹋勛圖厙 News Sabriya Rice and Cara Anthony, join 窪蹋勛圖厙 News Julie Rovner to discuss addressing health inequities.

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  • 窪蹋勛圖厙 News' 'What the Health?'

    Let the General Election Commence

    Episode 361

    Abortion and reproductive health issues headlined the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, as expected. But what Vice President Kamala Harris has in mind for other health policies as the Democratic nominee remains something of a mystery. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump says he would not use the 19th-century Comstock Act to impose, in effect, a national ban on abortion, which angered his anti-abortion backers. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Joanne Kenen of Politico and Johns Hopkins University, and Shefali Luthra of The 19th 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 Tony Leys, who reported and wrote the latest 窪蹋勛圖厙 News-NPR Bill of the Month feature about a woman who fought back after being charged for two surgeries despite undergoing only one.

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  • 窪蹋勛圖厙 News' 'What the Health?'

    Happy 50th, ERISA

    Episode 360

    What does a law to protect worker pensions have to do with how health insurance is regulated? Far more than most people may think. The Employee Retirement Income Security Act, or ERISA, turns 50 in September. The law fundamentally changed the way the federal and state governments regulate employer-provided health insurance and continues to shape health policy in the United States. In this special episode of What the Health?, host and 窪蹋勛圖厙 News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner speaks to Larry Levitt of KFF, Paul Fronstin of the Employee Benefit Research Institute, and Ilyse Schuman of the American Benefits Council about the history of ERISA and what its future might hold.

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  • 窪蹋勛圖厙 News' 'What the Health?'

    The Walz Record

    Episode 359

    Vice President Kamala Harris this week officially became the Democratic nominee for president and named Minnesota governor and former U.S. congressman Tim Walz as her running mate. Meanwhile, a new study finds the number of abortions taking place since the overturn of Roe v. Wade continued to rise into early this year, despite the imposition of abortion bans around the country. Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call and Shefali Luthra of The 19th join 窪蹋勛圖厙 News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.

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  • 窪蹋勛圖厙 News' 'What the Health?'

    Abortion Heats Up Presidential Race

    Episode 358

    The elevation of Vice President Kamala Harris to the top of the presumed Democratic presidential ticket is newly energizing the debate over abortion, while former President Donald Trump attempts to distance himself from more sweeping proposals in the Project 2025 GOP blueprint put together by his former administration officials and the conservative Heritage Foundation. Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet 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 reported and wrote the latest 窪蹋勛圖厙 News-NPR Bill of the Month about a preauthorized surgery that generated a six-figure bill.

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  • 窪蹋勛圖厙 News' 'What the Health?'

    Harris in the Spotlight

    Episode 357

    For the 2024 campaign, Joe Biden is out, and Kamala Harris is in. As the vice president makes moves toward the top of the Democratic presidential ticket, health policy is resurging as a campaign issue. Meanwhile, Congress tries and again fails to make timely progress on the annual government spending bills as abortion issues cause delays. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Stephanie Armour of 窪蹋勛圖厙 News, and Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Stat join 窪蹋勛圖厙 News Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Anthony Wright, the new executive director of Families USA, about his plans for the organization and his history working with Harris on health topics.

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  • 窪蹋勛圖厙 News' 'What the Health?'

    At GOP Convention, Health Policy Is Mostly MIA

    Episode 356

    After an assassination attempt last weekend sent former President Donald Trump to the hospital with minor injuries, the Republican National Convention went off with little mention of health care issues. And Trumps newly nominated vice presidential pick, Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, has barely staked out a record on health during his 18 months in office aside from being strongly opposed to abortion. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, and Joanne Kenen of Johns Hopkins University and Politico Magazine 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 Renuka Rayasam, who wrote Junes installment of 窪蹋勛圖厙 News-NPR Bill of the Month, about a patient who walked into what he thought was an urgent care center and walked out with an emergency room bill.

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  • 窪蹋勛圖厙 News' 'What the Health?'

    GOP Platform Muddies Abortion Waters

    Episode 355

    As Donald Trump prepares to be formally nominated as the GOPs candidate for president next week, the platform he will run on is taking shape. And in line with Trumps approach, it aims to simultaneously satisfy hard-core abortion opponents and reassure more moderate swing voters. Meanwhile, the Federal Trade Commission takes on pharmacy benefits management firms. Shefali Luthra of The 19th News, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, and Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call join 窪蹋勛圖厙 News chief Washington correspondent, Julie Rovner, to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Jennifer Klein, director of the White House Gender Policy Council, about the Biden administrations policies to ensure access to reproductive health care.

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  • 窪蹋勛圖厙 News' 'What the Health?'

    SCOTUS Term Wraps With a Bang

    Episode 354

    The Supreme Court has issued its final opinions for the 2023-24 term, including decisions affecting abortion access, the opioid epidemic, and how the federal government functions. In this special episode, Sarah Somers , legal director of the National Health Law Program, joins 窪蹋勛圖厙 News chief Washington correspondent, Julie Rovner, to discuss how the justices disposed of the terms health-related cases and what those decisions could mean going forward.

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  • 窪蹋勛圖厙 News' 'What the Health?'

    SCOTUS Ruling Strips Power From Federal Health Agencies

    Episode 353

    In what will certainly be remembered as a landmark decision, the Supreme Court has overruled a 40-year-old precedent that gave federal agencies, rather than judges, the power to interpret ambiguous laws passed by Congress. Administrative experts say the decision will dramatically change the way key health agencies do business. Also, the court decided not to decide whether a federal law requiring hospitals to provide emergency care overrides Idahos near-total ban on abortion. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Victoria Knight of Axios, and Joanne Kenen of Johns Hopkins University and Politico Magazine join 窪蹋勛圖厙 News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week they think you should read, too.

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  • 窪蹋勛圖厙 News' 'What the Health?'

    Live From Aspen: Health and the 2024 Elections

    Episode 352

    Health policy may not be the top issue in this years presidential and congressional elections, but its likely to play a key role. President Joe Biden and Democrats intend to hold Republicans responsible for the Supreme Courts unpopular ruling overturning the right to abortion, and former President Donald Trump aims to take credit for government efforts to lower prescription drug prices even in cases in which he played no role. Meanwhile, some critical health care issues, such as those involving Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, are unlikely to get discussed much, even though the party in power after the elections would control the future of those programs. This week, in an episode taped before a live audience at the Aspen Ideas: Health festival in Aspen, Colorado, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join 窪蹋勛圖厙 News Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.

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  • 窪蹋勛圖厙 News' 'What the Health?'

    SCOTUS Rejects Abortion Pill Challenge For Now

    Episode 351

    The Supreme Court has dismissed a challenge to the FDAs approval of the abortion pill mifepristone, ruling unanimously that the anti-abortion doctor group that filed the suit lacked standing. But abortion opponents are expected to pursue other strategies to ban or restrict the medication. Meanwhile, the Biden administration moves to stop the inclusion of medical debt on individual credit reports, and former President Donald Trump tries to claim credit for $35 insulin. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Rachana Pradhan of 窪蹋勛圖厙 News, and Emmarie Huetteman of 窪蹋勛圖厙 News join 窪蹋勛圖厙 News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF president and CEO Drew Altman about KFFs new Health Policy 101 primer.

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  • 窪蹋勛圖厙 News' 'What the Health?'

    Nursing Home Staffing Rules Prompt Pushback

    Episode 350

    The nursing home industry as well as a healthy number of Congress members are all pushing back on the Biden administrations new rules on nursing home staffing. Industry officials say that there are not enough workers to meet the requirements and that the costs would be prohibitive. Meanwhile, Democrats on Capitol Hill are trying to force Republicans to explain their exact positions on assuring access to contraceptives and in vitro fertilization. Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Stat, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call 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 Bram Sable-Smith, who reported and wrote the latest 窪蹋勛圖厙 News-NPR Bill of the Month feature about a free cruise that turned out to be anything but.

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  • 窪蹋勛圖厙 News' 'What the Health?'

    Waiting for SCOTUS

    Episode 349

    June is when the Supreme Court typically issues rulings in the major cases it hears during that years term. This year, those interested in health policy are awaiting decisions in two abortion-related cases and one that could reshuffle the way health policies (and all other federal policies) are made. In this special episode, KFFs Laurie Sobel, associate director for womens health policy, joins Julie Rovner for a review of the cases and a preview of how the court might rule.

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  • 窪蹋勛圖厙 News' 'What the Health?'

    Anti-Abortion Hard-Liners Speak Up

    Episode 348

    While Republican candidates in many states downplay their opposition to abortion, the most vehement wing of the movement, which helped overturn Roe v. Wade those who advocate prosecuting patients, outlawing contraception, and banning IVF are increasingly outspoken. Meanwhile, some state legislatures continue to advance new restrictions, like a proposal moving in Louisiana to include abortion medications mifepristone and misoprostol on the list of the most dangerous drugs. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post, and Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins schools of public health and nursing and Politico Magazine join 窪蹋勛圖厙 News Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Shefali Luthra of The 19th about her new book on abortion in post-Roe America, Undue Burden.

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  • Watch: Medical Residents Are Increasingly Avoiding Abortion Ban States

    On 窪蹋勛圖厙 News What the Health?, chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner interviewed Atul Grover of the Association of American Medical Colleges about its recent analysis showing that graduating medical students are avoiding training in states with abortion bans and major restrictions.