KFF Health News’ ‘What the Health?’: New Year, New Congress, New Health Agenda

The Host

Julie Rovner
KFF Health News

@jrovner

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 noted expert on health policy issues, Julie is the author of the critically praised reference book “Health Care Politics and Policy A to Z,” now in its third edition.

The new, GOP-led, 119th Congress and President-elect Donald Trump have big legislative plans for the year — which mostly don’t include health policy. But health is likely to play an important supporting role in efforts to renew tax cuts, revise immigration policies, and alter trade — if only to help pay for some Republican initiatives.

Meanwhile, the outgoing Biden administration is racing to finish its health policy to-do list, including finalizing a policy that bars credit bureaus from including medical debt on individuals’ credit reports.

This week’s panelists are Julie Rovner of KFF Health News, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post.

Panelists

Shefali Luthra
The 19th

@shefalil

Read Shefali’s stories.

Alice Miranda Ollstein
Politico

@AliceOllstein

Read Alice’s stories.

Lauren Weber
The Washington Post

@LaurenWeberHP

Read Lauren’s stories.

Among the takeaways from this week’s episode:

• The 119th Congress is now in session. Health care doesn’t make the list of priorities as lawmakers lay the table for the incoming Trump administration — though Republicans have floated Medicaid work requirements to cut federal spending.
• A lot of health legislation hit the cutting-room floor in December, including a bipartisan proposal targeting pharmacy benefit managers — which would have saved the federal government and patients billions of dollars. And speaking of bipartisan efforts, a congressional report from the Senate Budget Committee adds to evidence that private equity involvement in care is associated with worse outcomes for patients — notably, lawmakers’ constituents.
• As the nation bids a final farewell to former President Jimmy Carter, his global health work, in particular, is being celebrated — especially his efforts to eradicate such devastating diseases as Guinea worm disease and river blindness.
• Meanwhile, the Biden administration finalized the rule barring medical debt from appearing on credit reports. The surgeon general cautions that alcohol should come with warning labels noting cancer risk. And the new Senate Republican leader is raising abortion-related legislation to require lifesaving care for all babies born alive — yet those protections already exist.

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

Julie Rovner: The Wall Street Journal’s “UnitedHealth’s Army of Doctors Helped It Collect Billions More From Medicare,” by Christopher Weaver, Anna Wilde Mathews, and Tom McGinty.

Alice Miranda Ollstein: The New York Times’ “Ozempic, Lego Bricks and Hearing Aids: What Trump’s Greenland Plan Could Hit,” by Ana Swanson and Jenny Gross.

Shefali Luthra: Vox.com’s “Gigantic SUVs Are a Public Health Threat. Why Don’t We Treat Them Like One?” by David Zipper.

Lauren Weber: The Washington Post’s “Laws Restrict U.S. Shipping of Vape Products. Many Companies Do It Anyway,” by David Ovalle and Rachel Roubein.

Also mentioned in this week’s podcast:

The Senate Budget Committee’s “Profits Over Patients: The Harmful Effects of Private Equity on the U.S. Health Care System.”

Credits

Taylor Cook
Audio producer

Lonnie Ro
Audio producer

Emmarie Huetteman
Editor

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KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.

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