KFF Health News’ ‘What the Health?’: Starting To Feel the Shutdown’s Bite

The Host

Julie Rovner
KFF Health News

@jrovner

@julierovner.bsky.social

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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.

It’s not yet clear how the federal government shutdown will end, but Democrats are continuing to draw attention to the issue they are promoting — the coming expiration of additional subsidies for Affordable Care Act insurance plans. Some Republicans are now going public with their worries about the huge cost increases many of their constituents face.

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

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

Panelists

Sarah Karlin-Smith
Pink Sheet

@SarahKarlin

@sarahkarlin-smith.bsky.social

Read Sarah’s stories.

Tami Luhby
CNN

@Luhby

Read Tami’s stories.

Alice Miranda Ollstein
Politico

@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 — spoke out this week in favor of renewing the federal subsidies. She noted that her adult children expect to see their health premiums double if the subsidies expire, a problem looming for many Americans on marketplace plans.
• Federal officials recently warned that WIC — the supplemental nutrition program that helps many American families purchase staple foods — has nearly exhausted its funding. The Trump administration has said it will use the proceeds from tariffs to keep the program operating, yet it’s unclear whether it has the authority to do that, as well as whether the tariffs themselves are legal.
• Meanwhile, the Supreme Court heard a case challenging Colorado’s conversion therapy ban, and based on the tone of arguments, it seems likely the ban will be struck down. And the vaccine schedule is changing — though that change also jump-starts needed shipments for the Vaccines for Children 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 pursuit of free health care for immigrants in the country illegally.

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

Julie Rovner: The Washington Post’s “How Some Veterans Exploit $193 Billion VA Program, Due to Lax Controls,” 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: The New York Times’ “It’s Just a Virus, the E.R. Told Him. Days Later, He Was Dead,” by Lisa Miller.

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

Also mentioned in this week’s podcast:

• The Hill’s “Greene Doubles Down on Remarks About Affordable Care Act Subsidies,” by Tara Suter.The Washington Post’s “Six Surgeons General: It’s Our Duty To Warn the Nation About RFK Jr.,” by Jerome Adams, Richard Carmona, Joycelyn Elders, Vivek Murthy, Antonia Novello, and David Satcher.
• Politico’s “Animal Welfare Is Now Part of RFK Jr.’s MAHA Agenda,” by Erin Schumaker.
• The Washington Post’s “How Big Agriculture Got Its Way in the Latest MAHA Report,” by Amudalat Ajasa and Rachel Roubein.
• Politico’s “Health Agencies Lose ‘the Backbone Folks Who Can Keep Things Running’ to Indian Health Deployments,” by Alice Miranda Ollstein and Maya Kaufman.

Credits

Francis Ying
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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