What the Health? From KFF Health News: Health Spending Is Moving in Congress

The Host

Julie Rovner
KFF Health News

@jrovner

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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.

Congress appears ready to approve a spending bill for the Department of Health and Human Services for the first time in years — minus the dramatic cuts proposed by the Trump administration. Lawmakers are also nearing passage of a health measure, including new rules for prescription drug middlemen known as pharmacy benefit managers, that has been delayed for more than a year after complaints from Elon Musk, who at the time was preparing to join the incoming Trump administration.

However, Congress seems less enthusiastic about the health policy outline released by President Donald Trump last week, which includes a handful of proposals that lawmakers have rejected in the past.

This week’s panelists are Julie Rovner of KFF Health News, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, Sheryl Gay Stolberg of The New York Times, and Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post.

Panelists

Sandhya Raman
CQ Roll Call

@SandhyaWrites

@sandhyawrites.bsky.social

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Sheryl Gay Stolberg
The New York Times

@SherylNYT

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Paige Winfield Cunningham
The Washington Post

@pw_cunningham

Read Paige’s stories.

Among the takeaways from this week’s episode:

• Congress is on track to pass a new appropriations bill for HHS, with the current, short-term funding set to expire next week. The bill includes a slight bump for some agencies and, notably, does not include deep cuts requested by Trump. But with the administration’s demonstrated willingness to ignore congressionally mandated spending, the question stands: Will Trump follow Congress’ instructions about how to spend the money?
• A health package with bipartisan support is set to hitch a ride with the spending bill, after falling by the wayside in late 2024 under pressure from then-Trump adviser Musk. However, the president’s newly released list of health priorities largely isn’t reflected in the package. The GOP faces headwinds in the midterms after allowing expanded Affordable Care Act premium tax credits to expire, a change that’s expected to cost many Americans their health insurance.
• One year into the second Trump administration, its policies are particularly evident in the political takeover of the nation’s public health infrastructure, the growing number of uninsured Americans, and creeping brain drain in U.S.-based scientific research.
• And Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has fired members of a panel overseeing the federal government’s vaccine injury compensation program. Kennedy is expected to remake the panel in an effort to expand the list of injuries for which the government will compensate Americans. The current list does not include autism.

Also this week, Rovner interviews oncologist and bioethicist Ezekiel Emanuel to discuss his new book, Eat Your Ice Cream: Six Simple Rules for a Long and Healthy Life.

And KFF Health News’ annual Health Policy Valentines contest is now open. You can enter the contest here.

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

Julie Rovner: CIDRAP’s “Minnesota Residents Delay Medical Care for Fear of Encountering ICE,” by Liz Szabo.

Sheryl Gay Stolberg: Rolling Stone’s “HHS Gave a $1.6 Million Grant to a Controversial Vaccine Study. These Emails Show How That Happened,” by Katherine Eban.

Paige Winfield Cunningham: Politico’s “RFK Jr. Is Bringing the GOP and the Trial Bar Together,” by Amanda Chu.

Sandhya Raman: Popular Information’s “ICE Has Stopped Paying for Detainee Medical Treatment,” by Judd Legum.

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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