What the Health? From KFF Health News

Latest Episodes:

The Invisible Pandemic May 12, 2022

Show notes

Covid cases are again climbing, but you wouldn’t know it from the behavior of public health and elected officials, much less the general public, all of whom seem to want to put the pandemic in the rearview mirror.

Meanwhile, the fallout over the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion on abortion continues even as the Senate fails — again — to muster the votes to write abortion rights into law.

Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.

Plus, for extra credit, the panelists suggest their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too.

Julie Rovner: KHN’s “Travel Nurses See Swift Change of Fortunes as Covid Money Runs Dry,” by Hannah Norman

Joanne Kenen: Politico Magazine’s “How One Clinic in Texas Explains the Threat to Contraception,” by Joanne Kenen and Alice Miranda Ollstein

Alice Miranda Ollstein: Politico’s “’It’s a Tsunami’: Legal Challenges Threatening Public Health Policy,” by Krista Mahr

Sandhya Raman: CQ Roll Call’s “End of COVID-19 Emergency Endangers Substance Use Treatment,” by Jessie Hellmann

Click here for a transcript of the episode.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Leaked Abortion Opinion Rocks Washington’s World May 05, 2022

Show notes

The unprecedented early leak of a Supreme Court draft opinion that would overturn the landmark abortion-rights ruling Roe v. Wade has heated the national abortion debate to boiling. Meanwhile, the FDA, after years of consideration, moves to ban menthol flavors in cigarettes and cigars. Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico, Shefali Luthra of the 19th, and Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, Rovner interviews KHN’s Paula Andalo, who wrote the latest KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month” episode about a family whose medical debt drove them to seek care south of the border.

Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read too:

Julie Rovner: Mother Jones’ “Meet Abortion Bans’ New Best Friend — Your Phone,” by Lil Kalish.

Joanne Kenen: Stat’s “A Clash Over Online Adderall Prescriptions Is Raising New Questions About Telehealth,” by Mohana Ravindranath.

Jessie Hellmann: Politico’s “Oregon, Kentucky Dust Off an Obama-Era Policy to Expand Health Insurance,” by Megan Messerly.

Shefali Luthra: The 19th’s “Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito Argued Abortion Isn’t an Economic Issue. But Is That True?” by Chabeli Carrazana.

Click here for a transcript of the episode.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

[Rebroadcast] Roe v. Wade on the Rocks May 03, 2022

Show notes

Revisit our discussion of the Supreme Court arguments in the Mississippi abortion case, a draft opinion for which was leaked May 2, 2022. This episode originally aired Dec. 2, 2021.

A Supreme Court majority appears ready to overturn nearly 50 years of abortion rights, at least judging by the latest round of oral arguments before the justices. And a new covid variant, omicron, gains attention as it spreads around the world. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet and Shefali Luthra of The 19th join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Blake Farmer of Nashville Public Radio about the latest KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month” episode.

Extra credit reads:

Julie Rovner: KHN and PBS NewsHour’s “How Unresolved Grief Could Haunt Children Who Lost a Parent or Caregiver to COVID,” by Sarah Varney and Jason Kane

Alice Miranda Ollstein: The Washington Post’s “Long Overstretched, Abortion Funds in D.C., Maryland and Virginia Mobilize for an Uncertain Future,” by Rebecca Tan

Sarah Karlin-Smith: Axios’ “The Push to Revive an Industry-Backed Medical Device Rule,” by Bob Herman

Shefali Luthra: The 19th’s “’Am I Even Fit to Be a Mom?’ Diaper Need Is an Invisible Part of Poverty in America,” by Chabeli Carrazana

Click here for a transcript of the episode.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More Covid Complications for Congress Apr 28, 2022

Show notes

Congress is back in session, but covid-19 diagnoses for Vice President Kamala Harris and two Democratic senators have temporarily left the Senate without a working majority to approve continued covid funding.

Meanwhile, opponents of the Affordable Care Act have filed yet another lawsuit challenging a portion of the law, and we say goodbye to the late Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, who left a long legacy of health laws.

Rachel Cohrs of STAT News, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, and Rebecca Adams of KHN join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.

Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read too:

Julie Rovner: STAT News’ “He Had an M.D. and a Ph.D. but Didn’t Match Into a Residency. It Was the Push He Needed to Jump Into Health Tech,” by Tino Delamerced

Rebecca Adams: The New York Times’ “'It’s Life or Death’: The Mental Health Crisis Among U.S. Teens,” by Matt Richtel

Rachel Cohrs: BuzzFeed News’ “The Private Equity Giant KKR Bought Hundreds of Homes for People With Disabilities. Some Vulnerable Residents Suffered Abuse and Neglect,” by Kendall Taggart, John Templon, Anthony Cormier, and Jason Leopold

Anna Edney: STAT News’ “The Doctor Who Is Trying to Bring Back Surprise Billing,” by Bob Herman

Click here for a transcript of the episode.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A Conversation With Peter Lee on What’s Next for the ACA Apr 21, 2022

Show notes

Amid covid-19, the potential overturn of Roe v. Wade, and a war in Europe, the Affordable Care Act has been flying under the radar in 2022. But this will be a pivotal year for the federal health law. Unless Congress acts, millions of Americans could see their costs for coverage rise dramatically as expanded subsidies expire. At the same time, the end of the public health emergency could boost the uninsured rate as states disenroll people from Medicaid. Peter Lee, who recently stepped down as the first executive director of the largest state-run ACA insurance marketplace, Covered California, has thought long and hard about how the ACA came to be, how it’s been implemented, and what should happen to it now. He joins host and KHN chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner for a wide-ranging discussion on the state of the ACA.

Click here for a transcript of the episode.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

News You Might Have Missed Apr 14, 2022

Show notes

Congress is in recess, so the slower-than-average news week gives us a chance to catch up on underreported topics, like Medicare’s coverage decision for the controversial Alzheimer’s disease drug Aduhelm and ominous new statistics on drug overdose deaths and sexually transmitted diseases.

Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Joanne Kenen of Politico and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.

Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too:

Julie Rovner: Politico’s “Mice Occupy FDA Offices After Food Left Behind in Pandemic,” by David Lim and Lauren Gardner

Margot Sanger-Katz: Health Affairs’ “Many Medicare Beneficiaries Do Not Fill High-Price Specialty Drug Prescriptions,” by Stacie B. Dusetzina et. al

Joanne Kenen: Vox’s “America Needs More Doctors and Nurses to Survive the Next Pandemic,” by Dylan Scott

Alice Miranda Ollstein: Politico’s “Republicans See CDC’s Policy Change as ‘Massive Political Loser for Democrats,’” by Alice Miranda Ollstein and Krista Mahr

Click here for a transcript of the episode.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Finally, a Fix for the ‘Family Glitch’ Apr 07, 2022

Show notes

President Joe Biden welcomed former President Barack Obama back to the White House this week to announce a new policy for the Affordable Care Act that would make subsidies available to more families with unaffordable employer coverage.

Meanwhile, Congress struggled to find a compromise for continued federal funding of covid-19 vaccines, testing, and treatments.

Tami Luhby of CNN, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.

Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read too:

Julie Rovner: KHN’s “Losing Sleep Over the Pandemic? Work Flexibility May Be a Boon for Night Owls’ Health,” by Krishna Sharma

Shefali Luthra: The Washington Post’s “With Roe Endangered, Democrats Divide on Saying the Word ‘Abortion’,” by Caroline Kitchener

Tami Luhby: Health Affairs’ “Health Care Is Now Healthcare,” by Alan Weil

Jessie Hellmann: KHN’s “$11M for North Carolina Work-Based Rehab Raises Concerns,” by Aneri Pattani and NC Health News’ Taylor Knopf

Click here for a transcript of the episode.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Funding for the Next Pandemic Mar 31, 2022

Show notes

In his proposed budget, President Joe Biden called for a boost in health spending that includes billions of dollars to prepare for a future pandemic. But that doesn’t include money he says is needed immediately for testing and treating covid.

Also this week, federal regulators authorized a second booster shot for people over age 50 yet gave little guidance to consumers about who needs the shot and when.

Amy Goldstein of The Washington Post, Jennifer Haberkorn of the Los Angeles Times, and Rachana Pradhan of KHN join KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey to discuss these issues and more.

Plus, Julie Rovner interviews KHN’s Julie Appleby, who reported and wrote the latest KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month” episode about a very expensive air ambulance ride.

For extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week that they think you should read, too:

Mary Agnes Carey: The New Yorker’s “A Freelancer’s Forty-Three Years in the American Health-Care System,” by David Owen

Amy Goldstein: Stat’s "NIH’s Identity Crisis: The Pandemic and The Search for a New Leader Leave the Agency at a Crossroads," by Lev Facher

Jen Haberkorn: The New York Times’ "F.D.A. Rushed a Drug for Preterm Births. Did It Put Speed Over Science?" by Christina Jewett

Rachana Pradhan: The Washington Post’s "‘Is This What a Good Mother Looks Like?’” by William Wan

Click here for a transcript of the episode.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The ACA Turns 12 Mar 24, 2022

Show notes

Although its fate was in doubt more than a few times, the Affordable Care Act turned 12 this week. Year 13 could be pivotal in determining how many Americans receive ACA health insurance, and at what price.

Meanwhile, three leading credit bureaus agreed to stop using most medical debt to measure U.S. consumers’ credit-worthiness. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Rachel Cohrs of Stat, and KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.

Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too:

Julie Rovner: KHN’s “As States Impose Abortion Bans, Young Doctors Struggle – And Travel Far—To Learn the Procedure,” by Sarah Varney.

Anna Edney: Politico’s “’We’ve Learned Absolutely Nothing’: Tests Could Again Be in Short Supply if Covid Surges,” by David Lim.

Rachel Cohrs: The Guardian’s “‘Betting Against the NHS’: £1bn Private Hospital to Open in Central London,” by Julia Kollewe.

Mary Agnes Carey: KHN’s “Covid’s ‘Silver Lining’: Research Breakthroughs for Chronic Disease, Cancer, and the Common Flu,” by Liz Szabo.

Click here for a transcript of the episode.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We May Be Done With Covid, But Covid’s Not Done With Us Mar 17, 2022

Show notes

The White House makes a move as a new wave of covid threatens. President Joe Biden brings in Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of Brown University’s School of Public Health, to take over the executive branch effort.

Meanwhile, it remains unclear if and when Congress can come up with the funds to continue much of the federal anti-covid effort.

Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.

Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read too:

Julie Rovner: KHN’s “‘American Diagnosis’: A Fuller Moon Rising – Revised ‘Violence Against Women Act’ Offers Hope,” hosted by Dr. Céline Gounder

Joanne Kenen: The Washington Post’s “Disease Took My Brother. Our Health-Care System Added to His Ordeal,” by Karen Tumulty

Sandhya Raman: The New York Times’ “As a Crisis Hotline Grows, So Do Fears It Won’t Be Ready,” by Steve Eder

Alice Miranda Ollstein: Politico’s “Covid Chaos Fueled Another Public Health Crisis: STDs,” by Alice Miranda Ollstein

Click here for a transcript of the episode.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.