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Republicans tried to backload federal cuts to Medicaid in their 2025 budget bill so they would take effect after the 2026 elections, but that’s not stopping Democrats from using them to hammer their opponents. Meanwhile, the Trump administration continues to ramp up its war on fraud.  Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Amanda Seitz of KFF Health News, and Liz Essley Whyte of The Wall Street Journal join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Ollstein, whose new book, “Side Effects: How Abortion Bans Impact Everyone’s Health,” comes out next week.  Plus, for “extra credit” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too:  Julie Rovner: Vox’s “America’s Next Big Healthcare Reform Might Already Be Underway,” by Rachel Cohen Booth.  Alice Miranda Ollstein: Stat’s “I Was a Theranos Whistleblower. In ‘You Can See Everything,’ Elizabeth Holmes Is Still Lying,” by Tyler Shultz.   Liz Essley Whyte: Stat’s “How the No Surprises Act’s Nonprofit Arbitrators Are Operating Like ‘Mini Gods’ and Getting Rich Doing It,” by Tara Bannow.   Amanda Seitz: The New York Times’ “Why Drug Companies Are Rushing To Market Ketamine Medicines,” by Andrew Jacobs.

As early voting begins in some states, the Trump administration is working to keep its crackdown on healthcare fraud, waste, and abuse in the headlines. Also, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has unveiled a new initiative to identify vaccine injuries, complete with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the National Institutes of Health.  Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Sandhya Raman of Bloomberg Law, and Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Sun join KFF Health News’ Mary Agnes Carey to discuss these stories and more.  Also this week, KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner talks with Dan Weissmann, host of the healthcare podcast “An Arm and a Leg,” about the new and even more confusing landscape for Medicare enrollees as open enrollment begins.   Visit our website for a transcript of this episode. Plus, for “extra credit” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too:   Mary Agnes Carey: KFF Health News’ “People Say These Peptides Hurt Them. Their Stories Are Muffled in MAHA’s Push for Medical Freedom,” by Amy Maxmen.  Sandhya Raman: Stat’s “Helen Branswell, Whose Reporting on Infectious Diseases and Public Health Drew Acclaim, Dies at 69,” by Andrew Joseph.  Paige Winfield Cunningham: KFF Health News’ “AI, Tech Leaders Are Lobbying Trump Health Officials in a Government-Run Chat Room,” by Amanda Seitz, Maia Rosenfeld, and Darius Tahir.  Joanne Kenen: On CBS News’ “Face the Nation,” host Margaret Brennan’s interview with Shyam Sankar, chief technology officer at Palantir. (Read the transcript here.)

A new poll from KFF suggests that rising health costs are still a top concern for voters this November and that Democrats have a substantial edge over Republicans on the issue. In an apparent attempt to close the gap, President Donald Trump is sending checks, some billed as “refunds,” to millions of enrollees in Medicare and Affordable Care Act plans.  Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Sun join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.  Also this week, Rovner interviews Michelle Andrews, who wrote the latest KFF Health News “Bill of the Month,” about a patient who got a bill from a hospital emergency department after she left without receiving treatment.   Visit our website for a transcript of this episode. Plus, for “extra credit” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too:  Julie Rovner: The Atlantic’s “When Anesthesia Goes Wrong,” by Sarah Zhang.   Alice Miranda Ollstein: Politico’s “Trump Is Conditioning Foreign Aid on Deals,” by Carmen Paun.   Paige Winfield Cunningham: The New York Times’ “Battle of Hospital A.I. vs. Insurer A.I. Is Pushing Medical Costs Higher,” by Reed Abelson and Teddy Rosenbluth.  Anna Edney: ProPublica’s “A Girl Nearly Died After Drinking Raw Milk. The State Did Little To Punish the Unlicensed Farmer Who Sold It,” by Annie Waldman.

The “Make America Healthy Again” movement held a big shindig in Washington, D.C., this week. But rather than moms arguing to get pesticides and processing chemicals out of their kids’ food, the room was full of Trump administration officials and industry representatives looking to promote health-related products. Meanwhile, as the fiscal year ends, the administration for the second year in a row is refusing to spend money Congress appropriated — and basically daring the other two branches of government to stop it.  Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Rachana Pradhan of KFF Health News join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Aaron Carroll, president and CEO of AcademyHealth, to discuss the Trump administration’s dismantling of the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.   Visit our website to read a transcript of this episode. Plus, for “extra credit” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too:  Julie Rovner: The New York Times’ “U. of Michigan Halts New Grading Plan After Backlash From Critics,” by Madaleine Rubin.   Shefali Luthra: The Atlantic’s “The Babies Left Behind in America,” by Caitlin Dickerson.   Rachana Pradhan: KFF Health News’ “US Poised To Boot Legal Immigrants From Medicaid, Including Refugees and Sex-Trafficking Victims,” by Phil Galewitz, Andrew Jones, and Claudia Boyd-Barrett.   Rachel Roubein: Stat’s “Once Described as Obesity Medicines for ‘Patients,’ GLP-1s Are Increasingly Lifestyle Drugs for ‘Customers,’” by Elaine Chen.

Healthcare in general, and health costs in particular, are a top issue for voters in 2026. But it remains unclear exactly how voters want lawmakers to fix the problem. As a result, candidates in both parties are offering a wide variety of possible solutions.  Meanwhile, the Trump administration doubled down on its fraud-fighting efforts, announcing that it is cutting off more than 750,000 enrollees in Affordable Care Act insurance plans who it alleges are defrauding the program.  Tami Luhby of CNN, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, and Sarah Jane Tribble of KFF Health News join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.  Visit our website to read a transcript of this episode. Plus, for “extra credit” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too:  Julie Rovner: KFF Health News’ “The Drugs and Devices Have Been on the Market for Years. But FDA-Ordered Studies Still Aren’t Done,” by David Hilzenrath.  Tami Luhby: The Wall Street Journal’s “RFK Jr.’s Enhanced Security Was Funded With Money From Minority Health Office,” by Liz Essley Whyte.  Joanne Kenen: Slate’s “The Mystery of ‘Medbeds’,” by Molly Olmstead.  Sarah Jane Tribble: Stat’s “GOP Aims To Change Medicare Adviser’s Math So It’s More Favorable to Health Insurers,” by John Wilkerson.

Reports from a top artificial intelligence company that it found and stopped attempted uses of its product to manufacture a potential bioweapon caught the attention of lawmakers in Washington this week, although it is still unclear whether or when they will act to regulate the fast-moving industry.  Meanwhile, President Donald Trump wants to send $500 checks to about a million enrollees in Affordable Care Act plans.  Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Tami Luhby of CNN, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.  Also this week, Rovner talks with Sabrina Corlette of the Georgetown University Center on Health Insurance Reforms about some potential fixes to the nation’s health system. Visit our website to read a transcript of this episode. Plus, for “extra credit” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too:  Julie Rovner: KJZZ Phoenix’s “Data Shows DES Failed To Complete Most SNAP Eligibility Interviews, Resulting in Massive Cuts,” by Camryn Sanchez.   Tami Luhby: The Washington Post’s “What ‘Ferritin Face’ Means — And How To Tell If You May Be Iron-Deficient,” by Erica Sloan.   Anna Edney: Bloomberg News’ “Patients Who Fight Health Insurance Denials Often Win,” by John Tozzi, Tanaz Meghjani, and Ike Swetlitz.   Alice Miranda Ollstein: KFF Health News’ “Indigenous Groups Are Exempt From Medicaid Work Rules, but Native Hawaiians Aren’t,” by Ashley Mizuo.

Amid a campaign already focusing on affordability, anxious voters are unlikely to be assuaged by headlines about healthcare costs rising even more next year.  And a lawsuit that could cut off access nationwide to the abortion pill mifepristone gets a hearing at a federal appeals court.  Sandhya Raman of Bloomberg Law, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, and Amanda Seitz of KFF Health News join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.  Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Lauren Sausser, who wrote the latest “Bill of the Month,” about when a preventive service isn’t preventive enough to qualify for zero-cost coverage.  Visit our website for a transcript of this episode. Plus, for “extra credit” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too:  Julie Rovner: NBC News’ “A Secretive Computer Algorithm Is Taking Caregiving Money Away From Disabled People,” by Mike Hixenbaugh.   Sandhya Raman: Bloomberg Government’s “Medicaid Cuts Leave Schools Pondering How To Serve Disabled Kids,” by Erin Durkin and Claire Hebert.   Joanne Kenen: ProPublica’s “Children in a Faith-Healing Sect Keep Dying. The State Lets It Happen,” by Audrey Dutton.   Amanda Seitz: KFF Health News’ “A NY Hospital Tried To Close Its Birthing Center. This City United To Fight Back,” by Noam N. Levey and Hannah Norman, and Stat’s “Hospitals Pursue Deals To Ensure Survival as Trump’s Medicaid Cuts Loom,” by Daniel Payne.

As summer comes to a close, some of the season’s major health policy stories continue to simmer, including declining insurance coverage, increasing measles cases, and cuts to federal health programs.  Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.  Also this week, Rovner interviews Dean Rosen about his work for former Sen. Nancy Landon Kassebaum, a Kansas Republican and the first woman to lead a major Senate committee, who died last week at 94.  Visit our website for a transcript of this episode. 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 “Why We Should Stop Eating Lettuce, Cyclospora or Not,” by Tamar Haspel.   Margot Sanger-Katz: Stat’s “Comments on OMB Research Rule Mysteriously Removed From Federal Website,” by Anil Oza.   Rachel Roubein: The New York Times’ “Americans Encounter Risks at Psychedelic Clinics Abroad,” by Noah Daly and Andrew Jacobs.   Shefali Luthra: The Washington Post and KFF Health News’ “Why Some Couples Are Combining a European Vacation With Their IVF Treatments,” by LJ Dawson.

President Donald Trump is nominating Heidi Overton, a physician who is currently a White House policy adviser, to lead the FDA, which has been without a Senate-confirmed leader since May. Overton has a controversial history and may face some obstacles to winning confirmation, though Republicans have been reluctant to push back too strongly against most of the president’s picks.  Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss this story and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews billionaire businessman Mark Cuban, who has already reshaped the generic drug market and now has his eye on the rest of the healthcare system.   Visit our website for a transcript of this episode. Plus, for “extra credit” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too:  Julie Rovner: Mother Jones’ “The Orwellian Company Behind ICE’s New Electric Shock Gloves,” by Sophie Hurwitz.   Shefali Luthra: The 19th’s “Tik Tok’s Fake GLP-1 Market Preys on Women Trying To Lose Weight,” by Barbara Rodriguez.   Alice Miranda Ollstein: The Texas Observer’s “Texas Maternal Mortality Committee’s Next Report Will Skip Post-‘Roe’ Deaths. Lawmakers Suspect Political Influence,” by Mary Tuma.   Joanne Kenen: Politico’s “AI Slop Is Swamping a House Office That Drafts US Laws,” by Owen Dahlkamp.

President Donald Trump is trying to unilaterally change the number and schedule of childhood vaccines in the U.S., though it remains unclear how much of an impact his orders will have. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Maya Goldman of Axios, and Sandhya Raman of Bloomberg Law join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss this story and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Paula Andalo, who wrote the latest “Bill of the Month,” about a medical tourist who searched for a better price for surgery abroad before finding it out-of-state.  Visit our website for a transcript of this episode. Plus, for “extra credit” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too:  Julie Rovner: Health Affairs’ “Remembering Bob Blendon, an Essential Professor, Teacher, and Mentor,” by Mollyann Brodie.   Anna Edney: CBS News’ “Farm Linked to Cyclosporiasis Outbreak Hadn’t Been Inspected in 7 Years as FDA Lags on Foreign Inspection Targets,” by Julia Ingram.   Sandhya Raman: NOTUS’ “An Antidote to the Anti-Vaccine Movement Lives in Rural West Virginia,” by Margaret Manto.   Maya Goldman: The New York Times’ “To Improve Student Mental Health, University of Michigan Eases Grading,” by Mark Arsenault.

Michigan voters this week chose former Detroit public health director Abdul El-Sayed as the Democratic nominee for the state’s open Senate seat. El-Sayed has made “Medicare for All” a major part of his campaign and further elevated the issue.  Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, and Amanda Seitz of KFF Health News join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss this story and more.  Also this week, as part of the “How Would You Fix It?” series, Rovner interviews Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.), who has a new bill that would provide universal health coverage for children.   Visit our website for a transcript of this episode. Plus, for “extra credit” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too:  Julie Rovner: The New York Times’ “Spotlight on Fauci Said To Boost Book Sales for Kennedy and His Publisher,” by Sheryl Gay Stolberg.   Alice Miranda Ollstein: NOTUS’ “Rand Paul’s Fauci Diary Dump Exposed People’s Medical Histories,” by Margaret Manto.   Joanne Kenen: The New York Times Magazine’s “The U.S. Relies on Family Caregivers. Millions of Them Are Kids,” by Helen Ouyang.   Amanda Seitz: The Wall Street Journal’s “A Florida Surrogate, a Father in China, and the Babies Caught Between,” by Katherine Long.

The revelation in court documents that the Trump administration used politics alone to decide which grants to fund and which to cancel has provoked surprisingly little outcry from Capitol Hill. Meanwhile, Republicans renewed their campaign against Anthony Fauci’s handling of covid.  Liz Essley Whyte of The Wall Street Journal, Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Bloomberg News, and Shefali Luthra of The 19th join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.  Visit our website for a transcript of this episode. Plus, for “extra credit” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too:  Julie Rovner: The Arkansas Times’ “Postpartum Women Go Without Care as Arkansas Holds Out as Lone State To Deny Them Medicaid,” by Byron Tate.   Rachel Cohrs Zhang: KFF Health News’ “Trump Administration Demands Hospitals Share Emergency Room Records,” by Amanda Seitz, Maia Rosenfeld, and Darius Tahir.   Liz Essley Whyte: Stat’s “E-Bikes, E-Scooters Are a Burgeoning Pediatric Public Health Emergency,” by J. Todd R. Lawrence and Madison A. Kesler.   Shefali Luthra: The Washington Post’s “The Problem With RFK Jr.’s Crusade Against Antidepressants,” by Aaron E. Carroll.

A new report finds that participation in the federal food stamp program is down far more than was predicted when the Republican-led Congress approved cuts in 2025. That portends a similar fate for Medicaid, as states ready comparable changes.  Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.  Also this week, as part of the “How Would You Fix It?” series, Rovner interviews GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.   Visit our website for a transcript of this episode. Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too:   Julie Rovner: The New York Times’ “The Fake Influencers Selling Wellness on Your Feed,” by Arijeta Lajka, Isabelle Niu, Mark Boyer, James Surdam and Dan T. Peters.  Joanne Kenen: Stat’s “A Most-Wanted Fugitive Appears To Have Been Secretly Working as a Biotech Executive,” by Adam Feuerstein.  Margot Sanger-Katz: NPR’s “Amid Nurse Shortage, a University Rolls Out the Welcome Mat for Men,” by Andrea Hsu.  Alice Miranda Ollstein: Roll Call’s “Trump Administration Puts Kibosh on HIV Prevention Funding,” by Ariel Cohen.

Most of the federal cuts to the Medicaid program don’t take effect until 2027, but many states are already cutting their own budgets in anticipation of getting fewer health dollars from Washington. Meanwhile, Congress is back from break, but forward progress on legislative priorities remains slow.  Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Sandhya Raman of Bloomberg Law join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, as part of the “How Would You Fix It?” series, Rovner interviews Elizabeth Mitchell of the Purchaser Business Group on Health.   Visit our website for a transcript of this episode. Plus, for “extra credit” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read (or wrote) this week that they think you should read, too:  Julie Rovner: Mississippi Today’s “Mississippi is getting hotter. Experts say it’s hurting moms and babies,” by Sophia Paffenroth and Joanne Kenen.   Anna Edney: Bloomberg News’ “Almost $1 Billion Later, the US Still Can’t Make a Medical Glove,” by Anna Edney.   Alice Miranda Ollstein: Politico’s “Fraud investigations are crumbling this state’s Medicaid system,” by Amanda Chu and Robert King.   Sandhya Raman: Bloomberg Law’s “Unverified GLP-1-Related Claims Flood Food, Supplement Markets,” by Nyah Phengsitthy and Skye Witley.

About halfway through 2026 — and just a few months before the critical midterm elections — Democrats appear to be doubling down on healthcare as a campaign issue as costs rise and insurance coverage declines. Meanwhile, Congress is taking aim at nonprofit hospitals. Shefali Luthra of The 19th, Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post, and Victoria Knight of Bloomberg Government join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Samantha Liss, who wrote the latest “Bill of the Month” story, about a woman who changed Medicare Advantage plans and found herself at a disadvantage. Visit our website to read a transcript of this episode. Plus, for “extra credit” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too:  Julie Rovner: Axios’ “Chinese Fentanyl Makers Find New U.S. Market in Peptides,” by Tina Reed.   Shefali Luthra: Stat’s “Online GLP-1 Prescriptions Are Often Fast, Easy — And Low on Clinical Oversight,” by Katie Palmer.   Rachel Roubein: The New York Times’ “Efforts To Help Smokers Quit Stall Under Trump,” by Chistina Jewett.   Victoria Knight: Stat’s “Booze Schmooze: The Alcohol Industry, Frazzled by Headwinds, Wields Its Power Behind the Scenes,” by Isabella Cueto and Lev Facher.