What the Health? From 51视频 Health News

Join Julie Rovner, chief Washington correspondent for 51视频 Health News, along with top health policy reporters from The New York Times, The Washington Post, Politico and other media outlets to discuss the latest news and explain what the health is going on here in Washington.

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If you have a question for the podcast, you can send it to whatthehealth@kff.org.

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  • What the Health? From 51视频 Health News

    More Kids Without Coverage

    Episode 448

    When Republicans passed their big budget bill in 2025, they thought the effects of cuts to health programs wouldn鈥檛 show up until after the 2026 midterms. They were wrong. Meanwhile, the party is trumpeting its efforts to lower drug prices. Maya Goldman of Axios, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post join 51视频 Health News鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner discusses Ebola with 51视频 Health News鈥 C茅line Gounder.

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  • What the Health? From 51视频 Health News

    Sen. Cassidy Unleashed

    Episode 447

    In the days after losing his reelection bid in Louisiana, Senate HELP Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy is already signaling that his loyalty to President Trump has waned. But how much Cassidy will try to accomplish toward his health agenda in his last months in office remains to be seen. Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, Sheryl Gay Stolberg of The New York Times, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join 51视频 Health News鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss this story and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews health policy professor Miranda Yaver, the author of a new book about health insurance denials.

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  • The logo for "What the Health? From 51视频 Health News" beside headshots of Julie Rovner and Sen. Tammy Baldwin.
    What the Health? From 51视频 Health News

    Watch: The Tug-of-War Over Taxpayer Dollars

    Podcast host Julie Rovner chats with Sen. Tammy Baldwin, a top Democrat on health issues, about President Donald Trump鈥檚 stewardship of federal spending and the effectiveness of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

    By Julie Rovner and Hannah Norman
  • What the Health? From 51视频 Health News

    In Search of a New FDA Commissioner

    Episode 446

    As widely expected, Marty Makary stepped down as head of the FDA this week. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court weighs blocking telehealth prescriptions for the abortion pill mifepristone. Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Bloomberg News, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post join 51视频 Health News鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.).

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  • What the Health? From 51视频 Health News

    Abortion Pill Politics

    Episode 445

    A federal court鈥檚 decision to restrict availability of the abortion pill mifepristone has launched abortion back into the national spotlight. It鈥檚 also raised new questions about the job security of FDA Commissioner Marty Makary. Sandhya Raman of Bloomberg Law, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call join 51视频 Health News鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also, Rovner interviews 51视频 Health News鈥 Andrew Jones, who wrote the latest 鈥淏ill of the Month."

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  • What the Health? From 51视频 Health News

    The Peculiar Politics of Hospitals

    Episode 444

    Democrats and Republicans on a House panel that oversees Medicare had strong words about high hospital pricing at a hearing this week, but it remains unclear whether reality will match the rhetoric when it comes to reining in those prices. Meanwhile, a study found the 988 suicide prevention hotline reduced suicides significantly in its first two years. Shefali Luthra of The 19th, Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post, and Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine join 51视频 Health News鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.

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  • What the Health? From 51视频 Health News

    RFK Jr. vs. Congress

    Episode 443

    HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. completed his tour of House and Senate committees this week, ostensibly to promote President Donald Trump鈥檚 budget proposal for his department but also to answer for some of his more controversial positions, particularly on vaccines. Meanwhile, Trump signed an order to facilitate the use of hallucinogens to treat mental health conditions. Victoria Knight of Bloomberg Government, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Sheryl Gay Stolberg of The New York Times join 51视频 Health News鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, as part of our 鈥淗ow Would You Fix It?鈥 series, Rovner interviews Harvard public health professor David Blumenthal.

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  • What the Health? From 51视频 Health News

    Abortion Pills, the Budget, and RFK Jr.

    Episode 441

    This week, the Trump administration won a court battle to delay a ruling on access to the abortion pill mifepristone, angering its own anti-abortion allies. Meanwhile, the president鈥檚 budget arrived on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers are unlikely to agree to its proposed cuts to Health and Human Services programs. Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Maya Goldman of Axios join 51视频 Health News鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.

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  • What the Health? From 51视频 Health News

    GOP Mulls More Health Cuts

    Episode 440

    Despite public opposition to the cuts they made to federal health programs in 2025, Republicans reportedly are considering more cuts to help pay for the war in Iran. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court ruled that Colorado cannot ban 鈥渃onversion therapy鈥 for LGBTQ+ minors. Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Sandhya Raman of Bloomberg Law join 51视频 Health News鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews 51视频 Health News鈥 Elisabeth Rosenthal, who wrote the last two 鈥淏ill of the Month鈥 stories.

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  • What the Health? From 51视频 Health News

    A Headless CDC

    Episode 439

    The Trump administration faces the challenge of naming a new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who can both satisfy the Make America Healthy Again movement and get confirmed by the Senate. Meanwhile, a new Senate bill to rescind the approval of the abortion pill mifepristone is again elevating the abortion debate, which some Republicans would prefer to stay on the back burner until after the midterms. Shefali Luthra of The 19th, Lizzy Lawrence of Stat, and Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Bloomberg News join 51视频 Health News鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss the news. Also this week, Rovner interviews Georgetown University Law Center鈥檚 Katie Keith about the state of the Affordable Care Act on its 16th anniversary.

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  • What the Health? From 51视频 Health News

    RFK Jr.鈥檚 Vaccine Schedule Changes Blocked 鈥 For Now

    Episode 438

    A federal judge in Massachusetts this week sided with public health groups to block changes to the federally recommended schedule of childhood vaccines, dealing at least a temporary setback to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.鈥檚 efforts to remake the schedule. Meanwhile, Congress has put its debate over the future of the Affordable Care Act on the back burner, but the issue of rising health care costs is still front and center for the voting public. Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join 51视频 Health News鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews 51视频 President and CEO Drew Altman to kick off a new series looking at health care solutions, called 鈥淗ow Would You Fix It?鈥

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  • What the Health? From 51视频 Health News

    RFK Jr.鈥檚 Very Bad Week

    Episode 437

    HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had another tough week. In addition to Kennedy having rotator cuff surgery, the nomination of his ally to become surgeon general is teetering, the controversial head of the FDA's vaccine center is resigning next month, and a new survey shows Americans trust government health officials less than they do former Biden official Anthony Fauci. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, and Shefali Luthra of The 19th join 51视频 Health News鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.

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  • What the Health? From 51视频 Health News

    What About the State of Health?

    Episode 435

    Health care got barely a mention in President Trump鈥檚 State of the Union address. Ahead of the midterms, the Trump administration has presented few concrete plans to address what Americans say is the biggest problem with health care: its skyrocketing costs. Meanwhile, Trump鈥檚 pick for surgeon general, Casey Means, got her long-delayed nomination hearing in the Senate, where she faced skeptical questions from Democrats and Republicans alike. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Sheryl Gay Stolberg of The New York Times, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post join 51视频 Health News鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss those stories and more.

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  • What the Health? From 51视频 Health News

    Turnarounds and Shake-Ups

    Episode 434

    The twists and turns continue at the nation鈥檚 health agency, where this week鈥檚 announcements included notice that the FDA will review Moderna鈥檚 new flu vaccine after all and that a handful of top agency officials are getting new jobs. Those developments and others can be traced to a White House looking to shake things up before the midterms 鈥 and win over voters on health care. Tami Luhby of CNN, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post join 51视频 Health News鈥 Mary Agnes Carey to discuss these stories and more.

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  • What the Health? From 51视频 Health News

    New Flu Vax? FDA Says No Thanks

    Episode 433

    It鈥檚 been a busy week at the FDA, with a political appointee overruling agency scientists to reject an application for a new flu vaccine. Meanwhile, anti-abortion Republicans on Capitol Hill complain the agency is dragging its feet on reviewing the abortion pill mifepristone. Jackie Forti茅r of 51视频 Health News, Lizzy Lawrence of Stat, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join 51视频 Health News鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.

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  • What the Health? From 51视频 Health News

    HHS Gets Funding, But How Will Trump Spend It?

    Episode 432

    Congress has passed 鈥 and President Trump has signed 鈥 the annual spending bill for the Department of Health and Human Services. But it鈥檚 unclear whether the administration will spend the money as Congress directed. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join 51视频 Health News鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss that story and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews 51视频 Health News鈥 Renuka Rayasam about a new reporting project, 鈥淧riced Out.鈥

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