State Watch Archives

Summer’s Health Policy Themes

Episode 461

Aug. 27, 2026

As summer wanes, 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. Shefali Luthra of The 19th, Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post, and Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times join 51��Ƶ 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, who died last week at 94.

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A woman sits at a witness table in a hearing room.

How Louisiana’s New Surgeon General Wants To Transform Public Health

Evelyn Griffin is pushing for more emphasis on wellness and prevention. She has also aligned with the MAHA movement in fighting government mandates and questioning the safety of some vaccines.

By Rosemary Westwood, The New York Times

Aug. 21, 2026

What the Health? From 51��Ƶ Health News

Trump’s Vaccine Agenda

Episode 459

Aug. 13, 2026

President 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 51��Ƶ Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss this story and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews 51��Ƶ Health News’ Paula Andalo, who wrote the latest “Bill of the Month.”

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Medicaid Work Rule Leaves Homeless People in the Cold

Conservatives who have long pushed for Medicaid work requirements often said vulnerable people would get a pass. But the federal government’s list of exemptions left off homeless people.

By Katheryn Houghton

Aug. 6, 2026

A woman holding a phone to her left ear sits in front of a laptop and looks at the screen.

Nurses Chase Cyclospora, Aided by Interviews, Fast-Food Receipts — And the Messy Details

Yes, they’ve heard all the poop jokes. Public health staffers are painstakingly tracing the sources of this massive outbreak, combing through fast-food orders and lettuce purchases as they listen to people’s lengthy, messy stories about their illness.

By Kate Wells

Aug. 4, 2026

A man and woman stand outdoors with a service dog between them.

Medicaid Insurers’ Contracts on the Line in Tight Governor’s Race

The Democratic candidate for governor says he would make Iowa the second state to drop private Medicaid management companies, which he calls “a disaster.”

By Tony Leys

July 30, 2026

A doctor holding a document speaks with a patient who is out of frame.

Doctors ‘Cringe’ at Possibility of Documenting Which Medicaid Enrollees Too Sick To Work

Final regulations on Medicaid work requirements say enrollees must regularly obtain documentation — possibly from medical professionals — to prove that they’re too sick to work. Doctors say the rules put them in a tough spot.

By Sam Whitehead

July 20, 2026

A high angle view of American dollar bills and coins with a stethoscope resting on top of them.

A Sales Tax on Doctor Visits and Medicine? In Missouri, Some Worry

A ballot measure to eliminate Missouri’s income tax would give the state legislature broad authority to levy new sales taxes to replace the lost revenue. Critics say that could mean adding a sales tax on medical services or prescription medicines. Those types of taxes are unusual, but not unheard of, in the U.S.

By Bram Sable-Smith

July 16, 2026

Facing Funding Losses, States Call Out Big Businesses With Employees on Medicaid

With the federal Medicaid work requirements looming in January, Democrats are considering state legislation to call out big companies that employ workers enrolled in the safety net health program. Business giants such as Amazon and Walmart said the figures are misleading.

By Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez

July 15, 2026

An orange box of mifepristone is beside a white, sealed pill bottle. There are papers underneath, contained in a small cardboard box.

Lawmakers Look To Make Abortion Shield Laws Less Dependent on Who’s Governor

California’s laws still leave extradition decisions related to reproductive rights and gender-affirming care to its governor. But as states with abortion bans target California physicians who prescribe abortion pills across state lines, Democrats want to lock in protections for doctors, no matter who the next governor is.

By Jackie Fortiér

July 14, 2026

A healthcare worker puts a bandage on a child's arm after vaccination.

Efforts To End School Vaccine Mandates Hit a Wall in Florida

The state’s campaign to end school vaccine requirements is dead for now. The reasons could offer insights into similar efforts’ chances in other states.

By Kerry Sheridan, WUSF

June 26, 2026

An interior photo of a doctor's office. A large LGBTQIA+ flag hangs on the wall.

Even in Blue States, Hospitals Have Continued To Drop Gender-Affirming Care for Youths

Massachusetts passed laws and joined lawsuits to protect access to gender-affirming care for minors. But faced with the Trump administration’s threats, some hospitals voluntarily stopped care. Families are outraged.

By Karen Brown, New England Public Media

June 24, 2026

What the Health? From 51��Ƶ Health News

Medicaid Work Rules Surprise States

Episode 449

June 4, 2026

Adult Medicaid enrollees with serious health conditions may not be automatically exempt from new work rules, according to a new regulation from the Trump administration. Meanwhile, the administration is also proposing to give political appointees even more power over who gets health and science grant funding. Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Liz Essley Whyte of The Wall Street Journal join 51��Ƶ Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews 51��Ƶ Health News’ Lauren Sausser, who wrote the latest “Bill of the Month.”

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A woman stands near some shelves indoors and is in silhouette against two windows with blinds drawn.

Louisiana’s Reporting Law Chills Immigrant Medicaid Applications

A year after the measure’s passage, a state law is keeping immigrants and their children from accessing Medicaid even when they qualify.

By Halle Parker, Verite News

June 4, 2026

A white sign on a sidewalk says "Stop. If measles testing, return to car. Call 7345446700"

Michigan Found a Way To Reduce School Vaccine Waivers. Until It Backfired.

The state had high rates of parents not vaccinating their children, so it started making them attend vaccine education sessions to opt out their kids. It seemed to work. Then things got ugly.

By Kate Wells

June 3, 2026

A massive warehouse is visible on the far side of a highway.

A Trump Stronghold Grapples With Health Risks of ICE Detention Sites

Several rural communities were thrust into a charged national debate over the Trump administration’s mass deportation strategy when federal officials sought to place new detention centers in them. In Social Circle, Georgia, locals fear the effort will overburden its modest healthcare infrastructure.

By Renuka Rayasam

May 29, 2026

A digital illustration of 15 small figures looking at a stethoscope much larger than they are.

Montana Hurries To Adopt Trump’s Medicaid Work Rules Amid Budget Woes

The state is ramping up to implement the federal work requirements six months ahead of the deadline. But Montana is one of several states already struggling to pay for health services.

By Katheryn Houghton

May 27, 2026

A photo of a sign that reads, "Martin General Hospital & the emergency department are closed."

Rural Health Payout

Trump’s $50B Rural Health Bet Meets a Healthcare Desert in North Carolina

Republicans promise that $50 billion in new health funding will help rural America. But it’s not expected to aid the years-long effort in North Carolina’s Martin County to reopen its only hospital.

By Sarah Jane Tribble and Amanda Seitz

May 22, 2026

Wooden crosses adorned with flowers and other colorful objects of affection surround a small row of graves.

Efforts To Understand the Nation’s Drugged Driving Problem Stall Under Trump

The data behind alcohol-related traffic deaths is well studied. Less understood is the toll of vehicle deaths involving drugs or a combination of drugs and alcohol. Attempts to fix that have been stymied by federal budget and staffing cuts.

By Jace DiCola

May 19, 2026

Paperwork related to Medicaid in North Carolina is seen laid out

Trump Demands Medicaid Data for Deportation. Some States Go a Step Further.

Several states have required their health agencies to take on another job: verifying immigration status among Medicaid recipients and reporting them to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. North Carolina is the latest to pass such a law, and experts expect more to follow.

By Andrew Jones

May 14, 2026

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