Trump Administration Archives - Page 8 of 65

A Headless CDC

Episode 439

March 26, 2026

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��Ƶ Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss the news. Also this week, Rovner interviews Georgetown University Law Center’s Katie Keith about the state of the Affordable Care Act on its 16th anniversary.

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Jay Bhattacharya speaks while sitting at a table with his nameplate, and two water bottles, in front of him.

CDC’s Acting Chief Promises a Return to Stability in a Tumultuous Moment

Jay Bhattacharya, head of the National Institutes of Health and interim leader of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told the CDC staff, “I know that it has been such a difficult year.”

By Céline Gounder

March 25, 2026

A hand holds up a sign next to traffic in an intersection that says "CDC protects us, we must protect CDC"

Demoralized CDC Workforce Reels From Year of Firings, Funding Cuts, and a Shooting

Thousands of employees are gone and last summer’s shooting resonates still at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters and among the large public health community in Atlanta.

By Jess Mador, WABE

March 25, 2026

A shadow of a young boy is cast against the pavement. The boy is holding an adult's hand out of frame.

‘They Tricked Me’: A Father Was Chained After He Went to ICE To Reunite With His Kids

The administration has largely converted the HHS Office of Refugee Resettlement into an arm of immigration enforcement, detaining children longer while helping immigration officers arrest their parents or other family members. One father was chained when he went to an ICE office to discuss being reunited with his son and daughter.

By Claudia Boyd-Barrett, Renuka Rayasam, and Amanda Seitz

March 24, 2026

The Week in Brief

In the Affordability Alphabet Soup of the ACA and EHBs, a Link to Higher Premiums Isn’t Clear-Cut

Get our weekly newsletter, The Week in Brief, featuring a roundup of our original coverage, Fridays at 2 p.m. ET.

By Julie Appleby

March 20, 2026

A man with muscular dystrophy works at a desk with multiple computer monitors.

Oz Escalates Medicaid Fraud Claims Against States After Focus on Minnesota

The Trump administration’s unprecedented actions targeting Medicaid funding in Minnesota are part of what could become a playbook as officials turn pressure toward California, Florida, Maine, and New York.

By Bram Sable-Smith

March 20, 2026

What the Health? From 51��Ƶ Health News

RFK Jr.’s Vaccine Schedule Changes Blocked — For Now

Episode 438

March 19, 2026

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.’s 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��Ƶ Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews 51��Ƶ President and CEO Drew Altman to kick off a new series looking at health care solutions, called “How Would You Fix It?”

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Priced Out

Many ACA Customers Are Paying Higher Premiums. Most Blame Trump and Republicans, Poll Finds.

A 51��Ƶ poll offers insights into people’s insurance coverage decisions and how those choices could play into their vote in November’s midterm elections.

By Julie Appleby

March 19, 2026

How Would You Fix It?

Watch: Affordability Plagues Health Care in Its Shift From Nonprofit to Profit Machine

On “What the Health? From 51��Ƶ Health News,” distributed by WAMU, chief Washington correspondent and host Julie Rovner sat down with Drew Altman, president and CEO of 51��Ƶ, to talk about the likelihood of a national health care debate.

By Julie Rovner

March 19, 2026

A photo of Mehmet Oz speaking at a podium at the White House. American flags are seen behind him.

Oz Says California’s Not Fighting Health Care Fraud, but Data Shows It’s Part of a Larger Battle

Trump administration officials say the state allows rampant fraud and have promised to investigate, blaming the “Russian, Armenian mafia” in the hospice and home health care industry. But data shows hotbeds of health care fraud throughout the country, with California outperforming most other states in recovering fraud dollars.

By Don Thompson

March 19, 2026

Lawmakers Seek To Protect Crisis Pregnancy Centers as Abortion Clinic Numbers Shrink

Some states have tried to crack down on crisis pregnancy centers, accusing them of deceptive practices. But now conservative lawmakers are pushing legislation to increase protections for the organizations, which work to dissuade women from abortions.

By Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez

March 19, 2026

The healthcare.gov website seen on a laptop. The webpage reads, "Welcome to the Health Insurance Marketplace. Apply for coverage."

Priced Out

Evidence Shows ACA’s Mandated Benefits Alone Don’t Drive Up Costs. The Debate Continues.

The Affordable Care Act put in place a package of benefits that health insurance plans must cover. Critics contend this mandate has jacked up premiums. Evidence supporting that claim is mixed.

By Julie Appleby and Sarah Boden

March 18, 2026

A partially used blister pack of pills is shown on a countertop

Birth Control Skepticism, Teen Fertility Take Center Stage at Trump’s Women’s Health Summit

Amid falling birth rates and presidential approval numbers, the Department of Health and Human Services convened doctors, tech executives, and influencers to discuss women’s health. Panelists criticized reliance on birth control pills to treat health problems and encouraged doctors to talk with girls about whether they want to have babies.

By Amanda Seitz

March 16, 2026

A street medicine nurse holds the end of a stethoscope to a woman's chest.

Reckoning With State and Federal Cuts, Los Angeles Safety-Net Clinics Push for a New Tax

Across California and the nation, health providers, advocates, local officials, and state legislators are eyeing tax increases to offset a loss of more than $900 billion in federal Medicaid dollars as a result of the GOP’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. In Los Angeles County, community clinics have banded together in support of a half-cent sales tax.

By Bernard J. Wolfson

March 16, 2026

A photo of a laptop screen with Facebook Ad Library open. It shows three ads by Medicare Advantage Majority.

Medicare Advantage ‘Dark Money’ Group Attempts To Win Higher Payments for Insurance Companies

Medicare Advantage insurers say a proposal by the Trump administration to keep their payments nearly flat next year may lead to service cuts that harm seniors struggling to afford health care. A decision is due by early next month.

By Fred Schulte, Maia Rosenfeld, and David Hilzenrath

March 13, 2026

Sheldon Ekirch walks along a street in her neighborhood.

Deadly Denials

Families Scramble To Pay Five-Figure Bills as Clock Ticks on Promised Preauthorization Reforms

Last summer, the Trump administration announced a voluntary pledge by health insurers to reform prior authorization, which often requires patients or their doctors to seek preapproval from insurers before proceeding with medical care. Patient advocates and medical providers remain skeptical.

By Lauren Sausser

March 13, 2026

What the Health? From 51��Ƶ Health News

RFK Jr.’s Very Bad Week

Episode 437

March 12, 2026

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��Ƶ Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.

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A man works with a polishing tool on the edge of a countertop. Dust can be seen flying in the air around the tool. Some of the dust has settled in the man's hair.

As Lung Disease Threatens Workers, Lawmakers Seek Protections for Countertop Manufacturers

Crystalline silica, which is released into the air when workers cut and polish engineered stone, can scar human lungs beyond repair. Kitchen countertops made with this stone have triggered an increased rate of this fatal illness, doctors say.

By Céline Gounder

March 12, 2026

A woman holds a sign that says "MAHA Moms" as she sits on stage at a news conference at the Health and Human Services Department in Washington. Two young girls sit beside her. The insignia for the FDA is seen blurred in the foreground.

Republicans Fret Over RFK Jr.’s Anti-Vaccine Policies While MAHA Moms Stew

A top GOP pollster has said anti-vaccine policies could create risks for the Trump administration in the midterm elections. But backing away from those policies — and other initiatives that have been high on the Make America Healthy Again to-do list — threatens to upset a key voting bloc.

By Amanda Seitz and Stephanie Armour

March 12, 2026

Two photos shown side by side: On the left, a young boy has a bloody gauze in his mouth. On the right, a hand holds an extracted tooth.

More Kids Are in ERs for Tooth Pain. Trump Cuts and RFK Jr.’s Anti-Fluoride Fight Aren’t Helping.

Dentists, hygienists, and researchers say a shortage of rural dental care professionals and worsening oral hygiene since the covid-19 pandemic mean more kids are ending up in the emergency room for tooth decay.

By Farrell Brenner and Angela Y. Zhang

March 10, 2026

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