\tJulie Rovner
\n\tKFF Health News<\/p>\n
\t\t\t \t\t\t \t\t\t \t\t\tJulie Rovner is chief Washington correspondent and host of KFF Health News\u2019 weekly health policy news podcast, \u201cWhat the Health?\u201d A noted expert on health policy issues, Julie is the author of the critically praised reference book \u201cHealth Care Politics and Policy A to Z,\u201d now in its third edition.\t\t<\/p>\n The Senate is scheduled to vote in the coming days on a Democrat-led plan to extend the temporary additional subsidies that have lowered out-of-pocket costs for Affordable Care Act health plans. But even with the vote approaching, Republicans in the House and Senate are divided over what, if any, alternative plan they should offer.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, anti-vaccine forces at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration have both agencies in disarray.<\/p>\n This week\u2019s panelists are Julie Rovner of KFF Health News, Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico.<\/p>\n \tPaige Winfield Cunningham \t\t\t \t\t\t \tJoanne Kenen \t\t\t \t\t\t \t\t\t \tAlice Miranda Ollstein \t\t\t \t\t\t \t\t\t Among the takeaways from this week\u2019s episode:<\/p>\n Republican lawmakers are struggling to reach consensus on a health care plan as the Senate prepares to vote on the fate of enhanced ACA premium subsidies. Many broadly oppose Obamacare and argue Democrats deserve the blame for the rising cost of health care, while some Republicans facing tough reelection fights next year are advocating for renewing the more generous subsidies. New polling shows that even most supporters of President Donald Trump favor keeping the subsidies.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not just ACA plan-holders who are learning their out-of-pocket costs will rise next year. Premium payments for those who rely on the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program are going up again, with those plans among the many reporting out-of-pocket cost increases.<\/p>\n The federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is meeting this week. Earlier this year, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. replaced the panel\u2019s members, adding noted vaccine critics. At this meeting, the panel is discussing past recommendations on the birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine and on the childhood vaccine schedule.<\/p>\n Also this week, Rovner interviews Aneri Pattani of KFF Health News about her project tracking the distribution of $50 billion in opioid legal-settlement payments.<\/p>\n Plus, for \u201cextra credit\u201d the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too:<\/p>\n Julie Rovner:<\/strong> The New York Times\u2019 \u201cThese Hospitals Figured Out How To Slash C-Section Rates<\/a>,\u201d by Sarah Kliff and Bianca Pallaro.<\/p>\n Joanne Kenen:<\/strong> Wired\u2019s \u201cA Fentanyl Vaccine Is About To Get Its First Major Test<\/a>,\u201d by Emily Mullin.<\/p>\n Paige Winfield Cunningham:<\/strong> The New York Times\u2019 \u201cA Smartphone Before Age 12 Could Carry Health Risks, Study Says<\/a>,\u201d by Catherine Pearson.<\/p>\n Alice Miranda Ollstein:<\/strong> The Independent\u2019s \u201cMiscarriages, Infections, Neglect: The Pregnant Women Detained by ICE<\/a>,\u201d by Kelly Rissman.<\/p>\n Also mentioned in this week\u2019s podcast:<\/p>\n Politico\u2019s \u201cWhy Republicans Aren\u2019t Eager To Cut an Obamacare Deal<\/a>,\u201d by Alice Miranda Ollstein and Robert King.<\/p>\n KFF\u2019s \u201c2025 KFF Marketplace Enrollees Survey<\/a>,\u201d by Lunna Lopes, Grace Sparks, Mardet Mulugeta, Isabelle Valdes, and Ashley Kirzinger.<\/p>\n KFF Health News\u2019 \u201cAfter Shutdown, Federal Employees Face New Uncertainty: Affording Health Insurance<\/a>,\u201d by Phil Galewitz.<\/p>\n The Washington Post\u2019s \u201cWhy Health Savings Accounts Aren\u2019t the Fix Republicans Hope For<\/a>,\u201d by Paige Winfield Cunningham.<\/p>\n KFF Health News\u2019 \u201cTrump Wants Americans To Make More Babies. Critics Say His Policies Won\u2019t Help Raise Them<\/a>.\u201d By Stephanie Armour and Amanda Seitz.<\/p>\n \tFrancis Ying \tEmmarie Huetteman Click here to find all our podcasts.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n And subscribe to \u201cWhat the Health? From KFF Health News\u201d on Apple Podcasts<\/a>, Spotify<\/a>, the NPR app<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, Pocket Casts<\/a>, or wherever you listen to podcasts.<\/em><\/p>\n\n KFF Health News<\/a> is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF\u2014an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\tRead Julie’s stories.\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n\n\t\tPanelists\t<\/h3>\n
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\n\t\t\t\tRead Paige’s stories.\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\tRead Joanne’s bio.\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\tRead Alice’s stories.\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n\n\t\tCredits\t<\/h3>\n
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