\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, “What the Health?” A noted expert on health policy issues, Julie is the author of the critically praised reference book “Health Care Politics and Policy A to Z,” now in its third edition.\t\t<\/p>\n It\u2019s been a tough week for Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. In addition to Kennedy having surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff, personnel issues continue to plague the department: The nominee to become surgeon general, an ally of Kennedy\u2019s, may lack the votes for Senate confirmation. The controversial head of the Food and Drug Administration\u2019s vaccine center was forced to resign. And a new survey finds Americans have less trust in HHS leaders now than they did during the pandemic.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the Trump administration continues its crackdown over claims of rampant health care fraud. In addition to targeting the Medicaid programs in states led by Democratic governors, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is also taking aim at previously sacrosanct Medicare Advantage plans.<\/p>\n This week\u2019s panelists are Julie Rovner of KFF Health News, 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.<\/p>\n \tAnna Edney \t\t\t \t\t\t \t\t\t \tJoanne Kenen \t\t\t \t\t\t \t\t\t \tShefali Luthra \t\t\t \t\t\t Among the takeaways from this week\u2019s episode:<\/p>\n Americans feel more confident in career scientists at federal health agencies than in the agencies\u2019 leaders, according to a new survey from the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania. Yet the survey also sheds more light on the erosion of trust in public health officials and scientific research.<\/p>\n The FDA\u2019s vaccine chief, Vinay Prasad, is leaving \u2014 again. Prasad was a critic of the agency before he joined it, and his tenure has been shaped by the same attitude, affecting career officials\u2019 morale and the agency\u2019s interactions with outside companies.<\/p>\n The Trump administration has extended its fraud crackdown campaign into Medicare Advantage plans. The privately run alternative to traditional Medicare coverage has been a GOP darling from the get-go. Yet President Donald Trump is nudging the party away from its pro-business stance on private insurance, arguing the government should give money to patients rather than insurers \u2014 a justification for policies undermining the Affordable Care Act.<\/p>\n And Wyoming became the latest state to enact a six-week abortion ban, a move that\u2019s being challenged in court. The development points to the fact that while federal policymaking on abortion has largely stalled, the issue is still very much in play in the states as abortion opponents keep pushing back on access to the procedure.<\/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 Marshall Project\u2019s \u201cThe Harrowing Journey Home for Families Leaving Immigration Detention<\/a>,\u201d by Shannon Heffernan, Jesse Bogan, and Anna Flagg.<\/p>\n Anna Edney:<\/strong> The Wall Street Journal\u2019s \u201cThe Boom in Autism Therapy Is Medicaid\u2019s Fastest-Growing Jackpot<\/a>,\u201d by Christopher Weaver, Tom McGinty, and Anna Wilde Mathews.<\/p>\n Shefali Luthra:<\/strong> The New York Times\u2019 \u201cStates Move To Limit Access to H.I.V. Treatment<\/a>,\u201d by Apoorva Mandavilli.<\/p>\n Joanne Kenen:<\/strong> The Idaho Capital Sun\u2019s \u201c988 Ended His Call. Now an Idaho Teen Is Pushing for a Fix to State\u2019s Parental Consent Law<\/a>,\u201d by Laura Guido.<\/p>\n Also mentioned in this week\u2019s podcast:<\/p>\n The Annenberg Public Policy Center\u2019s \u201cStark Divide: Americans More Confident in Career Scientists at U.S. Health Agencies Than Leaders<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n KFF Health News\u2019 \u201cSix Federal Scientists Run Out by Trump Talk About the Work Left Undone<\/a>,\u201d by Rachana Pradhan and Katheryn Houghton.<\/p>\n Bloomberg Law\u2019s \u201cTrump Administration Funding Delays Worry NIH Grant Recipients<\/a>,\u201d by Sandhya Raman.<\/p>\n The 19th\u2019s \u201cAbortion Bans Reshaped Reproductive Health, and Now the Rental Market<\/a>,\u201d by Shefali Luthra.<\/p>\n The Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy Center for Children and Families\u2019 \u201cCMS Weaponizes Fraud Against Medicaid in Minnesota: Part 2<\/a>,\u201d by Andy Schneider.<\/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
\n\t\t\t\t@jrovner\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t@julierovner.bsky.social\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tRead Julie’s stories.\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n\n\t\tPanelists\t<\/h3>\n
\n\tBloomberg News<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t@annaedney\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t@annaedney.bsky.social\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tRead Anna’s stories.\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\tJohns Hopkins University and Politico<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t@JoanneKenen\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t@joannekenen.bsky.social\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tRead Joanne’s bio.\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\tThe 19th<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t@shefali.bsky.social\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tRead Shefali’s stories.\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n\n\t\tCredits\t<\/h3>\n
\n\tAudio producer<\/p>\n
\n\tEditor <\/p>\nUSE OUR CONTENT<\/h3>\n