\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 Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.\u2019s effort to change how the federal government recommends vaccines against childhood diseases was dealt at least a temporary setback in federal court this week. A judge in Massachusetts sided with a coalition of public health groups arguing that changes to the vaccine schedule violated federal law. The Trump administration said it would appeal the judge\u2019s ruling.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, some of the same public health groups continue to worry about the slow pace of grantmaking at the National Institutes of Health, which, for the second straight year, is having trouble getting money appropriated by Congress out the door to researchers.<\/p>\n This week\u2019s panelists are Julie Rovner of KFF Health News, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post.<\/p>\n \tAlice Miranda Ollstein \t\t\t \t\t\t \t\t\t \tMargot Sanger-Katz \t\t\t \t\t\t \tLauren Weber \t\t\t \t\t\t Among the takeaways from this week\u2019s episode:<\/p>\n The latest decision on potential changes to the federal childhood vaccine schedule, even if ultimately reversed by a higher court, may re-elevate the vaccine issue as midterm campaigns kick into gear \u2014 and just as the Trump administration is trying to downplay it.<\/p>\n A new survey of Affordable Care Act marketplace enrollees from KFF, a health information nonprofit that includes KFF Health News, illuminates how many people are struggling to afford health insurance after the expiration of the enhanced premium tax credits. A large majority of respondents say their costs are higher this year, with half saying their costs are \u201ca lot higher.\u201d<\/p>\n A dip in the number of health care jobs last month could suggest medical facilities and other providers are bracing for the impact of federal funding cuts. A reduction in the number of people with health insurance \u2014 an expected outcome of the expiration of enhanced ACA tax credits and, soon, stricter eligibility limits for Medicaid \u2014 would probably mean more unpaid bills that hospitals and others must absorb.<\/p>\n And clinics that rely on Title X funding to provide care are in a bind, with funding set to expire at the end of the month and the federal government only just recently releasing guidance about applying. Many clinics are bracing for a gap in funding.<\/p>\n Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF President and CEO Drew Altman to kick off a new series on health care solutions, called \u201cHow Would You Fix It?\u201d<\/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 \u201cTrump Promised the \u2018World\u2019s Lowest\u2019 Drug Prices. We Checked the Numbers<\/a>,\u201d by Rebecca Robbins.<\/p>\n Lauren Weber:<\/strong> The Atlantic\u2019s \u201cSucker: My Year as a Degenerate Gambler<\/a>,\u201d by McKay Coppins.<\/p>\n Margot Sanger-Katz:<\/strong> Stat\u2019s \u201cHow a Texas Couple Is Getting Rich Off Out-of-Network Medical Bills<\/a>,\u201d by Tara Bannow.<\/p>\n Alice Miranda Ollstein:<\/strong> The New York Times\u2019 \u201cU.S. Considers Withholding H.I.V. Aid Unless Zambia Expands Minerals Access<\/a>,\u201d by Stephanie Nolen.<\/p>\n Also mentioned in this week\u2019s podcast:<\/p>\n KFF\u2019s \u201cCost Concerns and Coverage Changes: A Follow-Up Survey of ACA Marketplace Enrollees<\/a>,\u201d by Lunna Lopes, Isabelle Valdes, Grace Sparks, Mardet Mulugeta, and Ashley Kirzinger.<\/p>\n The Washington Post\u2019s \u201cU.S. Vaccination Rates Are Plunging. Look Up Where Your School Stands<\/a>,\u201d by Lauren Weber, Caitlin Gilbert, Dylan Moriarty, and Joshua Lott.<\/p>\n KFF Health News\u2019 \u201cTrump\u2019s Cuts to Medicaid Threaten Services That Help Disabled People Live at Home<\/a>,\u201d by Tony Leys.<\/p>\n Politico\u2019s \u201cBirth Control Clinics Rush To Reapply for Funding After Receiving New Trump Admin Guidance<\/a>,\u201d by Alice Miranda Ollstein.<\/p>\n States Newsroom\u2019s \u201cFederal Funding for People in Poverty Heading to Anti-Abortion Centers Instead<\/a>,\u201d by Kelcie Moseley-Morris.<\/p>\n ProPublica\u2019s \u201cThey Didn\u2019t Want To Have C-Sections. A Judge Would Decide How They Gave Birth<\/a>,\u201d by Amy Yurkanin.<\/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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