\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 Recent polling finds that health costs are a top worry for much of the American public, while Republicans in Congress are considering still more cuts to federal health spending on programs such as Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the Supreme Court ruled that Colorado cannot ban mental health professionals from using \u201cconversion therapy\u201d to treat LGBTQ+ minors, a decision that\u2019s likely to affect other states with similar laws.<\/p>\n This week\u2019s panelists are Julie Rovner of KFF Health News, Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Sandhya Raman of Bloomberg Law.<\/p>\n \tJessie Hellmann \t\t\t \t\t\t \t\t\t \tAlice Miranda Ollstein \t\t\t \t\t\t \t\t\t \tSandhya Raman \t\t\t \t\t\t Among the takeaways from this week\u2019s episode:<\/p>\n Republicans reportedly are weighing still more cuts to federal health spending. With the war in Iran draining military coffers, GOP leaders in Congress are eying a drop in health funding \u2014 a decision that could exacerbate problems following the passage of legislation expected to lead to major reductions in Medicaid spending, as well as the expiration of enhanced ACA premium subsidies that were not renewed by lawmakers last year. And President Donald Trump\u2019s budget could include another sizable reduction in funding to the National Institutes of Health.<\/p>\n The Supreme Court this week struck down a Colorado law prohibiting licensed professionals from practicing a form of therapy that tries to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of LGBTQ+ minors. States have long had the power to regulate medical care, with the goal of restricting treatments that can be harmful. Also, the Idaho Legislature passed a bill requiring teachers and doctors to out transgender minors to their parents.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the Department of Health and Human Services is studying whether to make private Medicare Advantage plans the default option for seniors enrolling in Medicare, a change that would seem to conflict with the Trump administration\u2019s scrutiny of overpayments to the private insurance plans. And a tech nonprofit\u2019s lawsuit seeks to reveal more about the administration\u2019s pilot program testing the use of artificial intelligence in prior authorization in Medicare.<\/p>\n Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News\u2019 Elisabeth Rosenthal, who wrote the last<\/a> two<\/a> KFF Health News \u201cBill of the Month\u201d stories. If you have a medical bill that\u2019s outrageous, infuriating, or just inscrutable, you can submit it to us here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Plus, for \u201cextra credit\u201d the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too:\u00a0<\/p>\n Julie Rovner:<\/strong> New York Magazine\u2019s \u201cThe Dog Owners Taking Their Injured Corgis and Doodles to Tijuana: Mexico Is to Pet MRIs What Turkey Has Become for Hair Transplants<\/a>,\u201d by Helaine Olen.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Jessie Hellmann:<\/strong> The Texas Tribune\u2019s \u201c\u2018Don\u2019t\u00a0Take Me to the Hospital\u2019: Undocumented Immigrants in Texas Are Delaying Medical Care<\/a>,\u201d by Colleen DeGuzman, Stephen Simpson, Terri Langford, and Dan Keemahill.\u00a0<\/p>\n Sandhya Raman:<\/strong> Science\u2019s \u201cSupporters Push To Revive Moribund Agency Studying Patient Care<\/a>,\u201d by Jocelyn Kaiser.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Alice Miranda Ollstein:<\/strong> The New York Times\u2019 \u201cCuban Patients Are Dying Because of U.S. Blockade, Doctors Say<\/a>,\u201d by Ed Augustin and Jack Nicas.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Also mentioned in this week\u2019s podcast:<\/p>\n KFF Health News\u2019 \u201cStates Pay Deloitte, Others Millions To Comply With Trump Law To Cut Medicaid Rolls<\/a>,\u201d by Samantha Liss and Rachana Pradhan.<\/p>\n KFF Health News\u2019 \u201cTrump\u2019s Hunt for Undocumented Medicaid Enrollees Yields Few Violators<\/a>,\u201d by Phil Galewitz.<\/p>\n The Colorado Sun\u2019s \u201cWhy Children\u2019s Hospital Colorado Has Not Resumed Gender-Affirming Care Despite a Favorable Court Ruling<\/a>,\u201d by John Ingold.<\/p>\n Politico\u2019s \u201cPoll: The Battle for MAHA That Could Sway the Midterms<\/a>,\u201d by Alice Miranda Ollstein, Erin Doherty, Marcia Brown, and Carmen Paun.<\/p>\n The New York Times Magazine\u2019s \u201cWhy Some Teenage Girls Are Trading Medicine for MAHA<\/a>,\u201d by Coralie Kraft.<\/p>\n NOTUS\u2019 \u201cTo Sue or To Woo? The Medical Establishment Is Divided on MAHA<\/a>,\u201d by Margaret Manto.<\/p>\n The Dallas Morning News\u2019 \u201cA Texas Pregnancy Center Told Her Everything Was Fine. Three Days Later, She Aas in the ER<\/a>,\u201d by Emily Brindley.<\/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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