\tJulie Rovner
\n\tKFF Health News<\/p>\n
\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 After weeks of painstaking negotiations, Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate agreed to a major year-end package of health bills, including new regulations for drug companies and pharmacy benefit managers, and renewals of programs to combat opioid abuse and prepare for the next possible pandemic. But the effort could be all for naught, as President-elect Donald Trump and his government-cutting adviser, Elon Musk, complained it gave Democrats too much of what they wanted and threatened Republicans who might vote for it with challenges in upcoming primary elections.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued a doctor in New York for prescribing abortion pills via telemedicine to a patient in Texas, in the first major test of whether \u201cshield laws\u201d \u2014 intended to protect doctors in states like New York where abortion remains legal \u2014 can protect against other states\u2019 enforcement efforts.<\/p>\n This week\u2019s panelists are Julie Rovner of KFF Health News, Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, Victoria Knight of Axios, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico.<\/p>\n \tJessie Hellmann \t\t\t \t\t\t \tVictoria Knight \t\t\t \t\t\t \tAlice Miranda Ollstein \t\t\t \t\t\t Among the takeaways from this week\u2019s episode:<\/p>\n Congress looked to be on the cusp of passing its government spending bills this week, then Trump spoke out. The package featured robust, bipartisan policies \u2014 including things that Trump himself has endorsed, such as reforming the pharmacy benefit manager system. Now, it\u2019s not only those policies, plus key extensions on the Medicare telehealth program, opioids, and more, that Trump has undermined: A government shutdown could also furlough the federal employees helping his team transition ahead of his inauguration next month.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been making the rounds on Capitol Hill to gain support for his confirmation to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. And many senators seem surprisingly supportive of his bid. Some are leaning on shared goals such as limiting ultraprocessed foods. In general, Republican senators do not seem too concerned about RFK Jr.\u2019s nomination \u2014 despite a track record of opposing scientific consensus on vaccines and supporting abortion rights.<\/p>\n New government data shows health care spending is up. The recent fatal shooting of an insurance executive has triggered a backlash against the insurance industry, yet the data shows costs are going up due to higher utilization \u2014 not necessarily because of factors within insurers\u2019 control. Bottom line: In a system of constant finger-pointing, insurers have earned ire for questionable coverage decisions and lack of transparency \u2014 but they\u2019re not the main, or only, culprits of high costs and access problems.<\/p>\n And, in reproductive health news, the attorney general of Texas is suing a New York doctor for prescribing the abortion pill to a patient in Texas. New York, like other more Democratic states, has a shield law protecting providers, yet this case will be the first test of such a law.<\/p>\n Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF President and CEO Drew Altman about what happened in health policy in 2024 and what to expect in 2025.<\/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> Vox.com\u2019s \u201cThe Deep Roots of Americans\u2019 Hatred of Their Health Care System<\/a>,\u201d by Dylan Scott.<\/p>\n Alice Miranda Ollstein:<\/strong> KFF Health News\u2019 \u201cNative American Patients Are Sent to Collections for Debts the Government Owes<\/a>,\u201d by Katheryn Houghton and Arielle Zionts.<\/p>\n Jessie Hellmann:<\/strong> KFF Health News\u2019 \u201cHow a Duty To Spend Wisely on Worker Benefits Could Loosen PBMs\u2019 Grip on Drug Prices,<\/a>\u201d by Arthur Allen.<\/p>\n Victoria Knight:<\/strong> Bloomberg News\u2019 \u201cThe Weight-Loss Drug Gold Rush Has a Dangerous Prescription Problem<\/a>,\u201d by Madison Muller.<\/p>\n Also mentioned in this week\u2019s podcast:<\/p>\n KFF Health News\u2019 \u201cTrump\u2019s Picks for Top Health Jobs Not Just Team of Rivals but \u2018Team of Opponents<\/a>,\u201d by Stephanie Armour and Julie Rovner.<\/p>\n Health Affairs\u2019 \u201cNational Health Expenditures in 2023: Faster Growth as Insurance Coverage and Utilization Increased<\/a>,\u201d by Anne B. Martin, Micah Hartman, Benjamin Washington, and Aaron Catlin.<\/p>\n Politico\u2019s \u201cThe DOGE Plan That Could Cost Millions<\/a>,\u201d by Alice Miranda Ollstein.<\/p>\n KFF Health News\u2019 \u201cFlorida Gov. DeSantis\u2019 Canadian Drug Import Plan Goes Nowhere After FDA Approval<\/a>,\u201d by Phil Galewitz.<\/p>\n \tTaylor Cook \tLonnie Ro \tEmmarie Huetteman To hear all our podcasts,\u00a0click here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n And subscribe to KFF Health News\u2019 \u201cWhat the Health?\u201d on\u00a0Spotify<\/a>,\u00a0Apple Podcasts<\/a>,\u00a0Pocket Casts<\/a>, or wherever you listen to podcasts.<\/em><\/p>\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
\n\tCQ Roll Call<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t@jessiehellmann\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tRead Jessie’s stories.\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\tAxios<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t@victoriaregisk\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tRead Victoria’s stories.\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\tPolitico<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t@AliceOllstein\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tRead Alice’s stories.\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n\n\t\tCredits\t<\/h3>\n
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\n\tEditor <\/p>\nUSE OUR CONTENT<\/h3>\n