\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 The future of the Medicaid health insurance program for those with low incomes is in doubt, as Congress works on a budget plan calling for major cuts while President Donald Trump both promises to support that plan as well as to protect the program.\u00a0<\/p>\n Meanwhile, thousands of employees at the Department of Health and Human Services were fired over the holiday weekend, while states with abortion bans face off against states with laws protecting doctors who use telemedicine to prescribe abortion pills to residents of the former.<\/p>\n This week\u2019s panelists are Julie Rovner of KFF Health News, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \tSarah Karlin-Smith \t\t\t \t\t\t \tJoanne Kenen \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 Medicaid cuts of the magnitude the House is considering would decimate the program. And, as the Republican Party has realigned, cutting it would impact their base. Smaller changes around the edges \u2014 concepts like work requirements \u2014 may be more possible, even though they have not proved effective in past experiments.<\/p>\n Many of the firings at HHS have a particularly random feel. In some cases, whole offices, some of which were put in place to pursue Trump priorities such as artificial intelligence \u2014 have been left without any employees because all their employees were \u201cnew.\u201d In other cases, highly recruited scientists were let go. What is emerging as a long-term issue from these federal firings is how agencies like the National Institutes of Health will recruit future scientists. Job candidates are highly educated people who can find more lucrative employment in the private sector. The loss of brainpower, combined with diminished federal support for research, will have consequences. Areas such as basic research, which is not a moneymaker, could suffer.<\/p>\n Texas and Louisiana are each seeking to prosecute a New York doctor who prescribes abortion medication via telemedicine. The governor of New York has vowed to protect such doctors under the state\u2019s \u201cshield law.\u201d But the ultimate decision of which state law prevails will likely be made by the Supreme Court.<\/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> KFF Health News\u2019 \u201cPain Clinics Made Millions From \u2018Unnecessary\u2019 Injections Into \u2018Human Pin Cushions\u2019<\/a>\u201d by Brett Kelman.<\/p>\n Alice Miranda Ollstein:<\/strong> The Washington Post\u2019s \u201cU.S. Reverses Plan To Shut Down Free Covid Test Program<\/a>,\u201d by Lena H. Sun and Carolyn Y. Johnson.<\/p>\n Joanne Kenen:<\/strong> Wired\u2019s \u201cThe Ketamine-Fueled \u2018Psychedelic Slumber Parties\u2019 That Get Tech Execs Back on Track<\/a>,\u201d by Elana Klein.<\/p>\n Sarah Karlin-Smith:<\/strong> Fortune\u2019s \u201cThe Dietary Supplements You Think Are Improving Your Health May Be Damaging Your Liver, Research Warns<\/a>,\u201d by Lindsey Leake.<\/p>\n Also mentioned in this week\u2019s podcast:<\/p>\n The Transmitter\u2019s \u201cFederal Register Hold Makes \u2018End Run\u2019 Around Court Pause on NIH Funding Freeze<\/a>,\u201d by Angie Voyles Askham.<\/p>\n Politico\u2019s \u201cRepublicans May Find It Harder To Cut Medicaid Than They Think<\/a>,\u201d by Joanne Kenen.<\/p>\n Stat\u2019s \u201cDrug Inspectors, AI Experts, Maternal Health Workers: Trump\u2019s Health Agency Cuts Are Far-Reaching<\/a>,\u201d by Helen Branswell.<\/p>\n \tFrancis Ying \tStephanie Stapleton 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\tPink Sheet<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t@SarahKarlin\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tRead Sarah’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\tRead Joanne’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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