\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 Members of Congress are back in Washington this week, and Republicans are facing hard decisions on how to reduce Medicaid spending, even as new polling shows that would be unpopular among their voters.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, with President Donald Trump marking 100 days in office, the Department of Health and Human Services remains in a state of confusion, as programs that were hastily cut are just as hastily reinstated \u2014 or not. Even those leading the programs seem unsure about the status of many key health activities.<\/p>\n This week\u2019s panelists are Julie Rovner of KFF Health News, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times.<\/p>\n \tJoanne Kenen \t\t\t \t\t\t \tAlice Miranda Ollstein \t\t\t \t\t\t \tMargot Sanger-Katz \t\t\t \t\t\t Among the takeaways from this week\u2019s episode:<\/p>\n How and what congressional Republicans will propose cutting from federal government spending is still up in the air \u2014 one big reason being that the House and Senate have two separate sets of instructions to follow during the budget reconciliation process. The two chambers will need to resolve their differences eventually, and many of the ideas on the table could be politically risky for Republicans.<\/p>\n GOP lawmakers are reportedly considering imposing sweeping work requirements on nondisabled adults to remain eligible for Medicaid. Only Georgia and Arkansas have tried mandating that some enrollees work, volunteer, go to school, or enroll in job training to qualify for Medicaid. Those states\u2019 experiences showed that work requirements don\u2019t increase employment but are effective at reducing Medicaid enrollment \u2014 because many people have trouble proving they qualify and get kicked off their coverage.<\/p>\n New reporting this week sheds light on the Trump administration\u2019s efforts to go after the accreditation of some medical student and residency programs, part of the White House\u2019s efforts to crack down on diversity and inclusion initiatives. Yet evidence shows that increasing the diversity of medical professionals helps improve health outcomes \u2014 and that undermining medical training could further exacerbate provider shortages and worsen the quality of care.<\/p>\n Trump\u2019s upcoming budget proposal to Congress could shed light on his administration\u2019s budget cuts and workforce reductions within \u2014 and spreading out from \u2014 federal health agencies. The proposal will be the first written documentation of the Trump White House\u2019s intentions for the federal government.<\/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> KFF Health News\u2019 \u201cAs a Diversity Grant Dies, Young Scientists Fear It Will Haunt Their Careers<\/a>,\u201d by Brett Kelman.\u00a0<\/p>\n Joanne Kenen:<\/strong> NJ.com\u2019s \u201cMany Nursing Homes Feed Residents on Less Than $10 a Day: \u2018That\u2019s Appallingly Low\u2019<\/a>\u201d and \u201cInside the \u2018Multibillion-Dollar Game\u2019 To Funnel Cash From Nursing Homes to Sister Companies<\/a>,\u201d by Ted Sherman, Susan K. Livio, and Matthew Miller.\u00a0<\/p>\n Alice Miranda Ollstein:<\/strong> ProPublica\u2019s \u201cUtah Farmers Signed Up for Federally Funded Therapy. Then the Money Stopped<\/a>,\u201d by Jessica Schreifels, The Salt Lake Tribune.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Margot Sanger-Katz:<\/strong> CNBC\u2019s \u201cGLP-1s Can Help Employers Lower Medical Costs in 2 Years, New Study Finds<\/a>,\u201d by Bertha Coombs.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Also mentioned in this week\u2019s podcast:<\/p>\n MedPage Today\u2019s \u201cTrump Order Targets Med School, Residency Accreditors Over \u2018Unlawful\u2019 DEI Standards<\/a>,\u201d by Cheryl Clark.<\/p>\n Stat\u2019s \u201cDespite Kennedy\u2019s Stated Support, Funding for Women\u2019s Health Initiative Remains in Limbo<\/a>,\u201d by Elizabeth Cooney.<\/p>\n CBS News\u2019 \u201cFDA Head Falsely Claims No Scientists Laid Off, as Agency Shutters Food Safety Labs<\/a>,\u201d by Alexander Tin.<\/p>\n The New York Times\u2019 \u201cF.D.A. Scientists Are Reinstated at Agency Food Safety Labs<\/a>,\u201d by Christina Jewett.<\/p>\n \tFrancis Ying \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
\n\t\t\t\t@jrovner\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\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\tThe New York Times<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t@sangerkatz\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tRead Margot’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