\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, \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 It\u2019s not exactly news that our nation\u2019s health care system is only a \u201csystem\u201d in the most generous sense of the word and that no one entity is really in charge of it. Notwithstanding, there are some specific responsibilities that belong to the federal government, others that belong to the states, and still others that are shared between them. And sometimes people and programs fall through the cracks.<\/p>\n Speaking before a live audience on June 23 at Aspen Ideas: Health in Colorado, three former governors \u2014 one of whom also served as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services \u2014 discussed what it would take to make the nation\u2019s health care system run more smoothly.<\/p>\n The session, moderated by KFF Health News\u2019 Julie Rovner, featured Democrat Kathleen Sebelius, a former governor of Kansas and HHS secretary under President Barack Obama; Republican Chris Sununu, former governor of New Hampshire; and Democrat Roy Cooper, former governor of North Carolina.<\/p>\n \tKathleen Sebelius \tChris Sununu \tRoy Cooper Among the takeaways from the discussion:<\/p>\n States \u2014 and the governors who lead them \u2014 are major \u201ccustomers\u201d of the federal health system. For instance, states run research universities with the aid of federal grants from the National Institutes of Health. States also run Medicaid, the joint state-federal program for those with low incomes and disabilities, through which most of the nation\u2019s care for issues such as mental health and substance use disorders is funded. In fact, most federal money sent to states is for Medicaid.<\/p>\n Cuts to Medicaid outlined in the House and Senate versions of President Donald Trump\u2019s One Big Beautiful Bill Act would leave a huge hole in state budgets \u2014 one that the states, already facing budget constraints, would be unable to fill without making difficult choices. Notably, the bill does not make substantive cuts Medicare, a program that has a significant amount of excess spending and is expected to be insolvent within a decade.<\/p>\n Controlling health care costs is a major concern for the future of the nation\u2019s fragmented health care system, as is maintaining the health care workforce. More people without insurance coverage means higher overall costs. Pandemic burnout, immigration raids, and even the cost of college are putting pressure on a dwindling workforce. The federal government could do more to encourage medical professionals to go into primary care and rural health care.<\/p>\n Video of this episode is available here<\/a> on YouTube.<\/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\t@julierovner.bsky.social\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\tFormer HHS secretary, former Kansas governor (D)<\/p>\n
\n\tFormer governor of New Hampshire (R)<\/p>\n
\n\tFormer governor of North Carolina (D)<\/p>\n\n\t\tCredits\t<\/h3>\n
\n\tAudio producer<\/p>\n
\n\tEditor <\/p>\nUSE OUR CONTENT<\/h3>\n