\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 Oct. 1 is the start of the next fiscal year, and unless Congress reaches agreement on continued spending, big parts of the government could shut down that day. Democrats, whose votes will be needed in the Senate, would like Republicans to extend the Biden-era extra tax credits for Affordable Care Act insurance plans as part of a compromise, but so far Republicans don\u2019t seem willing.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. released his much-anticipated \u201cMake America Healthy Again\u201d blueprint to improve children\u2019s health, but the report contained few specifics on how his goals would be reached.<\/p>\n This week\u2019s panelists are Julie Rovner of KFF Health News, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post.<\/p>\n \tAnna Edney \t\t\t \t\t\t \t\t\t \tSandhya Raman \t\t\t \t\t\t \t\t\t \tLauren Weber \t\t\t \t\t\t Among the takeaways from this week\u2019s episode:<\/p>\n Congress has less than three weeks to approve federal government spending for the new fiscal year and avert a shutdown. Democrats are pushing for the legislation to include an extension of enhanced subsidies for those covered by ACA plans, which otherwise will expire at the end of the year and contribute to an increase in premium costs. But that proposal is already getting bogged down in longtime fights over abortion funding.<\/p>\n The Department of Health and Human Services is expected to cite the use of Tylenol during pregnancy in a pending report on the causes of autism \u2014 despite a lack of definitive scientific evidence. And the remade Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is scheduled to meet next week, while some Americans are struggling to access the covid vaccine.<\/p>\n The lack of teeth in the MAHA report \u2014 along with the White House\u2019s lengthy review before publication \u2014 suggests industry officials helped shape the final product. Plus, its calls for things like healthier meals in schools and hospitals amid federal funding cuts raise an important question: Who will pay for these policy changes?<\/p>\n And the Trump administration is seeking changes to federal regulations on pharmaceutical advertising that could effectively kill drug ads on television, though free-speech rights could complicate that effort.<\/p>\n Plus, for \u201cextra credit\u201d the panelists suggest health policy stories they read (or wrote) this week that they think you should read, too:\u00a0<\/p>\n Julie Rovner:<\/strong> NPR\u2019s \u201cWhat Kind of Dairy Does a Body Good? Science Is Updating the Answer<\/a>,\u201d by Will Stone.<\/p>\n Anna Edney:<\/strong> Bloomberg News\u2019 \u201cThe Implants Were Supposed to Dissolve. They Didn\u2019t<\/a>,\u201d by Anna Edney and Tanaz Meghjani.<\/p>\n Sandhya Raman:<\/strong> The Texas Tribune\u2019s \u201cTexas\u2019 New Parental Consent Law Leaves School Nurses Confused About Which Services They Can Provide to Students<\/a>,\u201d by Jaden Edison.<\/p>\n Lauren Weber:<\/strong> ProPublica\u2019s \u201c\u2018Just Let Me Die,\u2019<\/a>\u201d by Duaa Eldeib.<\/p>\n Also mentioned in this week\u2019s podcast:<\/p>\n The New York Times\u2019 \u201cAs Trump Weighs I.V.F., Republicans Back New \u2018Natural\u2019 Approach to Infertility<\/a>,\u201d by Caroline Kitchener.<\/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
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