\tEmmarie Huetteman
\n\tKFF Health News<\/p>\n
\t\t\tEmmarie Huetteman,\u00a0senior editor, oversees a team of Washington reporters, as well as \u201cBill of the Month\u201d\u00a0and \u201cWhat the Health? From KFF Health News.\u201d She previously spent more than a decade reporting on the federal government, most recently covering surprise medical bills, drug pricing reform, and other health policy debates in Washington and on the campaign trail.\u00a0\t\t<\/p>\n
The longest federal government shutdown in history is over, after a handful of House and Senate Democrats joined most Republicans in approving legislation that funds the government through January. Despite Democrats\u2019 demands, the package did not include an extension of the expanded tax credits that help most Affordable Care Act enrollees afford their plans \u2014 meaning most people with ACA plans are slated to pay much more toward their premiums next year.<\/p>\n
Also, new details are emerging about the Trump administration\u2019s efforts to use the Medicaid program \u2014 for low-income and disabled people \u2014 to advance its immigration and trans health policy goals. And President Donald Trump has unveiled deals with two major pharmaceutical companies designed to increase access to weight loss drugs for some Americans.<\/p>\n
This week\u2019s panelists are Emmarie Huetteman of KFF Health News, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call.<\/p>\n
\tAnna Edney
\n\tBloomberg News<\/p>\n
\t\t\t \t\t\t \t\t\t \tShefali Luthra \t\t\t \t\t\t \tSandhya Raman \t\t\t \t\t\t \t\t\t Among the takeaways from this week\u2019s episode:<\/p>\n Though the shutdown deal did not include an extension of the enhanced ACA subsidies, it came with a plan for a Senate vote by next month \u2014 on what exactly, it is unclear. Senate Republicans appear to be coalescing around providing money via health savings accounts rather than through the subsidies, while House Republicans seem more fragmented. The clock is ticking; the existing credits expire on Jan. 1, and open enrollment has begun.<\/p>\n Even as the Trump administration is likely to be tied up in court over its efforts to use Medicaid to crack down on health care for immigrants and trans people, they\u2019ve had a real chilling effect. Immigrants, for instance, are skipping medical care, and hospitals are cutting back on offering gender-affirming care for trans people for fear of losing federal funding.<\/p>\n Trump\u2019s newly announced GLP-1 price deals could help Medicare enrollees afford the weight loss drugs, potentially opening up access to a new population of patients \u2014 and customers. And a steady stream of policy reversals, unexplained dismissals, and negative news coverage is leading to worries that the FDA\u2019s credibility is being undermined by internal drama. Also in question is whether it\u2019s interfering with the agency\u2019s work. Drug companies would likely say yes, and some within the FDA are trying to combat these concerns.<\/p>\n A major anti-abortion group is leaning into the current electoral moment, targeting key states and preparing for sizable political contributions ahead of next year\u2019s midterm elections. Abortion opponents see an opportunity to capitalize on voters\u2019 changing motivations and reposition themselves to fit into the post-Trump Republican Party.<\/p>\n Also this week, KFF Health News\u2019 Julie Rovner interviews KFF Health News\u2019 Julie Appleby, who wrote the latest \u201cBill of the Month<\/a>\u201d feature, about a doctor who became the patient after a car accident sent her to the hospital \u2014 and $64,000 into debt. Do you have an outrageous medical bill? Tell us about it<\/a>!<\/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 Emmarie Huetteman:<\/strong> KFF Health News\u2019 \u201cImmigrants With Health Conditions May Be Denied Visas Under New Trump Administration Guidance<\/a>,\u201d by Amanda Seitz.<\/p>\n Anna Edney:<\/strong> Bloomberg News\u2019 \u201cBayer Weighs Roundup Exit as Cancer Legal Bill Nears $18 Billion<\/a>,\u201d by Tim Loh, Hayley Warren, and Julia Janicki.<\/p>\n Shefali Luthra:<\/strong> The 19th\u2019s \u201cDetransition Is Rare, but It\u2019s Driving Anti-Trans Policy Anyway<\/a>,\u201d by Orion Rummler.<\/p>\n Sandhya Raman:<\/strong> BBC\u2019s \u201cCanada Loses Its Measles-Free Status, With US on Track To Follow<\/a>,\u201d by Nadine Yousif.<\/p>\n Also mentioned in this week\u2019s episode:<\/p>\n KFF\u2019s \u201cKFF Health Tracking Poll: Public Weighs in on Health Care Debate and Government Shutdown<\/a>,\u201d by Audrey Kearney, Alex Montero, Mardet Mulugeta, Ashley Kirzinger, and Liz Hamel.<\/p>\n KFF Health News\u2019 \u201cTrump\u2019s HHS Orders State Medicaid Programs To Help Find Undocumented Immigrants<\/a>,\u201d by Phil Galewitz.<\/p>\n NPR\u2019s \u201cTrump Pushes an End to Medical Care for Transgender Youth Nationally<\/a>,\u201d by Selena Simmons-Duffin.<\/p>\n Stat\u2019s \u201cFDA\u2019s Top Drug Regulator Resigns Amid Investigation<\/a>,\u201d by Lizzy Lawrence and Adam Feuerstein.<\/p>\n Stat\u2019s \u201cUnder Vinay Prasad, Employees at a Key FDA Center Fear Speaking Out, Look for the Exits<\/a>,\u201d by Lizzy Lawrence.<\/p>\n \tFrancis Ying \tStephanie Stapleton Click here to find all our podcasts.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n And subscribe to \u201cWhat the Health? From KFF Health News\u201d on Apple Podcasts<\/a>, Spotify<\/a>, the NPR app<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, Pocket Casts<\/a>, or wherever you listen to podcasts.<\/em><\/p>\n\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@annaedney\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t@annaedney.bsky.social\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tRead Anna’s stories.\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\tThe 19th<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t@shefali.bsky.social\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tRead Shefali’s stories.\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\tCQ Roll Call<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t@SandhyaWrites\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t@sandhyawrites.bsky.social\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tRead Sandhya’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