KFF Health News' 'What the Health?'

The Senate Finance Committee got its chance March 14 to question Mehmet Oz, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the vast Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the largest agency within the Department of Health and Human Services. Oz, with his long history in television, was as polished as one would expect, brushing off even some more controversial parts of his past with apparent ease. In this special bonus episode of “What the Health?,” KFF Health News’ Rachana Pradhan and Stephanie Armour join Julie Rovner to recap the Oz hearing. They also provide an update on the progress of nominees to lead the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Trump administration’s efforts to downsize the federal government continue, with both personnel and programs being cut at the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Social Security Administration. Meanwhile, the fight over cuts to the Medicaid program for those with low incomes heats up, as Republicans worry that more of their voters than ever before are Medicaid beneficiaries.Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Anna Edney of Bloomberg News join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Jeff Grant, who recently retired from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services after 41 years in government service. Visit our website for a transcript of this episode.Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week they think you should read, too: Julie Rovner: NBC News’ “‘You Lose All Hope’: Federal Workers Gripped by Mental Health Distress Amid Trump Cuts,” by Natasha Korecki. Shefali Luthra: The New York Times’ “15 Lessons Scientists Learned About Us When the World Stood Still,” by Claire Cain Miller and Irineo Cabreros. Alice Miranda Ollstein: The Atlantic’s “His Daughter Was America’s First Measles Death in a Decade,” by Tom Bartlett. Anna Edney: Bloomberg News’ “India Trade Group Blasts Study Linking Drugs to Safety Risks,” by Satviki Sanjay. 

The Supreme Court opined for the first time that Trump administration officials may be exceeding their authority to reshape the federal government by refusing to honor completed contracts, even as lower-court judges started blocking efforts to fire workers, freeze funding, and cancel ongoing contracts. Meanwhile, public health officials are alarmed at the Department of Health and Human Services’ public handling of Texas’ widening measles outbreak, particularly the secretary’s less-than-full endorsement of vaccines.Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, and Stephanie Armour of KFF Health News join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.Visit our website for a transcript of this episode.Plus, for “extra credit” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too: Julie Rovner: KFF Health News’ “Future of Cancer Coverage for Women Federal Firefighters Uncertain Under Trump,” by Kylie Mohr. Joanne Kenen: ProPublica’s “How Illinois’ Hands-Off Approach to Homeschooling Leaves Children at Risk,” by Molly Parker and Beth Hundsdorfer, Capitol News Illinois. Stephanie Armour: The New York Times’ “Organ Transplant System ‘in Chaos’ as Waiting Lists Are Ignored,” by Brian M. Rosenthal, Mark Hansen, and Jeremy White. Lauren Weber: The Washington Post’s “Amid West Texas Measles Outbreak, Vaccine Resistance Hardens,” by Fenit Nirappil and Elana Gordon. 

The House passed a budget plan that likely would result in major cuts to the Medicaid program. But the plan now faces a battle in the Senate, where even Republicans seem reluctant to dramatically reduce a health program that covers roughly 1 in 5 Americans. Meanwhile, federal judges and the Trump administration continue to differ over whether the administration has the authority to unilaterally cancel programs approved and funded by Congress and to fire federal workers.Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Victoria Knight of Axios join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Visit our website to read a transcript of this episode.Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too: Julie Rovner: WBUR’s “Canceled Meetings and Confusion: NIH Grant Funding in Limbo Despite Court Injunction,” by Anna Rubenstein. Alice Miranda Ollstein: The Transmitter’s “Exclusive: NIH Appears To Archive Policy Requiring Female Animals in Studies,” by Claudia López Lloreda. Victoria Knight: KFF Health News’ “With RFK Jr. in Charge, Supplement Makers See Chance To Cash In,” by Arthur Allen. Shefali Luthra: NBC News’ “They Were Told To Get Extra Breast Cancer Screenings. Then They Got Stuck With the Bill,” by Gretchen Morgenson.  

President Donald Trump has said he won’t support major cuts to the Medicaid health insurance program for people with low incomes, but he has endorsed a House budget plan that calls for major cuts, leaving the program’s future in doubt. Meanwhile, thousands of workers at the Department of Health and Human Services were fired over the holiday weekend, from the National Institutes of Health, the FDA, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with possibly more cuts to come.Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.Visit our website to read a transcript of this episode.Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too:  Julie Rovner: KFF Health News’ “Pain Clinics Made Millions From ‘Unnecessary’ Injections Into ‘Human Pin Cushions’” by Brett Kelman. Alice Miranda Ollstein: The Washington Post’s “U.S. Reverses Plan To Shut Down Free Covid Test Program,” by Lena H. Sun and Carolyn Y. Johnson. Joanne Kenen: Wired’s “The Ketamine-Fueled ‘Psychedelic Slumber Parties’ That Get Tech Execs Back on Track,” by Elana Klein. Sarah Karlin-Smith: Fortune’s “The Dietary Supplements You Think Are Improving Your Health May Be Damaging Your Liver, Research Warns,” by Lindsey Leake. 

Some of the Trump administration’s dramatic funding and policy shifts are facing major pushback for the first time — not from Congress, but from the courts. Federal judges around the country are attempting to pump the brakes on efforts to freeze government spending, shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development, eliminate access to health-related webpages and datasets, and limit grant funding provided by the National Institutes of Health. Meanwhile, Congress is off to a slow start in trying to turn President Donald Trump’s agenda into legislation, although Medicaid is clearly high on the list for potential funding cuts.Shefali Luthra of The 19th, Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, and Maya Goldman of Axios News join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these topics and more.Also this week, Rovner interviews Mark McClellan, director of the Duke-Margolis Institute for Health Policy and a former health official during the George W. Bush administration, about the impact of cutting funding to research universities. Visit our website to read a transcript of this episode. Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too: Julie Rovner: Axios’ “Nonprofit Hospital Draws Backlash for Super Bowl Ad,” by Maya Goldman. Shefali Luthra: Politico’s “‘Americans Can and Will Die From This’: USAID Worker Details Dangers, Chaos,” by Jonathan Martin. Maya Goldman: KFF Health News’ “Doctor Wanted: Small Town in Florida Offers Big Perks To Attract a Physician,” by Daniel Chang. Jessie Hellmann: NPR’s “Trump’s Ban on Gender-Affirming Care for Young People Puts Hospitals in a Bind,” by Selena Simmons-Duffin. 

The Senate has yet to confirm a Health and Human Services secretary, but things around the department continue to change at a breakneck pace to comply with President Donald Trump’s executive orders. Payment systems have been shut down, webpages and entire datasets have been taken offline, and workers — including those with civil service protections — have been urged to quit or threatened with layoffs. Meanwhile, foreign and trade policy changes are also affecting health policy.Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Julie Appleby, who reported the latest “Bill of the Month” feature, about a young woman, a grandfathered health plan, and a $14,000 IUD.  Visit our website to read a transcript of this episode.Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too:  Julie Rovner: The New York Times’ “How R.F.K. Jr. and ‘Medical Freedom’ Rose to Power,” on “The Daily” podcast.  Lauren Weber: CNN’s “Human Brain Samples Contain an Entire Spoon’s Worth of Nanoplastics, Study Says,” by Sandee LaMotte.  Alice Miranda Ollstein: The Washington Post’s “Did RFK Jr. or Michelle Obama Say It About Food? Take Our Quiz,” by Lauren Weber. 

President Donald Trump’s choice to lead the vast Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., faced sharp questioning from senators this week, particularly over his history of vaccine denialism. Meanwhile, the Trump administration’s second week has been even more disruptive than its first, with an on-again, off-again funding freeze that left many around the country scrambling to understand what was going on.Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Nicholas Bagley, a University of Michigan law professor, who explains how the federal regulatory system is supposed to operate to make health policy.Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too:Julie Rovner: 404 Media’s “Medical Device Company Tells Hospitals They’re No Longer Allowed to Fix Machine That Costs Six Figures,” by Jason Koebler.Sandhya Raman: ProPublica’s “Dozens of People Died in Arizona Sober Living Homes as State Officials Fumbled Medicaid Fraud Response,” by Mary Hudetz and Hannah Bassett.Sarah Karlin-Smith: CBS News’ “Wind-Blown Bird Poop May Help Transmit Bird Flu, Minnesota’s Infectious Disease Expert Warns,” by Mackenzie Lofgren.Visit our website to read a transcript of this episode.