What the Health? From 吃瓜不打烊

Join Julie Rovner, chief Washington correspondent for 吃瓜不打烊, along with top health policy reporters from The New York Times, The Washington Post, Politico and other media outlets to discuss the latest news and explain what the health is going on here in Washington.

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If you have a question for the podcast, you can send it to whatthehealth@kff.org.

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  • What the Health? From 吃瓜不打烊

    GOP Mulls More Health Cuts

    Episode 440

    Despite public opposition to the cuts they made to federal health programs in 2025, Republicans reportedly are considering more cuts to help pay for the war in Iran. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court ruled that Colorado cannot ban 鈥渃onversion therapy鈥 for LGBTQ+ minors. Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Sandhya Raman of Bloomberg Law join 吃瓜不打烊鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews 吃瓜不打烊鈥 Elisabeth Rosenthal, who wrote the last two 鈥淏ill of the Month鈥 stories.

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  • What the Health? From 吃瓜不打烊

    A Headless CDC

    Episode 439

    The Trump administration faces the challenge of naming a new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who can both satisfy the Make America Healthy Again movement and get confirmed by the Senate. Meanwhile, a new Senate bill to rescind the approval of the abortion pill mifepristone is again elevating the abortion debate, which some Republicans would prefer to stay on the back burner until after the midterms. Shefali Luthra of The 19th, Lizzy Lawrence of Stat, and Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Bloomberg News join 吃瓜不打烊鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss the news. Also this week, Rovner interviews Georgetown University Law Center鈥檚 Katie Keith about the state of the Affordable Care Act on its 16th anniversary.

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  • What the Health? From 吃瓜不打烊

    RFK Jr.鈥檚 Vaccine Schedule Changes Blocked 鈥 For Now

    Episode 438

    A federal judge in Massachusetts this week sided with public health groups to block changes to the federally recommended schedule of childhood vaccines, dealing at least a temporary setback to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.鈥檚 efforts to remake the schedule. Meanwhile, Congress has put its debate over the future of the Affordable Care Act on the back burner, but the issue of rising health care costs is still front and center for the voting public. Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join 吃瓜不打烊鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF President and CEO Drew Altman to kick off a new series looking at health care solutions, called 鈥淗ow Would You Fix It?鈥

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  • What the Health? From 吃瓜不打烊

    RFK Jr.鈥檚 Very Bad Week

    Episode 437

    HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had another tough week. In addition to Kennedy having rotator cuff surgery, the nomination of his ally to become surgeon general is teetering, the controversial head of the FDA's vaccine center is resigning next month, and a new survey shows Americans trust government health officials less than they do former Biden official Anthony Fauci. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, and Shefali Luthra of The 19th join 吃瓜不打烊鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.

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  • What the Health? From 吃瓜不打烊

    What About the State of Health?

    Episode 435

    Health care got barely a mention in President Trump鈥檚 State of the Union address. Ahead of the midterms, the Trump administration has presented few concrete plans to address what Americans say is the biggest problem with health care: its skyrocketing costs. Meanwhile, Trump鈥檚 pick for surgeon general, Casey Means, got her long-delayed nomination hearing in the Senate, where she faced skeptical questions from Democrats and Republicans alike. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Sheryl Gay Stolberg of The New York Times, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post join 吃瓜不打烊鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss those stories and more.

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  • What the Health? From 吃瓜不打烊

    Turnarounds and Shake-Ups

    Episode 434

    The twists and turns continue at the nation鈥檚 health agency, where this week鈥檚 announcements included notice that the FDA will review Moderna鈥檚 new flu vaccine after all and that a handful of top agency officials are getting new jobs. Those developments and others can be traced to a White House looking to shake things up before the midterms 鈥 and win over voters on health care. Tami Luhby of CNN, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post join 吃瓜不打烊鈥 Mary Agnes Carey to discuss these stories and more.

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  • What the Health? From 吃瓜不打烊

    New Flu Vax? FDA Says No Thanks

    Episode 433

    It鈥檚 been a busy week at the FDA, with a political appointee overruling agency scientists to reject an application for a new flu vaccine. Meanwhile, anti-abortion Republicans on Capitol Hill complain the agency is dragging its feet on reviewing the abortion pill mifepristone. Jackie Forti茅r of 吃瓜不打烊, Lizzy Lawrence of Stat, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join 吃瓜不打烊鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.

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  • What the Health? From 吃瓜不打烊

    HHS Gets Funding, But How Will Trump Spend It?

    Episode 432

    Congress has passed 鈥 and President Trump has signed 鈥 the annual spending bill for the Department of Health and Human Services. But it鈥檚 unclear whether the administration will spend the money as Congress directed. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join 吃瓜不打烊鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss that story and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews 吃瓜不打烊鈥 Renuka Rayasam about a new reporting project, 鈥淧riced Out.鈥

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  • What the Health? From 吃瓜不打烊

    The Hazards of ICE for Public Health

    Episode 431

    The Trump administration鈥檚 immigration crackdown is not just roiling politics but also directly affecting the provision of health care, medical groups say. Meanwhile, in Washington, federal spending bills have been stalled by the fight over immigration enforcement funding after the shooting death of a second person in Minneapolis this month. Maya Goldman of Axios, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post join 吃瓜不打烊鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss those stories and more.

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  • What the Health? From 吃瓜不打烊

    Health Spending Is Moving in Congress

    Episode 430

    Lawmakers appear on the brink of passing a spending bill for the Department of Health and Human Services and a bipartisan health policy bill delayed for over a year. But the outlook is bleaker for the health care outline released by President Trump last week. Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, Sheryl Gay Stolberg of The New York Times, and Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post join 吃瓜不打烊鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss those stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews oncologist and bioethicist Ezekiel Emanuel to discuss his new book, 鈥淓at Your Ice Cream.鈥

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  • What the Health? From 吃瓜不打烊

    Culture Wars Take Center Stage

    Episode 429

    With lawmakers still mired over renewing enhanced tax credits for Affordable Care Act plans, much of Washington has turned to culture war issues. Meanwhile, 鈥渃onfusion鈥 remains the watchword at HHS as personnel and funding decisions continue to be made and unmade with little notice. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join 吃瓜不打烊鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss those stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews 吃瓜不打烊鈥 Elisabeth Rosenthal, who wrote the latest 鈥淏ill of the Month鈥 report.

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  • What the Health? From 吃瓜不打烊

    New Year, Same Health Fight

    Episode 428

    Congress returned from its break facing a familiar question: whether to extend the expanded subsidies for Affordable Care Act health plans that expired at the end of 2025. Meanwhile, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. broke a promise to Bill Cassidy, the chairman of Senate health committee, by overhauling the federal government鈥檚 childhood vaccine schedule to reduce the number of diseases for which vaccines will be recommended. Sarah Karlin-Smith of Pink Sheet, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post join 吃瓜不打烊鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss those stories and more.

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  • What the Health? From 吃瓜不打烊

    Time鈥檚 Up for Expanded ACA Tax Credits

    Episode 427

    A last-minute push from Democrats and four moderate Republicans will force a House vote on renewing enhanced premium tax credits for Affordable Care Act plans, but not until January. That means millions will have to choose between paying dramatically more or dropping coverage next year. Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officially drops the federal recommendation for newborns to receive a hepatitis B shot. Tami Luhby of CNN, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Lizzy Lawrence of Stat join 吃瓜不打烊鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss those stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Tony Leys, who wrote the latest 鈥淏ill of the Month鈥 feature, and the panel discusses the year鈥檚 biggest developments in health policy.

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  • What the Health? From 吃瓜不打烊

    Crunch Time for ACA Tax Credits

    Episode 426

    Dec. 15 is the deadline to sign up for Affordable Care Act plans that begin Jan. 1, and Congress remains at odds over letting expanded tax credits for the plans鈥 premiums expire and increasing the cost of insurance for millions of Americans. Meanwhile, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continues to remake vaccine policy to reflect ideology rather than science. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Maya Goldman of Axios, and Sheryl Gay Stolberg of The New York Times join 吃瓜不打烊鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss those stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Georgetown professor Linda Blumberg about the GOP鈥檚 health plans.

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  • Watch: What Do Republicans Really Want on Health Care?

    On 鈥淲hat the Health? From 吃瓜不打烊,鈥 distributed by WAMU, chief Washington correspondent and podcast host Julie Rovner sat down with Avik Roy, a GOP health policy adviser, to talk about how health care has evolved as a Republican Party issue.

    By Julie Rovner
  • What the Health? From 吃瓜不打烊

    The GOP Still Can’t Agree on a Health Plan

    Episode 425

    Senate Democrats were promised a vote by mid-December on extending enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies, but Republicans still can鈥檛 decide whether they want to put forward their own alternative or what that might include. Meanwhile, the CDC and FDA are roiled by debates over vaccines. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, and Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post join 吃瓜不打烊鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss those stories and more. Also, Rovner interviews 吃瓜不打烊鈥 Aneri Pattani about her project tracking opioid settlement payments.

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  • What the Health? From 吃瓜不打烊

    Trump Almost Unveils a Health Plan聽

    Episode 424

    Just weeks before some tax credits for Affordable Care Act premiums expire, the Trump administration floated a plan to extend the enhanced aid 鈥 but it was met with immediate GOP pushback. Meanwhile, health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he ordered the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to revise its website to suggest childhood vaccines might be linked to autism. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join 吃瓜不打烊鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss those stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Joanne Kenen and Joshua Sharfstein about their new book, 鈥淚nformation Sick: How Journalism鈥檚 Decline and Misinformation鈥檚 Rise Are Harming Our Health 鈥 And What We Can Do About It.鈥

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  • What the Health? From 吃瓜不打烊

    The GOP Circles the Wagons on ACA

    Episode 423

    Republicans are solidifying their opposition to extending pandemic-era subsidies for Affordable Care Act plans and seem to be coalescing around giving money directly to consumers to spend on health care. Meanwhile, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continues to leave his mark on the agency, with the CDC altering its website to suggest childhood vaccines could play a role in causing autism. Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, and Shefali Luthra of The 19th join 吃瓜不打烊鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss those stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Avik Roy.

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