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What the Health? From ��ýҕ�l Health News

The GOP Still Can’t Agree on a Health Plan

Episode 425

Dec. 4, 2025

Senate Democrats were promised a vote by mid-December on extending enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies, but Republicans still can’t 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 ��ýҕ�l Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss those stories and more. Also, Rovner interviews ��ýҕ�l Health News’ Aneri Pattani about her project tracking opioid settlement payments.

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What the Health? From ��ýҕ�l Health News

The Government Is Open

Episode 422

Nov. 13, 2025

The record-long federal shutdown is over after a small group of Democrats agreed to a deal with most Republicans that funds the government through January — but, notably, does not extend more generous Affordable Care Act tax credits. Plus, new details are emerging about how the Trump administration is using the Medicaid program to advance its policy goals. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join ��ýҕ�l Health News’ Emmarie Huetteman to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, ��ýҕ�l Health News’ Julie Rovner interviews ��ýҕ�l Health News’ Julie Appleby, who wrote the latest “Bill of the Month” feature.

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What the Health? From ��ýҕ�l Health News

The State of the Affordable Care Act

Episode 421

Nov. 6, 2025

Nov. 1 marked the start of open enrollment for 2026 health plans bought from Affordable Care Act marketplaces in most states. But this sign-up season is like no other in the health law’s 15-year history. It remains unclear, even at this late date, whether expanded tax credits launched during the pandemic in 2021 will be continued or allowed to expire, exposing millions of Americans to much higher out-of-pocket costs. In this special episode of “What the Health?” from ��ýҕ�l Health News and WAMU, host Julie Rovner interviews KFF vice president Cynthia Cox about the past, present, and possible future of the health law and how those who purchase ACA coverage should proceed during this time of uncertainty.

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An Arm and a Leg

This Health Economist Wants Your Medical Bills

Season 14, Episode 3

Nov. 5, 2025

A longtime health economist sets her sights on lowering Americans’ insurance premiums.

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A photo of HealthCare.gov's website. A pop-up form reads, "Get covered for 2026. Start here."

Congressional Stalemate Creates Chaos for Obamacare Shoppers

This year, Affordable Care Act marketplace consumers will need to be more informed than ever to navigate their health coverage choices.

By Michelle Andrews

Nov. 4, 2025

The Week in Brief

Deal or No Deal? States Prepare for Congress To Act at the Last Minute on Obamacare

Get our weekly newsletter, The Week in Brief, featuring a roundup of our original coverage, Fridays at 2 p.m. ET.

By Amanda Seitz

Oct. 31, 2025

What the Health? From ��ýҕ�l Health News

Happy Open Enrollment Eve!

Episode 420

Oct. 30, 2025

A standoff in Congress is keeping much of the government shut down as open enrollment begins in most states for Affordable Care Act plans. Democrats are demanding Republicans agree to extend ACA tax credits, but there has been little negotiating — even as customers are learning what they’ll pay for coverage next year. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is telling states they can’t pass their own laws to keep medical debt off consumers’ credit reports. Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post, Maya Goldman of Axios, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join ��ýҕ�l Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss those stories and more.

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A vector illustration of a balance scale with a red car in the right pan and a document on a clipboard representing health insurance in the right pan.

A New Car vs. Health Insurance? Average Family Job-Based Coverage Hits $27K

KFF data shows that 2025 marked the first time in two decades that the annual cost of covering a family of four rose by 6% or more for three consecutive years.

By Phil Galewitz

Oct. 22, 2025

A photo of Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer holding a news conference.

Why Democrats Are Casting the Government Shutdown as a Health Care Showdown

Democrats are pressuring Republicans to extend billions of dollars in federal tax credits that have dramatically lowered premiums and contributed to record-low rates of uninsured Americans. It’s a chance to talk about a winning issue — and maybe regain support from working-class voters.

By Amanda Seitz

Oct. 6, 2025

The Week in Brief

Political Risks in ACA Subsidy Debate Spark Blame Game, Test Parties’ Resolve

Get our weekly newsletter, The Week in Brief, featuring a roundup of our original coverage, Fridays at 2 p.m. ET.

By Stephanie Armour

Oct. 3, 2025

An Arm and a Leg

The Struggle To Afford Insurance in 2026 Hits Home

Season 14, Episode 1

Oct. 1, 2025

The senior producer of “An Arm and a Leg” starts planning for health insurance in 2026, and — like millions of others signing up during this year’s open enrollment — faces a steep price increase.

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Listen: Young Adults Turning 26 Face Health Insurance Cliff

The erosion of the Affordable Care Act has created an insurance cliff for Americans who are turning 26 and don’t have a job that provides medical coverage. Scared off by high price tags and the complexity of picking a policy, some young adults are going without insurance.

By Elisabeth Rosenthal

Sept. 26, 2025

What the Health? From ��ýҕ�l Health News

On Capitol Hill, RFK Defends Firings at CDC

Episode 412

Sept. 5, 2025

A combative Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the U.S. secretary of health and human services, appeared before a Senate committee Thursday, defending his firing of the newly confirmed director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as other changes that could limit the availability of vaccines. Meanwhile, Congress has only a few weeks to complete work on annual spending bills to avoid a possible government shutdown and to ward off potentially large increases in premiums for Affordable Care Act health plans. Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, Sarah Karlin-Smith of Pink Sheet, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join ��ýҕ�l Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews ��ýҕ�l Health News’ Tony Leys, who discusses his “Bill of the Month” report about a woman’s unfortunate interaction with a bat — and her even more unfortunate interaction with the bill for her rabies prevention treatment.

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An illustration of a man pushing a grocery cart full of medical supplies up a hill that looks like a stock arrow pointing upward.

Perspective

The Price Increases That Should Cause Americans More Alarm

The cost of health insurance is rising faster than the price of eggs or gasoline.

By Elisabeth Rosenthal

Aug. 22, 2025

An up-close artistic photo of a stack of different multi-colored pills.

Breaking Down Why Medicare Part D Premiums Are Likely To Go Up

Insurers will take drug costs, frequency of use, and other factors into account as they set premium amounts for the 2026 plan year.

By Julie Appleby

Aug. 15, 2025

A photo of a laptop on a table. In the foreground is a woman holding a pen over a Covered California information packet.

Considering a Life Change? Brace for Higher ACA Costs

Consumers contemplating an early retirement or starting a business should calculate how Trump administration and congressional policy changes could increase their health insurance costs — and plan accordingly.

By Julie Appleby

Aug. 12, 2025

A glitchy photo illustration of a laptop opened with the healthcare.gov website opened.

A Guide To Finding Insurance at 26‌

It’s a difficult rite of passage for young adults without job-based insurance. Here are some tips for getting started.

By Elisabeth Rosenthal

Aug. 11, 2025

Why Young Americans Dread Turning 26: Health Insurance Chaos

Young adults without jobs that provide insurance find their options are limited and expensive. The problem is about to get worse.

By Elisabeth Rosenthal and Hannah Norman

Aug. 11, 2025

Letters to the Editor

Readers Weigh In on Making American Health Care Affordable Again

��ýҕ�l Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.

July 31, 2025

A vector illustration of someone with one hand to their face and a credit card in the other hand. They are sitting in front of a laptop on a table.

Diagnosis: Debt

Trump Voters Wanted Relief From Medical Bills. For Millions, the Bills Are About To Get Bigger.

Moves by the Trump administration to pare back Medicaid, rescind medical debt rules, and loosen vaccine requirements threaten to increase medical bills for millions of Americans.

By Noam N. Levey

July 25, 2025

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