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

Cutting Medicaid Is Hard — Even for the GOP

Episode 396

May 8, 2025

Republicans on Capitol Hill are struggling to reach consensus on cutting the Medicaid program as they search for nearly a trillion dollars in savings over the next decade — as many observers predicted. Meanwhile, turmoil continues at the Department of Health and Human Services, with more controversial cuts and personnel moves, including the sudden nomination of Casey Means, an ally of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s, to become surgeon general. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Maya Goldman of Axios, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join ��ýҕ�l Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews ��ýҕ�l Health News’ Lauren Sausser, who co-reported the latest “Bill of the Month” feature, about an unexpected bill for what seemed like preventive care.

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Watch: How the FDA Opens the Door to Risky Chemicals in America’s Food Supply

To a great extent, the FDA leaves it to food companies to determine whether their ingredients and additives are safe. Some chemicals and additives are tied to health risks while others are absent from product labels. Watch this video explainer to learn more.

By David Hilzenrath, Hannah Norman, and Oona Zenda

May 7, 2025

A photo of a mail package containing mifepristone and misoprostol.

Despite Historic Indictment, Doctors Will Keep Mailing Abortion Pills Across State Lines

When a New York physician was indicted for shipping abortion medications to a woman in Louisiana, it stoked fear across the network of doctors and medical clinics who engage in similar work. But some physicians vowed not to stop.

By Rosemary Westwood, WWNO

May 6, 2025

A photo of a man sitting in a Senate hearing room, speaking into a microphone at a desk.

Alabama Can’t Prosecute Groups Helping Patients Get Abortions Elsewhere, Judge Rules

Although most abortions remain illegal in Alabama, a judge’s decision in early April allows doctors and advocacy groups to tell patients about abortion options in other states, and help with travel and other costs.

By Drew Hawkins, Gulf States Newsroom

May 5, 2025

A photograph showing the ornate ceiling of the dome in the Montana Capitol.

Montana Lawmakers Approve $124M To Revamp Behavioral Health System

The legislation calls for a new mental health facility in eastern Montana, upgrades to existing state facilities, expansion of community services, and revisions to commitment procedures.

By Sue O'Connell

May 2, 2025

A close-up shot of a blister pack of contraceptive pills.

Trump Restores Title X Funding for Two Anti-Abortion States — While Wiping It Out Elsewhere

The Biden administration shut off federal family planning grants to Tennessee and Oklahoma after the states directed clinics not to provide abortion counseling. The Trump administration restored the money, claiming two lawsuits were settled. They weren’t.

By Rachana Pradhan

April 30, 2025

A small prison cell. There is a narrow bed agains the wall with dilapidated sheets, and a metal table connected to the wall.

In a Broken Mental Health System, a Tiny Jail Cell Becomes an Institution of Last Resort

Like local jails nationwide, Montana’s small holding facilities have become institutions of last resort as patients in mental health crisis stall in backlogs, waiting for beds at the state-run mental hospital.

By Katheryn Houghton

April 29, 2025

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

Can Congress Reconcile Trump’s Wishes With Medicaid’s Needs?

Episode 394

April 24, 2025

When Congress returns next week, it will be writing a budget reconciliation bill that’s expected to cut taxes but also make deep cuts to Medicaid. But at least some Republicans are concerned about cutting a program that aids so many of their constituents. Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, Tami Luhby of CNN, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join ��ýҕ�l Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss this story and more. Also, Rovner interviews ��ýҕ�l Health News’ Rae Ellen Bichell about her story on how care for transgender minors is changing in Colorado.

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An illustration drawn with pencil and gently colored digitally shows a child with white hair reaching out to touch their finger to a butterfly cocoon that is hanging from a branch in front of them. On their left, there is a caterpillar that has yet to undergo metamorphosis. On the right of the cocoon, and covering half of the child's face, a butterfly emerges in the colors of the transgender flag.

Families of Transgender Youth No Longer View Colorado as a Haven for Gender-Affirming Care

Colorado was long considered a haven for gender-affirming care. But under this Trump administration, hospitals in the state have limited the treatments available for people under 19. Some services have been restored, but trans youth and their families say the state isn’t the rock they thought it was.

By Rae Ellen Bichell

April 14, 2025

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

The Dismantling of HHS

Episode 392

April 10, 2025

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A photo of lawyer Aaron Siri gesturing while speaking at a lectern in a hearing room.

RFK Jr.’s Purge of FOIA Staff at FDA Spares People Working on Covid Vaccine Lawsuits

A purge of FDA staff spared some people tasked with responding to a judge’s orders to disclose government records on covid vaccines, according to agency employees. The FOIA litigation was brought by Aaron Siri, an ally of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s who represents anti-vaccine interests.

By Rachana Pradhan

April 10, 2025

A photo of female caregiver escorting an elderly woman patient down a hallway in a nursing home.

Federal Judge Blocks Mandate on Nursing Home Staffing

A federal judge in Texas blocked a Biden administration rule to boost staffing at nursing homes. The decision comes even though many homes lack enough workers to maintain residents’ care.

By Tarena Lofton

April 8, 2025

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

American Health Gets a Pink Slip

Episode 391

April 3, 2025

The Department of Health and Human Services underwent an unprecedented purge this week, as thousands of employees from the National Institutes of Health, the FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other agencies were fired, placed on administrative leave, or offered transfers to far-flung Indian Health Service facilities. Altogether, the layoffs mean the federal government, in a single day, shed hundreds if not thousands of combined years of health and science expertise. Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Bloomberg News, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join ��ýҕ�l Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss this enormous breaking story and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews ��ýҕ�l Health News’ Julie Appleby, who reported and wrote the latest “Bill of the Month” feature about a short-term health plan and a very expensive colonoscopy.

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A photo of President Trump sitting in a chair in a conference room in the White House.

Trump Says He’ll Stop Health Care Fraudsters. Last Time, He Let Them Walk.

In his first term, President Donald Trump granted pardons or clemency to more than 60 convicted fraudsters, including health care executives who defrauded Medicare out of hundreds of millions of dollars, courts and juries found. Now, Trump says cracking down on fraud is a priority.

By Brett Kelman

April 1, 2025

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

The Ax Falls at HHS

Episode 390

March 27, 2025

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has announced a proposed reorganization for the department — which, counting those who already have left the agency, amounts to about a 25% cut in its workforce. And its planned “Administration for a Healthy America” will collapse several existing HHS agencies into one. Meanwhile, the department continues to cut billions in health spending while the nation faces measles outbreaks in several states and the continuing possibility of another pandemic, such as bird flu. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Maya Goldman of Axios, and Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico join ��ýҕ�l Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss the news.

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A drawing of a man in black and white covering his face with his hands. Behind him is a glowing red computer screen with windows. On the top left, the window shows Elon Musk with a chainsaw. The center window tells the man his employment has been terminated. The window on the bottom right shows a fork. The last window on the bottom left reads, "Employee of the Year 2024."

‘I Am Going Through Hell’: Job Loss, Mental Health, and the Fate of Federal Workers

Since the Trump administration began firing federal workers, they say they feel overwhelmed, have obtained or considered seeking psychiatric care and medication, and are anxious about paying their bills. And soon, their health insurance will run out.

By Rachana Pradhan and Aneri Pattani

March 26, 2025

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

Federal Health Work in Flux

Episode 389

March 20, 2025

It’s the Trump administration vs. the federal courts, as the Department of Government Efficiency continues to try to cancel federal contracts and programs and fire workers. But in the haste to cut things, jobs and programs are being eliminated even if they align with the new administration’s goal to “Make America Healthy Again.” Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, and Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post join ��ýҕ�l Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.

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US Judge Names Receiver To Take Over California Prisons’ Mental Health Program

A federal judge has named a receiver to run California’s troubled prison mental health system. Colette Peters, a reformist with a rocky tenure as director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, will have four months to develop a plan to adequately care for tens of thousands of prisoners.

By Don Thompson

March 20, 2025

A portrait of a middle-aged woman with straight brown hair wearing a black-and-white checkered jacket.

Her Case Changed Trans Care in Prison. Now Trump Aims To Reverse Course.

President Donald Trump ordered a halt to gender-affirming medical care for transgender prisoners in federal custody, and to housing trans women in female prisons. The new policies raise alarms for a formerly incarcerated trans woman. She said the order denies lifesaving medical care and creates a road map for rape.

By Bram Sable-Smith

March 18, 2025

An Arm and a Leg