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

The Return of ‘Medicare for All’

Episode 458

Aug. 6, 2026

Michigan voters this week chose former Detroit public health director Abdul El-Sayed as the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate. El-Sayed has made “Medicare for All” a major part of his campaign. Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Amanda Seitz of ��ýҕ�l Health News join ��ýҕ�l Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss this story and more. Also this week, as part of the “How Would You Fix It?” series, Rovner interviews Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.).

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How Would You Fix It?

Watch: Democratic Senator Proposes a Fix for American Healthcare — Covering All Kids

Sen. Andy Kim of New Jersey wants to offer universal healthcare until age 26. He sat down with ��ýҕ�l Health News’ Julie Rovner to answer the question: “How Would You Fix It?”

By Julie Rovner and Hannah Norman

Aug. 6, 2026

A person holds a smartphone with an AI chatbot interface overlay

AI Is Being Used to Boost Medicaid Enrollment, but Not Without Concerns

Ahead of Medicaid work requirements, a health plan in California hopes to stanch the number of people losing coverage by using an AI program to schedule appointments and remind enrollees to fill out paperwork. The plan says it can do the work of 40 employees at a fraction of the cost.

By Mark Kreidler

Aug. 4, 2026

A vector illustration showing a hallway in a hospital. A silhouette of a medical worker holds his clipboard with a stethoscope draped across his neck. On the right is a patient in a wheelchair.

Earlier Lifeline for Rural Hospitals Faces Test Under ‘Big Beautiful’ Law

A century-old rural Michigan hospital converted to a stripped-down model Congress created to help keep small facilities afloat, then it closed. The emergency hospital model, created a few years ago, is stabilizing some hospitals, arrived too late for others, and now faces major challenges under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

By Sarah Jane Tribble and Tony Leys

Aug. 3, 2026

The Week in Brief

Under Trump, Federal Agencies Are Collecting Massive Sets of Medical Records

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

By Amanda Seitz

July 31, 2026

A Native American woman stands outside in the late afternoon sun.

The Newest Federally Recognized Tribe Wants Better Healthcare. It May Be On Its Own.

North Carolina's Robeson County, where most of the tribe’s citizens live, ranks as one of the worst counties in the U.S. for health disparities. After securing federal recognition, Lumbee tribal leaders will have to decide how to address them.

By Andrew Jones

July 31, 2026

A photo of a pile of disposable surgical face masks. A sticker that reads, "Vote," is placed on the central mask.

They Worked To Protect Public Health. Now They Want the Public’s Votes.

They’re known for touting pandemic precautions, Affordable Care Act plans, and testing for lead in schools. This year, some former public health officials are touting themselves — for governor or senator.

By Phil Galewitz, Christine Mai-Duc, and Amanda Seitz

July 31, 2026

A man and woman stand outdoors with a service dog between them.

Medicaid Insurers’ Contracts on the Line in Tight Governor’s Race

The Democratic candidate for governor says he would make Iowa the second state to drop private Medicaid management companies, which he calls “a disaster.”

By Tony Leys

July 30, 2026

A man stands in the entryway to his kitchen at home.

Bill of the Month

Uninsured but Undaunted, a Surgical Patient Searched the Globe for a Deal

When surgery became unavoidable, a man with no insurance shopped around for the best price for a hernia repair — and saved thousands by traveling out of state.

By Paula Andalo

July 29, 2026

An older man sits in a recliner in his living room.

Hospice’s Bad Reputation Amid Fraud Crisis Will Hurt Patients, Industry Experts Warn

While acknowledging that changes must be made to the hospice industry, health policy researchers and providers worry that negative attention and the potential for overly punitive regulations could put patients at risk.

By Laurie Udesky

July 29, 2026

Benjamin Pinckney stands outside. He is holding his graduation gown and has his graduation cords draped over his neck.

Health Hub

Federal Loan Caps Add Barriers — And Likely Debt — for Healthcare Students

The government will cap how much graduate students may borrow in federal loans. The new policy could leave many at the mercy of private lenders with higher interest rates. The borrowing limits will affect students pursuing expensive healthcare careers, and some worry they may impede efforts to diversify the healthcare workforce.

By Lauren Sausser

July 28, 2026

Two paramedics wheel a patient on stretcher from an ambulance through sliding doors into a hospital emergency room.

Data Grab

Trump Administration Demands Hospitals Share Emergency Room Records

The tiny federal agency that tracks consumer product safety is pressuring hospitals to turn over patient records from emergency room visits, including about injuries that have nothing to do with consumer products.

By Amanda Seitz, Maia Rosenfeld, and Darius Tahir

July 27, 2026

A woman wearing a dark shirt and pants, a bright blue shoes sits at a stone chess table in a park and looks at the camera. A playground is in the background.

‘The Child Is Terrified’: Doctors on the Front Lines of a Measles Comeback Speak Out

Hear from six pediatricians in measles hot spot Utah as the U.S. faces infection levels not seen in over three decades and prepares to lose its status as a country that eliminated the dangerous disease.

By Amy Maxmen

July 24, 2026

How Would You Fix It?

Watch: GOP Senator Says Trump’s Tariffs Could Mean Safer Drugs — For a Price

Bill Cassidy of Louisiana chairs the Senate’s health committee. In an interview with ��ýҕ�l Health News’ Julie Rovner, he discusses the drug supply, his proposal to defray out-of-pocket costs, and his controversial vote to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health secretary.

By Julie Rovner and Hannah Norman

July 24, 2026

An exterior photo of Halawa Correctional Facility shows a guard tower.

Severely Ill Prisoners Granted Early Release Are Left Stuck Behind Bars

Prisoners with severe medical conditions can be granted compassionate release, but without a long-term care facility willing to accept them, many continue to wait in prison as their conditions worsen.

By Ashley Mizuo

July 21, 2026

A woman sits at a kitchen table. On the table rests a caddy filled with several large pill bottles.

A Deloitte-Run System Denied Medicaid Benefits for Michigan’s Disabled. Now Trump’s Law Piles On.

Complex computer systems that decide whether people, including the disabled, get Medicaid benefits have a history of errors. Now changes to comply with Trump’s signature tax and domestic policy law are inundating those systems.

By Rachana Pradhan, Samantha Liss, and Kate Wells

July 21, 2026

A doctor holding a document speaks with a patient who is out of frame.

Doctors ‘Cringe’ at Possibility of Documenting Which Medicaid Enrollees Too Sick To Work

Final regulations on Medicaid work requirements say enrollees must regularly obtain documentation — possibly from medical professionals — to prove that they’re too sick to work. Doctors say the rules put them in a tough spot.

By Sam Whitehead

July 20, 2026

A woman wearing a white button-up shirt stands for a portrait amidst trees

Memory Gaps

Violence Repeatedly Erupts at Dementia Care Facilities Despite Warnings, Inspections Show

Nursing homes and assisted living facilities can be fertile ground for violence between residents with dementia, including fatal assaults. A ��ýҕ�l Health News examination of health reports and court records shows how warning signs are missed and safeguards fall short.

By Jordan Rau

July 20, 2026

Pregnant Woman’s Roadside Death Triggers Push To Reopen Mississippi Delta Hospital

The deaths of Harmony Ball-Stribling and her unborn daughter five years ago have galvanized local leaders determined to reopen a Mississippi Delta hospital. But once a rural community loses a hospital, bringing it back can be nearly impossible.

By Gwen Dilworth, Mississippi Today

July 20, 2026

How Would You Fix It?

Watch: ‘Robust’ Primary Care, Transparency Top Employers’ Reform Wish List

��ýҕ�l Health News’ Julie Rovner interviews Elizabeth Mitchell, the president and CEO of the Purchaser Business Group on Health, about systemic healthcare changes backed by large employers, which cover millions of Americans.

By Hannah Norman and Julie Rovner

July 17, 2026

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