What The Health? From Kff Health News: The Government Is Open

The host

Emmarie Huetteman KFF Health News Emmarie Huetteman, senior editor, oversees a squad of Washington reporters, arsenic good arsenic "Bill of nan Month" and "What nan Health? From KFF Health News." She antecedently spent much than a decade reporting connected nan national government, astir precocious covering astonishment aesculapian bills, supplier pricing reform, and different wellness argumentation debates successful Washington and connected nan run trail. 

The longest national authorities shutdown successful history is over, aft a fistful of House and Senate Democrats joined astir Republicans successful approving authorities that costs nan authorities done January. Despite Democrats' demands, nan package did not see an hold of nan expanded taxation credits that thief astir Affordable Care Act enrollees spend their plans — meaning astir group pinch ACA plans are slated to salary overmuch much toward their premiums adjacent year.

Also, caller specifications are emerging astir nan Trump administration's efforts to usage nan Medicaid programme — for low-income and abnormal group — to beforehand its migration and trans wellness argumentation goals. And President Donald Trump has unveiled deals pinch 2 awesome pharmaceutical companies designed to summation entree to weight nonaccomplishment narcotics for immoderate Americans.

This week's panelists are Emmarie Huetteman of KFF Health News, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call.

Panelists

• Anna Edney Bloomberg News @annaedney @annaedney.bsky.social
• Shefali Luthra The 19th @shefali.bsky.social
• Sandhya Raman CQ Roll Call @SandhyaWrites @sandhyawrites.bsky.social

Among nan takeaways from this week's episode:

• Though nan shutdown woody did not see an hold of nan enhanced ACA subsidies, it came pinch a scheme for a Senate ballot by adjacent period — connected what exactly, it is unclear. Senate Republicans look to beryllium coalescing astir providing money via wellness savings accounts alternatively than done nan subsidies, while House Republicans look much fragmented. The timepiece is ticking; nan existing credits expire connected Jan. 1, and unfastened enrollment has begun.
• Even arsenic nan Trump management is apt to beryllium tied up successful tribunal complete its efforts to usage Medicaid to ace down connected wellness attraction for immigrants and trans people, they've had a existent chilling effect. Immigrants, for instance, are skipping aesculapian care, and hospitals are cutting backmost connected offering gender-affirming attraction for trans group for fearfulness of losing national funding.
• Trump's recently announced GLP-1 value deals could thief Medicare enrollees spend nan weight nonaccomplishment drugs, perchance opening up entree to a caller organization of patients — and customers. And a dependable watercourse of argumentation reversals, unexplained dismissals, and antagonistic news sum is starring to worries that nan FDA's credibility is being undermined by soul drama. Also successful mobility is whether it's interfering pinch nan agency's work. Drug companies would apt opportunity yes, and immoderate wrong nan FDA are trying to combat these concerns.
• A awesome anti-abortion group is leaning into nan existent electoral moment, targeting cardinal states and preparing for sizable governmental contributions up of adjacent year's midterm elections. Abortion opponents spot an opportunity to capitalize connected voters' changing motivations and reposition themselves to fresh into nan post-Trump Republican Party.

Also this week, KFF Health News' Julie Rovner interviews KFF Health News' Julie Appleby, who wrote nan latest "Bill of nan Month" feature, astir a expert who became nan diligent aft a car mishap sent her to nan infirmary — and $64,000 into debt. Do you person an outrageous aesculapian bill? Tell america astir it!

Plus, for "extra credit," nan panelists propose wellness argumentation stories they publication this week that they deliberation you should read, too:

Emmarie Huetteman: KFF Health News' "Immigrants With Health Conditions May Be Denied Visas Under New Trump Administration Guidance," by Amanda Seitz.

Anna Edney: Bloomberg News' "Bayer Weighs Roundup Exit arsenic Cancer Legal Bill Nears $18 Billion," by Tim Loh, Hayley Warren, and Julia Janicki.

Shefali Luthra: The 19th's "Detransition Is Rare, but It's Driving Anti-Trans Policy Anyway," by Orion Rummler.

Sandhya Raman: BBC's "Canada Loses Its Measles-Free Status, With US connected Track To Follow," by Nadine Yousif.

Also mentioned successful this week's episode:

• KFF's "KFF Health Tracking Poll: Public Weighs successful connected Health Care Debate and Government Shutdown," by Audrey Kearney, Alex Montero, Mardet Mulugeta, Ashley Kirzinger, and Liz Hamel.
• KFF Health News' "Trump's HHS Orders State Medicaid Programs To Help Find Undocumented Immigrants," by Phil Galewitz.
• NPR's "Trump Pushes an End to Medical Care for Transgender Youth Nationally," by Selena Simmons-Duffin.
• Stat's "FDA's Top Drug Regulator Resigns Amid Investigation," by Lizzy Lawrence and Adam Feuerstein.
• Stat's "Under Vinay Prasad, Employees astatine a Key FDA Center Fear Speaking Out, Look for nan Exits," by Lizzy Lawrence.

Credits

• Francis Ying Audio producer
• Stephanie Stapleton Editor