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Artwork for What the Health? From KFF Health News

What the Health? From KFF Health News

KFF Health News
Affordable Care Act
Medicaid
Medicare
Public Health
Abortion Rights
Trump Administration
Abortion
Congress
Supreme Court
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
FDA
Health Insurance
Mifepristone
Covid-19
Health Policy
Reproductive Health
Donald Trump
Health Care Policy
HHS
Department Of Health and Human Services

Join Julie Rovner, chief Washington correspondent for KFF Health News, 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, D.C.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes461Founded9 years ago
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Artwork for What the Health? From KFF Health News

Latest Episodes

A new report finds that participation in the federal food stamp program is down far more than was predicted when the Republican-led Congress approved cuts in 2025. That portends a similar fate for Medicaid, as states ready comparable changes. 

Margo... more

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Most of the federal cuts to the Medicaid program don’t take effect until 2027, but many states are already cutting their own budgets in anticipation of getting fewer health dollars from Washington. Meanwhile, Congress is back from break, but forward ... more

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About halfway through 2026 — and just a few months before the critical midterm elections — Democrats appear to be doubling down on healthcare as a campaign issue as costs rise and insurance coverage declines.

Meanwhile, Congress is taking aim at non... more

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The Supreme Court handed down its last decisions of its 2025-26 term this week, including in an immigration case that could result in the loss of hundreds of thousands of workers in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. 

Alice Miranda O... more

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Recent Guests

Anna Edney
Bloomberg News reporter joining via video conference
Bloomberg News
Episode: States Start Their Medicaid Cuts
Sandhya Raman
Bloomberg Law reporter joining via video conference
Bloomberg Law
Episode: States Start Their Medicaid Cuts
Elizabeth Mitchell
President and CEO of the Purchaser Business Group on Health
Purchaser Business Group on Health
Episode: States Start Their Medicaid Cuts
Samantha Liss
KFF Health News journalist featured for Bill of the Month interview
KFF Health News
Episode: The Politics of Health at Midyear
Lizzy Lawrence
Statistics health policy reporter
Stat News
Episode: Supreme Court Makes Health Policy
Amanda Seitz
KFF Health News health policy correspondent
KFF Health News
Episode: Supreme Court Makes Health Policy
Elizabeth Fowler
Distinguished scholar at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; former CMS/Medicare official
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Episode: Democrats Keep Healthcare at Fore
Michael Cannon
Director of Health Policy Studies at Cato Institute
Cato Institute
Episode: Democrats Keep Healthcare at Fore
Lauren Sausser
KFF Health News journalist who authored the latest Bill of the Month
KFF Health News
Episode: Medicaid Work Rules Surprise States

Host

Julie Rovner
Host of the show; chief Washington correspondent with extensive policy reporting.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 646 ratings
  • Excellent podcast

    This is a good podcast especially in the current situation we find ourselves in. It is thought provoking and makes me want to do additional reading.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    grngrl55
    United States3 months ago
  • Excellent!

    This podcast is perfect length, perfect depth, perfect content, and the hosts stay on task. Can’t recommend enough for anyone in medicine and/or public health

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Leigh-Lew
    United States5 months ago
  • Smug, oblivious, and incurious

    Typical legacy media outlet gaslighting people about what’s really in their best interest. Captured by big pharma, love to belittle thoughtful educated advocates for children as “anti-vaxxer”. 🤮

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    dancrash81
    United States8 months ago
  • Smart and accessible

    This podcast keeps me up to speed on health policy happenings in a really accessible way. Really admire Julie and the reporters she has on!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Accessible and informative
    United States8 months ago
  • Excellent Source of Reliable Information

    I’ve been a Board Certified Pediatrician for 34 years and care deeply about our children’s healthcare. I love this podcast. They do a wonderful job of covering both the politics of healthcare and health issues. They are accurate and reliable even while sharing their perspectives.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    DrDK2
    United States10 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Thoughtful, data-driven coverage of health policy with accessible explanations.
High-quality guests and rigorous reporting that connects policy to real-world impacts.
Occasional perceived bias or partisan framing in some episodes, per listener reviews.
Trusted source for staying up-to-date on federal health policy and funding decisions.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Democrats Keep Healthcare at Fore
Q: Why do you think reforming this exclusion could be a starting point for broader health reform?
Because the exclusion drives a large portion of health coverage, especially for higher-income workers, reforming it could shift how benefits are structured, influence coverage stability across jobs, and potentially unlock other cost-control measures in the health system.
Democrats Keep Healthcare at Fore
Q: Can you explain what the Employer Health Insurance Tax Exclusion is and why it exists?
It began when Congress created a tax preference to exclude employer-provided health insurance from taxable income, boosting employer-sponsored coverage and shaping how people access health care, with the incentive often outweighing direct wage considerations.
More Kids Without Coverage
Q: So how is this different from, you worked in one of the past Ebola outbreaks. This one people seem to think is more serious than the last couple that we've seen.
Céline explains that the current outbreak resembles past patterns with urban spread and cross-border movement, but emphasizes greater regional risk, ongoing transmission risk, and the complications from weakened health infrastructure and policy changes.
In Search of a New FDA Commissioner
Q: That bipartisan support for the 988 Suicide Prevention Hotline seems like a bright spot in health policy; how satisfying has it been, and can that model be replicated for other issues?
Senator Baldwin frames 988 as a vindication of bipartisan collaboration, noting the measurable reduction in youth suicides and its potential to inform broader mental health strategies, while acknowledging ongoing concerns about sustaining and expanding the program, including LGBTQ+ specific provisions.
A New CDC Nominee, Again
Q: How does the MAHA coalition influence health policy and budget debates in Congress?
MAHA is portrayed as a key political constituency that pressures the administration to address health policy priorities, including food policy and environmental rules, while also pushing back when policies are perceived as too aggressive or misaligned with broader public health goals.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About What the Health? From KFF Health News

What is What the Health? From KFF Health News about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A policy-forward show that dissects health policy developments in Washington with a roundtable of experienced reporters and policy experts. Episodes routinely cover FDA leadership, Medicaid and ACA dynamics, vaccine policy, health care costs, and the interplay between politics and health outcomes, often featuring interviews with policy insiders and subject-matter experts. The pacing is brisk, the analysis is data-informed, and the panelists frequently translate complex legislation into actionable implications for patients and providers. A standout aspect is the blend of hard-edged reporting with accessible explainers and occasional longer-form interviews that contextualize policy changes through real-world patient experiences.

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Which podcasts are similar to What the Health? From KFF Health News?

These podcasts share a similar audience with What the Health? From KFF Health News:

1. Tradeoffs
2. An Arm and a Leg
3. Public Health On Call
4. Today, Explained
5. Explain It to Me

How many episodes of What the Health? From KFF Health News are there?

What the Health? From KFF Health News launched 9 years ago and published 461 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact What the Health? From KFF Health News?

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What guests have appeared on What the Health? From KFF Health News?

Recent guests on What the Health? From KFF Health News include:

1. Anna Edney
2. Sandhya Raman
3. Elizabeth Mitchell
4. Samantha Liss
5. Lizzy Lawrence
6. Amanda Seitz
7. Elizabeth Fowler
8. Michael Cannon

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