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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
Abortion
Trump Administration
Congress
Supreme Court
FDA
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Health Insurance
Mifepristone
Covid-19
Health Policy
Reproductive Health
Donald Trump
Health Care Policy
HHS
National Institutes Of Health

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.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes475Founded9 years ago
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News

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Artwork for What the Health? From KFF Health News

Latest Episodes

The blue wave widely predicted for the 2026 midterm elections not only appeared — it overperformed, with Democrats sweeping into majorities in the House and Senate. That sets up a new focus on health policy, with Democrats seeking to undo cuts impose... more

Open enrollment for 2027 Affordable Care Act plans kicks off in most states Nov. 1, and consumers can expect higher premiums and more bureaucracy to get covered. Meanwhile, Democrats are planning a major health agenda if they retake majorities in the... more

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Republicans tried to backload federal cuts to Medicaid in their 2025 budget bill so they would take effect after the 2026 elections, but that’s not stopping Democrats from using them to hammer their opponents. Meanwhile, the Trump administration cont... more

As early voting begins in some states, the Trump administration is working to keep its crackdown on healthcare fraud, waste, and abuse in the headlines. Also, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has unveiled a new initiative to ... more

YouTube

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Recent Guests

Anna Edney
Health policy reporter for Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Episode: A New Era for the ACA
Victoria Knight
Health policy reporter for Bloomberg Government
Bloomberg Government
Episode: A New Era for the ACA
Julie Appleby
Health policy reporter for KFF Health News
KFF Health News
Episode: A New Era for the ACA
Alice Miranda Ollstein
Politico reporter and author of “Side Effects: How Abortion Bans Impact Everyone's Health”
Politico
Episode: Medicaid Is Now a Campaign Issue
Amanda Seitz
Health policy reporter at KFF Health News
KFF Health News
Episode: Medicaid Is Now a Campaign Issue
Liz Essley Whyte
Reporter at The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
Episode: Medicaid Is Now a Campaign Issue
Dan Weissmann
Host of An Arm and a Leg (sister podcast)
A health costs podcast
Episode: Early Voting Begins
Michelle Andrews
Reporter who wrote the latest KFF Health News Bill of the Month
KFF Health News
Episode: Midterm Madness
Dr. Aaron Carroll
President and CEO of AcademyHealth
AcademyHealth
Episode: The MAHA Metamorphosis

Hosts

Julie Rovner
Host with long‑standing role as Washington policy correspondent, frequently guiding panel discussions and interviews.
Alice Miranda Ollstein
Co-host/reporter on health policy discussions; provides policy analysis and reporting contributions.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 659 ratings
  • Great Topics But Biased

    As a liberal myself, I still want to seek out unbiased sources for news and especially healthcare news. This is not that.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    SkateSteele
    United States2 months ago
  • Informative but with a side of snide

    This podcast offers a lot of good, timely information. The discussion led by Rovner, however, is typically one-sided and can not be counted on to present all sides of an issue or its nuances. It feels partisan and left leaning, making me trust the information less. But again, it’s informative and gives me a launching pad for my own research on an issue.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Policy, policy, policy
    United States3 months ago
  • Great Intersection of Politics and Public Health

    This is a great podcast. It covers an interesting topic in depth and also covers the wide breadth of what’s happening in Public Health News. Plus I love the links to stories you share at the end.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    DrDK2
    United States4 months ago
  • 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 States6 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 States9 months ago

Listeners Say

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

Critiques often center on perceived biases or editorial tone in coverage of health policy.
Some listeners call for more coverage of marginalized groups and inclusive health issues.
Nutrition, science, or public health crises are less frequent but noted when central to policy debates.
Many reviewers appreciate expert guest insights and rigorous reporting.
Listeners praise clear, policy-focused storytelling that ties politics to real-world health outcomes.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Medicaid Is Now a Campaign Issue
Q: What's the most unexpected consequence or far-flung consequence that you found after nearly half the states banned abortion?
Ollstein highlighted consequences for people with chronic conditions who depend on medications that may cause birth defects, and disruptions to medical research, including studies unrelated to abortion.
Medicaid Is Now a Campaign Issue
Q: What made you want to take some extra time and write a book about it?
Ollstein said her reporting repeatedly revealed effects of abortion bans on patients, clinicians, researchers and the wider health care system, beyond the political consequences she had initially covered.
The MAHA Metamorphosis
Q: Shefali, what's been the impact of the Hyde Amendment on the ground? What does it actually mean for people seeking reproductive care?
The Hyde Amendment restricts federal funding for abortion, which means coverage depends on state decisions; for many low-income patients, Medicaid coverage is not available, making abortion unaffordable even where it is legally allowed, though some states fund through their own resources; undoing this policy is more politically complex than it might appear.
Midterm Madness
Q: So this month's patient was sent to the emergency room by an urgent care doctor for a migraine, tell us who she is and how she ended up at the hospital.
Autumn Daniels from Champaign, Illinois, had a seven-day migraine; after initial urgent care, she was told to go to the ER if symptoms persisted, waited four hours in triage without care, then sought treatment at another ER, and was billed $410 for a level one ER visit despite not receiving provider-delivered treatment.
Summer’s Health Policy Themes
Q: Tell us about Nancy Kassebaum's leadership and the bipartisan approach to health reform in the 1990s.
Rosen describes Kassebaum as an incrementalist who preferred step-by-step legislation and collaboration with Ted Kennedy, highlighting the cross-party effort that led to HIPAA and the broader lesson that bipartisan progress requires willingness to compromise without sacrificing core principles.

Audience Metrics

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

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
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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-focused health news show that brings Washington reporting to life by unpacking how federal health policy, funding, and regulation affect patients, providers, and payers. Episodes routinely weave together breaking policy moves, legislative dynamics, and regulatory actions with expert analyses from reporters across major outlets, plus interviews with policymakers, researchers, and industry observers. Listeners can expect clear explanations of complex health policy battles—Medicare, Medicaid, the ACA, drug pricing, FDA leadership, vaccine policy, and public health funding—often framed through real-world implications, cost concerns, and accountability angles. A standout trait is the mix of sharp policy scrutiny with business-minded ref... more

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1. Tradeoffs
2. An Arm and a Leg
3. Public Health On Call
4. The Daily
5. Consider This from NPR

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 475 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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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. Victoria Knight
3. Julie Appleby
4. Alice Miranda Ollstein
5. Amanda Seitz
6. Liz Essley Whyte
7. Dan Weissmann
8. Michelle Andrews

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