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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
Supreme Court
Health Insurance
Medicare
Abortion Rights
Preventive Services
Abortion Medication
Mifepristone
Texas Abortion Ban
Alabama Supreme Court
Healthcare Policy
U.S. Budget Negotiations
Donald Trump
Public Health
Medical Misinformation
Biden Administration
Medicaid
Abortion
FDA
Republican Party

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.

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Artwork for What the Health? From KFF Health News

Latest Episodes

This week, the Trump administration won a court battle to delay a ruling on access to the abortion pill mifepristone, angering its own anti-abortion allies. Meanwhile, the president’s budget arrived on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers are unlikely to ag... more

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Despite public opposition to the cuts they made to federal health programs in 2025, Republicans reportedly are considering still more cuts to help pay for the war in Iran. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court ruled that Colorado cannot ban mental health prof... more

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The Trump administration faces the challenge of naming a new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who can both satisfy the Make America Healthy Again movement and get confirmed by the Senate. Meanwhile, a new Senate bill to resc... more

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A federal judge in Massachusetts this week sided with public health groups to block changes to the federally recommended schedule of childhood vaccines, dealing at least a temporary setback to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.... more

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Recent Guests

Katie Keith
Founding director of the Center for Health Policy and the Law at Georgetown University Law Center; contributing editor at Health Affairs
Georgetown University Law Center / Health Affairs
Episode: A Headless CDC
Drew Altman
President and CEO of KFF
KFF Health News
Episode: RFK Jr.’s Vaccine Schedule Changes Blocked — For Now
Andy Schneider
Research Professor of the Practice, Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy
Georgetown University
Episode: RFK Jr.'s Very Bad Week
Chip Kahn
Former president/CEO of the Federation of American Hospitals, senior fellow at KFF
Federation of American Hospitals (now AHIP) / KFF
Episode: 40 Years of Health Policy
Chris Jennings
President of Jennings Policy Strategies, former White House health staffer and senator aide
Jennings Policy Strategies
Episode: 40 Years of Health Policy
Sheryl Gay Stolberg
The New York Times health policy correspondent
The New York Times
Episode: What About the State of Health?
Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel
Oncologist and bioethicist, Vice Provost for Global Initiatives and Professor of Medical Ethics and Health Policy at the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
Episode: Health Spending Is Moving in Congress
Elizabeth Rosenthal
Senior Contributing Editor at KFF Health News
KFF Health News
Episode: Culture Wars Take Center Stage
Jonathan Oberlander
Professor of Social Medicine, Professor of Health Policy and Management, and Adjunct Professor of Political Science
University of North Carolina
Episode: Rerun: Happy 60th, Medicare and Medicaid!

Hosts

Julie Rovner
Chief Washington Correspondent for KFF Health News; longtime health policy journalist and host
Mary Agnes
Sitting in for host; affiliated with KFF Health News

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 627 ratings
  • 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 States2 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 States4 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 States5 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 States7 months ago
  • A Health Policy Nerd’s Dream

    This is my absolute favorite podcast. I’m an RN with an MSN in Health Policy and am a true policy nerd. This podcast keeps me informed and often provides me with different perspectives on different public health and health policy issues. I’ve been listening to WTH for years and I look forward to listening for years to come (even if it becomes a Pirate Radio kind of situation).

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    ergrimmer
    United States8 months ago

Listeners Say

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

Some listeners criticize perceived editorial slant or partisan framing in certain episodes.
Audience notes the pairing of journalists and policy experts as a strength for understanding complex issues.
A subset expresses concern about coverage gaps on marginalized communities or controversial topics.
Many find it a reliable, nonpartisan source for health policy news.
Listeners praise accessible, policy-forward analysis and depth of reporting.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

RFK Jr.’s Vaccine Schedule Changes Blocked — For Now
Q: What signs indicate time is right for another major health care debate?
Drew Altman explains that health care has become both a hot issue and a voting issue due to high costs and ongoing volatility, making incremental changes more likely than sweeping reforms.
RFK Jr.'s Very Bad Week
Q: What is the basic structure of Medicaid fraud enforcement across federal and state levels?
Medicaid fraud enforcement is shared: states handle day-to-day administration and initial investigations, while the federal side (CMS, FBI, and HHS OIG) can step in for broader scope or cross-state issues, with prosecutions pursued when warranted.
Turnarounds and Shake-Ups
Q: What is the impact of Kennedy's changes at HHS on public health officials?
Public health officials are horrified and concerned about long-term vaccine hesitancy as Kennedy reshapes the agency.
Turnarounds and Shake-Ups
Q: Why are recent leadership changes at HHS happening now?
The White House is pushing for tighter control over messaging before the midterms and has restructured leadership to reflect that urgency.
Turnarounds and Shake-Ups
Q: What are the implications for drug and vaccine manufacturers in the months ahead?
A reversal may provide some reassurance, but there's still a general unease about FDA approvals due to ongoing pressures and previous cancellations of contracts.

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?

This show positions itself as a practical, policy-forward briefing on U.S. health policy and politics, with in-depth conversations that connect federal debates to real-world impact. Episodes frequently cover Congress, Medicare, Medicaid, the ACA, vaccine policy, and public health funding, often featuring senior researchers, journalists, and policy experts who illuminate how Washington decisions shape care, costs, and access. A notable strength is the panel-style format that blends historical context with current developments, plus occasional expert interviews that bring insider perspectives. Listeners who want clear explanations of health policy dynamics, plus timely updates on legislative and regulatory shifts, are likely to find it highly... more

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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. Up First from NPR
5. The Daily

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 446 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. Katie Keith
2. Drew Altman
3. Andy Schneider
4. Chip Kahn
5. Chris Jennings
6. Sheryl Gay Stolberg
7. Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel
8. Elizabeth Rosenthal

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