Agency Watch Archives

Summer’s Health Policy Themes

Episode 461

Aug. 27, 2026

As summer wanes, some of the season’s major health policy stories continue to simmer, including declining insurance coverage, increasing measles cases, and cuts to federal health programs. Shefali Luthra of The 19th, Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post, and Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times join �Թϲ��’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Dean Rosen about his work for former Sen. Nancy Landon Kassebaum, who died last week at 94.

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A boy wearing a blue helmet and climbing harness smiles while suspended from a rock climbing wall.

A Camp for Children With Brain Injuries Zips Ahead, Despite Federal Uncertainty

Federal programs that support brain injury research and services are in flux, with lapsed legislation and a diminished injury-tracking workforce. Still, in rural Pennsylvania, children with acquired brain injuries gathered for a summer camp that emphasized community, confidence, and fun.

By Lydia McFarlane, WVIA

Aug. 27, 2026

Kennedy’s Quiet Hunt for Autism Culprits Stalls as Trump Orders Baseless Changes to Childhood Shots

The Trump administration is working to implement the president’s new order on childhood vaccines, which he publicly faulted for a rise in autism — even as health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s closed-door research has yet to produce evidence linking them.

By Amanda Seitz and Stephanie Armour

Aug. 17, 2026

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Trump’s Vaccine Agenda

Episode 459

Aug. 13, 2026

President Trump is trying to unilaterally change the number and schedule of childhood vaccines in the U.S., though it remains unclear how much of an impact his orders will have. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Maya Goldman of Axios, and Sandhya Raman of Bloomberg Law join �Թϲ��’ Julie Rovner to discuss this story and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews �Թϲ��’ Paula Andalo, who wrote the latest “Bill of the Month.”

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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 �Թϲ�� join �Թϲ��’ 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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Medicaid Work Rule Leaves Homeless People in the Cold

Conservatives who have long pushed for Medicaid work requirements often said vulnerable people would get a pass. But the federal government’s list of exemptions left off homeless people.

By Katheryn Houghton

Aug. 6, 2026

Mehmet Oz (center) flanked by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche (right) and US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (left), speaks at a podium.

Priced Out

Kennedy, Oz Contend Fraud Crackdown, Not Skyrocketing Prices, Led Millions To Leave Obamacare

Rising premiums forced many people in Affordable Care Act plans to give up their coverage. But the Trump administration claims a huge drop in enrollment is almost entirely due to its fraud crackdown.

By Julie Appleby

Aug. 3, 2026

Department of Justice signage hangs in front of a blue curtain.

People With Disabilities Fear Service Cuts as Trump’s DOJ Questions Legal Protections

The Department of Justice in June issued a legal opinion saying states aren’t required to provide services that help people with disabilities remain in their homes. The new position has added momentum to states’ existing legal challenges to the requirement and triggered worries among people who rely on these services.

By Stephanie Armour

Aug. 3, 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

Trump Has Quietly Throttled an Agency Devoted to the Safety of American Healthcare

Congress appropriated $345 million for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality for the 2026 fiscal year, but the agency has spent less than $15 million on grants. AHRQ hasn’t issued a new one in over a year.

By Arthur Allen

July 29, 2026

A digital rendering of Listeria monocytogenes bacteria at the microscopic level.

Cyclospora Boosts Fears That Worse Foodborne Outbreaks Are Ahead

The recent outbreak of a foodborne parasite sickened thousands and hospitalized hundreds across the U.S. before federal investigators identified the suspected source. Food safety experts say cuts to the public health system hobbled the response — and that the next outbreak could be much worse.

By Kate Wells and Stephanie Armour

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 picture of a building from a low angle. There are trees and a sign that reads "Theodore Roosevelt Building, 1900 E Street, NW, U.S. Office of Personnel Management."

Data Grab

Trump’s Personnel Agency Says It Will Remove Some Identifying Info as It Sweeps Up Medical Records

The Office of Personnel Management said it will “pseudonymize” medical records it collects on more than 8 million people — federal workers and retirees, and their family members. Democrats and employee unions say the agency’s move is an overreach.

By Amanda Seitz, Maia Rosenfeld, and Darius Tahir

July 22, 2026

A view of a beach with dune grass and blue ocean in the distance.

New Disease Threats Follow Trump Administration’s Health Program Cuts

From screwworm to flesh-eating bacteria, mounting public health risks are emerging in the wake of deep cuts to federal health agencies and programs.

By Stephanie Armour

July 2, 2026

A night photograph of a billboard that shows an advertisement for ivermectin.

Tennessee Pharmacies Sell Potent Ivermectin, Led by Anti-Vaccine Doctor Who’s Taken ‘Bucketloads’

Four years after the Volunteer State enacted the nation’s first law allowing drugstores to sell ivermectin without patient-specific prescriptions, dozens of pharmacies dispense the drug in highly concentrated pills — many with the help of one anti-vaccine physician.

By Brett Kelman and Rachana Pradhan

June 17, 2026

A vector illustration of pieces of paper, an envelope, a receipt, a pen and pencil, a magnifying glass, eye glasses, dollar bills, and coins.

Long-Awaited Rule Aims To Boost ACA Choices While Embracing Higher Deductibles

The Trump administration finalized a rule that embraces new types of Obamacare coverage, including 30% higher out-of-pocket costs for some plans, and a more novel approach that allows insurers to offer coverage without set networks of doctors and hospitals.

By Julie Appleby

June 15, 2026

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The Drip, Drip, Drip of Declining Coverage

Episode 450

June 11, 2026

As predicted, the expiration of enhanced tax subsidies for Affordable Care Act health plans is causing many people to lose coverage for failing to make premium payments. Meanwhile, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. responded angrily to a New York Times article suggesting he’s not actively engaged in the work of his sprawling department. Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, Lizzy Lawrence of Stat, and Sandhya Raman of Bloomberg Law join �Թϲ��’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF’s Tricia Neuman, who is retiring this month as a senior vice president and the executive director of the Program on Medicare Policy.

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Trump Bought Tobacco Stocks and Raked In Industry Donations as FDA Eased Standards

The Trump administration has pursued an extensive pro-tobacco agenda as the president and his political movement have been buoyed by a flood of tobacco industry money, federal records show.

By Darius Tahir

June 11, 2026

The mother of an adult daughter holds a keyboard, which her daughter touches with her finger.

MAHA’s Treatments for Autism: Camel’s Milk, Stem Cell Injections — And Spelling Therapy

Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s new autism panel is championing a controversial communication method popular among parents of severely autistic people. Critics warn of abuse — and fake “telepathy.”

By Arthur Allen

June 8, 2026

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Medicaid Work Rules Surprise States

Episode 449

June 4, 2026

Adult Medicaid enrollees with serious health conditions may not be automatically exempt from new work rules, according to a new regulation from the Trump administration. Meanwhile, the administration is also proposing to give political appointees even more power over who gets health and science grant funding. Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Liz Essley Whyte of The Wall Street Journal join �Թϲ��’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews �Թϲ��’ Lauren Sausser, who wrote the latest “Bill of the Month.”

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