The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news.
As California鈥檚 budget deadline looms, state Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson, a physician-turned-lawmaker, says state leaders may soon have to make some tough decisions on health care spending. With the state鈥檚 Medi-Cal program billions of dollars short, California鈥檚 health care safety net is at risk 鈥 even without federal cuts to Medicaid.
Republicans on Capitol Hill are struggling to reach consensus on cutting the Medicaid program as they search for nearly a trillion dollars in savings over the next decade 鈥 as many observers predicted. Meanwhile, turmoil continues at the Department of Health and Human Services, with more controversial cuts and personnel moves, including the sudden nomination of Casey Means, an ally of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.鈥檚, to become surgeon general. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Maya Goldman of Axios, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join 吃瓜不打烊鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews 吃瓜不打烊鈥 Lauren Sausser, who co-reported the latest 鈥淏ill of the Month鈥 feature, about an unexpected bill for what seemed like preventive care.
鈥淐itizen oversight is a cornerstone of a functioning democracy,鈥 Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden wrote to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., demanding answers to more than two dozen questions, including who was involved in decisions to fire staff who handled Freedom of Information Act requests.
The Trump administration鈥檚 鈥淢ake America Healthy Again鈥 platform has boosted the agenda of a conservative think tank that鈥檚 been working for more than a decade to reshape the nation鈥檚 public assistance programs.
Republicans, on the hunt for spending cuts, are eyeing a special kind of Medicaid tax that nearly every state uses to boost funding for hospitals, nursing homes, and other providers.
On the surface, President Donald Trump embraced the MAHA movement with a pledge to end the nation鈥檚 high rates of chronic disease. But the broader Trump agenda may prove to be the biggest barrier this effort confronts.
Congressional Republicans are looking to cut at least $880 billion from a pool of federal funding that includes Medicaid 鈥 and the program is likely to take a major hit. A previous budget crunch in Missouri offers a window into how cuts ripple through people鈥檚 lives.
To a great extent, the FDA leaves it to food companies to determine whether their ingredients and additives are safe. Some chemicals and additives are tied to health risks while others are absent from product labels. Watch this video explainer to learn more.
In recent weeks, Social Security has been plagued by problems related to technology, system errors, and even the marking of living people as dead.
A disruption in federal funds has jeopardized HIV testing and outreach in Mississippi, and researchers warn of a resurgence of the epidemic in the South.
When a New York physician was indicted for shipping abortion medications to a woman in Louisiana, it stoked fear across the network of doctors and medical clinics who engage in similar work. But some physicians vowed not to stop.
An emergency room doctor says what the TV show 鈥淭he Pitt鈥 gets right about hospitals, including why they鈥檙e so crowded and the bills so high.
Although most abortions remain illegal in Alabama, a judge鈥檚 decision in early April allows doctors and advocacy groups to tell patients about abortion options in other states, and help with travel and other costs.
Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.鈥檚 HHS said an enormous, noncompetitive flu vaccine development grant to two favored NIH leaders would ensure 鈥渢ransparency, effectiveness, and comprehensive preparedness.鈥 But their vaccine is in early stages, relies on old technology, and is just one of scores of similar efforts.
吃瓜不打烊 journalists made the rounds on national or local media recently to discuss topical stories. Here鈥檚 a collection of their appearances.
At least some workers who process public records in response to Freedom of Information Act requests have been reinstated, agency employees say.
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The legislation calls for a new mental health facility in eastern Montana, upgrades to existing state facilities, expansion of community services, and revisions to commitment procedures.
This fall, the U.S. Government Accountability Office expects to release a report on how much it costs to run Georgia Pathways to Coverage 鈥 the country鈥檚 only active Medicaid work requirement program 鈥 as other states and Congress consider similar programs.
Monica Soni, Covered California鈥檚 chief medical officer, oversees an effort to hold health plans financially accountable for the quality of care they provide, including childhood vaccination rates, which have fallen in California and nationwide. She worries federal spending cuts could soon bring turbulence to the state鈥檚 Affordable Care Act marketplace.
