Multimedia Archives - Page 13 of 74

GOP Tries To Cut Billions in Health Benefits

Episode 397

May 15, 2025

GOP-controlled House committees approved parts of President Donald Trump’s “one big, beautiful bill” this week, including more than $700 billion in cuts to health programs over the next decade — mostly from Medicaid, which covers people with low incomes or disabilities. Meanwhile, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testified before Congress for the first time since taking office and told lawmakers that Americans shouldn’t take medical advice from him. Julie Appleby of �Թϲ��, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine join �Թϲ��’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.

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A photo of RFK Jr. speaking at a table in a Senate hearing room.

RFK Jr.’s Hearing With Senate HELP Committee: A Live Discussion

�Թϲ��’ Julie Rovner, Stephanie Armour, and Darius Tahir and KFF’s Jennifer Kates break down the biggest takeaways from Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s first hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee as HHS secretary — and answer your questions.

May 14, 2025

A woman wearing a black sweater poses for a portrait among tall trees

Dead Zone

Flawed Federal Programs Maroon Rural Americans in Telehealth Blackouts

Taxpayers — through federal infrastructure programs — have paid billions of dollars to internet companies to hook up rural Americans. Some communities have nothing to show for it, leaving medically vulnerable rural patients disconnected and without access to telehealth.

By Sarah Jane Tribble and Holly K. Hacker

May 14, 2025

A young man wearing blue swim shorts, goggles, and a yellow swim cap does the backstroke in a pool

Listen: Black Swimmers Make Waves Overcoming Fear and Old Perceptions

Segregation and lack of access have kept many Black Americans from learning to swim, which raises their risk of drowning. Groups across the country are working to teach more Black kids and adults the skills to save their lives, or someone else’s.

By Cara Anthony

May 13, 2025

An Arm and a Leg

A Health Policy Veteran Puts 2025 in Perspective

Season 13, Episode 7

May 12, 2025

Two stories from Washington, D.C., give listeners a sense of what changes the Trump administration has been making to health policy, with �Թϲ��’ Julie Rovner and Arthur Allen.

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What the Health? From �Թϲ��

Cutting Medicaid Is Hard — Even for the GOP

Episode 396

May 8, 2025

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 — 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.’s, to become surgeon general. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Maya Goldman of Axios, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join �Թϲ��’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews �Թϲ��’ Lauren Sausser, who co-reported the latest “Bill of the Month” feature, about an unexpected bill for what seemed like preventive care.

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Watch: How the FDA Opens the Door to Risky Chemicals in America’s Food Supply

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.

By David Hilzenrath, Hannah Norman, and Oona Zenda

May 7, 2025

A woman sits in a folding chair in front of a blue van.

HIV Testing and Outreach Falter as Trump Funding Cuts Sweep the South

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.

By Amy Maxmen

May 6, 2025

An Arm and a Leg

Why ‘The Pitt’ Is Our Fave New Drama

Season 13, Episode 6

May 5, 2025

An emergency room doctor says what the TV show “The Pitt” gets right about hospitals, including why they’re so crowded and the bills so high.

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What the Health? From �Թϲ��

100 Days of Health Policy Upheaval

Episode 395

May 1, 2025

Members of Congress are back in Washington, and Republicans are struggling to find ways to reduce Medicaid spending without cutting benefits. Meanwhile, confusion continues to reign at the Department of Health and Human Services. Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times join �Թϲ��’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.

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A photo of a doctor speaking to a colleague at the front desk of a doctor's office.

California’s Primary Care Shortage Persists Despite Ambitious Moves To Close Gap

The state has in recent years embraced several initiatives recommended in an influential health care workforce report, including alternative payment arrangements for primary care doctors to earn more. Despite increasing residency programs, student debt forgiveness, and tuition-free medical school, California is unlikely to meet patient demand, observers say.

By Bernard J. Wolfson and Vanessa G. Sánchez

May 1, 2025

What the Health? From �Թϲ��

Can Congress Reconcile Trump’s Wishes With Medicaid’s Needs?

Episode 394

April 24, 2025

When Congress returns next week, it will be writing a budget reconciliation bill that’s expected to cut taxes but also make deep cuts to Medicaid. But at least some Republicans are concerned about cutting a program that aids so many of their constituents. Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, Tami Luhby of CNN, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join �Թϲ��’ Julie Rovner to discuss this story and more. Also, Rovner interviews �Թϲ��’ Rae Ellen Bichell about her story on how care for transgender minors is changing in Colorado.

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An Arm and a Leg

Winning a Two-Year Fight Over a Bogus Bill

Season 13, Episode 5

April 24, 2025

How one “Arm and a Leg” listener stayed encouraged during a two-year fight over a bill she didn’t owe.

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A vector illustration with three rows of a diverse group of people walking.

Medi-Cal Under Threat: Who’s Covered and What Could Be Cut?

Federal law requires states to offer health insurance to many people with low incomes or disabilities. But some states, including California, are far more generous than what’s required. Budget pressures may force lawmakers to cut benefits that have led to a historic low in the uninsured rate.

By Don Thompson

April 23, 2025

Watch: Why Insurance Companies Are Denying Coverage for Prosthetic Limbs

Although knee replacements are usually covered by health insurance, amputees face roadblocks to coverage and often must prove their prosthetics are medically necessary.

By Michelle Andrews

April 18, 2025

What the Health? From �Թϲ��

On Autism, It’s the Secretary’s Word vs. the CDC’s

Episode 393

April 17, 2025

Tensions between Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his employees at the Department of Health and Human Services are mounting, as he made a series of claims about autism this week — contradicting his agency’s findings. Plus, President Donald Trump unveiled an executive order to lower drug prices as his administration explores tariffs that could raise them. Shefali Luthra of The 19th, Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, and Anna Edney of Bloomberg News join �Թϲ��’ Emmarie Huetteman to discuss these stories and more. Plus, �Թϲ��’ Julie Rovner interviews two University of California-San Francisco researchers about an upcoming Supreme Court case that could have major ramifications for preventive care.

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A photo of a scientist's gloved hands using a pipette to take a sample from a petri dish.

Beyond Ivy League, RFK Jr.’s NIH Slashed Science Funding Across States That Backed Trump

A �Թϲ�� analysis underscores how the terminations have spared no part of the country, politically or geographically. Of the organizations that had grants cut in the first month, about 40% are in states President Donald Trump won in November.

By Rae Ellen Bichell and Rachana Pradhan

April 17, 2025

A photo of a woman sitting for a photo in an office.

In Rural Massachusetts, Patients and Physicians Weigh Trade-Offs of Concierge Medicine

A stressed primary care system has led many doctors to start practices that charge membership fees in exchange for shorter waits and longer appointments. Observers say the doctor shortage needs a more systemic fix.

By Karen Brown, New England Public Media

April 16, 2025

An illustration drawn with pencil and gently colored digitally shows a child with white hair reaching out to touch their finger to a butterfly cocoon that is hanging from a branch in front of them. On their left, there is a caterpillar that has yet to undergo metamorphosis. On the right of the cocoon, and covering half of the child's face, a butterfly emerges in the colors of the transgender flag.

Families of Transgender Youth No Longer View Colorado as a Haven for Gender-Affirming Care

Colorado was long considered a haven for gender-affirming care. But under this Trump administration, hospitals in the state have limited the treatments available for people under 19. Some services have been restored, but trans youth and their families say the state isn’t the rock they thought it was.

By Rae Ellen Bichell

April 14, 2025

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