Guest
Julie Rovner KFF Health News
@julirovner.bsky.social
Read Julia's stories.
Julie Rovner is chief Washington correspondent and host of KFF Health News' weekly health policy podcast, “What the Health?” A renowned health policy expert, Julie is the author of the highly acclaimed A to Z of Health Policy and Politics, now in its third edition.
Open enrollment for insurance plans under the 2026 Affordable Care Act begins in most states on Nov. 1, with no decision in Congress on whether to continue more generous premium tax breaks expanded under President Joe Biden or let them expire at the end of this year. It's unclear whether the response from millions of members who have seen insurance premiums soar will force Democrats or Republicans to move away from entrenched positions that have kept much of the federal government closed.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration, which earlier this year rescinded a Biden-era regulation banning the inclusion of medical debt on consumers' credit reports, is now telling states they cannot pass their own laws banning the practice.
This week's panel features Julie Rovner of KFF Health News, Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post, Maya Goldman of Axios and Alice Miranda Allstein of Politico.
Panelists
Paige Winfield Cunningham The Washington Post
Read Paige's stories.
Maya Goldman Axios
@maya-goldman.bsky.social
Read Maya's stories
Alice Miranda Olstein Politico
@alicemiranda.bsky.social
Read Alice's stories.
Among the takeaways from this week's episode:
- Tens of millions of Americans are preparing to lose government food assistance on November 1 after the Trump administration decided not to continue funding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program during the shutdown. President Donald Trump and senior officials have made no secret of their efforts to punish government programs they see as Democratic priorities to apply political pressure as gridlock persists on Capitol Hill.
- People starting to shop for next year's plans on the ACA marketplaces are getting a shock from the expiration of more generous premium tax breaks that were extended during the Covid pandemic. The federal government will also take a special hit as it covers rising costs for low-income customers who will continue to receive aid regardless of the deal in Congress.
- In government news, with the repeal of the Biden-era rule blocking medical debt from credit reports, the Trump administration is working to prevent states from using their own remedies. In Florida, doctors supporting vaccination efforts are being silenced, and the state's surgeon general says he did not model the results of eliminating mandatory childhood vaccinations before pursuing the policy — a risky proposition as public health experts warn that recent measles outbreaks are a canary in the coal mine for vaccine-preventable diseases.
- And in Texas, the state attorney general, who is also running for the U.S. Senate as a Republican, is suing the maker of Tylenol, alleging that the company tried to avoid responsibility for the drug's unproven link to autism. The lawsuit is the latest challenge for Tylenol as recent allegations undermine confidence in the common painkiller, the only one recommended for pregnant women to reduce potentially dangerous fevers and relieve pain.
Also, for “extra credit,” the panelists offer stories about health care policy that they read this week that they think you should read, too:
Julie Rovner: KFF health news”Many fear restrictions on federal loans will discourage aspiring doctors and worsen drug shortages» Bernard J. Wolfson.
Alice Miranda Olstein: ProPublica”Citing Trump's “biological truth” order, VA makes it harder for male veterans with breast cancer to get insurance“, Eric Umansky.
Paige Winfield Cunningham: Washington Post newspaperStudy finds mRNA coronavirus vaccines extend life of cancer patients“, Mark Johnson.
Maya Goldman: KFF health news”As sports betting skyrockets, states are scrambling to set restrictions to stop gambling addiction“, Karen Brown, New England Public Media.
Also mentioned in this week's podcast:
Loans
Frances Yin, Audio Producer, Emmarie Huettman, Editor
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