Guest
Expanded premium tax breaks that have helped millions of Americans pay for insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplaces since 2021 are set to expire on Dec. 31, despite a last-ditch effort by Democrats and some moderate House Republicans to force a vote to continue them. That vote will happen, but not until Congress returns in January.
Meanwhile, the Department of Health and Human Services canceled a series of multimillion-dollar grants to the American Academy of Pediatrics after the group again protested HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s changes to federal vaccine policy.
This week's panelists include KFF Health News' Julie Rovner, Stat's Lizzie Lawrence, CNN's Tami Luby and Politico's Alice Miranda Olstein.
Among the takeaways from this week's episode:
- The House on Wednesday passed legislation containing several GOP health care priorities, including policies that expand access to association health plans and reduce the federal share of some Affordable Care Act exchange-traded premiums. It did not include an extension of the expiring expanded ACA premium tax break, although also on Wednesday four Republicans signed a Democratic-led dismissal petition forcing Congress to return to the issue of the tax break in January.
- In vaccine news, the American Academy of Pediatrics opposed the federal government's recommendation of “individualized decision making” when it comes to administering the hepatitis B vaccine to newborns, and then HHS stopped awarding several AAP research grants. Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is funding a Danish hepatitis B vaccine study in West Africa that will result in some babies not receiving a dose at birth. Critics say the strategy is unethical.
- In addition, a second round of staff cuts at the Department of Veterans Affairs is expected to worsen existing staffing shortages and further undermine the care of retired service members.
- The FDA is considering eliminating labeling requirements for dietary supplements, an industry favored by the “Make America Healthy Again” slogan and already lightly regulated.
- And abortion opponents are pushing the Environmental Protection Agency to add mifepristone to the list of hazardous chemicals the agency monitors in the nation's water supply.
Also this week, Rovner interviews Tony Leis, who wrote latest feature “Count of the month”about an uninsured toddler's expensive ambulance ride between hospitals.
Additionally, in a special end-of-year “extra credit” segment, panelists offer what they see as the biggest health policy topics in 2025:
Julie Rovner: The future of the workforce in biomedical research and healthcare.
Lizzie Lawrence: Politicization of science.
Tami Luhby: Systemic consequences of Medicaid cuts.
Alice Miranda Olstein: Renewal of infectious diseases.
Also mentioned in this week's podcast:
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