The Week in Brief: Feb. 28, 2025
Watch: What Is Medicaid, Again?
By Sam Whitehead and Hannah Norman
KFF Health News correspondent Sam Whitehead discusses Medicaid's history and role in the U.S. health system.
Montana’s Medicaid Expansion Conundrum
By Sue O'Connell
State lawmakers appear ready to preserve the state’s Medicaid expansion program without knowing what federal changes might be in store.
House GOP Plan Targets Medicaid
The House passed a budget plan that likely would result in major cuts to the Medicaid program. But the plan now faces a battle in the Senate, where even Republicans seem reluctant to dramatically reduce a health program that covers roughly 1 in 5 Americans. Meanwhile, federal judges and the Trump administration continue to differ over whether the administration has the authority to unilaterally cancel programs approved and funded by Congress and to fire federal workers. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Victoria Knight of Axios join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.
With RFK Jr. in Charge, Supplement Makers See Chance To Cash In
By Arthur Allen
The FDA is already limited in policing claims of health benefits by makers of supplements and herbal remedies — a $70 billion industry. Get ready for even less regulation.
Health Clinic Workers Brush Up on Constitutional Protections as Immigration Raids Loom
By Jackie Fortiér
Clinic administrators describe anxiety about President Donald Trump’s move to allow immigration arrests inside health centers.
Republicans Once Wanted Government out of Health Care. Trump Voters See It Differently.
By Noam N. Levey
Frustrated by high health care prices, many who backed President Donald Trump support strong government actions to protect patients. It’s unclear whether GOP leaders will listen.
Trump Froze Out Project 2025 in His Campaign. Now Its Blueprint Is His Health Care Playbook.
By Stephanie Armour
During his presidential campaign, Donald Trump distanced himself from the conservative governing plan after Democratic attacks. But now it’s increasingly viewed as a blueprint for his administration’s plans for federal health programs.
A Runner Was Hit by a Car, Then by a Surprise Ambulance Bill
By Sandy West
A San Francisco man had friends drive him to the hospital after he was hit by a car. Doctors checked him out, then sent him by ambulance to a trauma center — which released him with no further treatment. The ambulance bill? Almost $13,000.
Opioid Cash Grab: As Federal Funding Dries Up, States Turn to Settlement Money
By Aneri Pattani
Nevada’s budget debate highlights how uncertainty over funding for federal safety net programs may lead some officials to turn to opioid settlement dollars to make up the difference.
Human, Bird, or Dog Waste? Scientists Parsing Poop To Aid DC’s Forgotten River
By Jackie Fortiér
A huge infrastructure project coupled with a new scientific review of microbes in the water could be bringing Washington, D.C., closer to a once-unimaginable goal — a safely swimmable Anacostia River.
Future of Cancer Coverage for Women Federal Firefighters Uncertain Under Trump
By Kylie Mohr
In the waning days of the Biden administration, the Labor Department added ovarian, uterine, cervical, and breast cancer coverage for wildland firefighters. It’s unclear whether the new protections will stick under Trump.
Journalists Discuss Health Care for Incarcerated Children and the Possibility of a Bird Flu Pandemic
KFF Health News journalists made the rounds on national and local media recently to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.