KFF Health News Weekly Edition: Jan. 17, 2025
Junk Food Turns Public Villain as Power Shifts in Washington
Stephanie Armour and David Hilzenrath
Some Trump insiders are ready to take on the food industry. It remains to be seen whether their entrée will result in any meaningful change in government oversight of “Big Food” — or in American health.
Trump’s Return Puts Medicaid on the Chopping Block
Phil Galewitz
Republicans in Washington are working on plans to shrink Medicaid, the nearly $900-billion-a-year government health insurance program that covers 1 in 5 Americans.
Hello, Trump. Bye-Bye, Biden.
With just days to go before the official launch of a new administration, the GOP-led Congress is putting together plans on how to enact incoming President Donald Trump’s agenda, with a particular emphasis on cutting spending on the Medicaid program. Meanwhile, the Biden administration makes major moves in its last days, including banning a controversial food dye and ordering cigarette companies to minimize their nicotine content. Joanne Kenen of Johns Hopkins University and Politico Magazine, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Harris Meyer, who reported and wrote the latest KFF Health News “Bill of the Month” feature, about a colonoscopy that came with a much larger price tag than estimated.
New California Laws Target Medical Debt, AI Care Decisions, Detention Centers
Christine Mai-Duc
California has a few major changes coming to its health policy landscape in 2025. New laws that took effect Jan. 1 ban medical debt from credit reports, allow public health inspections of private immigration detention centers, and ban toxic chemicals in makeup.
Midwives Blame California Rules for Hampering Birth Centers Amid Maternity Care Crisis
Ronnie Cohen
Birth centers, where midwives deliver babies with emergency backup from hospitals, can offer an alternative for families as hospitals close maternity units. But the state’s stiff regulations and what many call a dysfunctional licensing process are hobbling new initiatives and forcing some facilities to shut down.
I’m Moving Forward and Facing the Uncertainty of Aging
Judith Graham
Our "Navigating Aging" columnist sets off on a new phase in life with lessons she’s learned reporting on aging and health.
For Homeless Seniors, Getting Into Stable Housing Takes a Village — And a Lot of Luck
Aaron Bolton, MTPR
The number of unhoused seniors in the U.S. is expected to triple by 2030. About half of this population is becoming homeless for the first time. Homeless services struggle to help. Finding affordable housing that’s also accessible for older Americans with medical conditions is an extra challenge.
Childhood Vaccination Rates, a Rare Health Bright Spot in Struggling States, Are Slipping
Daniel Chang and Sam Whitehead
Mississippi, Tennessee, and West Virginia — states with some of the worst health outcomes — also have some of the highest childhood vaccination rates. But doctors and health officials worry a rising tide of vaccine skepticism is causing those public health bright spots to dim.
Beyond Hard Hats: Mental Struggles Become the Deadliest Construction Industry Danger
Katja Ridderbusch
The physical hazards of construction work have long been a focus of safety professionals. Yet attention on the psychosocial hazards is relatively new, with suicide and substance use soaring among male construction workers. Mitigating those risks requires more than hard hats, safety vests, and protective goggles.
Voters Backed Abortion Rights but State Judges Have Final Say
Bram Sable-Smith and Katheryn Houghton and Oona Zenda
Though abortion rights supporters prevailed on ballot measures in seven of the 10 states where abortion was up for a vote on Nov. 5, the state supreme courts voters have elected indicate legal fights to come aren’t clear-cut.
Can Medical Schools Funnel More Doctors Into the Primary Care Pipeline?
Felice J. Freyer
More medical schools say they will no longer charge tuition, in hopes that more students, graduating free of debt, will choose lower-paying primary care careers. But evidence suggests it will take a lot more than a free ride to replenish the primary care pipeline.
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Journalists Address HHS Under Trump, Rural PFAS Contamination, and Bird Flu
KFF Health News journalists made the rounds on national and local media recently to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.