Midterm Madness
The Host
The midterm elections are less than a month away, and a new poll from KFF shows voters are very concerned about rising health costs and trust Democrats more than Republicans to address the issue. In an apparent attempt to close the gap, President Donald Trump is sending checks, some dubbed as “refunds,” to some Medicare and Affordable Care Act enrollees, but those checks are for far less than most patients’ costs have risen in 2026.
Meanwhile, Republicans had planned for the healthcare cuts included in their signature 2025 budget law to take effect after the midterms. But many states and healthcare providers have jumped the gun, cutting funding and services now in anticipation of fewer federal funds in 2027.
This week’s panelists are Julie Rovner of KFF Health News, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Sun.
Panelists
Among the takeaways from this week’s episode:
- Healthcare affordability is a top issue for voters heading into the midterms, a political reality prompting Trump to talk up his deals with drug companies and promise checks to Americans affected by government healthcare policies. Meanwhile, a new poll shows “Medicare for All” is at its highest popularity in at least a decade, suggesting some Americans are so squeezed by medical bills that they’re willing to support a major healthcare overhaul.
- While Republican lawmakers wrote the One Big Beautiful Bill Act so that most changes to the Medicaid program would take effect after the midterms, people are starting to feel the bite. Clinics, hospitals, and state governments are already making cuts in anticipation of the drop in federal funding. Plus, Nebraska’s early implementation of the law’s Medicaid work requirement is showing that most of those losing coverage are being dropped for procedural reasons.
- In infectious disease news, the measles outbreak in Pennsylvania has topped 1,000 cases. Those who contract the disease are likely to experience long-term effects, because it can have serious repercussions for the body’s immune system. And the death of a lab worker in Siberia from an unknown pneumonia has raised plague concerns and is making headlines as Russia shares little with the international community about the case.
- Plus, the Trump administration disclosed in court filings this week that the findings of its safety study of the abortion pill mifepristone will be released next year. And the practice of lethal injection is under scrutiny after the botched execution of a Tennessee woman. Many pharmaceutical companies refuse to even supply the drugs needed for lethal injections to correctional facilities, raising questions about the source and handling of the drugs used.
Also this week, Rovner interviews Michelle Andrews, who reported and wrote the latest KFF Health News “Bill of the Month,” about a patient who got a bill from a hospital emergency department though she never got out of the waiting room. If you have a medical bill that’s baffling, outrageous, or inscrutable, you can submit it to us here.
Plus, for “extra credit” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too:
Julie Rovner: The Atlantic’s “When Anesthesia Goes Wrong,” by Sarah Zhang.
Alice Miranda Ollstein: Politico’s “Trump Is Conditioning Foreign Aid on Deals,” by Carmen Paun.
Paige Winfield Cunningham: The New York Times’ “Battle of Hospital A.I. vs. Insurer A.I. Is Pushing Medical Costs Higher,” by Reed Abelson and Teddy Rosenbluth.
Anna Edney: ProPublica’s “A Girl Nearly Died After Drinking Raw Milk. The State Did Little To Punish the Unlicensed Farmer Who Sold It,” by Annie Waldman.
Also mentioned in this week’s podcast:
- KFF’s “KFF Health Tracking Poll: Health Care Issues in the Lead-Up to the 2026 Midterm Election,” by Shannon Schumacher, Isabelle Valdes, Mardet Mulugeta, Audrey Kearney, Ashley Kirzinger, and Liz Hamel.
- KFF Health News’ “Confusion and Angst Follow State’s Early Rollout of Medicaid Work Rules,” by Aaron Bolton, MTPR.
- Politico’s “Republicans Tried To Punt Health Care Cuts Until After the Midterms. It Didn’t Work,” by Alice Miranda Ollstein.
- The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy’s “Measles Outbreaks Could Leave Thousands Vulnerable to Infectious Diseases for Years,” by Liz Szabo.
- The New York Times’ “Texas Pediatricians Face Paxton Investigations for Vaccinating Children,” by Christina Jewett.
- KFF Health News’ “Witnessing the Failed Execution of Christa Pike: ‘We Could All Hear Her Breathing,’” by Catherine Sweeney, WPLN.
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