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A Colorful Cast Could Lead Key Health Agencies

Episode 375

Dec. 5, 2024

President-elect Donald Trump has made his choices to fill some top jobs at the Department of Health and Human Services. They include controversial figures who were vocal critics of the Biden administration’s handling of the covid pandemic and have proposed sweeping changes to the agencies they would lead. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court heard its first two health-related cases of the term, challenging a Tennessee law barring transgender medical care for minors and, separately, challenging the FDA’s handling of e-cigarettes. Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins University and Politico, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Bram Sable-Smith, who reported and wrote the latest KFF Health News-Washington Post Well+Being “Bill of the Month” feature, about an emergency room bill for a visit that didn’t get past the waiting room.

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An illustration of a laptop with medical equipment.

Asking Never Hurts

How Potential Medicaid Cuts Could Play Out in California

As Donald Trump prepares to reenter the White House with a Republican-controlled Congress, health officials and community advocates in California worry that large-scale Medicaid cuts could be enacted as soon as next year. More than 60% of California’s $161 billion Medi-Cal budget comes from Washington.

By Bernard J. Wolfson

Dec. 5, 2024

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (left) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma (right) sit at a table facing the camera while they sign papers. Nine other individuals in business attire stand in a row behind them. Everyone is wearing face masks.

Georgia’s Work Requirement Slows Processing of Applications for Medicaid, Food Stamps

Georgia’s ability to process applications for Medicaid and other public benefits has lagged since the launch of Republican Gov. Brian Kemp’s “Pathways” Medicaid work requirement, leaving Georgia with persistently slow Medicaid application processing times.

By Andy Miller, Renuka Rayasam, and Sam Whitehead

Dec. 5, 2024

An Arm and a Leg

New Lessons in the Fight for Charity Care

Season 12, Episode 8

Dec. 5, 2024

Host Dan Weissmann checks back in on the fight for hospital charity care, with lessons from Dollar For and a savvy listener.

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A photo of a map with the nine states that would undo Medicaid expansion if federal funding is cut.

9 States Poised To End Coverage for Millions if Trump Cuts Medicaid Funding

About 3.7 million people are at immediate risk of losing health coverage should the federal government cut funding for Medicaid expansions, as some allies of President-elect Donald Trump have proposed. Coverage could be at risk in the 40 states that have expanded Medicaid.

By Phil Galewitz

Dec. 4, 2024

A photo of nurse walking a patient down the hallway of a nursing home.

Nursing Homes Fell Behind on Vaccinating Patients for Covid

Last winter, only 4 in 10 nursing home residents got an updated covid vaccine. The low uptake leaves a fragile population vulnerable. Some industry watchdogs say it could be a sign of eroding trust between nursing home residents and providers.

By Sarah Boden

Dec. 4, 2024

A photo of a nursing home patient being helped walking down a corridor by a staff member.

Nursing Home Industry Wants Trump To Rescind Staffing Mandate

A Biden administration rule that imposed minimum rules on nursing levels may not survive, even though many homes lack enough workers to maintain residents’ care.

By Jordan Rau

Dec. 3, 2024

A photo of Donald Trump standing in front of a screen.

Diagnosis: Debt

With Trump on the Way, Advocates Look to States To Pick Up Medical Debt Fight

Patient and consumer advocates fear a new Trump administration will scale back federal efforts to expand financial protections for patients and shield them from debt.

By Noam N. Levey

Dec. 3, 2024

A photo of woman giving a presentation about CARE courts.

California Falling Short of Enrollment Goal as Mental Health Courts Roll Out Statewide

California’s goal was to help 2,000 seriously mentally ill people by the end of this year, but data shows fewer than 600 petitions have been filed. As the CARE program expands to every county, officials say it sometimes takes months to locate eligible adults and get them in treatment plans.

By Christine Mai-Duc

Dec. 3, 2024

A doctor places a pulse oximeter on a senior woman's index finger. Both are wearing masks.

Going It Alone

Homebound Seniors Living Alone Often Slip Through Health System’s Cracks

There is a large population of older adults with physical problems that prevent them from leaving home. Many have significant medical and practical needs that go unmet.

By Judith Graham

Dec. 2, 2024

Who Gets Obesity Drugs Covered by Insurance? In North Carolina, It Helps If You’re on Medicaid

GLP-1 agonist medications such as Ozempic accounted for 10% of the North Carolina state employee health plan’s prescription drug spending, so the state is no longer covering them for weight loss alone. Still, it did decide to cover them for Medicaid patients’ weight loss. A look inside the state’s coverage calculus.

By Melba Newsome

Dec. 2, 2024

KFF Health News On Air

Journalists Dish on New Weight Loss Drugs, RFK Jr.’s Fluoride Claims, and Reproductive Health

KFF Health News staffers and contributors made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.

Nov. 30, 2024

The Only Hospital in Town

Nov. 27, 2024

Health Brief

Your Next Hospital Stay Could Involve Fewer IV Fluid Bags. Here’s Why.

By Jackie Fortiér

Nov. 27, 2024

HealthBent

Trump Doesn’t Need Congress To Make Abortion Effectively Unavailable

President-elect Donald Trump vowed on the campaign trail not to sign a nationwide abortion ban. But he wouldn’t need to do so to make abortion difficult, or illegal, writes KFF Health News’ chief Washington correspondent, Julie Rovner.

By Julie Rovner

Nov. 27, 2024

A photo of a mother and daughter sitting together on the sofa.

Bill of the Month

A Toddler Got a Nasal Swab Test but Left Before Seeing a Doctor. The Bill Was $445.

A mom in Peoria, Illinois, took her 3-year-old to the ER one evening last December. While they were waiting to be seen, the toddler seemed better, so they left without seeing a doctor. Then the bill came.

By Bram Sable-Smith

Nov. 27, 2024

What the Health? From KFF Health News

Public Health and the Dairy Cow in the Room

Episode 374

Nov. 26, 2024

Public health, one of the more misunderstood concepts in the health world, is about the health of entire populations, rather than individuals. As a result, public health is closely tied to things like the environment, nutrition, and safety. With major concerns such as bird flu looming, President-elect Donald Trump’s priorities could translate into efforts that undermine those of public health workers. In this special episode of KFF Health News’ “What the Health?”, chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner is joined by Healthbeat editor-in-chief Charlene Pacenti, KFF Health News public health correspondent Amy Maxmen, and Healthbeat New York City reporter Eliza Fawcett.

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Health Brief

Efforts To Curb ACA Enrollment Fraud Face Real-World Test

By Julie Appleby

Nov. 26, 2024

A photo of a mother holding her daughter up to her face.

Florida’s Deloitte-Run Computer System Cut Off New Moms Entitled to Medicaid

Florida discovered a glitch in its Deloitte-run Medicaid eligibility system. The problem, alleged in court testimony, led to new mothers wrongly losing their insurance coverage.

By Daniel Chang and Samantha Liss

Nov. 26, 2024