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Nutrition Programs Face Their Own Shutdown

Episode 419

Oct. 23, 2025

Two major nutrition programs — SNAP and WIC — are likely to exhaust their funding in November, and the furloughs and firings at the CDC have left the agency unable to perform some of its major functions. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump’s new IVF policy is being met with dissatisfaction from both sides. Shefali Luthra of The 19th, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss those stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Katheryn Houghton, who wrote the latest “Bill of the Month” feature.

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A closeup shot of the side of a woman with a cochlear implant who is also wearing reading glasses.

The New Old Age

When a Hearing Aid Isn’t Enough

More older adults have turned to cochlear implants after Medicare expanded eligibility for the devices.

By Paula Span

Oct. 23, 2025

A photo of Mehmet Oz holding up a phone during a White House meeting about health care and technology.

Officials Show Little Proof That New Tech Will Help Medicaid Enrollees Meet Work Rules

The Trump administration says it’s developing a digital tool to help people prove they’re meeting new Medicaid work requirements. KFF Health News talked to officials from the two states running pilot programs and found little evidence of new — or effective — technology.

By Rae Ellen Bichell and Sam Whitehead

Oct. 23, 2025

A vector illustration of a balance scale with a red car in the right pan and a document on a clipboard representing health insurance in the right pan.

A New Car vs. Health Insurance? Average Family Job-Based Coverage Hits $27K

KFF data shows that 2025 marked the first time in two decades that the annual cost of covering a family of four rose by 6% or more for three consecutive years.

By Phil Galewitz

Oct. 22, 2025

A photo of gloved hands putting a bandage on a patient's arm after giving them a vaccine.

Despite the Hoopla, Vaccines Should Be in Reach This Cough-and-Cold Season

Recommendations surrounding covid vaccinations and other such shots have been confusing. Ultimately, though, little has changed. Here’s what you need to know.

By Michelle Andrews

Oct. 22, 2025

‘Cancer Doesn’t Care’: Citizen Lobbyists Unite To Push Past Washington’s Ugly Politics

Despite a poisonous political climate, hundreds of volunteer advocates put partisan differences aside and pressed Congress to help people with cancer.

By Noam N. Levey

Oct. 21, 2025

A photo of man holding his head in his hands as he uses a laptop.

Private Medicare, Medicaid Plans Exaggerate In-Network Mental Health Options, Watchdogs Say

A federal probe of Medicare and Medicaid plans run by private insurance companies found that the plan operators often overstated how many mental health providers were available in their networks. In some cases, investigators found providers had never had contracts with plans they were listed on.

By Tony Leys

Oct. 20, 2025

The Week in Brief

‘Chemtrail’ Theories Warn of Health Dangers From Contrails. The Idea Takes Wing at Kennedy’s HHS.

Get our weekly newsletter, The Week in Brief, featuring a roundup of our original coverage, Fridays at 2 p.m. ET.

By Stephanie Armour

Oct. 17, 2025

A photo of Gov. Gavin Newsom at a news conference with an American flag behind him.

After Chiding Democrats on Transgender Politics, Newsom Vetoes a Key Health Measure

California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have expanded access to hormone therapy, a top priority for the trans community. Advocates say it would have ensured continuity in gender-affirming care amid Trump administration attacks. Analysts say it’s another sign of the Democrat’s move to the center.

By Christine Mai-Duc

Oct. 17, 2025

A photo of a man standing at a podium and speaking into a microphone.

Rural Health Payout

States Jostle Over $50B Rural Health Fund as Trump’s Medicaid Cuts Trigger Scramble

States are battling for their piece of $50 billion in federal rural health funding, but it’s not just hospitals vying for the money. Tech startups and policy demands are raising the stakes as Medicaid cuts loom.

By Sarah Jane Tribble

Oct. 17, 2025

What the Health? From KFF Health News

Schrödinger’s Government Shutdown

Episode 418

Oct. 16, 2025

Democrats and Republicans remain stalled over funding the federal government as Republicans launch a new attack on the Affordable Care Act. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is taking advantage of the shutdown to lay off workers from programs supported mostly by Democrats. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, and Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss those stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews health insurance analyst Louise Norris about Medicare open enrollment.

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A photo illustration of a sky filled with airplanes releasing contrails behind them.

It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s a Chemtrail? New Conspiracy Theory Takes Wing at Kennedy’s HHS

The idea that airplane vapors are toxic to people or that there are ongoing efforts to intentionally change the climate made the social media rounds. Now, it has found advocates at the Department of Health and Human Services.

By Stephanie Armour

Oct. 16, 2025

A digital illustration of the silhouette of an elderly woman bravely facing a glowing, moon-like sphere in a galactic abyss.

An Age-Old Fear Grows More Common: ‘I’m Going To Die Alone’

As families fracture, people are living longer and are more likely to find themselves without close relatives or friends at the end of their lives.

By Judith Graham

Oct. 16, 2025

KFF Health News & PolitiFact HealthCheck

RFK Jr. Misses Mark in Touting Rural Health Transformation Fund as Historic Infusion of Cash

The health secretary’s statement doesn’t consider the impact that the Medicaid cuts advanced in the same law will have on health care in rural America.

By Arielle Zionts

Oct. 15, 2025

A photo of a woman standing for a portrait in a hallway. A wheelchair is behind her.

In Mississippi, Medicaid Coverage of Weight Loss Drugs Fails To Catch On

In Mississippi, a state with one of the highest obesity rates in the nation, Medicaid covers weight loss drugs, but few enrollees have signed up for the benefit.

By Phil Galewitz

Oct. 15, 2025

Several people stand around a pile of straw and dirt in a forest, a green burial, and throw yellow petals into the air

Listen: Green Goodbyes: Choosing an Eco-Friendly Burial

Environmental and economic concerns prompt some people to explore obsequies options beyond metal caskets and cremation.

By Paula Span

Oct. 14, 2025

A silhouette of an injured senior man with crutches.

The New Old Age

Why Brittle Bones Aren’t Just a Woman’s Problem

More men are now living long enough to develop osteoporosis. But few are aware of the risk, and fewer still are screened and treated.

By Paula Span

Oct. 14, 2025

A photo of a sign advertising Covered California, the state's Affordable Care Act marketplace, in Los Angeles.

Asking Never Hurts

California’s Health Insurance Marketplace Braces for Chaos as Shutdown Persists

Jessica Altman, the head of California’s Affordable Care Act health insurance marketplace, warns letters will be sent out this week with sky-high premiums unless Washington extends covid-era enhanced tax credits by then. Even if Congress acts later and rates are lower than feared, she says, shoppers could be scared off.

By Bernard J. Wolfson

Oct. 14, 2025