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A Headless CDC

Episode 439

March 26, 2026

The Trump administration faces the challenge of naming a new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who can both satisfy the Make America Healthy Again movement and get confirmed by the Senate. Meanwhile, a new Senate bill to rescind the approval of the abortion pill mifepristone is again elevating the abortion debate, which some Republicans would prefer to stay on the back burner until after the midterms. Shefali Luthra of The 19th, Lizzy Lawrence of Stat, and Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Bloomberg News join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss the news. Also this week, Rovner interviews Georgetown University Law Center’s Katie Keith about the state of the Affordable Care Act on its 16th anniversary.

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A syringe rests on the top shelf of a fridge.

HealthQ

Taking a GLP-1? Doctors Say Not To Forget About Movement and Mental Health

So you’ve decided to go on a GLP-1 to lose weight. These medicines might seem like an easy way to drop unwanted pounds, but you’ll likely need to do a few other things to be successful long-term.

By Emily Siner, Nashville Public Radio, Cara Anthony, and Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio

March 26, 2026

Jay Bhattacharya speaks while sitting at a table with his nameplate, and two water bottles, in front of him.

CDC’s Acting Chief Promises a Return to Stability in a Tumultuous Moment

Jay Bhattacharya, head of the National Institutes of Health and interim leader of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told the CDC staff, “I know that it has been such a difficult year.”

By Céline Gounder

March 25, 2026

An Arm and a Leg

Steep Health Care Costs Steer Americans to Tough Decisions

Season 14, Episode 4

March 25, 2026

Two Americans explain how the skyrocketing cost of health insurance influenced their decision to buy — or skip — health insurance in 2026.

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A hand holds up a sign next to traffic in an intersection that says "CDC protects us, we must protect CDC"

Demoralized CDC Workforce Reels From Year of Firings, Funding Cuts, and a Shooting

Thousands of employees are gone and last summer’s shooting resonates still at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters and among the large public health community in Atlanta.

By Jess Mador, WABE

March 25, 2026

A shadow of a young boy is cast against the pavement. The boy is holding an adult's hand out of frame.

‘They Tricked Me’: A Father Was Chained After He Went to ICE To Reunite With His Kids

The administration has largely converted the HHS Office of Refugee Resettlement into an arm of immigration enforcement, detaining children longer while helping immigration officers arrest their parents or other family members. One father was chained when he went to an ICE office to discuss being reunited with his son and daughter.

By Claudia Boyd-Barrett, Renuka Rayasam, and Amanda Seitz

March 24, 2026

A man at a doctor's office hands over a credit card to a receptionist at the front desk.

Priced Out

Rising Health Costs Push Some Middle-Aged Adults To Skip the Doc Until Medicare

Adults ages 50 through 64 faced some of the steepest increases in out-of-pocket costs for Obamacare plans after a set of federal subsidies expired at the end of December. Some say they are putting off care or considering dropping health insurance coverage until Medicare picks up the bill.

By Sam Whitehead

March 23, 2026

A photo from above of a person lying in a dental chair having work done. A dentist and assistant sit on either side of the patient's head.

HealthQ

Even With Dental Insurance, You Still Could Face a Large Bill

Costs keep many Americans, even those with insurance, from getting dental care. Understanding how dental insurance works and leaning into preventive care can help keep dental problems — and bills — manageable.

By Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio, Cara Anthony, and Katherine Ruppelt, Nashville Public Radio

March 23, 2026

KFF Health News On Air

Journalists Shine Light on Out-of-Reach Insurance Prices, AI’s Role in Claims Disputes, and Susie Wiles

KFF Health News journalists made the rounds on national and local media recently to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.

March 21, 2026

The Week in Brief

In the Affordability Alphabet Soup of the ACA and EHBs, a Link to Higher Premiums Isn’t Clear-Cut

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

By Julie Appleby

March 20, 2026

An elderly woman takes her blood pressure at home. Unrecognizable person, hand close-up.

The New Old Age

‘How Low Can You Go?’ The Shifting Guidelines for Blood Pressure Control

The number doctors use to demarcate high blood pressure keeps going down, a trend applauded by many experts, who point to studies linking the condition and dementia.

By Paula Span

March 20, 2026

A woman in a yellow cardigan sits in front of a window, staring out

Listen: Trump’s NIH ‘Reset’ Is Driving Away Scientists

In President Donald Trump’s second term, federal data shows, the National Institutes of Health has lost about 4,400 workers. Scientists say the departures harm the nation’s ability to respond to disease outbreaks, develop treatments, and confront public health problems. KFF Health News spoke with six scientists about why they left.

By Rachana Pradhan

March 20, 2026

A man with muscular dystrophy works at a desk with multiple computer monitors.

Oz Escalates Medicaid Fraud Claims Against States After Focus on Minnesota

The Trump administration’s unprecedented actions targeting Medicaid funding in Minnesota are part of what could become a playbook as officials turn pressure toward California, Florida, Maine, and New York.

By Bram Sable-Smith

March 20, 2026

What the Health? From KFF Health News

RFK Jr.’s Vaccine Schedule Changes Blocked — For Now

Episode 438

March 19, 2026

A federal judge in Massachusetts this week sided with public health groups to block changes to the federally recommended schedule of childhood vaccines, dealing at least a temporary setback to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s efforts to remake the schedule. Meanwhile, Congress has put its debate over the future of the Affordable Care Act on the back burner, but the issue of rising health care costs is still front and center for the voting public. Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF President and CEO Drew Altman to kick off a new series looking at health care solutions, called “How Would You Fix It?”

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Priced Out

Many ACA Customers Are Paying Higher Premiums. Most Blame Trump and Republicans, Poll Finds.

A KFF poll offers insights into people’s insurance coverage decisions and how those choices could play into their vote in November’s midterm elections.

By Julie Appleby

March 19, 2026

Lawmakers Seek To Protect Crisis Pregnancy Centers as Abortion Clinic Numbers Shrink

Some states have tried to crack down on crisis pregnancy centers, accusing them of deceptive practices. But now conservative lawmakers are pushing legislation to increase protections for the organizations, which work to dissuade women from abortions.

By Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez

March 19, 2026

How Would You Fix It?

Watch: Affordability Plagues Health Care in Its Shift From Nonprofit to Profit Machine

On “What the Health? From KFF Health News,” distributed by WAMU, chief Washington correspondent and host Julie Rovner sat down with Drew Altman, president and CEO of KFF, to talk about the likelihood of a national health care debate.

By Julie Rovner

March 19, 2026

A photo of Mehmet Oz speaking at a podium at the White House. American flags are seen behind him.

Oz Says California’s Not Fighting Health Care Fraud, but Data Shows It’s Part of a Larger Battle

Trump administration officials say the state allows rampant fraud and have promised to investigate, blaming the “Russian, Armenian mafia” in the hospice and home health care industry. But data shows hotbeds of health care fraud throughout the country, with California outperforming most other states in recovering fraud dollars.

By Don Thompson

March 19, 2026

The healthcare.gov website seen on a laptop. The webpage reads, "Welcome to the Health Insurance Marketplace. Apply for coverage."

Priced Out

Evidence Shows ACA’s Mandated Benefits Alone Don’t Drive Up Costs. The Debate Continues.

The Affordable Care Act put in place a package of benefits that health insurance plans must cover. Critics contend this mandate has jacked up premiums. Evidence supporting that claim is mixed.

By Julie Appleby and Sarah Boden

March 18, 2026

A small gel electrode with a cord is seen placed behind a woman's ear.

Payback: Tracking Opioid Cash

Maker of Device To Treat Addiction Withdrawal Seeks Counties’ Opioid Settlement Cash

Some researchers and recovery advocates see the NET device as the latest in a series of products pitched as the solution to the addiction crisis that have been overhyped to capitalize on money from the opioid settlements.

By Aneri Pattani

March 18, 2026

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