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Chaos Continues in Federal Health System

Episode 383

Feb. 6, 2025

The Senate has yet to confirm a Health and Human Services secretary, but things around the department continue to change at a breakneck pace to comply with President Donald Trump’s executive orders. Payment systems have been shut down, webpages and entire datasets have been taken offline, and workers — including those with civil service protections — have been urged to quit or threatened with layoffs. Meanwhile, foreign and trade policy changes are also affecting health policy. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Julie Appleby, who reported the latest “Bill of the Month” feature, about a young woman, a grandfathered health plan, and a $14,000 IUD.

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A photo of the exterior of the Montana Capitol. A worker in a construction vest is seen in front of the entrance in a cherry picker.

Officials Seek To Dismantle Appeals Board for Montanans Denied Public Assistance

The Montana health department says the Board of Public Assistance is redundant and a bureaucratic hurdle that helps few people. Current and former board representatives say the rare cases in which the panel helps people are important.

By Katheryn Houghton

Feb. 6, 2025

A photo of the hands of a black man holding a blue pill of PrEP medication.

Biden Rule Cleared Hurdles to Lifesaving HIV Drug, but in Georgia Barriers Remain

A new rule requires insurers to improve coverage of PrEP, which can prevent HIV, but Georgians face challenges getting the drug.

By Rebecca Grapevine, Healthbeat

Feb. 6, 2025

Share Your Story: Medicaid Estate Recovery Collections

Feb. 5, 2025

A photo of a window air conditioning unit framed by curtains.

California Housing Officials Recommend State Protect Renters From Extreme Heat

State officials say homes should be able to be cooled to a safe indoor air temperature of 82 degrees. The legislature will now take up the report.

By Molly Castle Work

Feb. 5, 2025

HealthBent

Trump’s Already Gone Back on His Promise To Leave Abortion to States

On the campaign trail, President Donald Trump said the power to make abortion policies “has been returned to the states.” In his first two weeks in office, he’s already gone further to restrict abortion than any president who’s held office since the 1973 “Roe v. Wade” decision, writes Julie Rovner.

By Julie Rovner

Feb. 5, 2025

A photo of signage outside a laundromat: "24 hours, SuperSuds,laundry."

Wash, Dry, Enroll: Finding Medicaid Help at the Laundromat

State Medicaid and Affordable Care Act programs have long struggled to connect with lower-income Americans to help them access care. Now some are trying an alternative approach: meeting them at the laundromat.

By Phil Galewitz

Feb. 5, 2025

A woman wearing overalls and an orange hard hat is sitting for a photo. She holds a cell phone in her hand for the camera to see and smiles in the direction of the photographer.

For California Farmworkers, Telehealth Visits With Mexican Doctors Fill a Gap

The MiSalud app enables Spanish-speaking users in the U.S. to meet virtually with health professionals in Mexico via a smartphone app. At Taylor Farms in Salinas, California, the novel program has been a hit.

By Victoria Clayton

Feb. 4, 2025

A woman wearing a blue pant suit stands by a balcony in the Indiana state house.

Indiana Governor Appoints Business Leader To Shake Up Health Care

Gloria Sachdev, a pharmacist by training, has spent years taking on the health care establishment in Indiana, working to pull down high hospital prices and make information public to patients. Now, in a newly created position in the governor’s Cabinet, she’s no longer fighting from the outside.

By Samantha Liss

Feb. 4, 2025

A colorful cartoon drawing shows a hand holding a postcard. The postcard image is of a banner reading “LOW-COST LAND” and being held by two cherry-red Cupids. Below the Cupids are prescription bottles and a shopping bag decorated with hearts. Gold coins with wings decorate the background. Two U.S. passports are visible tucked behind the postcard.

Strike Us in the Heart: Send In Your Health Policy Valentines

Make us swoon by sending us your sweetest “health policy valentines.” Submissions will be judged by an esteemed panel of experts. We’ll share favorites on our social media channels, and tenderhearted members of our staff will pick the winners, announced on Friday, Feb. 14.

Feb. 3, 2025

A photo showing a group of people standing in front of a brick building, behind a red ribbon, for an opening ceremony on a sunny day.

Across the South, Rural Health Care Has Become ‘Trendy.’ Medicaid Expansion Has Not.

State legislatures nationwide, including several in the South, are spending millions to improve rural health outcomes and access. For years, though, most Southern states have refused billions of federal dollars to provide public health insurance to more low-income adults. That isn’t likely to change with Trump back in office.

By Lauren Sausser

Feb. 3, 2025

A white cross stands in green grass, adorned with candles and other memorial objects. Beside the cross is a sign that reads, "Pray for Parkland."

Little Tracking, Wide Variability Permeate the Teams Tasked With Stopping School Shootings

Several states require schools to assemble teams of law enforcement and education officials to identify students who could become mass shooters and intervene before it’s too late. But some experts say the efforts often face a lack of guidance and significant pressure, putting them at risk of maligning innocent students.

By Cheryl Platzman Weinstock

Feb. 3, 2025

KFF Health News On Air

Journalists Analyze Issues of the Day: RFK Jr., Bird Flu, L.A. Fires

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

Feb. 1, 2025

The Week in Brief

At His HHS Job Interview, RFK Jr. Stumbles Over Health Policy Basics

By Phil Galewitz and Arthur Allen

Jan. 31, 2025

A small crowd of people face each other outdoors on a cold day. A man on the left wears a winter hat that says "TRUMP." A woman on the right holds a sign that says, "Trans rights are human rights!"

Trump’s Order on Gender-Affirming Care Escalates Reversal of Trans Rights

The Jan. 28 executive order directs federal regulators to cut insurance coverage for hormonal or surgical treatments that help in young people's gender transitions and cut federal funding for medical professionals or institutions that provide such care. It will likely be challenged in court.

By Julie Appleby

Jan. 31, 2025

A photo of a sign that reads, "Montana State Hospital — Warm Springs."

Drawn-Out Overhaul of Troubled Montana Hospital Leaves Lawmakers in Limbo

Unsure how to help the troubled psychiatric facility, legislators look to shore up other parts of the state’s mental health system.

By Mara Silvers, Montana Free Press

Jan. 31, 2025

A 25-year-old woman sits on a couch and looks directly towards the camera.

Bill of the Month

Most Insurance Covers IUDs. Hers Cost More Than $14,000.

The Affordable Care Act requires most insurance plans to cover preventive care, including many forms of contraception, without cost to patients — but not if they’re “grandfathered” plans, which predate the law.

By Julie Appleby

Jan. 31, 2025

What the Health? From KFF Health News

RFK Jr. in the Hot Seat

Episode 382

Jan. 30, 2025

President Donald Trump’s choice to lead the vast Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., faced sharp questioning from senators this week, particularly over his history of vaccine denialism. Meanwhile, the Trump administration’s second week has been even more disruptive than its first, with an on-again, off-again funding freeze that left many around the country scrambling to understand what was going on. Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call 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 Nicholas Bagley, a University of Michigan law professor, who explains how the federal regulatory system is supposed to operate to make health policy.

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A photo of RFK JR with text that reads, "KFF Health News / LIVE / Key Takeaways From RFK Jr.'s Nomination Hearings"

Recapping the RFK Jr. Hearings: A Live Discussion With KFF Health News Journalists

KFF Health News reporters break down the biggest takeaways from Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s confirmation hearings for secretary of Health and Human Services.

Jan. 30, 2025