LGBTQ+ Health Archives - KFF Health News

GOP Mulls More Health Cuts

Episode 440

April 2, 2026

Despite public opposition to the cuts they made to federal health programs in 2025, Republicans reportedly are considering more cuts to help pay for the war in Iran. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court ruled that Colorado cannot ban “conversion therapy” for LGBTQ+ minors. Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Sandhya Raman of Bloomberg Law join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Elisabeth Rosenthal, who wrote the last two “Bill of the Month” stories.

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What the Health? From KFF Health News

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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What the Health? From KFF Health News

Culture Wars Take Center Stage

Episode 429

Jan. 15, 2026

With lawmakers still mired over renewing enhanced tax credits for Affordable Care Act plans, much of Washington has turned to culture war issues. Meanwhile, “confusion” remains the watchword at HHS as personnel and funding decisions continue to be made and unmade with little notice. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss those stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Elisabeth Rosenthal, who wrote the latest “Bill of the Month” report.

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Health Care Helpline

To Knock Down Health-System Hurdles Between You and HIV Prevention, Try These 6 Things

It’s been more than 10 years since the FDA first approved an HIV prevention drug. Today, people who could benefit from preexposure prophylaxis often struggle to access the lifesaving medicine or run into doctors without the education or empathy to offer affirming care. And those lapses can produce billing headaches.

By Zach Dyer

Jan. 5, 2026

A photo of the front of a research building. A sign on the front reads, "National Cancer Institute."

Trump Rules Force Cancer Registries To ‘Erase’ Trans Patients From Public Health Data

In 2026, U.S. cancer registries that receive federal funding will be required by the Trump administration to classify patients’ sex as only male, female, or not stated/unknown.

By Rachana Pradhan

Dec. 11, 2025

A black and white photograph from 1988 shows Rafeeuddin Ahmed, Chairman of the UN Steering Committee for the Prevention and Control of AIDS, speaking at the opening ceremony. On the right is Mrs. M Perez de Cuellar, wife of the UN Secretary-General.

This HIV Expert Refused To Censor Data, Then Quit the CDC

HIV physician John Weiser talks about why complying with President Donald Trump’s orders to erase transgender people is bad for science and society. And he notes that acquiescing didn’t spare the CDC from further harm.

By Amy Maxmen

Dec. 10, 2025

A picture of a woman pretending to go through the process of dying during a training program. She is circled by others who are learning how to preform aid.

More People Are Caring for Dying Loved Ones at Home. A New Orleans Nonprofit Is Showing Them How.

Demand for home health care, including at-home hospice care, has skyrocketed since the onset of the covid pandemic. A New Orleans nonprofit is teaching people how to provide end-of-life care for relatives and community members.

By Halle Parker, Verite News

Nov. 25, 2025

A photo of a sign outside the National Cancer Institute's campus in Rockville, Maryland.

US Cancer Registries, Constrained by Trump Policies, To Recognize Only ‘Male’ or ‘Female’ Patients

Under Trump policies, cancer registries in 2026 will have to classify sex data strictly as male, female, or unknown, a change scientists and advocates say will harm the health of one of the nation’s most marginalized populations.

By Rachana Pradhan

Nov. 21, 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 young man in silhouette. He is looking at his phone.

The National Suicide Hotline For LGBTQ+ Youth Shut Down. States Are Scrambling To Help.

LGBTQ+ youth lost dedicated support on the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in July at a critical time. Advocates say mental health issues are rising in that population amid hostility from the Trump administration.

By Annie Sciacca

Aug. 19, 2025

Tribal Groups Assert Sovereignty as Feds Crack Down on Gender-Affirming Care

Native American groups declare that tribal sovereignty trumps state and federal efforts to restrict or ban gender-affirming care for two-spirit and LGBTQ+ tribal citizens. Tribes are analyzing the risk of opposing Trump’s policies, advocates say.

By Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez

July 30, 2025

What the Health? From KFF Health News

Here Come the ACA Premium Hikes

Episode 407

July 24, 2025

Medicaid may have monopolized Washington’s attention lately, but big changes are coming to the Affordable Care Act as well. Meanwhile, Americans are learning more about what’s in Trump’s big budget law, and polls suggest many don’t like what they see. Julie Appleby of KFF Health News, Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews historian Jonathan Oberlander to mark Medicare’s 60th anniversary.

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What the Health? From KFF Health News

The Senate Saves PEPFAR Funding — For Now

Episode 406

July 17, 2025

The Senate narrowly approved the Trump administration’s request to claw back about $9 billion for foreign aid and public broadcasting but refused to cut funding for the international AIDS/HIV program PEPFAR. Meanwhile, a federal appeals court ruled that West Virginia can ban the abortion pill mifepristone, which could allow states to block other FDA-approved drugs. Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.

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A photo of a teenager sitting in the frame of a doorway backlit by a room filled with daylight.

The Foster Care System Has a Suicide Problem. Federal Cuts Threaten To Slow Fixes.

Children and young adults in the U.S. foster care system suffer from mental health disorders and die by suicide at far higher rates than the general population, yet the system doesn’t uniformly screen and treat children who are at risk.

By Cheryl Platzman Weinstock

July 11, 2025

An outside view of the University of Michigan Hospital, a tan building with a large M on the outside

Feds Investigate Hospitals Over Religious Exemptions From Gender-Affirming Care

Federal health officials are investigating claims that a Michigan health system fired an employee who sought a religious exemption to avoid calling transgender patients by their pronouns or referring them for gender-affirming care. Legal experts say the investigation escalates the Trump administration’s effort to curb medical care for transgender patients.

By Kate Wells, Michigan Public

July 1, 2025

California’s Much-Touted IVF Law May Be Delayed Until 2026, Leaving Many in the Lurch

California lawmakers are poised to approve a six-month delay in implementing the state’s in vitro fertilization law, pushing its start to January 2026. The plan to postpone, which has drawn little attention, is part of the state budget package and has left patients, insurers, and employers in limbo.

By Sarah Kwon

June 25, 2025

A man sits at an office desk that shows lots of signs of activity; stacks of paper, an open computer, and a name plate.

‘We Need To Keep Fighting’: HIV Activists Organize To Save Lives as Trump Guts Funding

While Congress fails to stave off cuts to HIV care, community leaders in Mississippi and beyond race to limit the damage.

By Amy Maxmen

June 24, 2025

What the Health? From KFF Health News

Supreme Court Upholds Bans on Gender-Affirming Care

Episode 402

June 20, 2025

The Supreme Court this week said Tennessee may continue to enforce its law banning most types of gender-affirming care for minors. The ruling is likely to greenlight similar laws in two dozen states. And the Senate is preparing to vote on a budget reconciliation bill that includes even deeper Medicaid cuts than the House version. Victoria Knight of Axios, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.

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Street view of signage outside Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago

A Chicago Hospital Bows to Federal Pressure on Trans Care for Teens

In the wake of an executive order by President Donald Trump opposing gender-affirming surgeries for minors, hospitals are pausing procedures — even those already scheduled. Families fear the eventual loss of all gender-affirming care for their transgender kids.

By Kristen Schorsch, WBEZ Chicago

April 24, 2025

A photo of a scientist's gloved hands using a pipette to take a sample from a petri dish.

Beyond Ivy League, RFK Jr.’s NIH Slashed Science Funding Across States That Backed Trump

A KFF Health News analysis underscores how the terminations have spared no part of the country, politically or geographically. Of the organizations that had grants cut in the first month, about 40% are in states President Donald Trump won in November.

By Rae Ellen Bichell and Rachana Pradhan

April 17, 2025

Trump 2.0

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