Medicaid Archives - Page 10 of 93

Cutting Medicaid Is Hard — Even for the GOP

Episode 396

May 8, 2025

Republicans on Capitol Hill are struggling to reach consensus on cutting the Medicaid program as they search for nearly a trillion dollars in savings over the next decade — as many observers predicted. Meanwhile, turmoil continues at the Department of Health and Human Services, with more controversial cuts and personnel moves, including the sudden nomination of Casey Means, an ally of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s, to become surgeon general. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Maya Goldman of Axios, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Lauren Sausser, who co-reported the latest “Bill of the Month” feature, about an unexpected bill for what seemed like preventive care.

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A photo of the exterior of a community hospital in rural Colorado. Two pedestrians walk across the sidewalk in front of it.

Seeking Spending Cuts, GOP Lawmakers Target a Tax Hospitals Love To Pay

Republicans, on the hunt for spending cuts, are eyeing a special kind of Medicaid tax that nearly every state uses to boost funding for hospitals, nursing homes, and other providers.

By Phil Galewitz

May 8, 2025

A mother leans over her child, who is in a wheelchair. They are both smiling.

As Republicans Eye Sweeping Medicaid Cuts, Missouri Offers a Preview

Congressional Republicans are looking to cut at least $880 billion from a pool of federal funding that includes Medicaid — and the program is likely to take a major hit. A previous budget crunch in Missouri offers a window into how cuts ripple through people’s lives.

By Bram Sable-Smith

May 7, 2025

A photo illustration shows the exterior of the White House seen behind a blurred picture of an American flag waving in the wind against a blue sky.

Trump Policies at Odds With ‘Make America Healthy Again’ Push

On the surface, President Donald Trump embraced the MAHA movement with a pledge to end the nation’s high rates of chronic disease. But the broader Trump agenda may prove to be the biggest barrier this effort confronts.

By Stephanie Armour

May 7, 2025

A woman sits in a folding chair in front of a blue van.

HIV Testing and Outreach Falter as Trump Funding Cuts Sweep the South

A disruption in federal funds has jeopardized HIV testing and outreach in Mississippi, and researchers warn of a resurgence of the epidemic in the South.

By Amy Maxmen

May 6, 2025

KFF Health News On Air

Journalists Explore Medicaid Work Rules, CDC Layoffs, and RFK Jr.’s ‘MAHA’ Mission

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

May 3, 2025

The Week in Brief

Work Requirements Might Cut Medicaid Spending. But at What Cost?

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

By Renuka Rayasam and Sam Whitehead

May 2, 2025

Spotlight

Covered California Pushes for Better Health Care as Federal Spending Cuts Loom

Monica Soni, Covered California’s chief medical officer, oversees an effort to hold health plans financially accountable for the quality of care they provide, including childhood vaccination rates, which have fallen in California and nationwide. She worries federal spending cuts could soon bring turbulence to the state’s Affordable Care Act marketplace.

By Bernard J. Wolfson

May 2, 2025

A photo of the exterior of a concrete office building: the headquarters of the Government Accountability Office.

Government Watchdog Expects Medicaid Work Requirement Analysis by Fall

This fall, the U.S. Government Accountability Office expects to release a report on how much it costs to run Georgia Pathways to Coverage — the country’s only active Medicaid work requirement program — as other states and Congress consider similar programs.

By Sam Whitehead and Renuka Rayasam

May 2, 2025

What the Health? From KFF Health News

100 Days of Health Policy Upheaval

Episode 395

May 1, 2025

Members of Congress are back in Washington, and Republicans are struggling to find ways to reduce Medicaid spending without cutting benefits. Meanwhile, confusion continues to reign at the Department of Health and Human Services. Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.

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A photo of a doctor speaking to a colleague at the front desk of a doctor's office.

Help Wanted

California’s Primary Care Shortage Persists Despite Ambitious Moves To Close Gap

The state has in recent years embraced several initiatives recommended in an influential health care workforce report, including alternative payment arrangements for primary care doctors to earn more. Despite increasing residency programs, student debt forgiveness, and tuition-free medical school, California is unlikely to meet patient demand, observers say.

By Bernard J. Wolfson and Vanessa G. Sánchez

May 1, 2025

The Week in Brief

Montana Hospitals Preserve Medicaid Expansion, Fend Off Regulations

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

By Mike Dennison

April 25, 2025

What the Health? From KFF Health News

Can Congress Reconcile Trump’s Wishes With Medicaid’s Needs?

Episode 394

April 24, 2025

When Congress returns next week, it will be writing a budget reconciliation bill that’s expected to cut taxes but also make deep cuts to Medicaid. But at least some Republicans are concerned about cutting a program that aids so many of their constituents. Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, Tami Luhby of CNN, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss this story and more. Also, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Rae Ellen Bichell about her story on how care for transgender minors is changing in Colorado.

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A vector illustration with three rows of a diverse group of people walking.

Medi-Cal Under Threat: Who’s Covered and What Could Be Cut?

Federal law requires states to offer health insurance to many people with low incomes or disabilities. But some states, including California, are far more generous than what’s required. Budget pressures may force lawmakers to cut benefits that have led to a historic low in the uninsured rate.

By Don Thompson

April 23, 2025

A photo of members standing on the Montana Senate floor.

Hospitals’ Lobbying Frustrates Montana Lawmakers Who Sought To Boost Oversight

Montana’s powerful hospital lobby was instrumental in renewing the state’s Medicaid expansion program and has also fended off most legislation to increase state oversight of their business.

By Mike Dennison

April 23, 2025

What the Health? From KFF Health News

On Autism, It’s the Secretary’s Word vs. the CDC’s

Episode 393

April 17, 2025

Tensions between Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his employees at the Department of Health and Human Services are mounting, as he made a series of claims about autism this week — contradicting his agency’s findings. Plus, President Donald Trump unveiled an executive order to lower drug prices as his administration explores tariffs that could raise them. Shefali Luthra of The 19th, Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, and Anna Edney of Bloomberg News join KFF Health News’ Emmarie Huetteman to discuss these stories and more. Plus, KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner interviews two University of California-San Francisco researchers about an upcoming Supreme Court case that could have major ramifications for preventive care.

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A digital illustration of a woman on a red cell phone with a red chain hovering around her. Blue speech bubbles spread out with a liquid heaviness around her. She has a pained expression.

A Call for Comfort Brought the Police Instead. Now the Solution Is in Danger.

Emotionally overwhelmed, an Indiana woman dialed a mental health hotline. She didn’t find the help she was looking for and hung up. Ultimately, she was handcuffed and hospitalized overnight. Now, amid federal cuts, she and others fear the U.S. response to similar crises will revert to more responses like that.

By Samantha Liss

April 16, 2025

A man wearing glasses sits on a couch facing the camera.

States Push Medicaid Work Rules, but Few Programs Help Enrollees Find Jobs

Republicans are pushing to implement requirements that Medicaid recipients work in order to obtain or retain coverage. Some states try to help enrollees find jobs. But states lack the data to show whether they’re effective.

By Sam Whitehead, Phil Galewitz, and Katheryn Houghton

April 15, 2025

What the Health? From KFF Health News