Elections

蘑菇影院 Health News' 'What the Health?': A Very Good Night for Abortion Rights Backers

Abortion rights backers won major victories in at least five states in the 2023 off-year elections Nov. 7, proving the staying power of abortion as a political issue in the wake of the Supreme Court鈥檚 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Meanwhile, the National Institutes of Health finally has a new director, after Democrats temporarily blocked President Joe Biden鈥檚 nominee over a mostly unrelated fight about prescription drug prices. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Tami Luhby of CNN, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join 蘑菇影院 Health News鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews 蘑菇影院 Health News鈥 Julie Appleby, who reported and wrote the latest 鈥淏ill of the Month鈥 feature.

Gubernatorial Candidates Tout Opioid Settlements

Tuesday鈥檚 election served as a testing ground for themes that could resonate with voters in 2024. Abortion is obviously among the biggest. One that鈥檚 not getting as much attention as it deserves: opioid settlement money. In Kentucky, both the newly reelected Democratic governor, Andy Beshear, and his Republican challenger, Attorney General Daniel Cameron, were involved […]

Ohio Votes on Abortion Rights Today. Eleven States May Follow in 2024.

Voters in Ohio are deciding whether to add abortion rights protections to the state鈥檚 constitution today.  The vote comes on the heels of last year鈥檚 string of ballot measure wins for abortion rights in six states: California, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana and Vermont. But this is just the start. Next year, 11 more states could see abortion-related […]

蘑菇影院 Health News' 'What the Health?': For ACA Plans, It鈥檚 Time to Shop Around

It鈥檚 Obamacare open enrollment season, which means that, for people who rely on these plans for coverage, it鈥檚 time to shop around. With enhanced premium subsidies and cost-sharing assistance, consumers may find savings by switching plans. It is especially important for people who lost their coverage because of the Medicaid unwinding to investigate their options. Many qualify for assistance. Meanwhile, the countdown to Election Day is on, and Ohio鈥檚 State Issue 1 is grabbing headlines. The closely watched ballot initiative has become a testing ground for abortion-related messaging, which has been rife with misinformation. This week鈥檚 panelists are Mary Agnes Carey of 蘑菇影院 Health News, Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico, and Rachana Pradhan of 蘑菇影院 Health News.

蘑菇影院 Health News' 'What the Health?': The Open Enrollment Mixing Bowl

Open enrollment for Medicare beneficiaries with private health plans began Oct. 15, to be followed Nov. 1 by open enrollment for Affordable Care Act plans. The selection for both is large 鈥 often too large to be navigated easily alone. And people who choose incorrectly can end up with unaffordable medical bills. Meanwhile, those on both sides of the abortion issue are looking to Ohio鈥檚 November ballot measure on abortion to see whether anti-abortion forces can break their losing streak in statewide ballot questions since the overturn of Roe v. Wade in 2022.

蘑菇影院 Health News' 'What the Health?': An Encore: 3 HHS Secretaries Reveal What the Job Is Really Like

In this special encore episode, 蘑菇影院 Health News鈥 鈥淲hat the Health?鈥 asks three people who have served as the nation鈥檚 top health official: What does a day in the life of the U.S. secretary of Health and Human Services look like? And how much of their agenda is set by the White House? Taped in June before a live audience at Aspen Ideas: Health, part of the Aspen Ideas Festival, in Aspen, Colorado, host and chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner leads a rare conversation with the current and two former HHS secretaries. Secretary Xavier Becerra and former secretaries Kathleen Sebelius and Alex Azar talk candidly about what it takes to run a department with more than 80,000 employees and a budget larger than those of many countries.

蘑菇影院 Health News' 'What the Health?': Countdown to Shutdown

Congress appears to be careening toward a government shutdown, as a small band of House conservatives vow to block any funding for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1 unless they win deeper cuts to health and other domestic programs. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump continues to roil the GOP presidential primary field, this time with comments about abortion. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Rachel Cohrs of Stat, and Tami Luhby of CNN join 蘑菇影院 Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also, for 鈥渆xtra credit,鈥 the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week they think you should read, too.

蘑菇影院 Health News' 'What the Health?': A Not-So-Health-y GOP Debate

The first Republican presidential debate of the 2024 cycle took place without front-runner Donald Trump 鈥 and with hardly a mention of health issues save for abortion. Meanwhile, in Florida, patients dropped from the Medicaid program are suing the state for not giving them enough notice or a way to contest their being dropped from the program. Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico, and Victoria Knight of Axios join 蘑菇影院 Health News鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, for 鈥渆xtra credit,鈥 the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week they think you should read, too.

蘑菇影院 Health News' 'What the Health?': Congress Is Out. The Presidential Campaign Is In.

Congress is in recess until after Labor Day, and lawmakers won鈥檛 have much time when they return to get the government funded before the next fiscal year. Meanwhile, the Republican campaign for president has begun in earnest, and while repealing the Affordable Care Act is no longer the top promise, some candidates have lively ideas about what to do with federal health programs. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post join 蘑菇影院 Health News鈥 chief Washington correspondent, Julie Rovner, to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews 蘑菇影院 Health News鈥 Phil Galewitz, who reported the latest 蘑菇影院 Health News-NPR 鈥淏ill of the Month,鈥 about how a bill that should never have been sent created headaches for one patient.

蘑菇影院 Health News' 'What the Health?': Live From Aspen: Three HHS Secretaries on What the Job Is Really Like

What does a day in the life of the nation鈥檚 top health official really look like? And how much of their agenda is set by the White House? In this special episode of 蘑菇影院 Health News鈥 鈥淲hat the Health?鈥 鈥 taped before a live audience at Aspen Ideas: Health, part of the Aspen Ideas Festival, in Aspen, Colorado 鈥 host and chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner leads a rare conversation with the current and two former U.S. secretaries of Health and Human Services. Secretary Xavier Becerra and former secretaries Kathleen Sebelius and Alex Azar talk candidly about what it takes to run a department with more than 80,000 employees and a budget larger than those of many countries.

蘑菇影院 Health News' 'What the Health?': When an Anti-Vaccine Activist Runs for President

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.鈥檚 official entry into the presidential race poses a thorny challenge for journalists: how to cover a candidate who鈥檚 opposed to vaccines without amplifying misinformation. And South Carolina becomes the latest state in the South to ban abortion after roughly six weeks of pregnancy. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Rachel Cohrs of Stat, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join 蘑菇影院 Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews 蘑菇影院 Health News senior correspondent Aneri Pattani about her project to track the billions of dollars coming from opioid makers to settle lawsuits.

Why Do Politicians Weaponize Medicare? Because It Works

Politicians are again pointing fingers over who wants to cut Medicare. As past Washington brawls show, the party accused of threatening popular entitlements tends to lose elections 鈥 although it鈥檚 the beneficiaries relying on lawmakers to fund it who stand to lose the most.

蘑菇影院 Health News' 'What the Health?': Au Revoir, Public Health Emergency

The Biden administration this week announced it would let the covid-19 public health emergency lapse on May 11, even as the Republican-led House was voting to immediately eliminate the special authorities of the so-called PHE. Meanwhile, anti-abortion forces are pressuring legislators to both tighten abortion restrictions and pay for every birth in the nation. Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post, and Victoria Knight of Axios join KHN鈥檚 chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Hannah Wesolowski of the National Alliance on Mental Illness about the rollout of the national 988 suicide prevention hotline.