Abortion Pills, the Budget, and RFK Jr.

Abortion Pills, the Budget, and RFK Jr.

Author: KFF Health News April 9, 2026 Duration: 37:30
This week, the Trump administration won a court battle to delay a ruling on access to the abortion pill mifepristone, angering its own anti-abortion allies. Meanwhile, the president’s budget arrived on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers are unlikely to agree to its proposed cuts to Health and Human Services programs.  Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Maya Goldman of Axios join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Visit our website to read a transcript of this episode. Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too: Julie Rovner: The Atlantic’s “HHS Officials’ Year in Purgatory Is Ending,” by Katherine J. Wu. Maya Goldman: KFF Health News’ “Trump’s Personnel Agency Is Asking for Federal Workers’ Medical Records,” by Amanda Seitz and Maia Rosenfeld. Lauren Weber: CNN’s “These Common Drug Tests Lead to Tens of Thousands of Wrongful Arrests a Year, Experts Say. One State Is Fighting Back,” by Holly Yan. Alice Miranda Ollstein: Politico’s “A Slowdown in US Visa Processing Is Wreaking Havoc on Foreign Doctors’ Lives,” by Simon J. Levien.

Ever feel like the latest health policy headlines are written in a language you don't quite speak? What the Health? From KFF Health News translates the whirlwind of Washington into something you can actually use. Hosted by Julie Rovner, the chief Washington correspondent for KFF Health News, this isn't a dry lecture. It's a weekly conversation where Rovner is joined by the journalists from The New York Times, The Washington Post, Politico, and elsewhere who are actually writing the stories. Together, they pull back the curtain on how decisions on Capitol Hill and in federal agencies get made, who they impact, and what they mean for your care and your wallet. You'll hear the inside perspective on everything from drug pricing battles and insurance market shifts to the future of Medicare and the politics of public health. This podcast cuts through the jargon and the spin, offering clarity and context on the forces shaping American healthcare. For anyone trying to understand not just what happened, but why it matters, this is an essential guide to the system. Tune in for smart, accessible analysis that makes sense of the news you need.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

What the Health? From KFF Health News
Podcast Episodes
The GOP Circles the Wagons on ACA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:40
Led by President Donald Trump, Republicans in Congress are solidifying their opposition to extending pandemic-era subsidies for Affordable Care Act plans and seem to be coalescing around giving money directly to consumer…
The Government Is Open [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:17
The record-long federal shutdown is over after a small group of Democrats agreed to a deal with most Republicans that funds the government through January — but, notably, does not extend more generous Affordable Care Act…
The State of the Affordable Care Act [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:54
November 1 marked the start of open enrollment for 2026 health plans bought from Affordable Care Act marketplaces in most states. But this sign-up season is like no other in the health law’s 15-year history. It remains u…
Happy Open Enrollment Eve! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:55
A standoff in Congress is keeping much of the federal government shut down as open enrollment begins in most states for Affordable Care Act plans. Democrats have refused to vote on spending until Republicans agree to ext…
Nutrition Programs Face Their Own Shutdown [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:05
Two major nutrition programs — supporting low-income families, as well as young children and pregnant or breastfeeding women — are likely to exhaust their funding in November, and the furloughs and firings at the Centers…
Schrödinger’s Government Shutdown [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:56
Democrats and Republicans remain stalled over funding the federal government as Republicans launch a new attack on the Affordable Care Act. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is taking advantage of the shutdown to lay o…
Starting To Feel the Shutdown’s Bite [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:54
The government shutdown continues with no obvious end in sight, and while it theoretically should not affect entitlement programs like Medicare and Medicaid, the lapse of some related authorizations — like for Medicare t…
Democrats Make This Shutdown About the ACA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:59
As long predicted, much of the federal government shut down Oct. 1 after Congress failed to pass required spending bills, with Democrats demanding Republicans renew the expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies in exchange…
Public Health Further Politicized Under the Threat of More Firings [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:01
In a rambling news conference that shocked public health experts, President Donald Trump this week — without scientific evidence — blamed the over-the-counter drug acetaminophen, and too many childhood vaccines, for the…
Ousted CDC Officials Clap Back at RFK Jr. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:37
The recently fired head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told senators that health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ordered her to fire top officials and agree to approve changes to national vaccine recom…