End-of-Year Chaos on Capitol Hill

End-of-Year Chaos on Capitol Hill

Author: KFF Health News December 20, 2024 Duration: 38:22
Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate successfully negotiated an enormous end-of-Congress health package, including bipartisan efforts to address prescription drug prices — only to see it blown up at the last minute after Elon Musk and President-elect Donald Trump applied pressure. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court accepted its first abortion-related case of the term, and the attorney general of Texas sued a doctor in New York for prescribing abortion pills to a Texas patient. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, and Victoria Knight of Axios join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF President and CEO Drew Altman about what happened in health policy in 2024 and what to expect in 2025. Click here for a transcript of the episode. Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too: Julie Rovner: Vox.com’s “The Deep Roots of Americans’ Hatred of Their Health Care System,” by Dylan Scott. Alice Miranda Ollstein: KFF Health News’ “Native American Patients Are Sent to Collections for Debts the Government Owes,” by Katheryn Houghton and Arielle Zionts. Jessie Hellmann: KFF Health News’ “How a Duty To Spend Wisely on Worker Benefits Could Loosen PBMs’ Grip on Drug Prices,” by Arthur Allen. Victoria Knight: Bloomberg News’ “The Weight-Loss Drug Gold Rush Has a Dangerous Prescription Problem,” by Madison Muller. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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
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