Nutrition Programs Face Their Own Shutdown

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 for Disease Control and Prevention have left the agency unable to perform some of its major functions. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump’s new policy on in vitro fertilization is being met with dissatisfaction from both sides of the controversial issue. Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Shefali Luthra of The 19th join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss those stories and more.  Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Katheryn Houghton, who wrote the latest “Bill of the Month” feature, about a broken elbow and a nearly six-figure bill.   Visit our website 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: ProPublica’s “The Shadow President,” by Andy Kroll.  Shefali Luthra: The 19th’s “More People Are Freezing Their Eggs — But Most Will Never Use Them,” by Shalini Kathuria Narang, Rewire News Group.   Alice Miranda Ollstein: Brown University’s “New Study: AI Chatbots Systematically Violate Mental Health Ethics Standards.”   Rachel Roubein: The Washington Post’s “Errors in New Medicare Plan Portal Mislead Seniors on Coverage,” by Dan Diamond and Akilah Johnson.