Presenting: ‘First Opinion Podcast’

Presenting: ‘First Opinion Podcast’

Author: KFF Health News May 20, 2025 Duration: 27:13
Today we’re sharing something different with you: an episode of the “First Opinion Podcast” from our friends at Stat. In this episode, host and Stat opinion editor Torie Bosch talks to a veterinarian and epidemiologist about what cats have to do with H5N1 bird flu.   Every week, Bosch goes in depth with newsmakers and leading experts, such as politicians, researchers, and health care providers. These conversations cover anything from health policy, to using comedy to critique medicine, to the use of AI scribes.    If you like this episode, please give the podcast a follow. Learn more about “First Opinion Podcast” here.   KFF Health News’ “What the Health?” will be back with a new episode Friday. 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
Trump’s Bill Reaches the Finish Line [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:59
The House on Thursday moved to approve the largest-ever cuts to federal safety net programs, the last step before the measure goes to President Donald Trump’s desk. After the Senate very narrowly passed the bill, House G…
Live From Aspen — Governors and an HHS Secretary Sound Off [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:01
In this special episode taped before a live audience at Aspen Ideas: Health, three former governors — one of whom also served as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services — have a wide-ranging discussion a…
Supreme Court Upholds Bans on Gender-Affirming Care [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:34
The Supreme Court this week said Tennessee may continue to enforce its law banning most types of gender-affirming care for minors. The ruling is likely to greenlight similar laws in two dozen states. Meanwhile, the Senat…
RFK Jr. Upends Vaccine Policy, After Promising He Wouldn’t [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:57
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. this week did something he had promised not to do: He fired every member of the scientific advisory committee that recommends which vaccines should be given to wh…
Live From AHCJ: Shock and Awe in Federal Health Policy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:09
This episode was taped live on Friday, May 30, at the annual conference of the Association of Health Care Journalists in Los Angeles. Host Julie Rovner moderated a panel featuring Rachel Nuzum, senior vice president for…
Bill With Billions in Health Program Cuts Passes House [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:49
After an unusual all-night session, the House narrowly passed a budget reconciliation bill, including billions of dollars in tax cuts for the wealthy, along with billions of dollars in spending cuts to Medicaid, the Affo…
GOP Poised To Cut Billions in Health Benefits [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:47
GOP-controlled House committees approved parts of President Donald Trump’s “one big, beautiful bill” this week, including more than $700 billion in cuts to health programs over the next decade — mostly from Medicaid, whi…
Cutting Medicaid Is Hard — Even for the GOP [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:42
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…
100 Days of Health Policy Upheaval [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:17
Congress is back in Washington this week, and Republicans are struggling to find ways to reduce Medicaid spending without cutting benefits, as the program has grown in popularity and relevance with their voters. Meanwhil…