Rerun: Happy 60th, Medicare and Medicaid!

Rerun: Happy 60th, Medicare and Medicaid!

Author: KFF Health News January 1, 2026 Duration: 56:40
This past year marked the 60th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid, the twin government programs that have shaped the health care system into what it is today. In this special episode, re-aired for the holidays, KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner interviews two experts on the history, significance, and future of these perennially popular programs. First up, Medicare historian and University of North Carolina health policy professor Jonathan Oberlander talks about Medicare. He’s followed by Sara Rosenbaum of the George Washington University, who has not only studied Medicaid since nearly its beginning but has helped shape Medicaid policy over the past four decades. Visit our website for a transcript of this episode.

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
GOP Platform Muddies Abortion Waters [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:30
As Donald Trump prepares to be formally nominated as the GOP’s candidate for president next week, the platform he will run on is taking shape. And in line with Trump’s approach, it aims to simultaneously satisfy hard-cor…
SCOTUS Term Wraps With a Bang [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:04
The Supreme Court has issued its final opinions for the 2023-24 term, including decisions affecting abortion access, the opioid epidemic, and how the federal government functions. In this special episode, Sarah Somers, l…
SCOTUS Ruling Strips Power From Federal Health Agencies [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:15
In what will certainly be remembered as a landmark decision, the Supreme Court has overruled a 40-year-old precedent that gave federal agencies, rather than judges, the power to interpret ambiguous laws passed by Congres…
Live From Aspen: Health and the 2024 Elections [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:39
Health policy may not be the top issue in this year’s presidential and congressional elections, but it’s likely to play a key role. President Joe Biden and Democrats intend to hold Republicans responsible for the Supreme…
SCOTUS Rejects Abortion Pill Challenge — For Now [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:22
The Supreme Court has dismissed a challenge to the FDA’s approval of the abortion pill mifepristone, ruling unanimously that the anti-abortion doctor group that filed the suit lacked standing. But abortion opponents are…
Nursing Home Staffing Rules Prompt Pushback [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:35
The nursing home industry — as well as a healthy number of Congress members — are all pushing back on the Biden administration’s new rules on nursing home staffing. Industry officials say that there are not enough worker…
Waiting for SCOTUS [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:20
June is when the Supreme Court typically issues rulings in the major cases it hears during that year’s term. This year, those interested in health policy are awaiting decisions in two abortion-related cases and one that…
Anti-Abortion Hard-Liners Speak Up [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:49
While Republican candidates in many states downplay their opposition to abortion, the most vehement wing of the movement, which helped overturn Roe v. Wade — those who advocate prosecuting patients, outlawing contracepti…
Bird Flu Lands as the Next Public Health Challenge [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:07
Public health authorities are closely watching an unusual strain of bird flu that has infected dairy cows in nine states and at least one dairy worker. Meanwhile, another major health system suffers a cyberattack, and Co…

«1...678910