RFK Jr.'s Very Bad Week

RFK Jr.'s Very Bad Week

Author: KFF Health News March 12, 2026 Duration: 40:00
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had another tough week. In addition to Kennedy having surgery on a torn rotator cuff, the nomination of his ally to become surgeon general is teetering in the Senate, the controversial head of the Food and Drug Administration's vaccine center is resigning next month, and a new survey shows Americans trust government health officials less than they do former Biden official Anthony Fauci.  Meanwhile, the Trump administration's fraud crackdown is reaching private Medicare insurance plans.  Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine join KFF Health News' Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.  Also this week, Rovner interviews Andy Schneider of Georgetown University about the Trump administration's crackdown on Medicaid fraud in Democratic-led states.   Visit our website for 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 Marshall Project's "The Harrowing Journey Home for Families Leaving Immigration Detention," by Shannon Heffernan, Jesse Bogan, and Anna Flagg.   Anna Edney: The Wall Street Journal's "The Boom in Autism Therapy Is Medicaid's Fastest-Growing Jackpot," by Christopher Weaver, Tom McGinty, and Anna Wilde Mathews.   Shefali Luthra: The New York Times' "States Move To Limit Access to H.I.V. Treatment," by Apoorva Mandavilli.   Joanne Kenen: The Idaho Capital Sun's "988 Ended His Call. Now an Idaho Teen Is Pushing for a Fix to State's Parental Consent Law," by Laura Guido.  

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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President Donald Trump’s choice to lead the vast Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., faced sharp questioning from senators this week, particularly over his history of vaccine denialism. Meanwh…
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Francis Collins led the National Institutes of Health for 12 years, under three presidents. During the Biden administration, he added White House science adviser to his long list of roles. Now he runs his own lab on the…
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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…
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The shocking shooting death of UnitedHealthcare’s chief executive in Midtown Manhattan prompted a public outcry about the problems with the nation’s health care system, as stories of delayed and denied care filled social…