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The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, passed by congressional Republicans in 2025, was supposed to backload cuts to health programs so they wouldn’t take effect until after the 2026 midterm elections. That’s not how things are working out, with numerous analyses showing insurance coverage is already starting to drop.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration claims that the coverage reductions prove its anti-fraud efforts are working. But those efforts are likely to affect far more people than just those who commit fraud against federal health programs.
This week’s panelists are Julie Rovner of KFF Health News, Maya Goldman of Axios, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post.
Among the takeaways from this week’s episode:
- Amid a recent decline in the number of Americans with health insurance, one affected group in particular stands out: children. Many kids are falling off the Medicaid rolls, largely because of the chilling effects of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and broader confusion about eligibility requirements.
- Meanwhile, the high cost of health insurance is pressing people to seek alternatives, many of which offer few or no protections against large medical bills. On the campaign trail, high-profile Democrats are sounding the alarm about a problematic health ecosystem, even framing issues such as reproductive health in terms of affordability.
- The Trump administration is raising eyebrows with its response to the emerging Ebola crisis as it works to keep American citizens exposed to the disease out of the country entirely. Countering previous government approaches, which prioritized not only public safety but also offering the best care available to Americans, this approach also stands in stark contrast with President Donald Trump’s dismissal of masks, isolation, and other measures during the covid pandemic.
- And Trump declared himself healthy this week after undergoing his third physical exam in 13 months at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Trump’s resistance to answering specific questions, despite visible issues such as bruising and swelling, raises the point that a president’s health can be a public matter — especially for a president who is about to turn 80.
Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ editor-at-large for public health, Céline Gounder, to discuss the Ebola outbreak in central Africa.
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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 “She Faced a Life-Threatening Miscarriage. Under Arkansas’ Abortion Ban, Even Calls to the Governor’s Office Didn’t Help,” by Kavitha Surana.
Lauren Weber: The New York Times’ “Short Naps, Long Hours: How Autism Clinics Squeeze Medicaid Dollars Out of Preschoolers,” by Sarah Kliff and Margot Sanger-Katz.
Shefali Luthra: The New York Times’ “Nine Months of Medical Attention. Then Almost Nothing,” by Sejal Hathi.
Maya Goldman: The Texas Tribune’s “Texas Children’s Hospital Must Create Country’s First ‘Detransition Clinic’ Under Legal Settlement With State,” by Terri Langford and Colleen DeGuzman.
Also mentioned in this week’s podcast:
- Axios’ “Why Kids’ Medicaid Enrollment Keeps Falling,” by Maya Goldman.
- The Georgetown University Center for Children and Families’ “Drop in Child Medicaid and CHIP Enrollment Even Before HR 1 Policies Take Full Effect Is Troubling Sign,” by Joan Alker.
- KFF Health News’ “Cheaper, Alternative Health Plans Are Having a Moment, but Critics Urge Caution,” by Sarah Kwon.
- NPR’s “As Voters Prioritize Cost of Living, Focus on Abortion Evolves in Midterm Elections,” by Elena Moore.
- The Washington Post’s “Doctor Evacuated From Congo Feels ‘Helpless’ Watching Colleagues Die of Ebola,” by Lauren Weber.
- KFF Health News’ “Trump Bought Stock in Drugmaker as His Government Boosted Its Obesity Drugs,” by Darius Tahir.
- The Atlantic’s “A Different Kind of Fading President,” by Jonathan Lemire.
- What I Can & Can’t Say on TV’s “The Harder You Push, the Harder They Push Back,” by Céline Gounder.
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