Can Congress Reconcile Trump’s Wishes With Medicaid’s Needs?

The Host

Julie Rovner
KFF Well being Information

@jrovner

Learn Julie’s tales.

Julie Rovner is chief Washington correspondent and host of KFF Well being Information’ weekly well being coverage information podcast, “What the Well being?” A famous knowledgeable on well being coverage points, Julie is the writer of the critically praised reference guide “Well being Care Politics and Coverage A to Z,” now in its third version.

Congress returns from spring break subsequent week and can get to work crafting a invoice that may minimize taxes and enhance immigration enforcement — however that additionally might minimize no less than $880 billion over the following decade from a pool of funding that features Medicaid. Some Republicans, nonetheless, are beginning to query the political knowledge of constructing such giant cuts to a program that gives well being protection to so lots of their constituents.

In the meantime, the Supreme Courtroom heard arguments in a case difficult the requirement that the majority personal insurance coverage cowl sure preventive companies with no out-of-pocket value for sufferers.

This week’s panelists are Julie Rovner of KFF Well being Information, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, Tami Luhby of CNN, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico.

Panelists

Sarah Karlin-Smith
Pink Sheet

@SarahKarlin

Learn Sarah’s tales.

Tami Luhby
CNN

@Luhby

Learn Tami’s tales.

Alice Miranda Ollstein
Politico

@AliceOllstein

Learn Alice’s tales.

Among the many takeaways from this week’s episode:

• On the hunt for tactics to pay for an extension of President Donald Trump’s tax cuts, many congressional Republicans are selecting their phrases fastidiously as they describe potential cuts to Medicaid — cuts that, contemplating heavy reliance on this system, particularly in crimson states, might be politically unpopular.
• Amid the excitement over Medicaid cuts, one other federal program that helps hundreds of thousands of Individuals afford well being care can also be on the chopping block: the improved authorities subsidies launched below the Biden administration that assist pay premiums for Inexpensive Care Act plans. The subsidies expire on the finish of this yr, and Congress has but to handle extending them.
• One little-discussed choice for reaching deep authorities spending cuts is Medicare Benefit, the personal various to conventional Medicare that provides a wide range of additional advantages for these over 65 — however that additionally prices the federal authorities a bundle. Even Mehmet Oz, the brand new head of the Facilities for Medicare & Medicaid Providers who as soon as pushed Medicare Benefit plans as a TV character, has solid sidelong glances at personal insurers over how a lot they cost the federal government.
• And the Supreme Courtroom heard oral arguments this week in a case that challenges the U.S. Preventive Providers Job Pressure and will maintain main implications for preventive care protection nationwide. The justices’ questioning suggests the courtroom might facet with the federal government and protect the duty pressure’s authority — although that call would additionally give extra energy over preventive care to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the well being and human companies secretary.

Additionally this week, Rovner interviews KFF Well being Information’ Rae Ellen Bichell about her story on how take care of transgender minors is altering in Colorado.

Plus, for “additional credit score” the panelists recommend well being coverage tales they learn this week that they assume you need to learn, too: 

Julie Rovner: MedPage Right this moment’s “Medical Journals Get Letters From DOJ,” by Kristina Fiore.

Sarah Karlin-Smith: The Tampa Bay Instances’ “Countering DeSantis, $10M Hope Florida Donation Got here From Medicaid, Draft Reveals,” by Alexandra Glorioso and Lawrence Mower.

Tami Luhby: Stat’s “In Eire, a World Hub for the Pharma Business, Trump Tariffs Are a Supply of Deep Fear,” by Andrew Joseph.

Alice Miranda Ollstein: The New York Instances’ “A Scientist Is Paid to Examine Maple Syrup. He’s Additionally Paid to Promote It,” by Will Evans, Ellen Gabler, and Anjali Tsui.

Additionally talked about on this week’s podcast:

• Stat’s “New England Journal of Drugs Will get Swept Up in U.S. Legal professional Inquiry Into Alleged Bias,” by Anil Oza.
• KFF’s “KFF Monitoring Ballot on Well being Info and Belief: The Public’s Views on Measles Outbreaks and Misinformation,” by Alex Montero, Grace Sparks, Julian Montalvo III, Ashley Kirzinger, and Liz Hamel.
• Bloomberg Information’ “Meals Business Says There’s No Settlement With US Well being Company to Reduce Dyes,” by Rachel Cohrs Zhang.
• Politico’s “RFK Jr. Eyes Reversing CDC’s Covid-19 Vaccine Advice for Kids,” by Adam Cancryn.
• The New Yorker’s “The Value of Defunding Harvard,” by Atul Gawande.
• The Wall Avenue Journal’s “Trump’s FDA Sends a Bullish Sign to Biotech,” by David Wainer

Credit

Francis Ying
Audio producer

Emmarie Huetteman
Editor

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