KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': On Autism, It’s the Secretary’s Word vs. CDC’s

The Host

Emmarie Huetteman
KFF Well being Information

Emmarie Huetteman, senior editor, oversees a workforce of Washington reporters, in addition to “Invoice of the Month” and KFF Well being Information’ “What the Well being?” She beforehand spent greater than a decade reporting on the federal authorities, most lately masking shock medical payments, drug pricing reform, and different well being coverage debates in Washington and on the marketing campaign path. 

The secretary of Well being and Human Companies, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., contradicted his company’s researchers this week with unsubstantiated or outright false claims about autism spectrum dysfunction and people with the situation. His public remarks weren’t the one current instance of Kennedy talking in opposition to his workers; throughout an introductory look on the FDA, Kennedy mentioned the workers — reeling from the layoffs of three,500 colleagues — had develop into beholden to the industries they regulate.

In the meantime, President Donald Trump issued an govt order geared toward reducing drug costs as his administration signaled that tariffs on prescribed drugs and pharmaceutical substances may very well be on deck. And new knowledge exhibits that the variety of abortions carried out nationwide elevated barely final 12 months, as journey and telehealth prescribing maintained entry for some sufferers in states with abortion bans.

This week’s panelists are Emmarie Huetteman of KFF Well being Information, Anna Edney of Bloomberg Information, Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Name, and Shefali Luthra of The nineteenth.

Panelists

Anna Edney
Bloomberg Information

@annaedney

@annaedney.bsky.social

Learn Anna’s tales.

Jessie Hellmann
CQ Roll Name

@jessiehellmann

@jessiehellmann.bsky.social

Learn Jessie’s tales.

Shefali Luthra
The nineteenth

@shefali.bsky.social

Learn Shefali’s tales.

Among the many takeaways from this week’s episode:

• Kennedy’s declare that genetics don’t play a task within the growth of autism contradicts many years of scientific inquiry into the dysfunction — together with the work of his company’s personal researchers, on the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention, who say there may be certainly a genetic part to autism. Additional, his hanging remarks in regards to the extreme limitations of these with the dysfunction don’t replicate actuality for the many individuals residing with autism.
• Trump’s govt order to decrease drug costs requires adjustments to the Medicare drug negotiation program that would as a substitute enhance prices for the federal authorities. It additionally requires the FDA to make it simpler for states to import medicine from different nations, together with Canada — however, amongst different issues, the introduction of tariffs on medicine and drug substances might negate different efforts to decrease costs.
• And the image of federal well being cuts continues to be coming into focus, as individuals all through the well being care system grapple with the consequences of slashing authorities efforts to do issues like assist Individuals afford utility payments, monitor the unfold of hepatitis, and far — a lot — extra.

Additionally this week, Julie Rovner of KFF Well being Information interviews Krista Harrison and Robbie Zimbroff, well being coverage researchers on the College of California-San Francisco. They share some background on a case earlier than the Supreme Courtroom subsequent week, Kennedy v. Braidwood Administration, which challenges the flexibility of the U.S. Preventive Companies Activity Power to make knowledgeable suggestions for American well being.

Plus, for “further credit score,” the panelists counsel well being coverage tales they learn this week that they assume it is best to learn, too:

Emmarie Huetteman: KFF Well being Information’ “States Push Medicaid Work Guidelines, however Few Packages Assist Enrollees Discover Jobs,” by Sam Whitehead, Phil Galewitz, and Katheryn Houghton.

Anna Edney: ProPublica’s “Unsanitary Practices Persist at Child Method Manufacturing facility Whose Shutdown Led to Mass Shortages, Employees Say,” by Heather Vogell.

Jessie Hellmann: The Hill’s “Army’s Use of Poisonous ‘Without end Chemical substances’ Leaves Lasting Scars,” by Sharon Udasin and Rachel Frazin.

Shefali Luthra: The nineteenth’s “Trump’s Push for ‘Lovely Clear Coal’ Might Result in Extra Untimely Births,” by Jessica Kutz.

Additionally talked about on this week’s podcast:

• KFF Well being Information’ “Trump HHS Eliminates Workplace That Units Poverty Ranges Tied to Advantages for at Least 80 Million Folks,” by Arthur Allen.
• Wired’s “HHS Techniques Are in Hazard of Collapsing, Employees Say,” by David Gilbert.
• Wired’s “Elon Musk’s DOGE Is Getting Audited,” by Leah Feiger and Tim Marchman.

Credit

Francis Ying
Audio producer

Stephanie Stapleton
Editor

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KFF Well being Information is a nationwide newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about well being points and is among the core working packages at KFF—an impartial supply of well being coverage analysis, polling, and journalism. Be taught extra about KFF.

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