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What the Health? From ��ýҕ�l Health News

The Return of ‘Medicare for All’

Episode 458

Aug. 6, 2026

Michigan voters this week chose former Detroit public health director Abdul El-Sayed as the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate. El-Sayed has made “Medicare for All” a major part of his campaign. Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Amanda Seitz of ��ýҕ�l Health News join ��ýҕ�l Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss this story and more. Also this week, as part of the “How Would You Fix It?” series, Rovner interviews Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.).

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Medicaid Work Rule Leaves Homeless People in the Cold

Conservatives who have long pushed for Medicaid work requirements often said vulnerable people would get a pass. But the federal government’s list of exemptions left off homeless people.

By Katheryn Houghton

Aug. 6, 2026

How Would You Fix It?

Watch: Democratic Senator Proposes a Fix for American Healthcare — Covering All Kids

Sen. Andy Kim of New Jersey wants to offer universal healthcare until age 26. He sat down with ��ýҕ�l Health News’ Julie Rovner to answer the question: “How Would You Fix It?”

By Julie Rovner and Hannah Norman

Aug. 6, 2026

A photo of a pile of disposable surgical face masks. A sticker that reads, "Vote," is placed on the central mask.

They Worked To Protect Public Health. Now They Want the Public’s Votes.

They’re known for touting pandemic precautions, Affordable Care Act plans, and testing for lead in schools. This year, some former public health officials are touting themselves — for governor or senator.

By Phil Galewitz, Christine Mai-Duc, and Amanda Seitz

July 31, 2026

What the Health? From ��ýҕ�l Health News

The Politics of Grant Cuts

Episode 457

July 30, 2026

The revelation in court documents that the Trump administration used politics alone to decide which grants to fund and which to cancel has provoked surprisingly little outcry from Capitol Hill. Meanwhile, Republicans renewed their campaign against Anthony Fauci’s handling of covid. Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Bloomberg News, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Liz Essley Whyte of The Wall Street Journal join ��ýҕ�l Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.

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A man stands in the entryway to his kitchen at home.

Bill of the Month

Uninsured but Undaunted, a Surgical Patient Searched the Globe for a Deal

When surgery became unavoidable, a man with no insurance shopped around for the best price for a hernia repair — and saved thousands by traveling out of state.

By Paula Andalo

July 29, 2026

A photo of four older adults sitting around a dinner table.

The New Old Age

To Afford Aging in Place, Older Adults Turn to ‘Golden Girls’ Housing

A growing network of home-sharing programs is helping people find compatible housemates. And demand is rising, driven by housing shortages, rising rents, and sales prices that affect both the old and the young.

By Paula Span

July 24, 2026

A picture of a building from a low angle. There are trees and a sign that reads "Theodore Roosevelt Building, 1900 E Street, NW, U.S. Office of Personnel Management."

Data Grab

Trump’s Personnel Agency Says It Will Remove Some Identifying Info as It Sweeps Up Medical Records

The Office of Personnel Management said it will “pseudonymize” medical records it collects on more than 8 million people — federal workers and retirees, and their family members. Democrats and employee unions say the agency’s move is an overreach.

By Amanda Seitz, Maia Rosenfeld, and Darius Tahir

July 22, 2026

A doctor holding a document speaks with a patient who is out of frame.

Doctors ‘Cringe’ at Possibility of Documenting Which Medicaid Enrollees Too Sick To Work

Final regulations on Medicaid work requirements say enrollees must regularly obtain documentation — possibly from medical professionals — to prove that they’re too sick to work. Doctors say the rules put them in a tough spot.

By Sam Whitehead

July 20, 2026

A photo of Robert F. Kennedy speaking at an official HHS news conference surrounded by others on a stage.

Denied

Insurers Hedge on Trump-Backed Pledge To Improve Denials Process

Last year, the Trump administration announced a voluntary pledge by dozens of insurers to improve prior authorization, which often requires patients to seek approval before treatments. But prior authorization remains commonplace, and there's no evidence the government is trying to hold insurers to account.

By Lauren Sausser and Renuka Rayasam

July 17, 2026

Facing Funding Losses, States Call Out Big Businesses With Employees on Medicaid

With the federal Medicaid work requirements looming in January, Democrats are considering state legislation to call out big companies that employ workers enrolled in the safety net health program. Business giants such as Amazon and Walmart said the figures are misleading.

By Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez

July 15, 2026

A pair of gloved hands harvesting three red bell peppers.

They Harvest the Nation’s Food, but a New Rule May Strip Them of Health Insurance

New Medicaid work requirements could make a complex system even harder for farmworkers to navigate.

By Paula Andalo

July 10, 2026

A nurse offers home care to an elderly male patient.

The New Old Age

A New Option for Long-Term Care Costs

Washington state has launched the first program to help cover home care and other supports. Several other states are paying attention.

By Paula Span

July 10, 2026

What the Health? From ��ýҕ�l Health News

The Politics of Health at Midyear

Episode 454

July 9, 2026

Just a few months before the midterm elections, Democrats appear to be doubling down on healthcare as a campaign issue as costs rise and insurance coverage declines. Meanwhile, Congress is taking aim at nonprofit hospitals. Shefali Luthra of The 19th, Victoria Knight of Bloomberg Government, and Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post join ��ýҕ�l Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews ��ýҕ�l Health News’ Samantha Liss, who wrote the latest “Bill of the Month.”

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A hand-drawn illustration in ink and watercolor of a woman sitting on a hospital bed that's floating out on a turbulent sea. She faces away from the viewer, silhouetted by a golden moon as lightning cracks in the distance. A crashing wave, reminiscent of Hokusai's "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" threatens to engulf her emergency bed.

PERSPECTIVE

My Search for a Psychiatric Bed in an Overburdened Health System

Over the past 70 years, the number of inpatient psychiatric beds has dropped dramatically, leaving many without critical care when they experience mental health crises. I was one of the lucky ones to get a bed — after 21 hours of waiting.

By Helen Santoro

July 9, 2026

Priced Out

Affordable Care Act Insurers Want More Premium Increases as Enrollment Sags

Insurers that sell plans in Obamacare marketplaces across 16 states and the District of Columbia have asked regulators to approve a 14% median premium increase for 2027, according to a new Peterson-KFF analysis.

By Rachel Spears

July 8, 2026

An illustration of a man with arms and legs bound by red tape.

Priced Out

Patients Face a Thicket of Red Tape Trying To Maintain Consistent Health Coverage

Many Americans are shopping around for affordable options as the cost of health insurance soars. But some who hope to keep the same doctors and medications face a thicket of red tape and disruption after they switch plans.

By Renuka Rayasam

July 8, 2026

A close-up shot of a hand holding two pills that have been dropped out of an orange pill bottle.

Thousands of Medicare Beneficiaries Thought Their Drug Plan Was Free. Then They Lost It.

Thousands of people who had a Medicare drug plan with zero-dollar premiums last year got small premium increases this year — and didn’t know it. They were dropped from their coverage for failing to pay amounts as little as $8, and most can’t get it again until 2027.

By Susan Jaffe

July 7, 2026

A man sits on a sofa next to a dog. Harsh light is cast on his face from a window out of frame.

Priced Out

Copay Assistance Is Meant To Defray Patient Drug Costs. Some Insurers Keep It Instead.

Drugmakers provide financial assistance to help patients afford increasingly expensive medications. But some insurers do not count those payments toward a plan’s deductible or out-of-pocket maximum and make patients pay instead.

By Daniel Chang

July 7, 2026

Two images shown side by side: Xavier Becerra on the left, Steve Hilton on the right. The photos are from a gubernatorial debate.

In California Governor’s Race, Voters Face Stark Choice on Immigrant Healthcare

California’s next governor will face tough decisions on a highly controversial piece of healthcare policy: what to do about health coverage for the more than 1.4 million low-income residents without legal status. Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton present starkly different choices as public opinion wavers.

By Christine Mai-Duc

July 6, 2026

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