The Host
Julie Rovner
KFF Health News
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Julie Rovner is chief Washington correspondent and host of KFF Health News’ weekly health policy news podcast, “What the Health?” A noted expert on health policy issues, Julie is the author of the critically praised reference book “Health Care Politics and Policy A to Z,” now in its third edition.
The second Trump presidency launched with a bang at the Department of Health and Human Services, where a traditional pause on public communications was expanded to an effective stoppage of scientific work, as health agencies were ordered to cancel meetings, travel, and efforts on outside publications. It is unclear how long the order will stay in effect; President Donald Trump’s nominee to run the department, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., won’t go before Senate committees for his confirmation hearings until the end of the month.
Meanwhile, starting on his first day in office, the new president issued a raft of executive orders aimed at reversing Biden administration policy — but, notably, none directly addressing abortion, which has been a traditional focus every time the White House changes parties.
This week’s panelists are Julie Rovner of KFF Health News, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post, and Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Stat.
Panelists
Alice Miranda Ollstein
Politico
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Rachel Roubein
The Washington Post
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Rachel Cohrs Zhang
Stat News
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Among the takeaways from this week’s episode:
- The Trump administration took a very firm grip on federal agencies this week, sowing uncertainty with blanket cancellations of upcoming meetings and travel — as well as by implementing a broad pause on external communications. The cancellations reached deep into agencies’ core functions, affecting, for instance, meetings to review grant applications for federally funded research.
- Kennedy’s confirmation hearings to be Health and Human Services secretary are scheduled for Jan. 29 and 30. Yet questions remain about his nomination, including more recent revelations about conflicts of interest — such as his financial stake in ongoing litigation with Merck & Co. related to the HPV vaccine.
- Trump issued a slew of executive orders this week. (It is worth noting that executive orders largely instruct federal agencies to start making a change, rather than constituting the change themselves.) Of note on health, Trump’s orders instructed the removal of the U.S. from the World Health Organization; revoked a Biden administration order to reduce drug prices; and laid the groundwork to undermine health care for transgender people. Notably, though, none of the orders directly addressed abortion.
Also this week, Rovner interviews Rodney Whitlock, a consultant with McDermott+ and an adjunct faculty member at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health. Whitlock is a former House and Senate staffer and provides a primer on how Congress’ convoluted budget reconciliation process is supposed to work.
Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too:
Julie Rovner: CNN’s “With Bird Flu Cases Rising, Certain Kinds of Pet Food May Be Risky for Animals — And People,” by Brenda Goodman.
Rachel Roubein: The Washington Post’s “Antiabortion Advocates Look for Men To Report Their Partners’ Abortion,” by Caroline Kitchener.
Rachel Cohrs Zhang: The Washington Post’s “In Florida, a Rebellion Against Fluoride Is Winning,” by Fenit Nirappil.
Alice Ollstein: The Los Angeles Times’ “Now That You Can Return Home After the Fires, How Do You Clean Up Safely?” by Karen Garcia and Tony Briscoe.
Also mentioned in this week’s podcast:
The Texas Tribune’s “Longtime Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards Dies After Battle With Brain Cancer,” by Eleanor Klibanoff.
Credits
Francis Ying
Audio producer
Emmarie Huetteman
Editor
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