What the Health? From KFF Health News

The blue wave widely predicted for the 2026 midterm elections not only appeared — it overperformed, with Democrats sweeping into majorities in the House and Senate. That sets up a new focus on health policy, with Democrats seeking to undo cuts imposed by President Donald Trump and the GOP-led Congress and advance their own agenda to increase coverage and lower costs. In this special episode of “What the Health?,” host Julie Rovner is joined by Larry Levitt, executive vice president for health policy at KFF; Mollyann Brodie, KFF executive vice president and chief operating officer; and Amanda Seitz, Washington health policy reporter for KFF Health News. They discuss what the new Democratic Congress could mean for health policy going forward.Visit our website for a transcript of this episode.

Open enrollment for 2027 Affordable Care Act plans kicks off in most states Nov. 1, and consumers can expect higher premiums and more bureaucracy to get covered. Meanwhile, Democrats are planning a major health agenda if they retake majorities in the  House and/or the Senate. Julie Appleby of KFF Health News, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, and Victoria Knight of Bloomberg Government join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner announces the winners of the KFF Health News Halloween haiku contest. Visit our website for a transcript of this episode.Plus for “extra credit” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too: Julie Rovner: WBEZ Chicago’s “This Illinois Law Was Supposed To Help Families. It’s Failing Them Instead,” by Kristen Schorsch. Anna Edney: KFF Health News’ “Hospital Beds for the Nation’s Sickest Kids Are Disappearing,” by Katheryn Houghton. Victoria Knight: The New York Times’ “She Trusted ChatGPT With Her Medication Decisions. It Cost Her Everything,” by Teddy Rosenbluth.  Julie Appleby: The Washington Post’s “We Disagree About Politics. But We See The Same Problems In Health Care,” by Ezekiel J. Emanuel and Brian Blase. 

Republicans tried to backload federal cuts to Medicaid in their 2025 budget bill so they would take effect after the 2026 elections, but that’s not stopping Democrats from using them to hammer their opponents. Meanwhile, the Trump administration continues to ramp up its war on fraud. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Amanda Seitz of KFF Health News, and Liz Essley Whyte of The Wall Street Journal join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Ollstein, whose new book, “Side Effects: How Abortion Bans Impact Everyone’s Health,” comes out next week. Plus, for “extra credit” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too: Julie Rovner: Vox’s “America’s Next Big Healthcare Reform Might Already Be Underway,” by Rachel Cohen Booth. Alice Miranda Ollstein: Stat’s “I Was a Theranos Whistleblower. In ‘You Can See Everything,’ Elizabeth Holmes Is Still Lying,” by Tyler Shultz.  Liz Essley Whyte: Stat’s “How the No Surprises Act’s Nonprofit Arbitrators Are Operating Like ‘Mini Gods’ and Getting Rich Doing It,” by Tara Bannow.  Amanda Seitz: The New York Times’ “Why Drug Companies Are Rushing To Market Ketamine Medicines,” by Andrew Jacobs.  

As early voting begins in some states, the Trump administration is working to keep its crackdown on healthcare fraud, waste, and abuse in the headlines. Also, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has unveiled a new initiative to identify vaccine injuries, complete with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the National Institutes of Health. Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Sandhya Raman of Bloomberg Law, and Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Sun join KFF Health News’ Mary Agnes Carey to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner talks with Dan Weissmann, host of the healthcare podcast “An Arm and a Leg,” about the new and even more confusing landscape for Medicare enrollees as open enrollment begins.  Visit our website for a transcript of this episode.Plus, for “extra credit” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too:  Mary Agnes Carey: KFF Health News’ “People Say These Peptides Hurt Them. Their Stories Are Muffled in MAHA’s Push for Medical Freedom,” by Amy Maxmen. Sandhya Raman: Stat’s “Helen Branswell, Whose Reporting on Infectious Diseases and Public Health Drew Acclaim, Dies at 69,” by Andrew Joseph. Paige Winfield Cunningham: KFF Health News’ “AI, Tech Leaders Are Lobbying Trump Health Officials in a Government-Run Chat Room,” by Amanda Seitz, Maia Rosenfeld, and Darius Tahir. Joanne Kenen: On CBS News’ “Face the Nation,” host Margaret Brennan’s interview with Shyam Sankar, chief technology officer at Palantir. (Read the transcript here.) 

A new poll from KFF suggests that rising health costs are still a top concern for voters this November and that Democrats have a substantial edge over Republicans on the issue. In an apparent attempt to close the gap, President Donald Trump is sending checks, some billed as “refunds,” to millions of enrollees in Medicare and Affordable Care Act plans. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Sun join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Michelle Andrews, who wrote the latest KFF Health News “Bill of the Month,” about a patient who got a bill from a hospital emergency department after she left without receiving treatment.  Visit our website for a transcript of this episode.Plus, for “extra credit” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too: Julie Rovner: The Atlantic’s “When Anesthesia Goes Wrong,” by Sarah Zhang.  Alice Miranda Ollstein: Politico’s “Trump Is Conditioning Foreign Aid on Deals,” by Carmen Paun.  Paige Winfield Cunningham: The New York Times’ “Battle of Hospital A.I. vs. Insurer A.I. Is Pushing Medical Costs Higher,” by Reed Abelson and Teddy Rosenbluth. Anna Edney: ProPublica’s “A Girl Nearly Died After Drinking Raw Milk. The State Did Little To Punish the Unlicensed Farmer Who Sold It,” by Annie Waldman.