Nutrition programs are facing their own closure

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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 Is Health?” Julie is a renowned expert on health policy issues and is the author of the critically acclaimed reference book Health Care Policy and Politics A to Z, now in its third edition.

Health programs are feeling the brunt of the ongoing government shutdown. Funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, the Food Program for Women, Infants and Children, will likely run out in November, and cuts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are preventing the agency from carrying out some of its primary public health functions.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration is also having health consequences, and the Department of Homeland Security is trying to bolster its medical staff to handle the large number of people in its custody.

This week’s panelists are Julie Rovner of KFF Health News, Shefali Luthra of The 19, Alice Miranda Olstein of POLITICO, and Rachel Rubin of The Washington Post.

Committee members

Shefali Luthra XIX

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Alice Miranda Olstin Politico

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Rachel Rubin The Washington Post

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Among the points covered in this week’s episode:

• As the federal shutdown continues, some face the startling prospect that their SNAP and WIC benefits will soon be cut. Lawmakers are still in a bind over whether to renew the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced subsidies that are set to expire, and the nearly 24 million people with such plans — about 90% of whom benefit from the subsidies — are starting to learn what they’ll owe next year without them.
• With the government’s main weekly report on morbidity and mortality rates halted amid the lockdown, the New England Journal of Medicine and the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy announced they would collaborate to publish public health alerts. While others are stepping in to fill the gap left by the Trump administration’s withdrawal from public health, the federal government’s data and access to information cannot be easily replaced.
• It is unclear whether the Trump administration’s plan to make in vitro fertilization more accessible will lead to a significant improvement in access to fertility treatments. Some employers already offer supplemental IVF benefits, and so far there are few details, such as how generous Trump’s proposal would require coverage.

Also this week, Rovner interviewed KFF Health News’ Katherine Houghton, who wrote the latest “Bill of the Month” feature, about a broken elbow and a nearly six-figure bill.

Plus, for “extra credit,” panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too:

Julie Rovner: “ProPublica”Shadow head“, written by Andy Kroll.

Shefali Luthra: nineteenth”More people are freezing their eggs, but most will never use them”, Written by Shalini Kathuria Narang, Rewire News Group.

Alice Miranda Olstyn: Brown University”New study: AI-powered chatbots systematically violate mental health ethics standards“.

Rachel Rubin: “Washington Post”Mistakes in New Medicare Plan Portal Mislead Seniors About Coveragewritten by Dan Diamond and Akilah Johnson.

Also mentioned in this week’s podcast:

Credits

Francis Ying Audio Producer Imari Huitman Editor

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