Podcast

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: A Health-Heavy State of the Union


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Russia’s attacks on Ukraine took the headlines for President Joe Biden’s first official State of the Union address, but Biden made a point to highlight several of the administration’s high-priority health issues, including covid, mental health, nursing home regulation, and ailments among military personnel from toxic burn pits.

Also this week, the Biden administration unveiled a program aimed at getting the country better prepared should another covid surge take place. Congress is also starting work on pandemic preparation legislation, although some lawmakers might be reluctant to spend still more money on the effort.

This week’s panelists are Julie Rovner of KHN, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Amy Goldstein of The Washington Post, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet.

Among the takeaways from this week’s episode:

Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too:

Julie Rovner: The Wall Street Journal’s “Why Is Everyone Standing So Close? Personal-Space Boundaries Shifted During the Pandemic,” by Alex Janin

Alice Miranda Ollstein: The New York Times’ “Time Is Running Out to Avert a Harrowing Future, Climate Panel Warns,” by Brad Plumer, Raymond Zhong, and Lisa Friedman

Amy Goldstein: The Washington Post’s “Ukraine Conflict Could Spark Surges of Covid, Polio, Other Diseases, Say Experts,” by Loveday Morris and Dan Diamond

Sarah Karlin-Smith: KHN’s “Covid Expert Joins Exodus Into Business, Where Science Parlays Into Profits,” by Jay Hancock

Also discussed on this week’s podcast:

KHN’s “Biden’s Promise of Better Nursing Home Care Will Require Many More Workers,” by Jordan Rau

KHN’s “Biden Pledges Better Nursing Home Care, but He Likely Won’t Fast-Track It,” by Rachana Pradhan and Harris Meyer

The Washington Post’s “Most Americans Say the Coronavirus Is Not Yet Under Control and Support Restrictions to Try to Manage It, Post-ABC Poll Finds,” by Amy Goldstein and Emily Guskin

The New York Times’ “Abortion Pills Now Account for More Than Half of U.S. Abortions,” by Pam Belluck


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This story was produced by KHN (Kaiser Health News), a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation.

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