Podcast

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Waking Up to Baby Formula Shortage


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The federal government finally addressed the infant formula shortage, as a growing number of families found themselves without anything to feed their babies. But it will likely take weeks for any effects of the federal action to be felt, while infants must be fed daily.

Meanwhile, a third of the nation is experiencing covid-19 activity that justifies expanding preventive measures, but public health and elected officials appear loath to ask the public to return to anything that might be deemed inconvenient.

This week’s panelists are Julie Rovner of KHN, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Tami Luhby of CNN, and Rachel Cohrs of Stat.

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: Fortune and KHN’s “The Frequently Long Waits for Insurance Prior Approvals Frustrate Doctors and Patients Needing Treatment,” by Michelle Andrews

Alice Miranda Ollstein: JAMA Health Forum’s “The Costs of Long COVID,” by David Cutler

Rachel Cohrs: ProPublica’s “The COVID Testing Company That Missed 96% of Cases,” by Anjeanette Damon

Tami Luhby: KHN’s “States Have Yet to Spend Hundreds of Millions of Federal Dollars to Tackle Covid Health Disparities,” by Phil Galewitz, Lauren Weber, and Sam Whitehead

Also discussed on this week’s podcast:

The New York Times’ “Amid a Worsening Formula Shortage, Mothers Are Asked: ‘Why Not Breastfeed?’” by Catherine Pearson

CNN’s “These Families Buy About Half of Infant Formula Nationwide. Here’s How the Biden Administration Is Trying to Help Them,” by Tami Luhby

Politico’s “What Abortion Rights Advocates Are Planning if Roe Falls,” by Alice Miranda Ollstein and Laura Barrón-López

Politico’s “Blue States Expand Who Can Provide Abortions as They Brace for a Flood of Patients,” by Alice Miranda Ollstein and Megan Messerly

The Atlantic’s “What COVID Hospitalization Numbers Are Missing,” by Ed Yong


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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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