Medicaid Advocates Say Critics Use Loaded Terms To Gain Edge in Congressional Debate
By Phil Galewitz
As policymakers in Washington debate potentially steep funding cuts to Medicaid, Republicans are using terms such as “money laundering” and “discrimination” to make their case. Language experts and Medicaid advocates say their word choice is misleading and designed to sway the public against the popular program.
Marty Makary, Often Wrong as Pandemic Critic, Is Poised To Lead the FDA He Railed Against
By Arthur Allen
Should Marty Makary take the reins at the FDA, transitioning from gadfly to the head of an agency that regulates a fifth of the U.S. economy, he would have to engage in the thorny challenges of governing.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': The State of Federal Health Agencies Is Uncertain
The Supreme Court opined for the first time that Trump administration officials may be exceeding their authority to reshape the federal government by refusing to honor completed contracts, even as lower-court judges started blocking efforts to fire workers, freeze funding, and cancel ongoing contracts. Meanwhile, public health officials are alarmed at the Department of Health and Human Services’ public handling of Texas’ widening measles outbreak, particularly the secretary’s less-than-full endorsement of vaccines. Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, and Stephanie Armour of KFF Health News join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.
Daily Edition for Thursday, March 6, 2025
California’s Bird Flu Outbreak Is Slowing: There have been no new cases in humans since January, said Dr. Erica Pan, director of the Department of Public Health. And State Veterinarian Dr. Annette Jones said the state’s almost 1,000 dairy herds of cows are getting sick at a slower pace. Read more from Politico.
For Seniors With Hoarding Disorder, a Support Group Helps Confront Stigma and Isolation
By Sarah Boden
Hoarding disorder disproportionately affects older people. As baby boomers age, it is a growing public health concern. Effective treatments are scarce, and treating hoarding can require expensive interventions that drain municipal resources. Some experts fear a coming crisis.
Para pacientes, padres y cuidadores, los recortes a Medicaid son una afrenta personal
By Bernard J. Wolfson
La primera semana de marzo, la Cámara de Representantes aprobó un plan presupuestario republicano que podría reducir el gasto de Medicaid en $880.000 millones a lo largo de 10 años.
Daily Edition for Wednesday, March 5, 2025
Is California's For-Profit Psychiatric System Destroying Lives?: Psychiatric hospitals operated by for-profit companies are now the fastest-growing destination for tens of thousands of Californians experiencing emergencies. But some say companies have capitalized on lax state regulations, generating massive earnings while exposing patients to deadly neglect. Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
CDC Firings Undermine Public Health Work Far Beyond Washington
By Rachana Pradhan
The Trump administration’s sudden firings have gutted training programs across the nation that bolstered state and local public health departments.
Years Later, Centene Settlements With States Still Unfinished
By Andy Miller
At least 20 states have settled disputes with health insurance giant Centene since 2021 over allegations that its pharmacy benefit manager operation overcharged their Medicaid programs. Two holdouts appear to remain: Georgia has not yet settled, and Florida officials won’t answer questions about its Centene situation.
To Patients, Parents, and Caregivers, Proposed Medicaid Cuts Are a Personal Affront
By Bernard J. Wolfson
At a town hall in Orange County, California, angry residents said Congress should keep its hands off Medicaid. The cuts contemplated in a House budget blueprint would bore a giant hole in California’s version of the safety net health insurance program, Medi-Cal, which covers nearly 15 million residents.
