Medicaid Is Now a Campaign Issue

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.