KFF Health News 38d ago

In this week's podcast episode of What the Health? From KFF Health News and @wamu885: In just the first few days after losing his bid for reelection in Louisiana, Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy has already started signaling that his loyalty to President Donald Trump has waned. But how much Cassidy will try to accomplish toward his health agenda in his remaining months in office remains to be seen. Sheryl Gay Stolberg of The New York Times, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss this story and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews health policy professor Miranda Yaver, the author of new book about health insurance denials. Plus for “extra credit” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week they think you should read, too: Julie Rovner: The Wall Street Journal’s “How Zyn Became All the Rage Inside Trump World — Including With RFK Jr.,” by Liz Essley Whyte, Josh Dawsey and C. Ryan Barber: https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/how-zyn-became-all-the-rage-inside-trumpworldincluding-with-rfk-jr-dd3d7105 Alice Miranda Ollstein: Stat’s “1 in 8 Women Drink During Pregnancy. Experts Dread the Consequences,” by Isabella Cueto: https://www.statnews.com/2026/05/19/drinking-while-pregnant-fetal-alcohol-exposure-explored-part-5-deadliest-drug-series/ Joanne Kenen: The Associated Press’ “A Crisis of Conscience Spurred This Christian IVF Doctor’s Career Pivot,” by Tiffany Stanley: https://apnews.com/article/christian-ivf-doctor-moral-dilemma-tennessee-043ca82cf706233380cf516abada9aa8 Sheryl Gay Stolberg: KFF Health News’ “Religious Anti-Abortion Center Finds Opportunity in Town Without OB-GYNs,” by Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez: https://kffhealthnews.org/rural-health/anti-abortion-crisis-pregnancy-center-sandpoint-idaho-obgyn-maternity-care-desert/ — Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction 01:02 – Bill Cassidy Primary 07:30 – Abortion FACE Act 15:00 – Mifepristone FDA Study 24:50 – Ebola Outbreak 2026 33:20 – Insurance Claim Denials 43:20 – Extra Credits