If the Senate confirms Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — a vaccine skeptic — to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, he would control an influential group of federal vaccine advisors.
Podcast
Listen to Tradeoffs. Click on past episodes of the Tradeoffs podcast below to listen, read episode transcripts, and find additional resources.
Posted inInsurance
Why Many Republicans Think Shrinking Medicaid Will Make it Better
Republicans have singled out Medicaid for possible cuts under the new administration and Congress. We explore why many conservatives think less Medicaid will mean better Medicaid.
Posted inInsurance
Biden’s Medicaid Director Reflects on Lessons Learned and Worries for the Future
With Medicaid poised for potential cuts from Republicans in Washington, Dan Tsai reflects on what he’s learned running Medicaid for the Biden administration — and his hopes and concerns for the program’s future.
Posted inHealth Law
Trump Forced Hospitals and Insurers to Reveal Their Prices. What Happened?
President Trump is revisiting one of the signature health policies of his first administration: making health care prices public. It hasn’t gone smoothly. Now Trump is calling for new rules and more public prices to deliver on his goal of a more competitive — less costly — health care market.
Posted inInsurance
Everyone’s Mad at Health Insurers, But ‘There’s Plenty of Blame to Go Around’
The murder of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO has put health insurance companies in the spotlight. But insurers are just one piece of America’s broken and expensive health care system.
Posted inPublic Health
What Could RFK Jr. Do As Head of HHS? We Asked Someone Who’s Done the Job
Former HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius shares what the country’s top health official can and can’t do, and what she wants senators to know ahead of RFK’s confirmation hearings.
Posted inHealth Equity
Health Care for Transgender Youth Goes to the Supreme Court
We take a closer look at gender-affirming care and the legal arguments that will influence how accessible that care will be.
Posted inInsurance
How Did Picking a Medicare Plan Get So Hard?
Medicare’s open enrollment season presents a challenging choice for its 67 million beneficiaries: selecting a new plan.
Posted inHealth Law
3 Health Care Decisions Awaiting the Next President
The next U.S. president will have to make consequential choices about the Affordable Care Act, prescription drug prices and abortion.
Posted inPublic Health
How New York Times Columnist Paula Span Navigates ‘The New Old Age’
Journalist Paula Span, who writes The New Old Age column for the New York Times, shares what she’s learned about how to age well.