Roundup: Medicaid fights, ACA lawsuits and drug pricing with Rodney Whitlock

With Congress on recess, POLITICO's reporters (and a bonus guest) take stock of three big stories in a grab-bag episode. First, Rachana Pradhan leads a conversation on Utah's controversial changes to voter-approved Medicaid expansion (starts at the 1:20 mark). Next, Paul Demko offers an update on lawsuits over President Donald Trump's cancellation of ACA payments to insurers (starts at the 12:40 mark). Finally, Rodney Whitlock — a former top aide to Sen. Chuck Grassley — joins POLITICO's reporters to help preview next week's drug pricing hearings in the Senate (starts at the 24:00 mark). MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Utah's GOP leaders shrunk the state's voter-approved Medicaid expansion. Rachana will sit down with Utah Gov. Gary Herbert on Friday morning at a POLITICO livestreamed event. Multiple judges have now ruled that the United States owes billions of dollars to insurers after Trump cancelled certain ACA payments in 2017. Seven leading pharma executives will face the Senate Finance Committee in a much-anticipated hearing next week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices