Wednesday, April 9, 2025 — Medicaid, Medicare, health care, and food safety on the line

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. is overseeing an unprecedented cut of nearly a quarter of the department’s staff, drawing widespread concerns about possible adverse affects for thousands of Native Americans who depend on those services. Everything from bill processing to testing and research to prevent lead contamination in children could be constricted. At the same time, Sec. Kennedy successfully reversed Elon Musk’s termination of 900 Indian Health Service employees by the Department of Government Efficiency. Kennedy is also reaching out to tribes and maintaining contact through the department’s Tribal Self Governance Advisory Committee. We’ll look at the latest word on what some of the potential effects of the federal actions are on Native health and health care. GUESTS A.C. Locklear (Lumbee), CEO of the National Indian Health Board Kristen Bitsuie (Navajo), tribal health care outreach and education policy manager for the National Indian Health Board Kim Russell (Navajo), policy advisor for Sage Memorial Hospital   Break 1 Music: Take Your Troubles to the River (song) Vincent Craig (artist) Self-titled Release (album) Break 2 Music: Vipismal – The Hummingbird Song (song) Earl Ray (artist) Traditional Songs Of The Salt River Pima (album)