What About the State of Health?

Health care got barely a mention in President Donald Trump’s record-long State of the Union address this week. Ahead of the midterms, the Trump administration has presented few concrete plans to address what Americans say is the biggest problem with health care: its skyrocketing costs. Meanwhile, Trump’s pick to become U.S. surgeon general, Casey Means, got her long-delayed nomination hearing in the Senate, where she faced some skeptical questions from Democrats and Republicans alike. Sheryl Gay Stolberg of The New York Times, Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss those stories and more. Visit our website for a transcript of this episode.Plus, for “extra credit” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read (or wrote) this week that they think you should read, too: Julie Rovner: KFF Health News’ “When It Comes to Health Insurance, Federal Dollars Support More Than ACA Plans,” by Julie Appleby.  Sheryl Gay Stolberg: ProPublica’s “South Carolina Hospitals Aren’t Required To Disclose Measles-Related Admissions. That Leaves Doctors in the Dark,” by Jennifer Berry Hawes.  Lauren Weber: The Washington Post’s “Inside RFK Jr.’s Push Against the Flu Vaccine That He Links to His Voice Condition,” by Lauren Weber, Lena H. Sun, and Caitlin Gilbert.  Alice Miranda Ollstein: Stat’s “Pharma Lobbyists Focus on a Surprising New Target: The FDA,” by Daniel Payne and Lizzy Lawrence.