KFF Health News’ ‘What the Health?’: At GOP Convention, Health Policy Is Mostly MIA

The Host Julie Rovner KFF Health News @jrovner Read Julie's stories. Julie Rovner is chief Washington correspondent and host of KFF Health News weekly health policy news podcast, What the Health? A noted expert on health policy issues, Julie is the author of the critically praised reference book Health Care Politics and Policy A to Z, now in its third edition.

The Republican National Convention highlighted a number of policy issues this week, but health care was not among them. That was not much of a surprise, as it is not a top priority for former President Donald Trump or most GOP voters. The nomination of Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio adds an outspoken abortion opponent to the Republican ticket, though he brings no particular background or expertise in health care.

Meanwhile, abortion opponents are busy trying to block state ballot questions from reaching voters in November. Legal battles over potential proposals continue in several states, including Florida, Arkansas, and Arizona.

This weeks panelists are Julie Rovner of KFF Health News, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, and Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins schools of public health and nursing and Politico Magazine. Panelists Alice Miranda Ollstein Politico @AliceOllstein Read Alice's stories. Joanne Kenen Johns Hopkins University and Politico @JoanneKenen Read Joanne's articles. Sarah Karlin-Smith Pink Sheet @SarahKarlin Read Sarah's stories.

Among the takeaways from this weeks episode: Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio has cast few votes on health policy since joining Congress last year. He has taken a doctrinaire approach to abortion restrictions, though, including expressing support for prohibiting abortion-related interstate travel and invoking the Comstock Act to block use of the mail for abortion medications. He also speaks openly about his mothers struggles with addiction, framing it as a health rather than criminal issue in a way that resonates with many Americans. Although Republicans have largely abandoned calls to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, it would be easy for former President Donald Trump to undermine the program in a second term; expanded subsidies for coverage are due to expire next year, and theres always the option to cut spending on marketing the program, as Trump did during his first term. Trumps recent comments to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about childhood vaccinations echoed tropes linked to the anti-vaccination movement particularly the false claim that while one vaccine may be safe, it is perhaps dangerous to receive several at once. The federal vaccination schedule has been rigorously evaluated and found to be safe and effective. Covid is surging once again, with President Joe Biden among those testing positive this week. The virus is proving a year-round concern and has peaked regularly in summertime; covid spreads best indoors, and lately millions of Americans have taken refuge inside from extremely high temperatures. Meanwhile, the virology community is concerned that the nation isnt testing enough animals or humans to understand the risk posed by bird flu.

Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News Renuka Rayasam, who wrote the June installment of KFF Health News-NPR’s Bill of the Month, about a patient who walked into what he thought was an urgent care center and walked out with an emergency room bill. If you have an exorbitant or baffling medical bill, you can send it to us here. Email Sign-Up

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Plus, for extra credit, the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too: 

Julie Rovner: Time magazines Were Living in a Nightmare: Inside the Health Crisis of a Texas Bitcoin Town, by Andrew R Chow.

Joanne Kenen: The Washington Posts A Mom Struggles To Feed Her Kids After GOP States Reject Federal Funds, by Annie Gowen.

Alice Miranda Ollstein: ProPublicas Texas Sends Millions to Crisis Pregnancy Centers. Its Meant To Help Needy Families, but No One Knows if It Works, by Cassandra Jaramillo, Jeremy Kohler, and Sophie Chou, ProPublica, and Jessica Kegu, CBS News.

Sarah Karlin-Smith: The New York Times Promised Cures, Tainted Cells: How Cord Blood Banks Mislead Patients, by Sarah Kliff and Azeen Ghorayshi.

Also mentioned on this weeks podcast:

The Wall Street Journals Mail-Order Drugs Were Supposed To Keep Costs Down. Its Doing the Opposite, by Jared S. Hopkins. Credits Francis Ying Audio producer Emmarie Huetteman Editor

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And subscribe to KFF Health News’ “What the Health?” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Related Topics Courts COVID-19 Health Industry Multimedia Public Health Abortion Audio Biden Administration Drug Costs KFF Health News' 'What The Health?' Obamacare Plans Podcasts Reproductive Health Trump Administration Vaccines Women's Health Contact Us Submit a Story Tip