{"id":2151764,"date":"2026-02-05T14:22:08","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T19:22:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/?p=2151764&post_type=podcast&preview_id=2151764"},"modified":"2026-02-06T10:49:36","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T15:49:36","slug":"what-the-health-432-hhs-funding-congress-trump-obamacare-february-5-2026","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/news\/podcast\/what-the-health-432-hhs-funding-congress-trump-obamacare-february-5-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"What the Health? From KFF Health News: HHS Gets Funding, But How Will Trump Spend It?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n\t\tThe Host\t<\/h3>\n\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Julie Rovner<\/div>\n\t
KFF Health News<\/div>\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t@jrovner\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t@julierovner.bsky.social\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\tRead Julie's stories.\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\tJulie Rovner is chief Washington correspondent and host of KFF Health News\u2019 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.\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The Department of Health and Human Services is funded for the rest of the fiscal year. But lawmakers remain concerned about whether the Trump administration will spend the money as directed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, negotiations over extending expanded subsidies for Affordable Care Act plans have broken down in the Senate, mostly over a perennial issue \u2014 abortion. The subsidies\u2019 expiration at the end of 2025 has left millions of Americans unable to afford their health insurance premiums.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This week\u2019s panelists are Julie Rovner of KFF Health News, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n\t\tPanelists\t<\/h3>\n\t\t
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Anna Edney<\/div>\n\t
Bloomberg News<\/div>\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t@annaedney\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t@annaedney.bsky.social\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\tRead Anna's stories.\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t
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Joanne Kenen<\/div>\n\t
Johns Hopkins University and Politico<\/div>\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t@JoanneKenen\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t@joannekenen.bsky.social\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\tRead Joanne's bio.\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t
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Sandhya Raman<\/div>\n\t
CQ Roll Call<\/div>\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t@SandhyaWrites\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\tRead Sandhya's stories.\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t
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Among the takeaways from this week\u2019s episode:<\/p>\n\n\n\n