News | From Food Assistance to IVF Policy: Government Shutdown Strains the U.S. Health System
As the U.S. federal government shutdown continues, more public health and nutrition programs are facing funding crises. The latest episode of What the Health?, hosted by Julie Rovner, reported that funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) was expected to run out in November, while funding cuts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were forcing the agency to suspend some core public health functions.
Julie Rovner is chief Washington correspondent for KFF Health News and host of the health policy podcast What the Health? She joined Shefali Luthra of The 19th, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post to discuss the shutdown's cascading effects on Americans and the U.S. health system.
Key points
1. Nutrition assistance programs face funding shortages
With Congress deadlocked over the budget, millions of low-income families who rely on government food assistance face food insecurity. SNAP and WIC could exhaust their budgets in early November, interrupting food benefits for pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and children. Congress has also not agreed to extend Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, meaning health insurance costs for about 24 million people could rise sharply next year; 90% of beneficiaries currently rely on subsidies to maintain coverage.
2. Public health surveillance stalls
The shutdown also disrupted routine CDC public health reporting, including the key Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). To help fill the gap, The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) and the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) announced a collaboration to publish public health alerts. Experts noted, however, that private organizations cannot replace the federal government's systematic capacity for data collection and emergency information sharing.
3. Immigration and fertility issues intersect
The program also discussed recent Trump administration efforts to expand access to in vitro fertilization (IVF), although critics questioned whether the proposal would meaningfully improve coverage for fertility treatment. Some employers already offer supplemental fertility benefits, while details of the government plan remain undisclosed, raising concerns about feasibility and equity.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is seeking to expand its medical workforce in response to a growing detained population. Multiple investigative reports have continued to raise public concern and legal challenges over the detention of pregnant women, shortages of medical resources, and rising deaths in immigration detention.
4. Trust in science and public health is affected
The episode also cited several in-depth reports highlighting systemic challenges in science policy, including an Associated Press investigation, Anti-science bills sweep statehouses, weakening century-old public health protections; Politico's report, Deaths surge in immigration detention as ICE urgently hires medical staff; and The 19th's article, ICE continues to detain pregnant women despite government directive. Together, the reports show how public health policy is being weakened by political polarization and budget gridlock.
Further reading from the program
Julie Rovner also interviewed KFF Health News reporter Katheryn Houghton about her Bill of the Month column. One patient received a medical bill approaching six figures for a broken elbow, illustrating the complexity and opacity of the U.S. medical billing system.
At the end of the program, the guests shared health policy stories they had followed that week:
Julie Rovner recommended ProPublica's investigation The Shadow President;
Shefali Luthra recommended The 19th's report More People Are Freezing Their Eggs — But Most Will Never Use Them;
Alice Miranda Ollstein recommended a new Brown University study, AI Chatbots Systematically Violate Mental Health Ethics Standards;
Rachel Roubein recommended The Washington Post investigation Errors in New Medicare Plan Portal Mislead Seniors on Coverage.
Commentary
KFF Health News noted that the effects of a government shutdown extend far beyond political maneuvering. Disruptions to nutrition assistance, public health surveillance, and medical services can cause substantial harm to vulnerable groups in a short time. Experts called for public health funding to be separated from political disputes to protect basic needs and the stability of the national health system.
News | From Food Assistance to IVF Policy: Government Shutdown Strains the U.S. Health System
News | From Food Assistance to IVF Policy: Government Shutdown Strains the U.S. Health System
As the U.S. federal government shutdown continues, more public health and nutrition programs are facing funding crises. The latest episode of What the Health?, hosted by Julie Rovner, reported that funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) was expected to run out in November, while funding cuts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were forcing the agency to suspend some core public health functions.
Julie Rovner is chief Washington correspondent for KFF Health News and host of the health policy podcast What the Health? She joined Shefali Luthra of The 19th, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post to discuss the shutdown's cascading effects on Americans and the U.S. health system.
Key points
1. Nutrition assistance programs face funding shortages
With Congress deadlocked over the budget, millions of low-income families who rely on government food assistance face food insecurity. SNAP and WIC could exhaust their budgets in early November, interrupting food benefits for pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and children. Congress has also not agreed to extend Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, meaning health insurance costs for about 24 million people could rise sharply next year; 90% of beneficiaries currently rely on subsidies to maintain coverage.
2. Public health surveillance stalls
The shutdown also disrupted routine CDC public health reporting, including the key Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). To help fill the gap, The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) and the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) announced a collaboration to publish public health alerts. Experts noted, however, that private organizations cannot replace the federal government's systematic capacity for data collection and emergency information sharing.
3. Immigration and fertility issues intersect
The program also discussed recent Trump administration efforts to expand access to in vitro fertilization (IVF), although critics questioned whether the proposal would meaningfully improve coverage for fertility treatment. Some employers already offer supplemental fertility benefits, while details of the government plan remain undisclosed, raising concerns about feasibility and equity.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is seeking to expand its medical workforce in response to a growing detained population. Multiple investigative reports have continued to raise public concern and legal challenges over the detention of pregnant women, shortages of medical resources, and rising deaths in immigration detention.
4. Trust in science and public health is affected
The episode also cited several in-depth reports highlighting systemic challenges in science policy, including an Associated Press investigation, Anti-science bills sweep statehouses, weakening century-old public health protections; Politico's report, Deaths surge in immigration detention as ICE urgently hires medical staff; and The 19th's article, ICE continues to detain pregnant women despite government directive. Together, the reports show how public health policy is being weakened by political polarization and budget gridlock.
Further reading from the program
Julie Rovner also interviewed KFF Health News reporter Katheryn Houghton about her Bill of the Month column. One patient received a medical bill approaching six figures for a broken elbow, illustrating the complexity and opacity of the U.S. medical billing system.
At the end of the program, the guests shared health policy stories they had followed that week:
Julie Rovner recommended ProPublica's investigation The Shadow President;
Shefali Luthra recommended The 19th's report More People Are Freezing Their Eggs — But Most Will Never Use Them;
Alice Miranda Ollstein recommended a new Brown University study, AI Chatbots Systematically Violate Mental Health Ethics Standards;
Rachel Roubein recommended The Washington Post investigation Errors in New Medicare Plan Portal Mislead Seniors on Coverage.
Commentary
KFF Health News noted that the effects of a government shutdown extend far beyond political maneuvering. Disruptions to nutrition assistance, public health surveillance, and medical services can cause substantial harm to vulnerable groups in a short time. Experts called for public health funding to be separated from political disputes to protect basic needs and the stability of the national health system.
Story source:
Collected online