With news blasting from Washington like a firehose, it feels impossible to take it all in — to stay on top of all the changes the Trump administration has been trying to make. 

But for health care, one person is probably closer to anyone than to understanding the full picture: KFF Heath News Chief Washington Correspondent Julie Rover.    

In this episode, Julie helps us see that picture, by telling us two stories:

The first concerns a teeny part of the health care system — an obscure federal agency, one of many that the Trump administration has taken a chainsaw to.

The other is anything but obscure: Possible cuts to Medicaid —which Julie thinks Republicans will actually find very difficult to make.

Plus, reporting from Julie’s KFF Health News colleague Arthur Allen. And a cameo from one of Julie’s beloved corgis.

Check out Julie’s weekly health policy news podcast: What the Health? 

Read more from Arthur Allen on cuts to AHRQ in KFF Health News:

What’s Lost: Trump Whacks Tiny Agency That Works To Make the Nation’s Health Care Safer

Trump HHS Eliminates Office That Sets Poverty Levels Tied to Benefits for at Least 80 Million People

Here’s a transcript of this episode. 

Send your stories and questions. Or call 724 ARM-N-LEG.

Of course we’d love for you to support this show.

With news blasting from Washington like a firehose, it feels impossible to take it all in &mdash; to stay on top of all the changes the Trump administration has been trying to make.&nbsp;
But for health care, one person is probably closer to anyone than to understanding the full picture: KFF Heath News Chief Washington Correspondent Julie Rover.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
In this episode, Julie helps us see that picture, by telling us two stories:
The first concerns a teeny part of the health care system &mdash; an obscure federal agency, one of many that the Trump administration has taken a chainsaw to.
The other is anything but obscure: Possible cuts to Medicaid &mdash;which Julie thinks Republicans will actually find very difficult to make.
Plus, reporting from Julie&rsquo;s KFF Health News colleague Arthur Allen. And a cameo from one of Julie&rsquo;s beloved corgis.
Check out Julie&rsquo;s weekly health policy news podcast: <a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/tag/what-the-health/">What the Health?</a>&nbsp;
Read more from Arthur Allen on cuts to AHRQ in KFF Health News:
<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/patient-safety-health-agency-dissolved-doge-federal-workforce-cuts-ahrq/">What&rsquo;s Lost: Trump Whacks Tiny Agency That Works To Make the Nation&rsquo;s Health Care Safer</a>
<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/aspe-hhs-federal-poverty-guidelines-level-team-fired-medicaid-snap-wic/">Trump HHS Eliminates Office That Sets Poverty Levels Tied to Benefits for at Least 80 Million People</a>
<a href="https://armandalegshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/WEB-TRANSCRIPT_S13_Ep07_WTF-With-Julie-Rovner-Google-Docs.pdf">Here&rsquo;s a transcript of this episode</a>.&nbsp;
<a href="https://armandalegshow.com/contact/">Send your stories and questions.</a> Or call 724 ARM-N-LEG.
Of course we&rsquo;d love for you to <a href="https://armandalegshow.com/support/">support this show</a>.

An Arm and a Leg is a podcast about why health care costs so freaking much and what we can (maybe) do about it.

If you’ve ever been surprised by a medical bill, you’re in good company. But as our team of seasoned journalists has learned from years of reporting — you’re not always helpless. We don’t have all the answers, but we’ll offer you tools and big picture insights with plenty of humor and heart. 

An Arm and a Leg is co-produced with KFF Health News and distributed in partnership with KUOW.

You can support An Arm and a Leg by donating at armandalegshow.com/support/

Show Credits: Created, hosted, and produced by Dan Weissmann with senior producer Emily Pisacreta and engagement producer Claire Davenport, edited by Ellen Weiss. Audio wizard: Adam Raymonda. Music is by Dave Weiner and Blue Dot Sessions. Bea Bosco is our consulting director of operations. Lynne Johnson is our operations manager.

An Arm and a Leg&nbsp;is a podcast about why health care costs so freaking much and what we can (maybe) do about it.
If you&rsquo;ve ever been surprised by a medical bill, you&rsquo;re in good company. But as our team of seasoned journalists has learned from years of reporting &mdash; you&rsquo;re not always helpless. We don&rsquo;t have all the answers, but we&rsquo;ll offer you tools and big picture insights with plenty of humor and heart.&nbsp;
An Arm and a Leg is co-produced with <a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/">KFF Health News</a> and distributed in partnership with <a href="https://www.kuow.org/">KUOW</a>.
You can support An Arm and a Leg&nbsp;by donating at <a href="https://armandalegshow.com/support/">armandalegshow.com/support/</a>
<hr>
Show Credits:&nbsp;Created, hosted, and produced by Dan Weissmann with senior producer Emily Pisacreta and engagement producer Claire Davenport, edited by Ellen Weiss. Audio wizard: Adam Raymonda. Music is by Dave Weiner and Blue Dot Sessions. Bea Bosco is our consulting director of operations. Lynne Johnson is our operations manager.

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