What the Health? From KFF Health News RFK Jr.’s Vaccine Schedule Changes Blocked — For Now
Mar 19, 2026
Alice Miranda Ollstein, Politico health reporter on vaccine policy and reproductive health. Lauren Weber, Washington Post reporter covering vaccination rates and health care costs. Margot Sanger-Katz, New York Times health policy analyst on NIH funding and national vaccine issues. Drew Altman, KFF CEO discussing fixes for the U.S. health system. They debate a blocked change to the childhood vaccine schedule, falling vaccination coverage, NIH funding shifts, and rising health care costs.
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NIH Prepaid Grants Are Shrinking Research Pipeline
- NIH distributed FY funding in fewer, prepaid multi-year awards, shrinking the number of funded projects.
- Margot Sanger-Katz explained NIH paid entire grant terms for fewer projects, leaving money unspent in later years and reducing new awards this year.
ACA Reform Conversations Are Preparatory Not Legislative
- There's no active bipartisan congressional plan to fix ACA affordability now; parties are mostly preparing ideas for the future.
- Margot Sanger-Katz said Democrats are exploring big ideas internally while the administration tests regulatory changes like expanding catastrophic plans.
Evaluate Tradeoffs Of Catastrophic And Market Plans
- Consider proposals that increase high-deductible catastrophic plans and market-like payment models to lower premiums.
- Margot Sanger-Katz described Trump administration ideas like wider catastrophic availability and patient-negotiated payment rates for services.
