How did Minnesota’s Medicaid program balloon from $2.5 million to $104 million today?

Join AnneMarie Schieber, managing editor of Health Care News, and Devon Herrick of the Goodman Institute Health Blog as they discuss how fraud in two programs—both aimed at addressing non-medical “social determinants” of health care—has contributed to this explosive growth.

Also in the show: the troubling connection between untreated mental illness and the recent wave of violence and murder-suicides across the country, including incidents in Michigan, New York City, Atlanta, and Austin, Texas, between July 28 and August 11.

• Why weren’t these individuals in institutional care?
• Should privacy laws be loosened so extended families can better monitor and help their loved ones?
• Can Medicaid be revised to provide more flexibility for substance abuse and mental health treatment?
• Should we investigate the link between marijuana use and psychosis?

Helpful resources include the Treatment Advocacy Center and the discussion of outpatient civil commitment in Committed: The Battle over Involuntary Psychiatric Care.

Other topics covered in this episode:

• Trump backing down on mandating IVF coverage in insurance plans
• The shocking cost of a $21,000 post-exposure rabies shot

HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy, Jr. is clamping down on removing organs from patients declared “brain dead.” Join AnneMarie Schieber, managing editor of Health Care News and Devon Herrick, of the Goodman Institute Health Blog  to find out starting new facts on, as well as the latest headlines in health care from a free market perspective. Also on tap, Minnesota is encouraging moms on Medicaid to deliver babies at home, what happened to hormone replacement therapy for women? Will FDA Commissioner Martin Makary take steps to make it more available? Sen. Josh Hawley wants to repeal limits on Medicaid provider taxes to keep rural hospitals afloat, states are suing to stop ICE from using Medicaid data to enforce immigration laws, and is being a doctor today a job or a calling? Devon explains what has changed over the years.

What is next in the fight to manage waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicaid now that the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) is law?  Join AnneMarie Schieber, managing editor of Health Care News and Devon Herrick, of the Goodman Institute Health Blog as they discuss the latest headlines in health care from a free market perspective. Will there be an effort to make states more financially responsible for their Medicaid programs outside the OBBB?  How will states manage Medicaid work requirements and will work requirements ultimately eliminate Medicaid waste? Also, it appears Congress is ready to tackle  “site neutral payments” under Medicare, the latest Supreme Court decisions impacting “Medicaid Provider of Choice” and required preventative screenings under the Affordable Care Act. And, did the 2020 No Surprises Act make an impact in surprise medical bills and balance billing? Plus, health savings account expansion and what this means to patients.

Welcome to another episode of the Heartland Daily Podcast, where Ann Marie Sheber and healthcare economist Devon Herrick unpack this week’s biggest developments in health policy:

🔹 Prior Authorization Reform
HHS Secretary RFK Jr. & CMS’s Dr. Oz secured voluntary pledges from major insurers to streamline prior authorization—cutting red tape, boosting transparency, and digitizing approvals by 2026–2027. Devon shares a personal story of how prior auth actually saved his wife thousands—and why this process isn’t always the bogeyman.

🔹 Healthcare for Gig Workers
With gig roles rising, rigid benefits laws in states like California have faltered. We discuss how personal HSAs and portable coverage could replace one-size-fits-all models—and help millions working flexibly.

🔹 The Heat Wave & Health Risks
From Chicago’s 1995 heat disaster to Europe’s recent summer crisis, air conditioning isn’t a luxury—it’s lifesaving. We highlight how cooling can protect vulnerable populations and why power reliability matters.

🔹 Whole Milk Isn’t the Enemy
New research (Maha Commission) reveals full-fat milk may benefit kids more than skim—boosting nutrition and curbing junky snack cravings. Is it time to rethink “fat-free” school policies?

In this episode of the Heartland Daily Podcast, AnneMarie Schieber and economist Devon Herrick break down the latest health care debates in Washington. They discuss how promised reforms like Medicaid work requirements and health savings account expansions are being stripped from President Trump’s health care package, and what that means for patients and taxpayers. The conversation covers efforts to close costly Medicare Advantage loopholes, the push for site-neutral payments, and Minnesota’s controversial plan to incentivize Medicaid-funded home births. They also examine Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s overhaul of the federal vaccine advisory committee and the growing concern about political bias in mental health counseling. Finally, Devon explains why age — more than lifestyle choices — is the biggest risk factor for cancer.

Get a clear, free-market perspective on these vital health care issues. Visit Health Care News and the Goodman Institute Health Blog for more insights.

The "Big Beautiful Act" turned into a big disappointment for Medicaid reform. Instead of adding ways to improve Medicaid benefits, like cutting non-medical spending, Republicans caved. Work requirements and eliminating provider taxes will help, but the failure to fix Medicaid spending now creates major debt headaches just a few years down the road.
AnneMarie Schieber, managing editor of Health Care News, and Devon Herrick of the Goodman Institute Health Blog discuss how this golden opportunity was lost in the U.S. House.
Also on tap: tips beyond the obvious to bring down your prescription drug bill. Plus, what happened to baby powder? Why does it now feel like chalk? Trial lawyers. Even the American Cancer Society isn't convinced talc is dangerous. And what's a realistic way to understand risk? Vox had a good read on how to consider risk. Devon and AnneMarie agree it’s time to "take a deep breath, relax, and educate yourself." We all die; the only difference is when and how.

Are hospitals locking out Medicare Advantage enrollees? Find out the likely real reason behind the shutout and why we should be worried if MA can no longer compete with traditional fee-for-service Medicare. Join AnneMarie Schieber, managing editor of Health Care News, and Devon Herrick of the Goodman Institute Health Blog as they discuss the latest headlines in health care from a free-market perspective. Also on their radar: the mad rush by states to pass assisted medical suicide bills. Is the U.S. becoming Canada? Is assisted suicide becoming a means to ration ever-escalating health care costs?Additionally, former President Joe Biden’s aggressive prostate cancer is receiving increasing attention as Congress probes who knew what—and when—about Biden’s cognitive impairment. How in the world could a president not be screened regularly for a condition he previously had? Finally, will it be the carrot or the stick when it comes to creating rules based on the MAHA Commission report?

Will AI replace your doctor? Bill Gates seems to think so. In today’s podcast, AnneMarie Schieber, managing editor of Health Care News, and Devon Herrick of the Goodman Institute Health Blog discuss where AI can be a benefit—such as reducing medical error. But when it comes to replacing highly trained medical doctors to reduce the doctor shortage and save money for insurance companies, Herrick and Schieber say "nada."

Also in the podcast: how tariff policy could impact the low cost of generic drugs in the U.S., and how far Trump should go in getting foreign countries to pay their fair share of drug R&D. Herrick and Schieber also discuss states now authorizing ivermectin to be sold over the counter, and why it’s so difficult for Medicare patients to get good post-acute hospital care. Lots of gaps—and reasons why facilities are closing.

How can you consent to paying for something if you don’t know the price? In today’s podcast, AnneMarie Schieber of Health Care News and Devon Herrick of the Goodman Institute Health Care Blog talk about New York State’s decision to ban “consent to pay” forms at medical practices. Also on tap: reforming health care without a political fight, the RESULT Act being reintroduced, which fast-tracks successful treatments in trusted countries but comes too late for one Alzheimer’s patient, “Name it to tame it,” is over-diagnosing symptoms driving up health care utilization?—and has private equity ruined the doctor-patient relationship?

Be sure to check out Health Care News at the Heartland.org website and the Goodman Institute Health Blog for the free-market perspective on the very latest in health care news. 

Can you beat a medical bill you feel is unfair?  AnneMarie Schieber and Devon Herrick discuss their personal experience.  Can Congress rein in Medicaid?  Many ideas being consider:  block grants to states, changing funding rates for expanded Medicaid, work requirements.  Do enrollees value Medicaid or waste it?  Schieber and Herrick also discuss “gutting the FDA.” Herrick discusses why DOGE and the Trump administration might want to proceed cautiously. 

New parody book out critical of MI Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and her pandemic lockdowns.  True Gretchen is a hilarious parody of the governor’s own tome, True Gretch.

Be sure to check out Health Care News at the Heartland.org website and the health care blog and the Goodman Institute Health Blog for the free market perspective on the very latest in health care news.