Hoosier Health Matters
Season 1, Episode 29
Date: 11/14/2025
Title:  Indiana Freezes Childcare Vouchers, Legislators Target Mifepristone, and Why Syringe Exchange Matters

00:00- Intro

2:15- we will not have an episode the week of Thanksgiving- will drop the week after (December 5)

2:28- Special Session to start November 18, end before December 12 and it will be a part of the 2026 session

5:09- Indiana freezing childcare vouchers until 2027- leaving 31,000 families on a wait list

7:15- Letter to the White House from 55 Indiana legislators calling on a review of the safety of mifepristone is ideological hand-waving dressed up as a scientific question

11:00- The federal shutdown furloughed 50 Indiana Department of Health workers 

12:25- SNAP legal drama was dramatic

16:13- Interview with Alan Wichey, CEO of Damien Center, and Dr. Shane Avery, a physician from Scott County who was involved in the 2015 HIV outbreak- we talk to them about syringe exchange programs (you can get more info and help pass the law to allow Indiana to continue syringe exchange programs at www.protectsep.org)

39:58- Little things- look at the Mifepristone letter and if your senator or rep signed it, call them and let them know your thoughts. And call your state senator and representative and let them know your thoughts on the re-gerrymander attempt.

40:44- Wrap up

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Hoosier Health Matters
Season 1, Episode 28 
Date: 10/31/2025 
Title:  Indiana’s Medical Debt Shrug, SNAP Shutdown, and all you could want to know about FQHCs

00:00- Intro

3:05- They are going to try and re-gerrymander Indiana. Which is good for no one

4:50- The interim study committee on medical debt in Indiana released a report that said it was issuing no recommendations, despite the fact that 20% of Hoosiers have been reported to collections for medical debt

7:06- The first flu death was confirmed in Indiana this week. Get your flu vaccine. And check out the Indiana Influenza dashboard- it is cool

8:10- The federal shutdown continues; and SNAP funding has been cut off as of today.  This is a huge deal

9:45- The New England Journal and CIDRAP is going to publish an alternative to the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, because it is now unreliable

11:20- Interview with Staci Walters about what federally qualified health centers are and why they are an important aspect of public health in Indiana

23:38- Little things- call your legislator to oppose re-gerrymandering

24:30- Wrap up

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Hoosier Health Matters
Season 1, Episode 27 
Date: 10/17/2025 
Title:  Why we stay in Indiana and why the government shutdown over public health is important

00:00- Intro

1:37- CDC director uses his best vibes to call for the separation of the MMR vaccine into three separate shots

2:19- CDC ACIP recommendations adopted, and they quietly walked back the "only risk factors under 60" recommendation to recommend it with shared decision-making

3:13- New study shows that, even in the last winter season, COVID vaccination was massively protective against hospitalizations and death

4:15- CDC lays off 1400 employees, immediately rehires half, administrative malfeasance continues

5:50- 6 former surgeons general call for the resignation of RFK, Jr. A big deal.

6:52- The federal shutdown is about public health and pulling back the ACA subsidies is bad for all Americans

9:36- Gabe and Tracey talk to Dr. Veronica Santana-Ufret about why they stay in Indiana. Gabe mentions the book Hoosiers: A new history of Indiana (and this link is to a local bookstore!)

29:50- Call your legislators to oppose redistricting, fill out this form, and we will send you Good Trouble swag

31:00- Wrap up

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Hoosier Health Matters
Season 1, Episode 26 
Date: 10/3/2025 
Title:  Tylenol, Leucovorin, and Mifepristone—When “Science” Serves Politics, Not Patients

00:00- Intro

02:00- A school board north of Fort Wayne removes 6 books from the shelves, based on a gross misinterpretation of a sex ed law passed last year (SEA 442)

04:36- USDA no longer publishing gold standard food insecurity reports- we debunk the reasons why with the help of Katelyn Jenelina's Your Local Epidemiologist blog (a good one!)

08:24- Mifepristone safety being studied by FDA despite TONS of data that it is VERY safe- this will lead nowhere good (scientific malpractice episode 1)

10:57- HHS announces the "cause" and a "cure" for autism- and a discussion of correlation v causation, which is not that difficult to understand but apparently many don't understand it

14:45- Correlation v causation- Red wine causes you to live longer- oh wait, no it doesn't (it's just correlated with a longer life)

21:50- reaction to the press conference swift [AAP, SMFM, ACOG, SDP (which has a terrific public facing statement on this issue)]

22:20- Leucovorin as a treatment for autism and the peril of using small trials to make large claims (using vitamin C in septic shock as an example)

27:11- One little thing today- Tracey calls the Speaker of the House (and a script and phone numbers here for you to call)

29:17- Wrap up

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Hoosier Health Matters
Season 1, Episode 25
Date: 9/19/2025
Title:  Is gerrymandering a public health issue? (hint: yes) and a family facing cuts to medicaid waivers

In this episode of Hoosier Health Matters, hosts Gabriel Bosslet and Tracey Wilkinson discuss continued chaos at the CDC (evergreen topic). They then talk about the partisan effort to gerrymander and why it is a public health issue. They then interview Debby Holcombe, the mother of Michael who is on a home ventilator, about the medicaid waiver system, how it has helped her family and her son, and proposed changes that put that help in peril.

00:00- Intro

01:18- The state of Indiana has cut low income childcare voucher reimbursement rates, and many child care centers are closing as a result

03:48- ACIP madness continues, as the committee meets (today!) and is voting on a lot of vaccines stuff, including COVID; but health insurers have said they are going to ignore what they say

07:00- IDSA, ACP, and AAFP have called for RKF, Jr's removal as HHS secretary

09:14- A primer on redistricting in the shadow of a threatened (likely unconstitutional) mid-decade gerrymander; is it a public health issue? Gabe and Tracey say yes

14:29- Attendant care services medicaid waiver program and how it affects one family- an interview with Debby Holcombe and about her experience with the medicaid waiver program and proposed changes that threaten families with disabled members

34:16- Little things- contact your state senator and representative, and State Senate majority leader Rod Bray and House Speaker Todd Huston and give them thoughts on the threatened gerrymander

35:23- Wrap up

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Hoosier Health Matters
Season 1, Episode 24
Date: 9/12/2025
Title:  BONUS episode: Questions answered about getting vaccines this fall

In this episode of Hoosier Health Matters, hosts Gabriel Bosslet and Tracey Wilkinson are joined by infectious disease physician Haley Pritchard and pharmacist Veronica Vernon to untangle the massive confusion that is vaccine policy this fall and answer questions about who should get the shot, who can get it, and try to discern why HHS did it this way.

00:00- Intro

02:30- Flu vaccines (the simple part)

04:05- Vaccine approval/recommendation process

06:20- What to expect from COVID this winter (TL;DR: lots of disease, mostly very mild)

8:31- new formulation of the COVID vaccine currently available

09:00- Who should get the vaccine (ignoring the approval/guidelines)

10:40- Confusion at pharmacies, and Gabe is pissed that he has to write prescriptions for this now

13:18- Other medical groups make recommendations about vaccines

14:31- in general, pregnant people benefit from the COVID vaccine

15:43- Kids and the COVID vaccine

16:16- Vaccines for Children program may not have COVID vaccine (this covers 50% of the kids in the country)

17:00- Can I get a COVID vaccine at a pharmacy right now?

18:13- It didn't have to be this way

19:58- Will insurance cover COVID vaccines for everyone?

21:17- wrap-up

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Hoosier Health Matters
Season 1, Episode 23
Date: 9/5/2025
Title:  The enshittification of the CDC and (unrelated) all you want to know about school based health centers

In this episode of Hoosier Health Matters, hosts Gabriel Bosslet and Tracey Wilkinson discuss the continued systematic dismantling of expertise and value in the CDC, a form of enshittification (a real word). Then they talk with Dr. Meg Carlson about school-based health centers.

00:00- Intro

01:30- CDC director fired after being hired a month ago and then unsuccessfully fired and unsuccessfully asked to resign.

04:25- James O'Neill has been named as new interim CDC director. The least qualified candidate in history.

05:10- Enshittificaiton and how it applies to HHS.

06:05- Indiana Department of Health gives milquetoast answer on its approach to respiratory season guidance.

07:41- RFK, Jr. cosplays as a vitriolic scientist and requests Annals of Internal Medicine retract a study that doesn't tie aluminum to vaccine injury. They say no.

11:46- State coalitions create health alliances in the face of CDC incompetence and Florida will try to eliminate school vaccine mandates.

15:16- IDH emphasizes safe sleep in response to 10 infants dying to unsafe sleep practices

17:18- Interview with Dr. Meg Carlson, Director of Health Services for Indianapolis Public Schools, about the role of School Based Health Centers in public health.

33:54- Look at the trees as they change colors, and call your Senators to request they get rid of RFK, Jr. at HHS (phone numbers and script here)

34;46- Wrap up

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Hoosier Health Matters
Season 1, Episode 22
Date: 8/22/2025
Title:  Lived experience: an interview on the personal toll of Indiana's reproductive politics

In this episode of Hoosier Health Matters, hosts Gabriel Bosslet and Tracey Wilkinson discuss Indiana public health news and then talk with Amber and Michael Dowd, who share their story of navigating a devastating fetal anomaly diagnosis under Indiana’s abortion laws. Their experience highlights the emotional toll of reproductive politics, the urgency of compassionate care, and the impact of legislation on personal healthcare decisions.

00:00- Intro

2:00- Dr. Vinay Prasad rehired a week after being forced out as the vaccine head at the FDA, highlighting the chaos in HHS

2:32- RFK, Jr. says "trusting experts is not a feature of either science or democracy"

5:04- American Academy of Pediatrics releases vaccine recommendations that are different than that of the CDC (which never happens)

6:56- Indiana abortion ban upheld by Indiana Court of Appeals

8:06- Interview with Amber (Martin) and Michael Dowd about their experience navigating Indiana's abortion ban earlier this year when they received news of a fatal fetal anomaly at 21 weeks.

38:58- Little things/Good vibes (1. develop your own story, and 2. email this episode to your lawmaker!)

40:37- Wrap up

A thanks to Eli Bosslet for editing assistance on this episode.

Thanks for listening!
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Hoosier Health Matters
Season 1, Episode 21
Date: 8/8/2025
Title:  Climate change and public health, and some news

In this episode of Hoosier Health Matters, hosts Gabriel Bosslet and Tracey Wilkinson discuss 

00:00- Intro

1:20- Tracey's state fair llama costume contest disappointment

3:28- $500 million in mRNA vaccine research cancelled and ACIP kicks out medical societies

6:48- New CDC director confirmed by the Senate

7:45- JAMA article shows 35% of OB/GYN physicians have left Idaho since its abortion ban

9:00- Indiana General Assembly interim study committees look at some public health issues

13:11- Interview with Dr. Gabriel Filippelli, executive director of the Indiana University Environmental Resilience Institute

31:48- Little things/Good vibes- Green energy options at the big Indiana utilities

1. AES- green power option
2. Duke energy- GoGreen Indiana
3. Indiana Michigan Power- GoGreen
4. NIPSCO- green power
5. Centerpoint Energy- Green Energy Rider

Get a purple air!

33:53- Wrap up

A huge thanks to Elijah Bosslet for his editing expertise in this episode.

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Hoosier Health Matters
Season 1, Episode 20
Date: 7/25/2025
Title:  A terrific interview about gun violence prevention in Indiana (and some news) 

In this episode of Hoosier Health Matters, hosts Gabriel Bosslet and Tracey Wilkinson discuss the decision by HHS to abruptly cancel the Preventative Services Taskforce meeting and what it could mean for public health, a provision of the federal budget that makes Planned Parenthood no longer a healthcare resource for anyone on Medicaid, and a sketchy committee discussing SSRIs in pregnancy. Then Tracey and Gabe interview Dr. Lauren Magee, a gun safety researcher from IU School of Medicine about gun violence in Indiana. 

00:00- Intro

00:55- Tracey spoke on Capitol Hill in DC

2:10- USPSTF meeting cancelled- not good

4:15- Federal budget bans Medicaid payments to Planned Parenthood for any services (abortion has not been paid for by Medicaid for decades)

6:12- HHS Meeting about SSRIs in pregnancy held by very sketchy SSRI skeptics

7:37- Interview with Dr. Lauren Magee on gun violence and public health in Indiana

25:32- Little things/Good Vibes (Happy Gilmore 2 comes out this weekend)

28:34- Wrap up

Elijah Bosslet provided exhaustive editing assistance on this episode (seriously, this one was a very heavy lift due to technical issues with our recording software)

Thanks for listening!
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