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

Thanks for listening!
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