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The Trump Appointee on a Mission to Gut Medicaid

Who is Seema Verma?

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The problem with the news right now? It’s everywhere. And each day, it can feel like we’re all just mindlessly scrolling. It’s why we created What Next. This short daily show is here to help you make sense of things. When the news feels overwhelming, we’re here to help you answer: What next? Look for new episodes every weekday morning.

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  • Lizzie O’Leary is the host of What Next: TBD, Slate’s show about technology, power, and the future. Previously, she created and hosted Marketplace Weekend. She has reported for CNN, Bloomberg News, and the New York Times Magazine, among others. She is also a contributing writer at the Atlantic.

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Episode Notes

A few weeks back, the Trump administration made an announcement. It rolled out a new health care policy called the Healthy Adult Opportunity. It’s a policy that would give states the option of reducing benefits for millions of Medicaid patients.

This is only the latest in a line of attempts by Seema Verma to scale back the Medicaid program. Why is this such a priority for the Trump administration and Verma herself? And how are Republicans trying to square cuts to such a popular program?

Guest: Dan Diamond, host of the Pulse Check podcast and writer of Politico Pulse, a morning briefing on health care politics and policy.

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Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, Danielle Hewitt, and Mara Silvers.