Explore every episode of the podcast Hoosier Health Matters
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thus it begins | 30 Jan 2025 | 00:24:55 | |
Hoosier Health Matters | |||
| Three bills, a cancelled conference, and the state of science in America | 07 Feb 2025 | 00:23:36 | |
Hoosier Health Matters A huge thanks to Janine Zee-Cheng for design of our podcast cover art! 00:00- Introduction 01:50- Senate Bill 370: Tracey's colonoscopy bill 05:18- Senate Bill 317: Reducing Medical Debt (with special guest Fady Qaddoura!) 09:50 -Senate Bill 442: Sex Education in Indiana 12:52 -The Cancellation of the IULGBTQ+ Healthcare Conference (read Lawdork's blog about this here) 16:07 -Concerns Over CDC pulling clinical information and data (terrific article here) 19:44- Small things you should do this week (find your legislators here) 22:33 Wrap up Become a member of the Good Trouble Coalition (free!) | |||
| Halftime lookback, update on TPR case, and Hoosier public health funding | 21 Feb 2025 | 00:23:33 | |
Hoosier Health Matters Gabe's medium pieces summarizing the Governor's Public Health Commission: part 1, part 2 00:00- Introduction 01:00- Updates on bills we have discussed: SB 317 (did not pass- boo!), HB 1169 (did not pass- yay!), SB 442 (passed- boo!), SB 475 (passed- yay!) 03:00- Terminated pregnancy reports case (temporary restraining order ruling) 04:06- Bills that died that make us sad (SB 145 and HB 1251), and those that make us happy (HB 1657 and SB 286) 08:12- The basics of public health delivery in Indiana (before the Governor's public health commission) 09:58- Funding of public health before 2023 (far below the national average) 12:12- Indiana standing in typical public health outcomes 13:01- What do local health departments actually do in Indiana? 14:56- Governor's public health commission recommendations 16:27- Public health funding in 2025-2026 budget (HB 1001) 18:25- Health First Indiana County Scorecard 19:16- Life expectancy in Indiana is going down 19:57- Something you should do this week (bill page on the General Assembly website) 21:42- Summary and wrap up Become a member of the Good Trouble Coalition (free!) Kudos to Janine Zee-Cheng for our podcast art and to Elijah Bosslet for production and editing assistance. | |||
| A contraception bill gone wrong, Indiana medicaid, and NIH funding controversy | 14 Feb 2025 | 00:28:38 | |
Hoosier Health Matters 00:00 Introduction 01:25 House Bill 1169: The Contraceptive Access Debate 07:14 Senate Bill 2: Understanding Medicaid in Indiana (Report: The economic power of Indiana's Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP): 2025) 21:13 NIH funding chaos 25:39 Small things for this week (including this short clip from Mallory McMorrow and an invitation to the Reproductive Health Lobby Day February 20) 27:27 Wrap up Become a member of the Good Trouble Coalition (free!) | |||
| Navigating Indiana's legislative website (it's easy!) and the harm of crisis pregnancy centers in Indiana | 14 Mar 2025 | 00:26:56 | |
Hoosier Health Matters In this episode of Hoosier Health Matters, hosts Gabriel Bosslet and Tracey Wilkinson discuss how to find information about bills on the Indiana General Assembly website (which is one of the best in the country) and talk about Senate Concurrent Resolution 24, which commends Crisis Pregnancy Centers. They interview Dr. Erin Johnson, a PhD postdoctoral fellow at Indiana University who studies reproductive health social movements about Crisis Pregnancy Centers in Indiana and why the risks of these centers outweigh the positive benefits. 00:00- introduction 2:08- Update on TPR case, possible government shutdown 3:10- How to use the Indiana General Assembly website 4:32- Quick discussion of HB 1148 7:14- Senate Concurrent Resolution 24 overview 9:04- Interview with Erin Johnson, PhD regarding crisis pregnancy centers Repro health resources: Crisis Pregnancy Center map project 23:03- Little things you can do this week 24:45- Wrap up Elijah Bosslet provided production support on this episode. Become a member of the Good Trouble Coalition (free!) | |||
| A good executive order, SB 289 takes medical education back 2 decades, and Maternal Mortality Review Committees | 07 Mar 2025 | 00:29:03 | |
Hoosier Health Matters In this episode of Hoosier Health Matters, hosts Gabriel Bosslet and Tracey Wilkinson discuss give kudos to Governor Braun for an executive order that beefs up parental leave for Indiana state employees. They then talk about one of the less controversial parts of SB 289 that would nonetheless completely change the face of medical education in not good ways. And they talk to Carrie Rouse, an OB GYN and member of the Maternal Mortality Review Committee about the committee and maternal mortality in Indiana. | |||
| Dolly Parton teaches us about budget values, abolishing the menstruation tax, and the Leeroy Jenkins approach to public health at HHS | 28 Feb 2025 | 00:25:08 | |
Hoosier Health Matters 00:00- Introduction 01:23- Halftime bird's eye view of the session 04:15- Dolly Parton teaches us all about how the budget is the most tangible manifestation of Hoosier priorities 09:34- Senator Shelli Yoder talks about the push to eliminate the menstruation tax for Hoosiers 16:25- How the new HHS secretary is taking the "Leeroy Jenkins" approach to public health and how this is really, really bad 21:57- 2 things you can do this week, including at terrific substack on how to find out how to know if you are likely immune to the measles, and the Stand Up for Science rally on March 7 from 12-2 on the South Lawn of the Statehouse 23:13- Wrap up Become a member of the Good Trouble Coalition (free!) Kudos to Janine Zee-Cheng for our podcast art and to Elijah Bosslet for production and editing assistance. | |||
| How the federal government is dismantling public health (and a couple other things) | 04 Apr 2025 | 00:25:58 | |
Hoosier Health Matters In this episode of Hoosier Health Matters, hosts Gabriel Bosslet and Tracey Wilkinson update public health news including major HHS job cuts resulting in a 25% reduction in the workforce, an update on bills heard this week, a discussion of Title X funding and what that means, and massive federal cuts to public health spending. 00:00- Introduction 1:35- updates- more measles, massive cuts to the HHS workforce 5:53- Update on SB 96, SB 2, SB 473, and HB 1003 8:57- Cuts to Title X family planning funding 16:30- Public Health funding cuts to CDC will affect Indiana significantly 22:40- Little things (call Brad Barrett and urge him to vote on SB 96) 24:02- Wrap up Elijah Bosslet provided production and editing support on this episode. | |||
| A favorable ruling in the TPR case and the role of pharmacists in public health | 28 Mar 2025 | 00:25:33 | |
Hoosier Health Matters In this episode of Hoosier Health Matters, hosts Gabriel Bosslet and Tracey Wilkinson update public health news including a lawsuit opposing the Columbia NIH grant issue and a charlatan is named by an unserious person (RKF jr) to head up a(nother) study of vaccines and autism (narrator: the science is pretty settled here). They interview Veronica Vernon, a pharmacist, about the role of pharmacists in vaccination distribution and public health. 00:00- Introduction 1:46- Updates, including a lawsuit against the Trump administration by the American Federation of Teachers and the American Association of University Professors and RFK Jr names an unserious person to head up an unneeded study of vaccines and autism 4:37- A favorable ruling the Terminated Pregnancy Reports lawsuit 10:44- Senate Bill 96 and the role of pharmacists in public health: an interview with Veronica Vernon 22:10- Little things: April 1st gatherings at the statehouse, and call your federal Senators and Representatives to give your input about the HHS vaccines study | |||
| The evolution of medicaid reform (SB2), horse dentists, and harm reduction | 21 Mar 2025 | 00:26:50 | |
Hoosier Health Matters In this episode of Hoosier Health Matters, hosts Gabriel Bosslet and Tracey Wilkinson discuss how SB2 (medicaid reform) has changed as it has traversed the legislature. They discuss the Senate floor testimony about SCR 24 (crisis pregnancy centers), and how Senator Yoder pointed out that horse dentists are more closely regulated in Indiana than pregnancy centers. And they interview Cameron McNeely HB 1167, which decriminalizes drug test strips, about harm reduction and public health. 00:00- Introduction 1:19- updates (NIH grants cancellation, Flu shots updated but without VRBPAC input) 5:13- Senate Concurrent Resolution 24 passes, Senator Yoder points out that horse dentists are regulated more than Crisis Pregnancy Centers 9:05- Medicaid overhaul (SB2) has it's rough edges sanded down 12:57- HB 1167 allows for drug test strips and an interview with Cameron McNeely on harm reduction 22:06- 2 little things to do this week 24:31- wrap up Audio and editing- Elijah Bosslet HHM cover art- Janine Zee-Cheng | |||
| The measles in Indiana, medicaid overhaul passes the house, and effect of HHS cuts on the Indiana Immunization Coalition (interview) | 11 Apr 2025 | 00:28:54 | |
Hoosier Health Matters In this episode of Hoosier Health Matters, hosts Gabriel Bosslet and Tracey Wilkinson update public health news including quick story updates, how to approach vaccination now that measles has been detected in Indiana (6 cases), a bad sex ed bill passes out of a house committee even worse than it went in, how it started/how it ended for SB2 (the medicaid overhaul bill) which has passed both houses; and an interview with Sara Dillard, communications director at the Indiana Immunization Coalition, which has lost a ton of funding in the HHS budget cuts. 00:00- intro 00:40- updates on past stories: lawsuit over the NIH funding cuts, the state has appealed the TPR injunction ruling, PRAMS maternal mortality data collection halted 4:40- Measles is now in Indiana, and how to know if you need to inquire about a booster (from Your Local Epidemiologist) 9:02- SB 442 (the sex ed bill) passes out of House Education committee even worse than it went in 10:35- SB 2 (medicaid overhaul) passes House- how it started/how it ended 18:00- Interview with Sara Dillard, communications director for the Indiana Immunization Coalition (IIC), talks about the effects of HHS cuts on the IIC 25:05- Little things you can do this week 26:20- wrap up Elijah Bosslet provided production and editing support on this episode. | |||
| Exhaling after the legislative session | 02 May 2025 | 00:27:28 | |
Hoosier Health Matters In this episode of Hoosier Health Matters, hosts Gabriel Bosslet and Tracey Wilkinson update public health news including Measles in Indiana (flat, thank goodness), and journals get a threatening letter from a US attorney. They then talk about the end of the session: a wrap up on the bills GTC followed, a silver lining (cigarette tax), and discuss the massive budget cuts, including to public health funding (not good). Also, this will be the last weekly edition of this podcast, which will start dropping every other week (next episode 5/16/2025). 00:00- Intro 01:20- ANNOUNCEMENT- podcast moving to every other week episodes 02:58- updates- measles flat, legal challenge against HHS public health funding cuts, journals sent nutso letter from US Attorney for DC (response from lancet) 06:08- what the heck does "sine die" mean? 07:23- 30,000 foot view of the legislative session (from Good Trouble's point of view) 10:46- The terrible budget and slash and burn end to the budget bill (HEA 1001) 12:34- Massive cuts to public health in the 2025-2026 budget 17:15- The silver lining (raising the cigarette tax) 22:58- Little things to do this week including a Good Trouble meetup 24:38- Wrap up | |||
| SB1: The tax break likely to cost most Hoosiers more taxes | 25 Apr 2025 | 00:33:56 | |
Hoosier Health Matters In this episode of Hoosier Health Matters, hosts Gabriel Bosslet and Tracey Wilkinson update public health news including Measles in Indiana (flat, thank goodness), and Universities pushing back against federal overreach. They then talk about SB 442 (the sex ed bill), and use it to explain how conference committees work. They then interview Professor Michael Hicks about Senate Bill 1, which dramatically changes how local taxes work. 00:00- intro 1:14- Updates: Measles cases relatively flat, Universities push back against federal overreach, Op-ed about the effects of the NIH in Indiana 4:28- SEA 442 (sex ed bill) shenanigans teach us all about conference committees, you can watch the 13-minute meeting (but it has a good ending) 12:42- Interview with economics Professor Michael Hicks (Ball State University) about the details on SEA 1 ("property tax bill") 30:07- Little things to do this week- Call Senator Gary Byrne to let him know how important teaching consent in sex ed is! And call your Federal Senators and Representative and tell them to reinstate the funding of the NIH Women's Health Study. 31:48- Wrap up Elijah Bosslet provided editorial assistance on this week's episode | |||
| The not-so-great plan to Make Indiana Healthy Again | 18 Apr 2025 | 00:26:57 | |
Hoosier Health Matters In this episode of Hoosier Health Matters, hosts Gabriel Bosslet and Tracey Wilkinson update public health news including a brief discussion of how fluoride at reasonable doses in the water is beneficial, an update on bills in the legislature, and a breakdown of the nine Executive Orders in Governor Braun's "Make Indiana Healthy Again" initiative revealing that they are designed more to cut people off of SNAP benefits than actually make anyone more healthy. 00:00- intro 1:00- Apply to be a Good Trouble Coalition Board Member 1:35- Fluoride in drinking water 3:41- Bill update- SB 96 is dead, SB 475 (physician non-competes) is in conference committee, and SB 442 (sex ed) was improved but still isn't great, and the budget bill (HB 1001) battles are ongoing, but it's not great 11:30- A breakdown of the "Make Indiana Healthy Again" initiative announced this week, and looking at how the 9 Executive Orders that make up this initiative will make Hoosiers healthier (spoiler alert: most won't) A terrific op ed on the Make Indiana Health Again by researcher Erika Cheng, PhD 24:05- Little things to do this week 24:47- Wrap up Elijah Bosslet provided editorial assistance on this week's episode. | |||
| What is MAHA all about anyway? And what the heck do lobbyists do? | 16 May 2025 | 00:33:20 | |
Hoosier Health Matters In this episode of Hoosier Health Matters, hosts Gabriel Bosslet and Tracey Wilkinson update public health news including Measles in Indiana (flat, thank goodness), shenanigans related to a lawsuit and FDA investigation into the safety of mifepristone, and the shameful fact that Indiana has pulled out of the SUN Bucks program. They then discuss the nomination of Casey Means as surgeon general, someone who is not a practicing or board-certified physician- they use this to discuss the goals of the Make America Healthy Again movement. They then interview Amy Levander, Good Trouble lobbyist, to talk about what a lobbyist does and get her thoughts on the 2025 legislative session. 00:00- Intro 1:45- Measles is flat 1:55- Mifepristone shenanigans- the Trump admin wanted to throw out a case, but for all the wrong reasons. And now the FDA is going to re-review Mifepristone based on junk science 4:45- Indiana opts out of the SUN Bucks program, which provides food money to low-income families 6:57- The nomination of Casey Means for Surgeon General, who never finished a residency and does not have a medical license (here is the newsletter we reference in this discussion). Here we discuss what MAHA means and how there are actually good policy ideas in the movement (but the devil is in the details of the execution). 14:42- discussion of the "Why Should I Trust You?" podcast 16:10- What does a lobbyist do? Interview with Amy Levander, lobbyist for The Good Trouble Coalition 29:32- Little things you can do this week- call your representative and urge them to not cut medicaid funding. And call Senator Young and Banks and urge them to not confirm Casey Means. You can find scripts for both phone calls here. 30:49- Wrap Up Meet us in person at Half Liter BBQ on May 29th from 630-8 PM EST! | |||
| The federal budget, vaccine policy process woes, and judicial cases that will affect us all | 30 May 2025 | 00:33:44 | |
Hoosier Health Matters **Editorial note: Gabe's audio this week is wonky because he had to tape in a room that apparently had demons in it that could only be heard by the microphone** In this episode of Hoosier Health Matters, hosts Gabriel Bosslet and Tracey Wilkinson update public health news including a brain dead woman in Georgia who is forced to continue a pregnancy, they highlight what the Federal budget passed by the House of Representatives may mean for Indiana, and process changes to decision making at the FDA and CDC that undermine the credibility of national vaccine policy. They then take a deep dive with Good Trouble board member and lawyer Jane Hartsock on two cases being heard that will have major impacts for health policy in Indiana. 00:00- Intro 1:25- Georgia case of a brain dead woman forced to continue a pregnancy against her family's will; the statute that requires this exists also in Indiana law (see this interactive map outlining state laws regarding pregnancy and advance directives) 3:20- the POST form in Indiana and pregancy 6:27- The federal budget cuts medicaid dramatically and what it will mean for Indiana (it is not good) 9:17- ban on medicaid/affordable care act plans from paying for gender-affirming transition care even for adults 10:28- Major changes to COVID-19 vaccine policy (NEJM announcement, HHS announcement) 16:30- New MAHA report released; more of the same as we have discussed 17:55- Interview with Jane Hartsock about health policy legal cases 20:05- U.S. v. Skrmetti 24:38- The Religious Freedom Restoration Act challenge to the Indiana abortion ban 29:40- little things/good news 31:34- Wrap up Join us at the Good Trouble Annual Meeting (zoom) on June 23, 2025 730-830 pm EST Elijah Bosslet provided editorial assistance on this week's episode | |||
| When Protections Vanish: EMTALA, ACIP, and Indiana’s Hunger Crisis | 13 Jun 2025 | 00:34:47 | |
Hoosier Health Matters In this episode of Hoosier Health Matters, hosts Gabriel Bosslet and Tracey Wilkinson update public health news including a discussion of the rescinding of a guidance about EMTALA in pregnancy (we will explain this- it is a big deal), RFK, Jr's move to fire all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), and then we interview Emily Weikert Bryant, executive director of Feeding Indiana's Hungry, about the state of food insecurity in Indiana. 00:00- Intro 01:16- The Trump Administration has rescinded a guidance regarding how EMTALA works for pregnant women who need an emergency abortion 10:21- RFK, Jr. has fired all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, and will likely replace them with cranks and grifters 12:59- The Bethesda Declaration, an open letter by academics and scientists pushes back against the NIH 14:20- Interview with Emily Weikert Bryant, Executive Director of Feeding Indiana's Hungry, about food insecurity in Indiana 30:46- Little things- Call Senator Banks and Senator Young to urge them not to cut SNAP benefits- you can find their numbers and a script here 32:35- Wrap -up | |||
| Climate change and public health, and some news | 08 Aug 2025 | 00:36:10 | |
Hoosier Health Matters 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
Get a purple air! 33:53- Wrap up A huge thanks to Elijah Bosslet for his editing expertise in this episode. | |||
| A terrific interview about gun violence prevention in Indiana (and some news) | 25 Jul 2025 | 00:28:32 | |
Hoosier Health Matters 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) | |||
| ACIP jumps the thimerosal shark, The Big Beautiful Bill really isn't, and we answer your questions | 11 Jul 2025 | 00:30:28 | |
Hoosier Health Matters In this episode of Hoosier Health Matters, hosts Gabriel Bosslet and Tracey Wilkinson discuss the decision by the ACIP to remove thimerosal from vaccine formulations in the US, which will have little effect on vaccines here but underscore their escape from scientific decision-making. They also discuss the Indiana-specific effects of the Big Beautiful Bill on Medicaid and SNAP. It is not good. And a bunch of random questions about stuff. 00:00- Intro 02:15- BMV rule to disallow gender changes on state IDs- YOU CAN SUBMIT COMMENTS HERE 4:05- Indiana Department of Health abortion ban enforcement report doesn't do that much (full report at the bottom of this article) 4:53- ACIP bans thimerosal from vaccines, establishing firmly that they are more interested in making decisions based on vibes rather than science 7:26- AAP and other medical societies sue HHS over COVID-19 vaccine guidance 8:06- another measles case (Putnam County) and convincing folks about vaccines 10:06- The BBB will make SNAP benefits much more expensive for Indiana and will likely cut about 12% of recipients 14:22- Medicaid changes in the big Beautiful bill will cut 127,000 Hoosiers from Medicaid and will jeopardize up to 12 rural hospitals in Indiana 20:08- How does medical debt show up in medical practice? 21:48- Why do states not embrace gun safety laws given the fact that it reduces death? ( 24:18- Climate change and public health- we talk about Purple Air monitors among other things 28:19- Little things/good vibes 28:55- Wrap up Thanks to Elijah Bosslet for editing assistance on this episode | |||
| ACIP shakeup, SCOTUS doesn't like gender affirming care, and deconstructing the bogus mifepristone report | 27 Jun 2025 | 00:32:11 | |
Hoosier Health Matters In this episode of Hoosier Health Matters, hosts Gabriel Bosslet and Tracey Wilkinson discuss the new members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, and find many of them to be sus. They discuss SCOTUS's ruling on the Tennessee gender affirming care ban and they highlight the fact that opioid deaths are down 24% over the past year. And they interview Daniel Grossman MD, about the (bogus) recent mifepristone report that has provided cover for RFK, Jr. to review mifepristone. 00:00- Intro 1:58- submit questions for the next episode! Email us at goodtrouble@goodtroubleindiana.org 2:55- A breakdown of the members of the new ACIP committee (mostly sus) 8:15- SCOTUS uphold the Tennessee gender affirming care ban stand (not good) 9:25- LGBTQ youth specialization hotline discontinued by the federal government 10:38- Opioid deaths way down- see the CDC state-by-state dashboard 12:12- Interview with Dr. Daniel Grossman on the recent mifepristone report that has provided cover for RFK, Jr. to review mifepristone. 28:28- Little things or good vibes (call your Senators about the budget) 29:38- Wrap-up Elijah Bosslet provided editorial assistance on this week's episode | |||
| The enshittification of the CDC and (unrelated) all you want to know about school based health centers | 05 Sep 2025 | 00:37:39 | |
Hoosier Health Matters 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 | |||
| Lived experience: an interview on the personal toll of Indiana's reproductive politics | 22 Aug 2025 | 00:42:46 | |
Hoosier Health Matters 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. | |||
| BONUS episode: Questions answered about getting vaccines this fall | 12 Sep 2025 | 00:23:38 | |
Hoosier Health Matters 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 | |||
| Is gerrymandering a public health issue? (hint: yes) and a family facing cuts to medicaid waivers | 19 Sep 2025 | 00:36:30 | |
Hoosier Health Matters 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 | |||
| Tylenol, Leucovorin, and Mifepristone—When “science” serves politics, not patients | 03 Oct 2025 | 00:31:56 | |
Hoosier Health Matters 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 | |||
| Why we stay in Indiana and why the government shutdown over public health is important | 17 Oct 2025 | 00:33:30 | |
Hoosier Health Matters 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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