Hoosier Health Matters

Hoosier Health MattersSeason 1, Episode 31Date: 12/19/2025Title:  A legislative prep episode featuring a tenderloin00:00- Intro2:00- Indiana eschewed a redistricting push, 31-193:55- Indiana appellate court denies injunction in TPR case (this is good news)- and you can see the IDH's aggregate terminated pregnancy reports here5:27- ACIP removes the recommendation for Hepatitis B vaccines at birth- a recommendation based more on vibes than science- good info here7:23- ACA subsidy kerfuffle continues and unlikely to be resolved by Jan 1- one of the issues with this subsidy is a battle over enforcement of the Hyde Amendment9:23- Sugary drinks no longer able to be purchased with SNAP benefits in Indiana10:06- 2026 legislative session boot camp, featuring a bill about tenderloin sandwichessubtitle:How a bill becomes a law in IndianaFind all of the bills currently filed here25:31- Little things to do this week (mostly good vibes this week)Thanks for listening!Follow us on Bluesky and Instagram

Hoosier Health MattersSeason 1, Episode 30Date: 12/5/2025Title:  Taxing cigarettes reduces smoking (who knew?) and an interview about a direct cash assistance program for pregnant women00:00- Intro1:21- The redistricting saga continues (and will be resolved by our next episode)3:48- New tobacco tax has reduced tobacco consumption and increased tobacco tax revenue5:24- Strain of H3N2 influenza has drifted and may be more infectious this season- check out the Indiana influenza dashboard (which is awesome)7:00- CDC now officially says we can't say vaccines don't cause autism (which is just dumb)8:40- The new principal deputy director of the CDC is a quack10:06- A memo in the FDA suggests 10 kids have died of COVID vaccine without providing any details or evidence or anything11:35- An interview with Ben Tapper about the BIRTH fund program, which is giving direct cash assistance to hundreds of pregnant women in central Indiana37:49- Little things- donate to good orgs (and email [email protected] if you donate to GTC in someone's name and want a card to give them) and CALL YOUR LEGISLATORS about redistricting'39:09- Wrap upThanks for listening!Follow us on Bluesky and Instagram

Hoosier Health MattersSeason 1, Episode 29 Date: 11/14/2025 Title:  Indiana Freezes Childcare Vouchers, Legislators Target Mifepristone, and Why Syringe Exchange Matters00:00- Intro2:15- 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 session5:09- Indiana freezing childcare vouchers until 2027- leaving 31,000 families on a wait list7:15- 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 question11:00- The federal shutdown furloughed 50 Indiana Department of Health workers 12:25- SNAP legal drama was dramatic16:13- 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 upThanks for listening!Follow us on Bluesky and Instagram

Hoosier Health MattersSeason 1, Episode 28  Date: 10/31/2025  Title:  Indiana’s Medical Debt Shrug, SNAP Shutdown, and all you could want to know about FQHCs00:00- Intro3:05- They are going to try and re-gerrymander Indiana. Which is good for no one4:50- 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 debt7:06- The first flu death was confirmed in Indiana this week. Get your flu vaccine. And check out the Indiana Influenza dashboard- it is cool8:10- The federal shutdown continues; and SNAP funding has been cut off as of today.  This is a huge deal9:45- 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 unreliable11:20- Interview with Staci Walters about what federally qualified health centers are and why they are an important aspect of public health in Indiana23:38- Little things- call your legislator to oppose re-gerrymandering24:30- Wrap upThanks for listening!Follow us on Bluesky and Instagram

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 important00:00- Intro1:37- CDC director uses his best vibes to call for the separation of the MMR vaccine into three separate shots2:19- CDC ACIP recommendations adopted, and they quietly walked back the "only risk factors under 60" recommendation to recommend it with shared decision-making3:13- New study shows that, even in the last winter season, COVID vaccination was massively protective against hospitalizations and death4:15- CDC lays off 1400 employees, immediately rehires half, administrative malfeasance continues5:50- 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 Americans9:36- 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 swag31:00- Wrap up Thanks for listening!Follow us on Bluesky and Instagram