ACA Episodes
Feb. 20, 2026
1073: Coverage, Consequences, and the Leaders Shaping Public Health’s Future
What happens when health coverage becomes unaffordable, and who’s stepping up to lead in moments like this? This episode connects two powerful public health stories. First, we break down the ACA enhanced premium tax credits: what they were, who they helped, and what’s at stake now that they’ve expired. Catherine Jones, senior analyst for government affairs at ASTHO, will explain how these pandemic-era subsidies dramatically expanded access to marketplace coverage, helping middle-income famili...
Guests: James Bell III DSW MSW , Catherine Jones, MPH
Dec. 3, 2025
1036: What the 2025 Government Shutdown Revealed and What Comes Next
In this episode, ASTHO’s Catherine Jones, senior analyst for government affairs, breaks down the 2025 federal government shutdown, the longest in U.S. history, and what made it uniquely disruptive compared to the 2018–2019 closure.
Guest: Catherine Jones, MPH
409
Oct. 3, 2025
1004: CHWs + Dementia, Government Shutdown Effects
Mickal Lewis, associate director of the Center of Excellence on Dementia Risk Reduction with the Alzheimer's Association, shares how community health workers play an essential role supporting a continuum of care for community members with dementia, and how public health leaders can help advance progress; Jeffrey Ekoma, senior director of government affairs at ASTHO, provides an update on the current government shutdown and explains how federal health agencies are impacted in this week’s View from Washington, D.C. report,...
Guests: Jeffrey Ekoma, MBA, MS , Mickal Lewis MPH CHW