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Margot Sanger-Katz

@sangerkatz.bsky.social
6.4K followers 428 following 93 posts

Covering health care at @nytimes.com. Enjoy metaphors. Dislike mixed metaphors. Reach me on Signal: sangerkatz.01

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Reposted by Margot Sanger-Katz
Dan Friedman @dfriedman.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
This story is mostly about a plastic surgeon who has trademarked the name "Dr. Penis." Yet the headline does not include that moniker or any dick puns. www.nytimes.com/2026/04/22/u...
nytimes.com
A $440,000 Breast Reduction: How Doctors Cashed In on a Consumer Protection Law
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Emily Badger @emmbadger.bsky.social · 03/11/2025
The One Big Beautiful Bill ratchets up work requirements for Medicaid. In the process it will force states to pay millions more to Equifax to verify that residents qualify for the program. Wild story by @sangerkatz.bsky.social @asmaaelk.bsky.social and Sarah Kliff www.nytimes.com/2025/11/03/h...
nytimes.com
‘A Big Positive’: How One Company Plans to Profit From Medicaid Cuts
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Margot Sanger-Katz @sangerkatz.bsky.social · 14/08/2025
Want to be my boss? @upshot.nytimes.com is looking for a new editor. It's a great job leading a creative, collaborative, fun team, if I do say so myself. t.co/EMsA6p7eSh
t.co
https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/thenewyorktimes/jobs/4596969005
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Reposted by Margot Sanger-Katz
Emily Badger @emmbadger.bsky.social · 02/07/2025
How the GOP mega-bill bill finds its savings: piling more paperwork on the poor. w/ @sangerkatz.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/2025/06/29/u...
nytimes.com
How the G.O.P. Bill Saves Money: Paperwork, Paperwork, Paperwork
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Emily Badger @emmbadger.bsky.social · 13/06/2025
Big tax cut bills typically don't leave the poor worse off. Bills cutting the safety net don't normally include benefits for the rich. The GOP reconciliation bill is something we haven't really seen before. w/ @aliciaparlap.bsky.social + @sangerkatz.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
nytimes.com
Trump’s Big Bill Would Be More Regressive Than Any Major Law in Decades (Gift Article)
Estimates from the Congressional Budget Office, released Thursday, offer a detailed view into the effects on income groups.
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The Upshot @upshot.nytimes.com · 04/06/2025
A Complete List of Everything in the Republican Bill, and How Much It Would Cost or Save (This very long list is now updated with Congressional Budget Office estimates) www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
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Margot Sanger-Katz @sangerkatz.bsky.social · 29/05/2025
A bunch of papers cited in the government MAHA report are apparently fake. www.notus.org/health-scien... ‪@emilykennard.bsky.social‬ @margaretmanto.bsky.social‬
notus.org
The MAHA Report Cites Studies That Don’t Exist
The Trump administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” report misinterprets some studies and cites others that don’t exist, according to the listed authors.
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Reposted by Margot Sanger-Katz
Emily Badger @emmbadger.bsky.social · 23/05/2025
Easily one of my favorite stories we've ever worked on. Have you ever... not gotten around to opening your mail for a week or two? That's the kind of thing that will get a low-income family kicked off benefits. The GOP reconciliation bill would ramp up such hurdles.
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Margot Sanger-Katz @sangerkatz.bsky.social · 23/05/2025
If you want to think more about how paperwork can prevent eligible people from getting benefits, this piece 2020 piece with @emmbadger.bsky.social has a fun quiz, a large survey, and lots of research, and features photos of our boss's mail. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
nytimes.com
Take the Quiz: Could You Manage as a Poor American? (Published 2020)
See whether you make the kinds of mistakes that can cost poor families food or health insurance.
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Margot Sanger-Katz @sangerkatz.bsky.social · 23/05/2025
Here's a complete list of *everything* in the GOP megabill, thanks to heroic efforts from @aliciaparlap.bsky.social @emmbadger.bsky.social and Josh Katz. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
nytimes.com
A Complete List of Everything in the Republican Bill, and How Much It Would Cost or Save
We highlighted the substantive changes made by House Republicans to secure the support of several holdout members.
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Reposted by Margot Sanger-Katz
Aatish Bhatia @aatishb.com · 22/05/2025
NEW: Under Trump, the National Science Foundation is awarding grants at the slowest pace in decades. We took a detailed look at every area of science affected by the funding lag. Here's a gift link: www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
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Margot Sanger-Katz @sangerkatz.bsky.social · 22/05/2025
The Medicaid work requirement in the House bill is a lot stricter than work requirements in previous legislation. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/22/u... with Sarah Kliff
nytimes.com
Republicans Pass Strictest Medicaid Work Requirement They Have Ever Put Forward
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Formerly Richard Mayhew @dmaanderson.bsky.social · 22/05/2025
If House Manager Amendment ending #Silverload is signed into law I expect numerous insurers to leave the ACA market in 2026... Pay particular attention to Texas
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Edwin Park @edwincpark.bsky.social · 22/05/2025
If a non-expansion state newly adopts expansion, hospitals/other providers see those SDPs at 110% of Medicare fall to 100%. Creates another disincentive for states to take up expansion along with other provisions including elimination of existing fiscal incentives to encourage expansion (7/x)
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Reposted by Margot Sanger-Katz
tony romm @tonyromm.bsky.social · 19/05/2025
Scalise says 2027 is the new target date to implement Medicaid work requirements
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Margot Sanger-Katz @sangerkatz.bsky.social · 17/05/2025
Congress is looking at major changes to the Medicaid expansion. New research finds it has saved 27,000 lives. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/16/h...
nytimes.com
As Congress Debates Cutting Medicaid, a Major Study Shows It Saves Lives
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Reposted by Margot Sanger-Katz
Emily Badger @emmbadger.bsky.social · 16/05/2025
As Congress Debates Cutting Medicaid, a Major Study Shows It Saves Lives: www.nytimes.com/2025/05/16/h...
nytimes.com
As Congress Debates Cutting Medicaid, a Major Study Shows It Saves Lives
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Margot Sanger-Katz @sangerkatz.bsky.social · 14/05/2025
Republicans in W&M voted down an amendment that would have permanently extended enhanced Obamacare subsidies. @repstevenhorsford.bsky.social, who introduced it, argued that if Congress was using a current policy baseline for tax cuts, it should also do so for the subsidies.
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Margot Sanger-Katz @sangerkatz.bsky.social · 13/05/2025
In the first 15 minutes of the E&C markup, the number 13.7 million uninsured has already come up twice. It's an exaggeration of what the GOP bill would do. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/13/u...
nytimes.com
Millions Would Lose Health Coverage Under G.O.P. Bill. But Not as Many as Democrats Say.
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Margot Sanger-Katz @sangerkatz.bsky.social · 13/05/2025
Read @tonyromm.bsky.social on the many the ways the Trump agenda will put pressure on state budgets. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/13/u...
nytimes.com
Chasing Tax Cuts, Trump and Republicans Want to Make States Pay
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Margot Sanger-Katz @sangerkatz.bsky.social · 13/05/2025
My colleague Claire Cain Miller is hoping to hear from folks about challenges facing boys and young men. Please read her article and share your stories here: www.nytimes.com/2025/05/13/u...
nytimes.com
What’s Going On With Boys and Young Men? We Want to Hear From You.
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Margot Sanger-Katz @sangerkatz.bsky.social · 12/05/2025
CMS just proposed a rule to make it harder for states to increase their federal Medicaid match by taxing managed care providers. The policy is similar to a provision in the House legislation released last night. public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2025-08566.pdf h/t @newscat44.bsky.social
public-inspection.federalregister.gov
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Rachel Sachs @rachelsachs.bsky.social · 12/05/2025
There's relatively little substantive content in the text of the MFN EO, but this section is emblematic of the many, many questions people should have about its scope. Where will the Secretary get this pricing information? How will they decide "price targets"? For which drugs? Which countries? Etc.
Within 30 days of the date of this order, the Secretary shall, in coordination with the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, the Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and other relevant executive department and agency (agency) officials, communicate most-favored-nation price targets to pharmaceutical manufacturers to bring prices for American patients in line with comparably developed nations.
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Margot Sanger-Katz @sangerkatz.bsky.social · 12/05/2025
The morning after House Republicans release a plan to reduce Medicaid spending by hundreds of billions, Sen. Josh Hawley is out with an op-ed encouraging his colleagues not to cut the program. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/12/o...
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Margot Sanger-Katz @sangerkatz.bsky.social · 12/05/2025
Bluesky friends: Any theories about the story behind the special Tennessee DSH policy in this bill?
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Margot Sanger-Katz @sangerkatz.bsky.social · 10/05/2025
Read Phil Galewitz on Medicaid provider taxes, in a story that cites many individual hospitals that enjoy paying them and depend on related revenue streams. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
kffhealthnews.org
Seeking Spending Cuts, GOP Lawmakers Target a Tax Hospitals Love To Pay - KFF Health News
Republicans, on the hunt for spending cuts, are eyeing a special kind of Medicaid tax that nearly every state uses to boost funding for hospitals, nursing homes, and other providers.
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Margot Sanger-Katz @sangerkatz.bsky.social · 09/05/2025
Some left-leaning analysts think CBO has underestimated the insurance coverage losses that would be caused by various Medicaid cuts. Read @xpostfactoid.bsky.social for the details: xpostfactoid.blogspot.com/2025/05/cbo-...
xpostfactoid.blogspot.com
CBO lowballs coverage losses if Republicans defund the ACA Medicaid expansion
CBO underestimates coverage losses if Republicans defund the ACA Medicaid expansion
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Reposted by Margot Sanger-Katz
Matt Levine @matt-levine.bsky.social · 07/05/2025
I expect this newsletter to be dollar-positive before it becomes dollar negative. www.bloomberg.com/opinion/news...
bloomberg.com
Medicaid Taxes Pay for Themselves
Also tariff loans, OpenAI/Microsoft and stock buybacks.
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The New York Times @nytimes.com · 06/05/2025
In some states, provider taxes and related payments bring in more than a third of overall federal funding for Medicaid. If Republicans end the tactic, red states could feel the most pain.
nytimes.com
G.O.P. Targets a Medicaid Loophole Used by 49 States to Grab Federal Money
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Margot Sanger-Katz @sangerkatz.bsky.social · 06/05/2025
I first learned about Medicaid provider taxes when I was covering health policy in the New Hampshire state legislature in the 2000s. Everyone called them "mediscam." www.nytimes.com/2025/05/06/u...
nytimes.com
G.O.P. Targets a Medicaid Loophole Used by 49 States to Grab Federal Money
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Reposted by Margot Sanger-Katz
Emily Badger @emmbadger.bsky.social · 06/05/2025
Fascinating story by @sangerkatz.bsky.social + Sarah Kliff on an accounting trick nearly every states uses to collect extra federal Medicaid dollars — now potentially targeted by House Republicans looking for savings. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/06/u...
nytimes.com
G.O.P. Targets a Medicaid Loophole Used by 49 States to Grab Federal Money
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Margot Sanger-Katz @sangerkatz.bsky.social · 02/05/2025
World's weirdest hobby? www.nytimes.com/2025/05/02/h... @apoorvanyt.bsky.social
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David Fahrenthold @fahrenthold.bsky.social · 13/04/2025
NEW: DOGE is falling far short of its goals — and still drastically over-stating its success. Here’s why: www.nytimes.com/2025/04/13/u...
nytimes.com
DOGE Is Far Short of Its Goal, and Still Overstating Its Progress
Elon Musk now says his group will produce only 15 percent of the savings it promised. But even that estimate is inflated with errors and guesswork.
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Margot Sanger-Katz @sangerkatz.bsky.social · 10/04/2025
If you want to understand the problem of "waste, fraud, and abuse" in federal health programs, you should read this great piece by Sarah Kliff and @bykatiethomas.bsky.social on scammy skin substitute companies. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/10/h...
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Margot Sanger-Katz @sangerkatz.bsky.social · 10/04/2025
The House passed the Senate budget. Here's what's in it. www.nytimes.com/interactive/... @aliciaparlap.bsky.social
nytimes.com
House Budget Resolution Vote: What’s Changed
The new resolution calls for more tax cuts and fewer reductions in spending. It would increase the federal debt by a lot more.
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Margot Sanger-Katz @sangerkatz.bsky.social · 09/04/2025
Here's what's in the budget the House is voting on today. www.nytimes.com/interactive/... @aliciaparlap.bsky.social
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Margot Sanger-Katz @sangerkatz.bsky.social · 09/04/2025
Jim O'Neil, Trump's pick for deputy secretary of HHS, was until recently on the board of of the Seasteading Institute, an organization devoted to the "creation of floating ocean cities as a revolutionary solution for poor governance." www.seasteading.org
seasteading.org
Home
reimagining civilizationwith floating cities Seasteading means building floating societies with significant political autonomy. Nearly half the world’s surface is unclaimed by...
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Margot Sanger-Katz @sangerkatz.bsky.social · 02/04/2025
Unexpectedly for this event, Trump just promised not to cut Medicaid benefits again.
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Jason Leopold @jasonleopold.bsky.social · 01/04/2025
NEW: CDC FOIA page are being dismantled, including pages containing FOIA request logs and the portal to submit FOIA requests.
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Christina Jewett @by-cjewett.bsky.social · 01/04/2025
HHS doctors, scientists and tobacco control staff, rare disease experts, cancer drug wizards -- all fired today or leaving in recent weeks. Yet. 🚨 At HHS, staff make up less than one percent of the overall agency budget. 🚨 www.nytimes.com/2025/04/01/h...
nytimes.com
Federal Health Workers Make Up Less Than 1% of Agency Spending (Gift Article)
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suggests that laying off thousands of federal workers would tame a massive budget. But nearly all of the agency’s money goes to hospitals, doctors and nursing ho...
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Teddy Rosenbluth @teddyrosenbluth.bsky.social · 27/03/2025
Public health officials in Tx said they received stop work orders for three grants that helped fund their response to the raging measles outbreak Story by @apoorvanyt.bsky.social @sangerkatz.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/2025/03/26/h...
nytimes.com
Trump Administration Abruptly Cuts Billions From State Health Services
States have been told that they can no longer use grants that were funding infectious disease management and addiction services.
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Margot Sanger-Katz @sangerkatz.bsky.social · 26/03/2025
Reading this Paragon report on Medicaid provider taxes, and I have a lot of questions about the art! paragoninstitute.org/medicaid/add...
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Molly Reynolds @mollyereynolds.bsky.social · 17/03/2025
What a delightful set of additions to the long tradition of reconciliation-related metaphors, of which Senator Whitehouse's "a free-range chicken that can run wherever the majority wants it to" remains my favorite. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
nytimes.com
Current Policy Baseline: The Budget Trick That Could Make Tax Cuts Look Free
A maneuver so wonky that it might be best explained with sports cars and anime streaming.
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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 17/03/2025
lmao I can’t believe they printed this
The New York Times
"A current policy approach is like if you signed up for a Crunchyroll anime subscription that you knew you couldn't afford, but now that it's time to re-up the subscription, you pretend it's free because you've already been paying it."

Bobby Kogan
Senior director of federal budget policy at the Center for American Progress, a progressive research group; former adviser to the director of the Office of Management and Budget; former Senate Budget Committee staffer
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Adrianna McIntyre @adrianna.bsky.social · 17/03/2025
Whoa, did not know you could write a FUN story about CBO gamesmanship (I think @marcgoldwein.bsky.social's metaphor might be my fave, but they're all pretty good)
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Margot Sanger-Katz @sangerkatz.bsky.social · 17/03/2025
Having trouble understanding what a "current policy baseline" is? Don't worry! We have metaphors for you. www.nytimes.com/interactive/... @aliciaparlap.bsky.social with A+ illos from Maddy Fischer
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Margot Sanger-Katz @sangerkatz.bsky.social · 16/03/2025
#1: Popcorn www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/202...
washingtonpost.com
We analyzed dozens of ultra-processed snacks. These are the healthiest options.
Eating better snacks can have a positive impact on your health.
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Margot Sanger-Katz @sangerkatz.bsky.social · 13/03/2025
"The picture of these shifting contracts reflects what has become the erratic hallmark of much of the team’s work" www.nytimes.com/2025/03/13/u... @emmbadger.bsky.social @ethansinger.bsky.social
nytimes.com
See How Elon Musk’s Team Inflated, Deleted and Rewrote Its Savings Claims
The cost-cutting group removed hundreds of contracts from its “wall of receipts,” added back many of them, and inflated savings values.
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David Fahrenthold @fahrenthold.bsky.social · 13/03/2025
NEW: DOGE backtracks on promises of transparency, making its new errors harder to find. (We found more anyway) www.nytimes.com/2025/03/13/u...
nytimes.com
DOGE Makes Its Latest Errors Harder to Find
Elon Musk’s group obscured the details of some new claims on its website, despite promises of transparency. But The Times was still able to detect another batch of mistakes.
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Sahil Kapur @sahilkapur.bsky.social · 12/03/2025
NEW: Chuck Schumer says Senate Democrats won't provide votes to pass GOP funding bill as shutdown draws near Dems say they won’t support a “partisan” House bill they lacked input in writing. Deadline: Friday midnight. www.nbcnews.com/politics/con...
nbcnews.com
Senate Democrats say they won't provide votes to pass GOP funding bill as shutdown draws near
After meeting with his conference, the Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said "Republicans do not have the votes" to advance the House-approved measure.
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