RadCasts

Subsidies for the ACA are set to expire at the end of the year. Today, Congress is voting on a Democratic bill that would extend subsidies for three years and a Republican bill that would give those eligible up to $1,500 in health savings accounts. If a decision isn’t made, monthly premiums for many people could double next year. In the Loop hears from Volumes Bookcafe owner Rebecca George and Illinois Alliance for Retired Americans executive director Krystle Able who both rely on ACA Marketplace for their coverage and how expiring subsidies could mean the difference between taking control of their health or not. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.

A CDC panel recently reversed a decades-old recommendation that all babies in the U.S. receive the hepatitis B vaccine at birth. Medical groups, including the Chicago-based American Medical Association, have denounced the new recommendations, calling them “reckless.” In the Loop talks about what this means for Illinois kids and families with Dr. Steven Flamm, hepatologist and professor of Medicine at Rush University and Dr. Marielle Fricchione, pediatrician and chair of the Illinois Immunization Advisory Committee. For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.

The Federal Reserve cut interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point Wednesday. And this decision comes as President Donald Trump continues to put pressure on the supposedly independent agency to move the economy the way he wants. Plus, the president is reportedly beginning final interviews for Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s potential successor.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• “Fed lowers interest rates again amid debate over inflation, jobs” from The Washington Post
• “Trump to start final Fed chair interviews beginning with Kevin Warsh” from CNBC
• “What a Fed rate cut means for your home, car and credit card loans” from The Washington Post
• “Watch out for these refinancing red flags” from Marketplace Morning Report

The Federal Reserve cut interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point Wednesday. And this decision comes as President Donald Trump continues to put pressure on the supposedly independent agency to move the economy the way he wants. Plus, the president is reportedly beginning final interviews for Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s potential successor.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• “Fed lowers interest rates again amid debate over inflation, jobs” from The Washington Post
• “Trump to start final Fed chair interviews beginning with Kevin Warsh” from CNBC
• “What a Fed rate cut means for your home, car and credit card loans” from The Washington Post
• “Watch out for these refinancing red flags” from Marketplace Morning Report