“Hospitals in Focus” takes a high-level look at how Americans really feel about two cornerstones of health coverage in our country: Medicaid and the enhanced premium tax credits available through the individual marketplace.

Joining Chip Kahn on this episode is Bob Ward, a partner at polling firm Fabrizio Ward, whose team recently conducted two national surveys examining public opinion on these programs. The findings might surprise you—voters from across the political spectrum, including MAGA Republicans, swing voters, and Democrats, overwhelmingly support Medicaid and premium tax credits, even as partisan debates on potential cuts and the extension of the enhanced tax credits continue in Washington.

Key topics include:

• Understanding the demographics and makeup of voters;

• How views on Medicaid and the enhanced tax credits break traditional party lines; • What the data reveals about coverage concerns; and,

• How lawmakers can better align with what Americans actually want.

References:

Medicaid Attitudes Poll Memo for Modern Medicaid Alliance

BAF Economy & Tax Poll for Building America’s Future

Guest Bio:

Bob Ward is a partner of Fabrizio Ward, a public affairs polling firm he co-founded with Tony Fabrizio, lead pollster for President Donald Trump. Ward is a veteran political pollster, having worked for Republican candidates at all levels of government. Internationally his political work extends to elections and NGOs in Europe, Asia, and Africa. He provides political polling and election insights for a range of advocacy groups.

Ward has over 30 years of public and stakeholder opinion research experience, specializing in public affairs research, corporate image, reputation, and issues management. His counsel and research have guided a wide range of client engagements including public affairs campaigns designed to influence policy makers, product liability crises, high profile litigation, long-term reputation measurement and management, to message development supporting everything from rebranding universities, launching advocacy groups, and product roll-outs.

Medicaid, together with the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), forms the backbone of pediatric care in the United States — providing nearly 40 million children with access to routine checkups to life-saving hospital services. But that care is at risk. Congress is considering cuts to Medicaid funding, which could have devastating consequences for kids and the specialized hospitals that serve them.

In this episode, Chip Kahn is joined by Matthew Cook, President and CEO of the Children’s Hospital Association. With decades of leadership experience on the floors of children’s hospitals and now serving as a national advocate, Matt offers powerful stories into what’s at stake if Medicaid is scaled back — and why protecting it is critical for the health and future of America’s children.

Key topics include:

• The scope of Medicaid’s support for children’s health;
• The role of children’s hospitals in providing pediatric care;
• Unique challenges facing children’s hospitals;
• What proposed Medicaid cuts could mean for access, treatment delays, and pediatric services; and,
• What lawmakers need to understand beyond balancing the budget.

Guest Bio:

Matthew Cook is President and CEO of Children’s Hospital Association (CHA), representing over 200 children’s hospitals and health systems as the leading national advocates for children’s health.

Cook is an established health care industry executive with decades of unparalleled leadership which includes leadership roles at children’s hospitals and maternal health programs. Cook also previously served as a member of CHA’s Board of Trustees and Public Policy Committees.

Prior to joining CHA, Cook served as president of UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals and senior vice president of Children’s Services at UCSF Health, where he oversaw strategic direction, operations, and clinical services for all pediatric services in both Oakland and San Francisco, as well as serving on the UCSF Health leadership team.

Cook previously served as president of Riley Children’s Health and chief strategy officer for Indiana University Health and served as executive vice president of strategic planning and business development at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Cook was also a principal at the Chartis Group, a health care consulting firm based in Chicago.

Cook earned a Master of Business Administration from New York University and graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Economics from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Rural America is a vital part of our nation—rich in culture, community, and resilience. But potential Medicaid cuts coupled with the impending expiration of enhanced tax credits further threatens rural communities’ access to health care and puts the strength of rural communities at risk. In this episode, Chip Kahn is joined once again by Alan Morgan, CEO of the National Rural Health Association, to explore the impacts of Medicaid cuts and Americans’ loss of health coverage on rural hospitals and what is at stake for patient care if lawmakers fail to protect these institutions.

Key topics include:

• The current state of rural health care and why it matters to all Americans;
• What hospital closures mean for rural patients;
• The policy levers that could make or break the future of rural hospitals; and,
• Why Medicaid and the enhanced tax credits are essential to access care.

References:

• Washington Post “Republican Medicaid cuts could shutter rural hospitals, maternity care” (https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/03/08/medicaid-cuts-rural-hospitals/)

About:
Alan Morgan joined NRHA staff in 2001 and currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of the association.

Recognized as among the top 100 most influential people in health care by Modern Healthcare Magazine, Alan Morgan serves as Chief Executive Officer for the National Rural Health Association. He has more than 30 years experience in health policy at the state and federal level, and is one of the nation’s leading experts on rural health policy.

Mr. Morgan served as a contributing author for the publications, “Policy & Politics in Nursing and Health Care,” “The Handbook of Rural Aging” and for the publication, “Rural Populations and Health.” In addition, his health policy articles have been published in: The American Journal of Clinical Medicine, The Journal of Rural Health, The Journal of Cardiovascular Management, The Journal of Pacing and Clinical Electrophysiology, Cardiac Electrophysiology Review, and in Laboratory Medicine.

Mr. Morgan served as staff for former US Congressman Dick Nichols and former Kansas Governor Mike Hayden. Additionally, his past experience includes tenures as a health care lobbyist for the American Society of Clinical Pathologists, the Heart Rhythm Society, and for VHA Inc.

He holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from University of Kansas, and a master's degree in public administration from George Mason University.