The Host
Julie Rovner
KFF Well being Information
Julie Rovner is chief Washington correspondent and host of KFF Well being Information’ weekly well being coverage information podcast, “What the Well being?” A famous knowledgeable on well being coverage points, Julie is the creator of the critically praised reference guide “Well being Care Politics and Coverage A to Z,” now in its third version.
The taking pictures demise of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on the streets of New York Metropolis prompted a stunning wave of sympathy for the perpetrator, somewhat than the sufferer, from Individuals who say they’ve been wronged by their well being insurers. It stays to be seen whether or not backlash from the killing will lead to a extra severe dialog about what ails the well being care system.
In the meantime, in a few of his first prolonged interviews for the reason that election, President-elect Donald Trump continued to be noncommittal about his plans for well being care generally and the Reasonably priced Care Act particularly.
This week’s panelists are Julie Rovner of KFF Well being Information, Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Stat, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Name.
Panelists
Rachel Cohrs Zhang
Stat Information
Alice Miranda Ollstein
Politico
Sandhya Raman
CQ Roll Name
Among the many takeaways from this week’s episode:
- The killing of UnitedHealthcare’s chief govt has amplified simmering anger and mistrust over the nation’s well being care system. Many individuals are upset about the price of care, limitations of protection, gaps in entry — and rather more. Whereas Democratic policymakers have pushed lately to insure as many Individuals as potential, insurance coverage protection is simply a part of the equation in resolving the system’s ills.
- There’s not a lot time left for this Congress. Nonetheless on the agenda is passing funding for some well being priorities. Extending telehealth entry, for example, is a small however key situation for which lawmakers might want to discover cash to offset the price of an costly program. And cultural points proceed to play a job, with the Home passing a protection spending package deal this week that may lower protection for gender-affirming take care of minor dependents of these within the armed forces.
- And Trump’s latest interviews with NBC Information’ “Meet the Press” and Time journal supplied little readability on his well being care plans. He referred to creating modifications to the ACA and never making modifications to abortion tablet availability — however it’s clear that such points should not amongst his prime issues and that insurance policies will rely largely on the personnel throughout the well being companies.
Additionally this week, Rovner interviews Francis Collins, who was the director of the Nationwide Institutes of Well being and a science adviser to President Joe Biden.
Plus, for “further credit score,” the panelists counsel well being coverage tales they learn this week that they assume you need to learn, too:
Julie Rovner: KFF’s “Medicare Spending was 27% Extra for Folks Who Disenrolled From Medicare Benefit Than for Comparable Folks in Conventional Medicare,” by Jeannie Fuglesten Biniek, Alex Cottrill, Nolan Sroczynski, and Tricia Neuman.
Alice Miranda Ollstein: CNN’s “Most Ladies within the US Aren’t Accessing Household Planning Companies, Whilst Abortion Restrictions Develop,” by Deidre McPhillips.
Sandhya Raman: Stat’s “Spending Much less, Dwelling Longer: What the U.S. Can Study From Portugal’s Revolutionary Well being System,” by Usha Lee McFarling.
Rachel Cohrs Zhang: ProPublica’s “‘Eat What You Kill,’” by J. David McSwane.
Additionally talked about on this week’s podcast:
Credit
Taylor Cook dinner
Audio producer
Lonnie Ro
Audio producer
Emmarie Huetteman
Editor
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