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 professional on well being coverage points, Julie is the writer of the critically praised reference e book “Well being Care Politics and Coverage A to Z,” now in its third version.
The brand new, GOP-led, 119th Congress and President-elect Donald Trump have massive legislative plans for the 12 months — which principally don’t embrace well being coverage. However well being is prone to play an essential supporting position in efforts to resume tax cuts, revise immigration insurance policies, and alter commerce — if solely to assist pay for some Republican initiatives.
In the meantime, the outgoing Biden administration is racing to complete its well being coverage to-do listing, together with finalizing a coverage that bars credit score bureaus from together with medical debt on people’ credit score stories.
This week’s panelists are Julie Rovner of KFF Well being Information, Shefali Luthra of The nineteenth, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Put up.
Panelists
Shefali Luthra
The nineteenth
Alice Miranda Ollstein
Politico
Lauren Weber
The Washington Put up
Among the many takeaways from this week’s episode:
- The 119th Congress is now in session. Well being care doesn’t make the listing of priorities as lawmakers lay the desk for the incoming Trump administration — although Republicans have floated Medicaid work necessities to chop federal spending.
- Quite a lot of well being laws hit the cutting-room flooring in December, together with a bipartisan proposal focusing on pharmacy profit managers — which might have saved the federal authorities and sufferers billions of {dollars}. And talking of bipartisan efforts, a congressional report from the Senate Funds Committee provides to proof that non-public fairness involvement in care is related to worse outcomes for sufferers — notably, lawmakers’ constituents.
- Because the nation bids a ultimate farewell to former President Jimmy Carter, his world well being work, particularly, is being celebrated — particularly his efforts to eradicate such devastating illnesses as Guinea worm illness and river blindness.
- In the meantime, the Biden administration finalized the rule barring medical debt from showing on credit score stories. The surgeon normal cautions that alcohol ought to include warning labels noting most cancers threat. And the brand new Senate Republican chief is elevating abortion-related laws to require lifesaving look after all infants born alive — but these protections exist already.
Plus, for “additional credit score,” the panelists recommend well being coverage tales they learn this week that they suppose it is best to learn, too:
Julie Rovner: The Wall Avenue Journal’s “UnitedHealth’s Military of Docs Helped It Gather Billions Extra From Medicare,” by Christopher Weaver, Anna Wilde Mathews, and Tom McGinty.
Alice Miranda Ollstein: The New York Instances’ “Ozempic, Lego Bricks and Listening to Aids: What Trump’s Greenland Plan Might Hit,” by Ana Swanson and Jenny Gross.
Shefali Luthra: Vox.com’s “Gigantic SUVs Are a Public Well being Risk. Why Don’t We Deal with Them Like One?” by David Zipper.
Lauren Weber: The Washington Put up’s “Legal guidelines Limit U.S. Transport of Vape Merchandise. Many Firms Do It Anyway,” by David Ovalle and Rachel Roubein.
Additionally talked about on this week’s podcast:
The Senate Funds Committee’s “Earnings Over Sufferers: The Dangerous Results of Personal Fairness on the U.S. Well being Care System.”
Credit
Taylor Prepare dinner
Audio producer
Lonnie Ro
Audio producer
Emmarie Huetteman
Editor
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