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Despite the turmoil from the continued impeachment inquiry, Democrats within the U.S. House of Representatives are continuing with work on a significant prescription drug worth invoice crafted by Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Meanwhile, broader well being points proceed to be a degree of competition among the many Democratic presidential candidates.
And courts across the nation are dealing setbacks to lots of the Trump administration’s well being agenda gadgets, together with one that might make it tougher for immigrants to get inexperienced playing cards in the event that they use public applications.
This week’s panelists are Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico, Tami Luhby of CNN and Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times.
Among the takeaways from this week’s podcast:
Getting an formidable drug pricing package deal via Congress by the top of the 12 months appears unlikely, not solely due to impeachment, but in addition as a result of the Senate shouldn’t be on board with Pelosi’s plan. Still, a Congressional Budget Office evaluation launched this week discovered the Pelosi invoice would save Medicare $345 billion over 10 years, giving Democrats a significant speaking level. On the opposite hand, the CBO additionally instructed the measure might scale back the variety of new medicine that come to market by eight to 15 within the coming decade, offering a speaking level for opponents. Also of curiosity, the House Energy and Commerce Committee is planning to contemplate including some advantages — together with dental, imaginative and prescient and listening to — to conventional Medicare. It’s not clear if this can be a response to the marketing campaign season, or the concept earlier than pursuing “Medicare for All” there are adjustments to the normal Medicare program that may very well be made. Health care once more was a sizzling matter on this week’s Democratic presidential main debate, and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, now considered because the front-runner, was within the sizzling seat. Warren once more evaded the query of who would pay for her most well-liked Medicare for All plan and was criticized by candidates like Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Ind., each of whom help extra incremental adjustments to the well being system. Meanwhile, the courts proceed to play a key position in well being coverage. Federal judges in a number of states blocked the administration’s “public charge” rule that might make it tougher for authorized immigrants to acquire inexperienced playing cards in the event that they or their members of the family use any of a protracted checklist of public applications. Federal judges additionally heard arguments on Medicaid work necessities. Meanwhile, a federal decide in Ohio blocked an Ohio state abortion ban, whereas a federal decide in Texas blocked an Obama-era rule supposed to implement anti-discrimination provisions of the Affordable Care Act.
Plus, for further credit score, the panelists advocate their favourite well being coverage tales of the week they suppose it is best to learn, too:
Julie Rovner: KHN’s “We Vape, We Vote’: How Vaping Crackdowns Are Politicizing Vapers, by Rachel Bluth and Lauren Weber
Joanne Kenen: The Los Angeles Times’ “In the rush to harvest body parts, death investigations have been upended,” by Melody Petersen
Tami Luhby: ProPublica’s “It’s Very Unethical”: Audio Shows Hospital Kept Vegetative Patient on Life Support to Boost Survival Rates,” by Caroline Chen
Margot Sanger-Katz: “Tradeoffs,” a podcast hosted by Dan Gorenstein, Sayeh Nikpay and Anupam Jena
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