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KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: The Pandemic Shifts; The Politics, Not So Much

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President Donald Trump prompted a stir when he mentioned at his rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, final weekend that he needed much less testing for COVID-19. While aides denied that, it didn’t assist when on Wednesday the administration introduced it will lower off federal funding for plenty of state testing websites, together with a number of in Texas, which is within the midst of a big spike in circumstances.

Meanwhile, in non-coronavirus information, the Trump administration gained a spherical in its effort to require hospitals to make the costs they cost public, though that case is way from over. And because the administration submits its transient for the Supreme Court case that might invalidate the Affordable Care Act, Democrats on Capitol Hill unveil their invoice to shore up the well being regulation.

This week’s panelists are Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post and Kimberly Leonard of Business Insider.

Among the takeaways from this week’s podcast:

Federal officers denied that the cutback in coronavirus testing websites introduced this week was associated to the president’s latest feedback. The Department of Health and Human Services mentioned the closings had been lengthy deliberate and a part of an effort to maneuver testing accountability to native well being officers. That kerfuffle, nevertheless, is emblematic of the Trump administration’s resolution to not arrange a nationwide testing technique and usually depart states on their very own. Thus, as some states now discover themselves going through rising coronavirus case numbers, they will’t depend on ample nationwide assets or assist from different states. The rising variety of circumstances amongst younger adults has startled public well being officers, who had targeted in earlier months on the devastating results of the illness amongst seniors. Although demise charges could also be decrease amongst these youthful sufferers, this group probably has a huge impact on the unfold of the illness. The Trump administration gained the opening skirmish this week in a authorized battle with hospitals over a federal rule requiring them to submit the charges they negotiate with totally different insurers for procedures. Barring a reprieve from an appeals courtroom, the rule is about to enter impact Jan. 1. It’s unclear what would occur if Trump doesn’t win reelection and whether or not a Democratic administration would search to hold on the coverage. House Democrats went on the marketing campaign offensive this week by providing a invoice that will improve the Affordable Care Act by rolling again a few of the coverage adjustments applied by the Trump administration and enhancing subsidies for customers. It doesn’t, nevertheless, search to develop Medicare eligibility, a provision endorsed by the presumptive presidential nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden.

Also this week, Rovner interviews Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel of the University of Pennsylvania. He’s a former Obama administration well being coverage adviser with a brand new e-book out: “Which Country Has the World’s Best Health Care?”

Plus, for additional credit score, the panelists suggest their favourite well being coverage tales of the week they suppose it is best to learn too:

Julie Rovner: KHN and USA Today’s “Fractured Skulls, Lost Eyes: Police Often Break Own Rules Using ‘Rubber Bullets,’” by Liz Szabo and Jay Hancock of KHN, and Kevin McCoy, Donovan Slack and Dennis Wagner of USA Today

Margot Sanger-Katz: ProPublica’s “The Trump Administration Paid Millions for Test Tubes — and Got Unusable Mini Soda Bottles,” by J. David McSwane and Ryan Gabrielson. And ProPublica’s “He Removed Labels That Said ‘Medical Use Prohibited,’ Then Tried to Sell Thousands of Masks to Officials Who Distribute to Hospitals,” By J. David McSwane

Kimberly Leonard: Business Insider’s “We Combed Through the Political Donations of 75 Top Healthcare Companies. They Reveal Execs Are Making a Surprising Choice in How They Give Their Cash,” by Kimberly Leonard

Paige Winfield Cunningham: The New York Times’ “’They Just Dumped Him Like Trash.’ Nursing Homes Evict Vulnerable Residents,” by Jessica Silver-Greenberg and Amy Julia Harris

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Kaiser Health News (KHN) is a nationwide well being coverage information service. It is an editorially unbiased program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation which isn’t affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.

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