The Host
Julie Rovner
KFF Health News
Julie Rovner is chief Washington correspondent and host of KFF Health News’ weekly well being coverage information podcast, “What the Health?” A famous skilled on well being coverage points, Julie is the writer of the critically praised reference e book “Health Care Politics and Policy A to Z,” now in its third version.
Republicans launched a draft social gathering platform prematurely of the GOP nationwide conference subsequent week, and whereas it’s being described as softening the social gathering’s stance opposing abortion, help from main teams that oppose abortion means that declare could also be one thing of a mirage.
Meanwhile, the Federal Trade Commission is taking up the pharmacy advantages administration trade because it prepares to file go well with charging that the most important PBMs have interaction in anticompetitive conduct that raises sufferers’ drug prices.
This week’s panelists are Julie Rovner of KFF Health News, Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, Shefali Luthra of The nineteenth News, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call.
Panelists
Jessie Hellmann
CQ Roll Call
Shefali Luthra
The nineteenth
Sandhya Raman
CQ Roll Call
Among the takeaways from this week’s episode:
For the primary time in many years, the GOP presidential platform is not going to embody a name for a nationwide abortion ban. But Republicans are hardly soft-pedaling the problem: The new platform successfully asserts that abortion violates the 14th Amendment, which ensures equal safety beneath the legislation for all residents — together with, beneath their studying, human embryos. Under that argument, abortion opponents might have already got the constitutional justification they should defend in courtroom additional restrictions on the process.
Lawmakers in Washington are making early progress on authorities spending payments, together with for the Department of Health and Human Services. Some political points, like entry to gender-affirming take care of service members and minors, are creating wrinkles. Congress will probably must cross a stopgap spending measure to keep away from a authorities shutdown this fall.
And a brand new report from the Federal Trade Commission illuminates the sweeping management of a handful of pharmacy advantages managers over many of the nation’s pharmaceuticals. As the federal government eyes lawsuits towards a number of the main PBMs alleging anticompetitive conduct, the findings bolster the case that PBMs are inflating drug costs.
Also this week, Rovner interviews Jennifer Klein, director of the White House Gender Policy Council, concerning the Biden administration’s insurance policies to make sure entry to reproductive well being care.
Plus, for “extra credit” the panelists counsel well being coverage tales they learn this week that they suppose it’s best to learn, too:
Julie Rovner: STAT News’ “Troubled For-Profit Chains Are Stealthily Operating Dozens of Psychiatric Hospitals Under Nonprofits’ Names,” by Tara Bannow.
Jessie Hellmann: North Carolina Health News’ “N.C. House Wants to Spend Opioid Money on Multiple Abstinence-Based Recovery Centers, While Experts Stress Access to Medication,” by Grace Vitaglione.
Shefali Luthra: The Washington Post’s “These GOP Women Begged the Party to Abandon Abortion. Then Came Backlash,” by Caroline Kitchener.
Sandhya Raman: Roll Call’s “For at Least One Abortion Clinic, Dobbs Eased Stressors,” by Sandhya Raman.
Credits
Francis Ying
Audio producer
Emmarie Huetteman
Editor
To hear all our podcasts, click here.
And subscribe to KFF Health News’ “What the Health?” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts, or wherever you take heed to podcasts.
KFF Health News is a nationwide newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about well being points and is likely one of the core working packages at KFF—an unbiased supply of well being coverage analysis, polling, and journalism. Learn extra about KFF.
USE OUR CONTENT
This story might be republished without spending a dime (details).
We encourage organizations to republish our content material, freed from cost. Here’s what we ask:
You should credit score us as the unique writer, with a hyperlink to our kffhealthnews.org web site. If attainable, please embody the unique writer(s) and KFF Health News” within the byline. Please protect the hyperlinks within the story.
It’s necessary to notice, not every thing on kffhealthnews.org is offered for republishing. If a narrative is labeled “All Rights Reserved,” we can not grant permission to republish that merchandise.
Have questions? Let us know at [email protected]”>[email protected]
src=”//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″>
