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The medical and financial wants laid naked by the coronavirus pandemic are forcing some fast modifications to the U.S. well being system. Congress, in its newest aid invoice, supplied $100 billion in funding for the hospital trade alone. Meanwhile, the federal authorities has rapidly eliminated earlier limitations to telehealth and different generally controversial practices.
But huge fights are nonetheless brewing, together with whether or not the federal authorities will reopen the Affordable Care Act marketplaces it runs and whether or not states can use emergency powers to ban abortions as “elective medical procedures.”
This week’s panelists are Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico.
Among the takeaways from this week’s podcast:
The ACA was handed on the heels of the Great Recession. The coronavirus outbreak has produced the primary huge financial downturn since then, and the regulation’s provisions to develop Medicaid and to offer an insurance coverage choice to these with out jobs may present a vital security web throughout this disaster. About a dozen states operating their very own ACA insurance coverage marketplaces have opened up enrollment once more to let individuals who didn’t enroll within the fall however are feeling the pinch from the coronavirus pandemic to rethink. President Donald Trump stated this week that he’s mulling the same transfer, however the messages from the administration on such motion have been complicated. People who had insurance coverage by work and have misplaced their jobs don’t want a particular enrollment interval to join an Obamacare plan. They are eligible as a result of their job scenario modified. However, the administration has not been publicizing that message. Hospitals are desirous to obtain the $100 billion appropriated by Congress in response to the inflow of sufferers with COVID-19, the illness attributable to the coronavirus. But the administration has not but stated how that cash might be apportioned. A handful of states have prohibited abortions in the course of the coronavirus emergency as a result of, officers say, they’re looking for to protect protecting gear for hospital workers treating COVID-19 sufferers. But it’s not clear that the abortion procedures ― particularly remedy abortions — are interfering with efforts to safeguard protecting clothes or masks wanted by hospitals. And ladies who don’t get abortions will devour way more medical care by remaining pregnant and giving beginning.
Also, this week, Rovner interviews KHN’s Liz Szabo, who reported the most recent KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month” installment a few affected person who underwent a really costly genetic check. If you could have an outrageous medical invoice you want to share with us, you are able to do that here.
Plus, for additional credit score, the panelists suggest their favourite well being coverage tales of the week they assume it’s best to learn too:
Julie Rovner: The New York Times’ “A Ventilator Stockpile With One Hitch: Thousands Do Not Work,” by David E. Sanger, Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Nicholas Kulish
Joanne Kenen: The New Yorker’s “The Life and Death of Juan Sanabria, One of New York City’s First Cornavirus Victims,” by Jonathan Blitzer
Margot Sanger-Katz: Bloomberg News’ “Hospitals Tell Doctors They’ll Be Fired If They Speak Out About Lack of Gear,” by Olivia Carville, Emma Court and Kristen V. Brown
Alice Miranda Ollstein: The Washington Post’s “Trump Ban on Fetal Tissue Research Blocks Coronavirus Treatment Effort,” by Amy Goldstein
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