A federal choose in Texas appeared sympathetic to the argument by GOP state officers that the Affordable Care Act quickly will not be constitutional, since Congress eradicated the penalty for not having insurance coverage. The case was filed by 18 state attorneys normal and two governors.
Sixteen Democratic attorneys normal are defending the well being regulation as a result of the plaintiff within the case — the Trump administration — agrees partially with the Republican officers. The administration argues that whereas the elimination of the tax penalty won’t render your complete regulation moot, it ought to lead to placing down the a part of the regulation that protects folks with preexisting situations.
The case may finally wind up on the Supreme Court, a reality not misplaced on Senate Democrats questioning nominee Brett Kavanaugh at his affirmation hearings this week. Kavanaugh was additionally grilled on how he would possibly vote on such an ACA case and on his stance on abortion — however he revealed little. If he wins affirmation, he could have a lot of abortion-related circumstances to contemplate earlier than lengthy.
Among the takeaways from this week’s podcast:
The case being argued in federal court docket in Texas is placing strain on GOP candidates within the midterm elections as a result of Democrats are arguing that Republicans’ arguments will destroy the ACA’s protections for folks with preexisting situations. Ten Republican senators say a invoice they’re pushing will assist folks with preexisting well being issues if the federal court docket in Texas strikes down the ACA. But whereas the invoice requires insurers to promote protection to those folks, it doesn’t require the businesses to cowl therapy for these medical situations. A invoice despatched to California Gov. Jerry Brown would require state faculties to inventory medicine for medical abortions at their well being facilities to make them extra accessible to college students. The effort factors up how even after these medicine grew to become accessible, their use has been extensively curtailed by abortion opponents. The Trump administration lastly made grant awards to household planning teams that present companies beneath the federal household planning program. But the grants have been for less than seven months reasonably than the standard three years. Some reproductive well being advocates argue that quick timeframe was designed to provide the administration time to finalize laws aimed toward evicting Planned Parenthood from this system.
Rovner additionally interviews Chad Terhune, who wrote the newest “Bill of the Month” characteristic for Kaiser Health News and NPR. It’s a few Texas highschool instructor with superb insurance coverage who nonetheless acquired a six-figure hospital invoice after therapy for a coronary heart assault. You can learn the story here.
If you’ve got a medical invoice you prefer to NPR and KHN to analyze, you possibly can submit it here.
Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest their favourite well being tales of the week they suppose it is best to learn, too:
Julie Rovner: The New York Times’ “The Last Company You Would Expect Is Reinventing Health Benefits,” by Reed Abelson
Margot Sanger-Katz: MedPage Today’s “’Death Certificate Project’ Terrifies California Doctors,” by Cheryl Clark
And: The New York Times’ “How a Supreme Court Shaped by Trump Could Restrict Access to Abortion,” by Adam Liptak
Alice Ollstein: Health Affairs’ “Medicaid Recipients’ Early Experience With the Arkansas Medicaid Work Requirement,” by Jessica Greene
Mary Agnes Carey: Kaiser Health News’ “Giuliani’s Consulting Firm Helped Halt Purdue Opioid Investigation In Florida,” by Fred Schulte
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