The Host
How will have to reporters quilt political applicants who make false claims concerning the protection and effectiveness of vaccines? That query will wish to be responded now that famous anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has formally entered the 2024 presidential race.
In the meantime, South Carolina has change into one of the crucial ultimate states within the South to go an abortion ban, making the process all however unattainable to procure for ladies throughout a wide swath of the rustic.
This week’s panelists are Julie Rovner of KFF Well being Information, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Rachel Cohrs of Stat, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Red Sheet.
Some of the takeaways from this week’s episode:
- Republican lawmakers and President Joe Biden proceed to cut price over a deal to avert a debt ceiling cave in. Unspent pandemic investment is at the negotiating desk, because the White Area pushes to give protection to money for vaccine construction — despite the fact that the management has drawn grievance for a loss of transparency over what could be incorporated in a clawback of unspent bucks.
- In abortion information, South Carolina is the most recent state to vote to limit get entry to to abortion, passing law this week that will ban abortion after six weeks of being pregnant — in a while after pregnant other people leave out their first length. And Texas is seeing extra prison demanding situations to the state regulation’s exceptions to give protection to a mom’s lifestyles, as instances an increasing number of display that many docs are erring at the facet of no longer offering care to steer clear of felony {and professional} legal responsibility.
- Congress is scrutinizing the position of team buying organizations in drug pricing as extra is printed about how pharmacy receive advantages managers negotiate reductions. So-called GPOs be offering well being care organizations, like hospitals, the facility to paintings in combination to leverage marketplace energy and negotiate higher offers from providers.
- Lawmakers also are exploring adjustments to the way in which Medicare can pay for a similar care carried out in a health care provider’s place of job as opposed to a sanatorium surroundings. Recently, suppliers can price extra in a sanatorium surroundings, however some individuals of Congress wish to finish that discrepancy — and doubtlessly save the federal government billions.
- And our panel of well being reporters discusses a very powerful query after a distinguished anti-vaccine activist entered the presidential race ultimate month: How do you responsibly quilt a candidate who promotes conspiracy theories? The solution is also present in a “reality sandwich.”
Additionally this week, Rovner interviews KFF Well being Information senior correspondent Aneri Pattani about her mission to trace the money from the nationwide opioid agreement.
Plus, for “additional credit score,” the panelists recommend well being coverage tales they learn this week that they suspect you will have to learn, too:
Julie Rovner: KFF Well being Information’ “Far off Paintings: An Underestimated Receive advantages for Circle of relatives Caregivers,” through Joanne Kenen
Alice Miranda Ollstein: Reuters’ “How Medical doctors Purchase Their Approach out of Hassle,” through Michael Berens
Rachel Cohrs: ProPublica’s “Within the ‘Wild West’ of Outpatient Vascular Care, Medical doctors Can Reap Large Bills as Sufferers Chance Lifestyles and Limb,” through Annie Waldman
Sarah Karlin-Smith: The New York Occasions’ “Warmth Wave and Blackout Would Ship Part of Phoenix to E.R., Learn about Says,” through Michael Levenson
Additionally discussed on this week’s episode:
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This text used to be produced through KFF Well being Information, previously referred to as Kaiser Well being Information (KHN), a countrywide newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about well being problems and is without doubt one of the core running systems at KFF — the impartial supply for well being coverage analysis, polling, and journalism.