U.S. Congress Archives - Page 13 of 50 - ��ýҕ�l Health News

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Dancing Under the Debt Ceiling

Episode 295

April 27, 2023

House Republicans passed their plan to raise the nation’s debt ceiling, along with major cuts to health (and other domestic) programs. Unlikely to become law, it calls for new work requirements for adults on Medicaid. Meanwhile, state efforts targeting trans people bear a striking resemblance to the fight against abortion rights. Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join ��ýҕ�l Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Renuka Rayasam, who reported the latest ��ýҕ�l Health News-NPR “Bill of the Month” feature, about a specialist’s demand to be paid as much as $15,000 before treating a woman’s serious pregnancy complication.

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A photo of officials visiting public health workers.

US Officials Want to End the HIV Epidemic by 2030. Many Stakeholders Think They Won’t.

The federal government’s ambitious plan to end the HIV epidemic, launched in 2019, has generated new ways to reach at-risk populations in targeted communities across the South. But health officials, advocates, and people living with HIV worry significant headwinds will keep the program from reaching its goals.

By Daniel Chang and Sam Whitehead

April 24, 2023

What the Health? From ��ýҕ�l Health News

Will They or Won’t They (Block the Abortion Pill)?

Episode 294

April 20, 2023

The Supreme Court is considering the future of the abortion pill mifepristone, after GenBioPro sued the FDA over limitations that effectively block generic production of the drug, a major part of the market. Congress is considering proposals that would impose Medicaid work requirements, crack down on pharmacy benefit managers, and more. And President Joe Biden moved to expand health coverage to young immigrants known as “Dreamers.” Rachel Cohrs of Stat, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, and Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico join ��ýҕ�l Health News’ Mary Agnes Carey to discuss these issues and more.

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The Confusing Fate of the Abortion Pill

Episode 293

April 13, 2023

The legality and availability of the abortion pill mifepristone is in question after a federal judge in Texas canceled the FDA’s approval of the first drug used in the two-drug medication abortion regimen. A 5th Circuit Court of Appeals panel overruled that decision in part, saying the pill should remain available, but only under the onerous restrictions in place before 2016. Meanwhile, another federal judge in Washington state issued a ruling in a separate case that conflicts with the Texas decision, ordering the FDA not to roll back any of its restrictions on the drug. Victoria Knight of Axios, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join ��ýҕ�l Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.

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A photo of the U.S. Capitol building against a dark sky.

KHN Impact

Congressman Seeks to Plug ‘Shocking Loophole’ Exposed by KHN Investigation

A federal lawmaker has introduced a House bill that would close one of a laundry list of oversight gaps revealed in a recent KHN investigation of the system regulators use to ban fraudsters from billing government health programs, including Medicare and Medicaid.

By Sarah Jane Tribble

March 28, 2023

A photo of Senator Bernie Sanders and Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel shaking hands.

Sen. Sanders Shows Fire, but Seeks Modest Goals, in His Debut Drug Hearing as Health Chair

The Vermont independent and former presidential candidate was all fire and brimstone at his first hearing on drug prices as head of the Senate HELP Committee. He also pursued a more modest goal of covid vaccine price reductions. It isn’t clear whether Sanders will succeed in even that, but he has put affordability front and center.

By Arthur Allen

March 23, 2023

A photo of a mobile dental clinic van outside.

Mobile Clinics Really Got Rolling in the Pandemic. A New Law Will Help Them Cast a Wider Safety Net.

Mobile clinics that provided covid-19 testing and vaccines at the peak of the pandemic are now being used to provide a range of health services in hard-to-reach communities. A law passed late last year allows qualified health care centers to use federal grants to expand the fleets.

By Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez

March 20, 2023

A photograph showing a young girl lying on the floor while using a laptop and smart phone at the same time.

California Offers Bipartisan Road Map for Protecting Kids Online Even as Big Tech Fights Back

Last year, state lawmakers adopted the country’s toughest online privacy restrictions. The law offers Congress a path forward on federal protections even as it serves as a cautionary tale for taking on Big Tech.

By Mark Kreidler

March 8, 2023

A photo shows President Joe Biden speaking at a podium while blurred hands hold up cellphones in the foreground.

Biden Promises to Fight GOP on ‘Gutting’ Medicaid. Budget Talks Seem Like Another Story.

As many lower-income Americans prepare to lose pandemic-era access to Medicaid, President Joe Biden vowed to stop Republicans from making deeper cuts to lower the national debt. Other changes may still be up for discussion.

By Michael McAuliff

March 1, 2023

What the Health? From ��ýҕ�l Health News

Senators Have Mental Health Crises, Too

Episode 286

Feb. 23, 2023

When U.S. Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania checked himself into the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for treatment of depression this month, he got an unusual reaction from his colleagues in Congress: compassion. It’s a far cry from how politicians once kept their mental health issues under wraps at all costs. Meanwhile, GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley is stirring up controversy by proposing that all politicians over age 75 be required to pass a mental competency test to hold office. Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, and Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post join KHN chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too.

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HealthBent

Why Do Politicians Weaponize Medicare? Because It Works

Politicians are again pointing fingers over who wants to cut Medicare. As past Washington brawls show, the party accused of threatening popular entitlements tends to lose elections — although it’s the beneficiaries relying on lawmakers to fund it who stand to lose the most.

By Julie Rovner

Feb. 21, 2023

A photo shows the dome at the top of the U.S. Capitol.

Senators Say Health Worker Shortages Ripe for Bipartisan Compromise

The Senate’s top health committee focused on the worsening health care workforce shortage during its first hearing Thursday, with Sen. Bernie Sanders, its new chair, boldly promising bipartisan solutions.

By Michael McAuliff

Feb. 17, 2023

A photo shows the roof of the U.S. Capitol as seen through a skylight in its interior.

After Staying Away During Pandemic, Doctors Return to Lobby Congress

Hundreds of physicians came to Washington this week to lobby Congress about their “recovery plan” for physicians, which includes a Medicare pay boost and an end to some frustrating insurance company requirements.

By Phil Galewitz

Feb. 17, 2023

What the Health? From ��ýҕ�l Health News

A Health-Heavy State of the Union

Episode 284

Feb. 9, 2023

President Joe Biden’s 2023 State of the Union address leaned heavily on health care issues. Biden took a victory lap for recent accomplishments like capping prescription drug costs for seniors on Medicare. He also urged Congress to make permanent the boosted premium subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, and he sparred with Republicans on threats to cut Social Security and Medicare. Also this week, both sides in the abortion debate are bracing for a court decision out of Texas that could, at least temporarily, make the abortion pill mifepristone illegal nationwide. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Rachel Cohrs of Stat, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KHN chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Kate Baicker of the University of Chicago about a possible middle ground in the effort to get universal health insurance coverage.

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A photo shows President Biden speaking during the State of the Union address.

Health Policies Were a Prominent Theme in Biden’s State of the Union Speech

Our partners at PolitiFact fact-checked a range of President Joe Biden’s statements, including key health-related comments.

By ��ýҕ�l Health News and PolitiFact staffs

Feb. 8, 2023

A photo shows Senator Bernie Sanders speaking into a microphone in front of the U.S. Capitol.

‘We Ain’t Gonna Get It’: Why Bernie Sanders Says His ‘Medicare for All’ Dream Must Wait

As he takes the reins of the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee, the independent from Vermont and implacable champion of “Medicare for All” maps out his strategy for negotiating with Republicans — and Big Pharma.

By Arthur Allen

Feb. 8, 2023

Unrecognisable mature woman with phone and medicine bottle

It’s ‘Telehealth vs. No Care’: Doctors Say Congress Risks Leaving Patients Vulnerable

Congress’ $1.7 trillion omnibus spending package included a two-year extension of pandemic-era funding that helped telehealth services grow nationwide. But that cash bridge, embraced by those delivering services to patients in rural areas, doesn’t provide much certainty for the future of remote medicine.

By Sarah Jane Tribble

Jan. 31, 2023

Abortion Debate Ramps Up in States as Congress Deadlocks

Abortion is a top issue for state lawmakers meeting for their first full sessions since Roe v. Wade was overturned.

By Julie Rovner

Jan. 23, 2023

President Joe Biden, who is sitting at a desk, gives a pen to former President Barack Obama after signing an executive order aimed at strengthening the Affordable Care Act on April 5. Others stand around them, clapping.

Biden Promise Tracker

Numbers Don’t Lie. Biden Kept His Promise on Improving Obamacare.

KHN has teamed up with our partners at PolitiFact to monitor 100 key promises made by Joe Biden during the 2020 presidential campaign — including those surrounding the Affordable Care Act.

By Julie Appleby

Jan. 18, 2023

What the Health? From ��ýҕ�l Health News

GOP House Opens With Abortion Agenda

Episode 279

Jan. 12, 2023

Leaders of the new Republican-led U.S. House kicked off their legislative agenda with two bills supported by anti-abortion groups. While neither is likely to become law, the move demonstrates how abortion will continue to be an issue in Washington. Meanwhile, as open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act nears its end in most states, the number of Americans covered by the plans hits a new high. Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these topics and more. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too.

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