Biden Wins Early Court Test for Medicare Drug Negotiations

The Host

Julie Rovner
KFF Well being Information

@jrovner

Learn Julie’s tales.

Julie Rovner is chief Washington correspondent and host of KFF Well being Information’ weekly well being coverage information podcast, “What the Well being?” A famous knowledgeable on well being coverage points, Julie is the writer of the critically praised reference ebook “Well being Care Politics and Coverage A to Z,” now in its third version.

A federal choose in Texas has turned again the primary problem to the nascent Medicare prescription-drug negotiation program. However the case turned on a technicality, and drugmakers have many extra lawsuits within the pipeline.

In the meantime, Congress is approaching yet one more funding deadline, and docs hope the subsequent funding invoice will cancel the Medicare pay minimize that took impact in January.

This week’s panelists are Julie Rovner of KFF Well being Information, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Rachel Cohrs of Stat, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Publish.

Panelists

Alice Miranda Ollstein
Politico

@AliceOllstein

Learn Alice’s tales.

Rachel Cohrs
Stat Information

@rachelcohrs

Learn Rachel’s tales.

Lauren Weber
The Washington Publish

@LaurenWeberHP

Learn Lauren’s tales.

Among the many takeaways from this week’s episode:

• Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), chair of the highly effective Home Vitality and Commerce Committee, introduced she would retire on the finish of the congressional session, setting off a scramble to chair a panel with vital oversight of Medicare, Medicaid, and the U.S. Public Well being Service. McMorris Rodgers is considered one of a number of Republicans with vital well being experience to announce their departures.
• As Congress’ subsequent spending invoice deadline approaches, lobbyists for hospitals are feverishly making an attempt to stop a Medicare provision on “site-neutral” funds from being hooked up.
• In abortion information, anti-abortion teams are becoming a member of the decision for states to higher define when life and well being exceptions to abortion bans could be legally permissible.
• Senate Finance Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) is asking the Federal Commerce Fee and the Securities and Trade Fee to analyze an organization that collected location knowledge from sufferers at 600 Deliberate Parenthood websites and bought it to anti-abortion teams.
• And in “This Week in Well being Misinformation”: Lawmakers in Wyoming and Montana float payments to let individuals keep away from getting blood transfusions from donors who’ve been vaccinated towards covid-19.

Plus, for “further credit score,” the panelists counsel well being coverage tales they learn this week that they assume it’s best to learn, too:

Julie Rovner: Stateline’s “Authorities Can Erase Your Medical Debt for Pennies on the Greenback — And Some Are,” by Anna Claire Vollers.

Alice Miranda Ollstein: Politico’s “‘There Was a Lot of Nervousness’: Florida’s Immigration Crackdown Is Inflicting Sufferers to Skip Care,” by Arek Sarkissian.

Rachel Cohrs: Stat’s “FTC Doubles Down in Welsh Carson Anesthesia Case to Restrict Non-public Fairness’s Doctor Buyouts,” by Bob Herman. And Fashionable Healthcare’s “Non-public Fairness Medicare Benefit Funding Slumps: Report,” by Nona Tepper.

Lauren Weber: The Wall Avenue Journal’s “Local weather Change Has Hit House Insurance coverage. Is Well being Insurance coverage Subsequent?” by Yusuf Khan.

Additionally talked about on this week’s podcast:

Credit

Francis Ying
Audio producer

Stephanie Stapleton
Editor

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