KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: A Big Week for Biden

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Well being coverage was entrance and heart as Congress rushed to cross main laws earlier than leaving for its summer season break. President Joe Biden signed a invoice this week offering well being advantages to navy veterans who have been sickened by publicity to poisonous burn pits and can probably quickly signal a measure permitting Medicare to barter the value of prescribed drugs and lengthen enhanced subsidies for individuals who purchase their insurance coverage by way of the Inexpensive Care Act’s marketplaces.

In the meantime, the abortion debate continues to rage across the nation, with Indiana turning into the primary state to cross a brand new ban because the Supreme Courtroom overturned Roe v. Wade in June.

This week’s panelists are Julie Rovner of KHN, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, and Rachel Cohrs of Stat.

Among the many takeaways from this week’s episode:

• The Senate parliamentarian determines whether or not provisions in particular price range laws referred to as reconciliation payments meet the necessities to not be topic to a filibuster and are as a substitute eligible to be handed with a easy majority vote. With the Inflation Discount Act, she compelled Democrats final week to drop a few of the drug pricing provisions that might have utilized to customers within the non-public medical insurance market. That features a plan that might have required drugmakers to carry any will increase within the value of sure medication to the speed of inflation.
• Democrats have been additionally dissatisfied that the parliamentarian denied their efforts to cross a value cap on insulin sufferers who are usually not coated by Medicare and that Republicans did not help an effort to cross the measure. A number of different payments designed to assist preserve the price of the lifesaving medication inexpensive are languishing in Congress and are unlikely to get a vote within the Senate this yr.
• However the invoice nonetheless supplies key ensures for Medicare beneficiaries and is a serious change in how the federal government will work together with drugmakers. Getting laws like this — so strongly opposed by the trade — was a formidable feat for the Democrats in an evenly divided Senate.
• If the invoice passes the Home on Friday, as anticipated, a few of the modifications to Medicare, together with the value negotiations, is not going to take impact instantly. So customers must wait to appreciate all the advantages of the brand new regulation.
• Indiana’s new abortion regulation is ready to take impact subsequent month. However the legislative debate uncovered tensions amongst anti-abortion teams over how strict to be about abortion entry for individuals who might have been raped. Ultimately, Indiana lawmakers opted to depart in exceptions for rape and incest.
• The brand new Indiana abortion regulation, nonetheless, prompted an announcement by drugmaker Lilly, which is headquartered within the state, saying that the restrictions might damage the corporate’s efforts to recruit staff and that the corporate will present help to workers who have to exit of state for abortion care.
• The Biden administration final week declared a public well being emergency for monkeypox, and Well being and Human Providers Secretary Xavier Becerra this week gave the FDA authority to grant emergency use authorizations for monkeypox vaccines.
• Considerations are rising concerning the giant variety of folks within the U.S. who’re with long-term well being issues brought on by covid-19. But there seems to be little curiosity on Capitol Hill in funding research or packages to assist this inhabitants.

Additionally, for further credit score, the panelists recommend their favourite well being coverage tales of the week they suppose it is best to learn, too:

Julie Rovner: The Washington Put up’s “For Sleep Apnea Sufferers With Recalled CPAP Machines, Stressed Nights,” by Laurie McGinley

Rachel Cohrs: The Washington Put up’s “Conservatives Skeptical of Coronavirus Vaccines Battle to Lead a Hospital,” by Tim Craig

Alice Miranda Ollstein: The AP’s “Examine Connects Local weather Hazards to 58% of Infectious Illnesses,” by Seth Borenstein

Sarah Karlin-Smith: The Pink Sheet’s “US FDA Commissioner Califf Takes on Misinformation, Beginning With ‘Rumor Management,’” by Sue Sutter

Additionally talked about on this week’s episode:

The Washington Put up’s “Abortion Bans Complicate Entry to Medication for Most cancers, Arthritis, Even Ulcers,” by Katie Shepherd and Frances Stead Sellers

Politico’s “Republicans Activate Every Different Amid Put up-Roe Chaos,” by Megan Messerly and Alice Miranda Ollstein

The Indianapolis Star’s “‘A Slap within the Face’: Some Upset Lilly, Cumming Wait to Criticize Abortion Ban Till Holcomb Signed It,” by Binghui Huang and Lizzie Kane

NBC Information’ “Pregnant Ladies in States With Abortion Bans Face the Actuality of a Put up-Roe World,” by Lauren Dunn and Kristen Dahlgren

Politico’s “Tim Kaine Has Lengthy Covid. That’s Not Transferring Congress to Act,” by Alice Miranda Ollstein

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