The Hazards of ICE for Public Health

The Host

The actions of federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement brokers are having ramifications far past immigration. Medical teams say that ICE brokers in well being services in Minneapolis and different cities are imperiling affected person care, whereas in Washington, the backlash from a second deadly taking pictures by brokers in Minnesota has stalled motion on an eleventh-hour suite of spending payments.

In the meantime, anti-abortion teams stay sad with the Trump administration over what they see as its reluctance to cut back the provision of the abortion capsule mifepristone.

This week’s panelists are Julie Rovner of KFF Well being Information, Maya Goldman of Axios, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Rachel Roubein of The Washington Submit.

Among the many takeaways from this week’s episode:

• Considerations intensified this week over President Donald Trump’s immigration sweep after federal brokers killed a second citizen within the midst of the crackdown in Minneapolis. Democrats in Congress are blocking approval of presidency spending as they name for renegotiating Division of Homeland Safety funding, doubtlessly forcing a partial authorities shutdown this weekend. In Minnesota and elsewhere, there are experiences of sufferers suspending medical care and medical doctors pushing again on the presence of federal brokers in hospitals.
• After the Division of Well being and Human Providers minimize off some federal funding to Minnesota over allegations of Medicaid fraud, different Democratic-led states particularly are fearing HHS might do the identical to them. Sometimes the federal authorities conducts investigations and imposes sanctions in response to considerations of fraud; it’s uncommon that HHS has opted to halt some funding as an alternative.
• Abortion opponents final week held their annual March for Life in Washington. The Trump administration marked the event by reinstating and increasing insurance policies imposed throughout the president’s first time period, together with a ban on fetal tissue analysis and what’s generally known as the Mexico Metropolis Coverage. Nonetheless, the administration has not made notable progress on a key aim of the anti-abortion motion: barring entry to remedy abortion.
• In the meantime, senators are nonetheless making an attempt to kind out a bipartisan compromise to restart the improved Inexpensive Care Act premium subsidies that expired final yr. And insurance coverage firm executives appeared earlier than Home lawmakers final week to reply questions on affordability because the Trump administration introduced a plan to maintain reimbursement charges almost flat subsequent yr for personal Medicare Benefit plans.

And KFF Well being Information’ annual Well being Coverage Valentine contest is open. You’ll be able to enter the competition right here.

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

Julie Rovner: Science’s “U.S. Authorities Has Misplaced Extra Than 10,000 STEM Ph.D.s Since Trump Took Workplace,” by Monica Hersher and Jeffrey Mervis.

Maya Goldman: NBC Information’ “Many Obamacare Enrollees Have Switched to Cheaper Bronze Plans. Right here’s Why That May Be Dangerous,” by Berkeley Lovelace Jr.

Alice Miranda Ollstein: The New York Occasions’ “After Donations, Trump Administration Revoked Rule Requiring Extra Nursing House Employees,” by Kenneth P. Vogel and Christina Jewett.

Rachel Roubein: Stat’s “HHS Appoints 21 New Members to Federal Autism Advisory Committee,” by O. Rose Broderick.

Additionally talked about on this week’s episode:

• Axios’ “Worry of ICE Is Driving Sufferers Away From Medical Care,” by Maya Goldman.
• Annals of Inside Drugs’s “Unexplained Pauses in Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention Surveillance: Erosion of the Public Proof Base for Well being Coverage,” by Jeremy W. Jacobs, Garrett S. Sales space, Noel T. Brewer, and Janet Freilich.
• Politico’s “Trump Asks Federal Courtroom To Hit Pause on Abortion Capsule Case, Citing Ongoing Examine,” by Alice Miranda Ollstein.
• The Washington Submit’s “Freeze of Public Well being Funds for States, Then Reversal, Sows Confusion,” by Lena H. Solar and Rachel Roubein.
• The Georgetown College Middle for Kids and Households’ “CMS Weaponizes Fraud In opposition to Medicaid in Minnesota,” by Andy Schneider.
• KFF’s “KFF Well being Monitoring Ballot: Well being Care Prices, Expiring ACA Tax Credit, and the 2026 Midterms,” by Shannon Schumacher, Audrey Kearney, Mardet Mulugeta, Isabelle Valdes, Ashley Kirzinger, and Liz Hamel.

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