The Host

The Inexpensive Care Act was signed into legislation 14 years in the past this week, and Well being and Human Companies Secretary Xavier Becerra joined KFF Well being Information’ Julie Rovner on this week’s “What the Well being?” podcast to debate its accomplishments thus far — and the challenges that stay for the well being legislation.

In the meantime, Congress seems on its option to, lastly, ending the fiscal 2024 spending payments, together with funding for HHS — with out most of the reproductive or gender-affirming well being care restrictions Republicans had sought.

This week’s panelists are Julie Rovner of KFF Well being Information, Mary Agnes Carey of KFF Well being Information, Tami Luhby of CNN, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico.

Among the many takeaways from this week’s episode:

• The Supreme Court docket will hear oral arguments subsequent week in a case that might resolve whether or not the abortion tablet mifepristone will stay simply accessible. The case itself offers with nationwide restrictions moderately than an outright ban. However, relying on how the courtroom guidelines, it might have far-reaching outcomes — as an example, stopping folks from getting the capsules within the mail and limiting how far into being pregnant the remedy can be utilized.
• The case is about greater than abortion. Drug firms and medical teams are involved concerning the precedent it will set for courts to substitute their judgment for that of the FDA relating to drug approvals.
• Abortion-related poll questions are in play in a number of states. The whole quantity finally will depend on the success of citizen-led efforts to gather signatures to achieve a spot. Such efforts face opposition from anti-abortion teams and elected officers who don’t need the questions to achieve the poll field. Their concern, based mostly on precedents, is that abortion protections are inclined to cross.
• The Biden administration issued an government order this week to enhance analysis on ladies’s well being throughout the federal authorities. It has a number of elements, together with provisions meant to extend analysis on sicknesses and ailments related to postmenopausal ladies. It additionally goals to extend the variety of ladies taking part in medical trials.
• This Week in Medical Misinformation: The Supreme Court docket heard oral arguments within the case Murthy v. Missouri. At challenge is whether or not Biden administration officers overstepped their authority when asking firms like Meta, Google, and X to take away or downgrade content material flagged as covid-19 misinformation.

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

Julie Rovner: The Washington Put up’s “Arizona Lawmaker Tells Her Abortion Story to Present ‘Actuality’ of Restrictions,” by Praveena Somasundaram. (Full speech right here.)

Alice Miranda Ollstein: CNN’s “Why Your Physician’s Workplace Is Spamming You With Appointment Reminders,” by Nathaniel Meyersohn.

Tami Luhby: KFF Well being Information’ “Georgia’s Medicaid Work Requirement Costing Taxpayers Tens of millions Regardless of Low Enrollment,” by Andy Miller and Renuka Rayasam.

Mary Agnes Carey: The New York Occasions’ “When Medicaid Comes After the Household Residence,” by Paula Span, and The AP’s “State Medicaid Places of work Goal Useless Folks’s Houses to Recoup Their Well being Care Prices,” by Amanda Seitz.

Additionally talked about on this week’s podcast:

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