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The presidential general election campaign has (unofficially) begun, as President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump each appear to have secured enough delegates to become the nominees of their respective parties. And with President Trump suggesting in recent weeks that he may be interested in cutting Medicare and taking another step toward repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, health care unexpectedly turned out to be the most important issue in the election campaign.
Meanwhile, a February cyber attack on Change Healthcare, a subsidiary of insurance giant UnitedHealth Group, left thousands of hospitals, doctors, nursing homes and other health care providers unable to process claims and payouts. This continues to confuse the medical industry.
This week's panelists include Julie Rovner of KFF Health News, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Joanne Kennen of Johns Hopkins University and Politico Magazine, and Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times.
Here are our takeaways from this week's episode.
- It's unclear what exactly President Trump's recent comments about possible cuts to Medicare and Social Security meant, but his comments gave Biden an opening to attack. Running as a rights candidate could give Biden an advantage, especially among older voters, as the general election begins.
- Health care is becoming an important issue in this election, and the stakes are high whether it will be covered or not. The Biden administration's expanded subsidies for ACA plans are set to expire at the end of next year, and the president's latest budget request highlights his interest in expanding coverage, especially for women and children in the postpartum period. Additionally, Republicans are focused on what changes Trump could make if he regained the presidency.
- Meanwhile, Trump's mixed messages on abortion may not help him build his base, as Republicans grapple with internal disagreements over access to in vitro fertilization. Could a vice presidential candidate with more moderate views help soften his image with voters who oppose abortion bans?
- A federal appeals court has ruled that a Texas law requiring teens to obtain parental consent for contraception exceeds federal rules allowing teens to access confidentially prescribed contraceptives. handed down the verdict. But if the U.S. Supreme Court hears the case, concerns that the law's impact on other states could be expanded if the conservative majority rules, raising the possibility of further appeals. decrease, and the law may remain in effect. Federal courts also make it difficult to litigate cases in jurisdictions with friendly judges. This is a tactic known as judge shopping that conservative groups have recently used on reproductive health issues.
- And weeks later, the Change Healthcare hack continues to cause widespread medical billing problems. Some small health care providers are concerned that continued payment delays could force them to close, and some patients may soon be unable to access care at all due to the hack. There is.
Also this week, Rovner interviews Kelly Henning of Bloomberg Philanthropy about her new four-part documentary series on the history of public health, “The Invisible Shield.”
Plus, as an “additional credit,” our panelists will suggest health policy articles they read this week that they think you should read, too.
Julie Rovner: “After investigating White House actions, Navy demotes Ronnie Jackson” by Dan Diamond and Alex Horton of The Washington Post.
Joanne Kennen: “Frigid offices may be killing women’s productivity,” by Olga Kazan in The Atlantic.
Margot Sanger-Katz: Stat's “Strict rules at methadone clinics jeopardize patients' path to recovery from opioid addiction” (by Lev Fascher).
Anna Edney: Scientific American's “How hospitals are going green under Biden's climate change legislation” by Ariel Wittenberg and E&E News.
Also mentioned in this week's podcast:
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