WinnDems News

Although Republicans have never united behind a replacement for the Affordable Care Act, 2024 GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump said this week he wants to put the issue back on the national agenda. That delights Democrats, who have won at least two elections partly by defending the now-popular health law. Meanwhile, the Texas Supreme Court takes up a case brought by women who say their pregnancy complications further endangered their health due to the vagueness of Texas’ near-total ban on abortions. Joanne Kenen of Johns Hopkins University and Politico Magazine, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, and Victoria Knight of Axios News join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Rachana Pradhan, who reported and wrote the latest “Bill of the Month” feature. http://dlvr.it/SzXqxq

In the wake of a KFF Health News-Cox Media Group investigation, U.S. lawmakers are asking what Social Security will do about its demands on their constituents to repay money already distributed — and sometimes in error. Sen. Rick Scott called the agency’s actions “unacceptable.” http://dlvr.it/SzXKTx

Lina Khan, chair of the FTC, says a recent lawsuit is meant to chill the consolidation of medical groups that results in higher prices for consumers. But it may be too late to curb price hikes. http://dlvr.it/SzW8vT

The Biden administration wants to crack down on deceptive or misleading Medicare Advantage and drug plan sales tactics. It’s counting on beneficiaries to help catch offenders. http://dlvr.it/SzW8dt

On this episode of “An Arm and a Leg,” hear how a couple wrote and directed a short film, starring one of them — just to maintain health insurance through the actors union. http://dlvr.it/SzW8Jg

Some hospitals and physician groups are rejecting Medicare Advantage plans over payment rates and coverage restrictions, causing turmoil for patients. http://dlvr.it/SzTzwM

Candidates see former President Donald Trump’s embrace of his administration’s covid-19 vaccine policies as an opportunity to gain ground. So far, their efforts haven’t found traction. http://dlvr.it/SzSc03

The bottleneck caused by states’ reevaluation of Medicaid enrollees has swept up low-income families that rely on other safety-net services. http://dlvr.it/SzSbjv

New research finds that private wells near more than 82% of select military sites were contaminated with PFAS chemicals. http://dlvr.it/SzSbPx

Physical therapists left the field en masse during the covid-19 pandemic, even as demand from aging baby boomers skyrocketed. While universities try to boost their training programs to increase the number of graduates, patients seeking relief from often debilitating pain are left to wait. http://dlvr.it/SzQ0J9

A few years ago, Oakland won national acclaim for slashing gun-related crimes. Then the covid-19 pandemic tore through poor neighborhoods, and the murder of George Floyd fueled distrust in police. With guns readily available, violent crime has once again skyrocketed, leaving the community struggling to contain it. http://dlvr.it/SzQ021

Despite the prevalence of autoimmune conditions, like the thyroid disease Hashimoto’s, sometimes finding help can prove frustrating as well as expensive. There are often no definitive diagnostic tests, so patients may rack up big bills as they search for confirmation of their condition and for treatment options. http://dlvr.it/SzMXBl

Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising, which operates mostly in the nation’s capital, is part of a confrontational anti-abortion movement that embraces all types of media — graffiti, social media, and livestreams — to communicate a smashmouth message. http://dlvr.it/SzMWwr

Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and California’s Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom will square off in a first-of-its-kind debate on Nov. 30. KFF Health News compared the political rivals’ health care positions, showing how their policies have helped — or hindered — the health of their states’ residents. http://dlvr.it/SzMWkv

This illustrated report has been adapted from a KFF Health News article, “Among Hurdles for Autoimmune Disease Patients: Diagnosis, Costs, Inattentive Care” by Andy Miller, with artwork by Oona Tempest. http://dlvr.it/SzMSBl

Ron DeSantis’ record as Florida governor provides some clues to how he would change the health care landscape if elected president. In his five years as governor, DeSantis has promoted stricter abortion rules and emphasized individual freedom over the benefits of public health. http://dlvr.it/SzFlR2

A San Francisco program offers a $1,000-a-month stipend for pregnant Black and Pacific Islander women, part of an effort to address severe racial disparities in maternal health. But conservative groups have sued to shut down the Abundant Birth Project, part of a national backlash against affirmative action in health care. http://dlvr.it/SzFl4r

About a third of the 130,000 people Utah has dropped from Medicaid this year say they now lack health insurance. It’s a glimpse into the fate of people caught up in Medicaid’s “unwinding.” http://dlvr.it/SzBM2W

Deciding when, or whether, to buy long-term care insurance can be complex. Here’s what to know. http://dlvr.it/Sz995s

The private insurance market has proved wildly inadequate in providing financial security for millions of older Americans, in part by underestimating how many policyholders would use their coverage. http://dlvr.it/Sz98hp

Anti-abortion groups have lost seven consecutive elections on state ballot measures about abortion. They say they’re unfazed and plan to keep focusing on lawmakers and courts to notch wins. http://dlvr.it/Sz929g

At $1,000 a night for a private room, medical centers are offering fancy food and casting health care as a “journey.” Instead of creature comforts, how about helping us feel better? http://dlvr.it/Sz91y0

The state canceled Beverly Likens’ coverage — days before surgery — without considering other ways she qualified for Medicaid, which experts say violated federal regulations. http://dlvr.it/Sz6TP4

The prevalence of synthetic drugs is undercutting a previously effective and widely embraced opioid use disorder treatment tactic. Now, the model pioneered in Vermont a decade ago and adopted at sites nationwide, especially in hard-to-reach rural areas, is being forced to evolve. http://dlvr.it/Sz6T4G

Convenient as it may be, beware of getting your blood drawn at a hospital. The cost could be much higher than at an independent lab, and your insurance might not cover it all. http://dlvr.it/Sz6Sl8

PFAS chemicals are found in hundreds of products and weapons used by the U.S. military. Defense Department officials say a blanket ban on these man-made substances would threaten military readiness. http://dlvr.it/Sz3z0K

The facilities can look like luxury apartments or modest group homes and can vary in pricing structures. Here’s a guide. http://dlvr.it/Sz3ykH

The add-ons pile up: $93 for medications, $50 for cable TV. Prices soar as the industry leaves no service unbilled, out of reach for many families. http://dlvr.it/Sz3yQc

Social Security has been overpaying recipients for years, then demanding the money back, leaving people with bills for up to tens of thousands of dollars or more. http://dlvr.it/SyzT8S

Advocates for pregnant people in police custody say repeated incidents show prohibitions on handcuffs and other restraints are little more than lip service. http://dlvr.it/SyxzTk

California’s Medicaid program is making it easier for people with diabetes to obtain the supplies and equipment they need to manage their blood sugar, partly by relaxing preauthorization requirements that can cause life-threatening delays. http://dlvr.it/Syxz91

Congress narrowly avoided a federal government shutdown for the second time in six weeks, as Democrats came to the rescue of divided House Republicans over annual spending bills that were supposed to be finished by Oct. 1. But the brinksmanship is likely to repeat itself early in 2024, when the next temporary spending patches expire. Meanwhile, a pair of investigations unveiled this week demonstrate how difficult it still is for seniors to get needed long-term and rehabilitation care. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Rachel Cohrs of Stat, and Joanne Kenen of Johns Hopkins University and Politico Magazine join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. http://dlvr.it/SywtWW

Many proposals have been floated about how to address the nation’s primary care problem. They range from training slots to medical school debt forgiveness but often sidestep comprehensive payment reform. http://dlvr.it/SyvSv1

Intermountain Residential in Montana is one of the only facilities in the United States that offer long-term residential behavioral treatment for kids as young as four. Now, administrators say they’re not sure how long it can keep its doors open. http://dlvr.it/SyvSZ3

A rule taking effect Jan. 1 was intended to stop one set of abuses by pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, but some pharmacists say it’s enabling these price brokers to simply do new things unfairly. http://dlvr.it/Sys0CY

Dignity Health is suing several patients and their advocates for “commercial blockade” for refusing discharge during the covid-19 pandemic. The lawsuits could set precedents for use of the California commercial blockade statute, conceived to constrain abortion protesters, and how hospitals handle discharges. http://dlvr.it/Syrzwp

The United States has no coherent system of long-term care, leading many to struggle to stay independent or rely on a patchwork of solutions. http://dlvr.it/Sypg4w

The financial and emotional toll of providing and paying for long-term care is wreaking havoc on the lives of millions of Americans. Read about how a few families are navigating the challenges, in their own words. http://dlvr.it/Sypfk3

Most countries spend more than the United States on care, but middle-class and affluent people still bear a substantial portion of the costs. http://dlvr.it/SypfMp

Spending cuts proposed by a Republican-led House subcommittee would cut millions from HIV-related spending. http://dlvr.it/SypWfl

State legislatures and politicians are pressuring public health officials to keep quiet about covid vaccines. http://dlvr.it/Sym8YY

The principles and practices of geriatrics are being widely disseminated. And we understand much more now about how to improve older adults’ care. Yet we don’t have enough geriatricians to meet the growing demand. http://dlvr.it/SyfKg0

Abortion rights backers won major victories in at least five states in the 2023 off-year elections Nov. 7, proving the staying power of abortion as a political issue in the wake of the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Meanwhile, the National Institutes of Health finally has a new director, after Democrats temporarily blocked President Joe Biden’s nominee over a mostly unrelated fight about prescription drug prices. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Tami Luhby of CNN, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Julie Appleby, who reported and wrote the latest “Bill of the Month” feature. http://dlvr.it/SyczJf

In a faceoff that took some strange turns, five presidential hopefuls focused on foreign affairs and inflation but still revealed the party’s political struggles over its abortion position. Once again, former President Donald Trump did not appear on the debate stage. http://dlvr.it/SycLvd

A recent study found that young Black males are substantially more likely to be underdiagnosed and undertreated for the neurological condition than white peers. http://dlvr.it/Sybjbn

Supply problems, a high price tag, and bureaucratic obstacles are slowing the distribution of a therapy that can protect infants from the respiratory syncytial virus. That will leave them unnecessarily at risk of hospitalization this winter, pediatricians fear. http://dlvr.it/SybjFj

What happens when you can’t afford the health care you need? On this episode of “An Arm and a Leg,” hear from emergency medicine physician and historian Luke Messac about the history of medical debt collection in the United States. http://dlvr.it/Sybhtz

Ohio is the latest state where voters have directly weighed in on abortion, and the next wave of such ballot measures is in the works in at least 11 other states, including Missouri. http://dlvr.it/SyYRh0

The government has proposed that Medicare fully cover preexposure prophylaxis drugs that prevent HIV, a change that could help America catch up with nations in Europe and Africa that are on track to end new infections decades before the U.S. under its current approach. http://dlvr.it/SyY5dF

The federal government requires state Medicaid programs to pay for abortions in limited circumstances, but Iowa hasn’t done so for years. No providers seek Medicaid payments, which require the approval of the governor, an anti-abortion Republican. http://dlvr.it/SyVTCl