The host

Julie Rovner KFF Health News @jrovner

Julie Rovner is chief Washington correspondent and host of KFF Health News’ weekly well being coverage information podcast, “What the Health?” A famous skilled on well being coverage points, Julie is the creator of the critically praised reference ebook “Health Care Politics and Policy A to Z,” now in its third version.

It took greater than two years, however the Biden administration has lastly stored a promise made by then-candidate Joe Biden to roll again the Trump administration’s growth of short-term, limited-duration well being plans. The plans have been controversial as a result of, whereas they provide decrease premiums than extra complete well being plans, they provide far fewer advantages and aren’t topic to the patron protections of the Affordable Care Act.

Also this week, the FDA for the primary time accepted the over-the-counter sale of a hormonal contraception tablet. With extra states imposing restrictions on abortion, backers of the transfer say making it simpler to forestall being pregnant is critical now greater than ever.

This week’s panelists are Julie Rovner of KFF Health News, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Amy Goldstein of The Washington Post, and Rachel Cohrs of Stat.

Panelists

Among the takeaways from this week’s episode:

• The FDA’s much-anticipated approval of the primary over-the-counter hormonal contraception tablet adopted the recommendation of its exterior advisory committee. The tablet, Opill, can be out there on cabinets with out age restrictions.
• The Biden administration introduced strikes to restrict so-called junk plans on insurance coverage marketplaces. The Trump administration had dropped many restrictions on the plans, which have been initially meant for use for short-term protection gaps.
• As the nation continues to settle right into a post-Dobbs patchwork of abortion legal guidelines, the Iowa Legislature accepted a six-week ban on the process. And an Idaho regulation affords a key check of cross-border policing of abortion seekers, as different states watch the way it unfolds.
• In different information, Georgia’s Medicaid work necessities took impact July 1, implementing new restrictions on who’s eligible for the state-federal program for folks with low incomes or disabilities. And the Supreme Court’s choice on affirmative motion has the potential to form the well being care workforce, which analysis reveals may have implications for the standard of affected person care and well being outcomes.

Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Bram Sable-Smith, who reported and wrote the most recent KFF Health News-NPR “Bill of the Month” characteristic, a few affected person who lacked a everlasting mailing tackle and by no means obtained the hospital payments from an emergency surgical procedure — however did obtain a summons after she was sued for the debt. If you’ve got an outrageous or exorbitant medical invoice you wish to share with us, you are able to do that right here.

Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists recommend well being coverage tales they learn this week that they suppose it’s best to learn, too:

Julie Rovner: KFF Health News’ “Doctor Lands in the Doghouse After Giving Covid Vaccine Waivers Too Freely,” by Brett Kelman.

Rachel Cohrs: ProPublica’s “How Often Do Health Insurers Say No to Patients? No One Knows,” by Robin Fields, and Stat’s “How UnitedHealth’s Acquisition of a Popular Medicare Advantage Algorithm Sparked Internal Dissent Over Denied Care,” by Casey Ross and Bob Herman.

Amy Goldstein: The New York Times’ “Medicare Advantage Plans Offer Few Psychiatrists,” by Reed Abelson.

Alice Miranda Ollstein: The Wall Street Journal’s “America Is Wrapped in Miles of Toxic Lead Cables,” by Susan Pulliam, Shalini Ramachandran, John West, Coulter Jones, and Thomas Gryta.

Also talked about on this week’s episode:

Credits

Francis Ying Audio producer Emmarie Huetteman Editor