The Host

The Affordable Care Act was signed into regulation 14 years in the past this week, and Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra joined KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner on this week’s “What the Health?” podcast to debate its accomplishments to this point — and the challenges that stay for the well being regulation.

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

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

Among the takeaways from this week’s episode:

• The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments subsequent week in a case that might resolve whether or not the abortion capsule mifepristone will stay simply accessible. The case itself offers with nationwide restrictions relatively than an outright ban. But, relying on how the courtroom guidelines, it may have far-reaching outcomes — as an illustration, stopping folks from getting the drugs within the mail and limiting how far into being pregnant the therapy can be utilized.
• The case is about greater than abortion. Drug corporations and medical teams are involved in regards to 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 complete quantity finally relies on the success of citizen-led efforts to gather signatures to realize 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 worry, based mostly on precedents, is that abortion protections are likely to go.
• The Biden administration issued an govt order this week to enhance analysis on ladies’s well being throughout the federal authorities. It has a number of elements, together with provisions supposed to extend analysis on sicknesses and ailments related to postmenopausal ladies. It additionally goals to extend the variety of ladies taking part in scientific trials.
• This Week in Medical Misinformation: The Supreme Court heard oral arguments within the case Murthy v. Missouri. At situation is whether or not Biden administration officers overstepped their authority when asking corporations like Meta, Google, and X to take away or downgrade content material flagged as covid-19 misinformation.

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: The Washington Post’s “Arizona Lawmaker Tells Her Abortion Story to Show ‘Reality’ of Restrictions,” by Praveena Somasundaram. (Full speech here.)

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

Tami Luhby: KFF Health News’ “Georgia’s Medicaid Work Requirement Costing Taxpayers Millions Despite Low Enrollment,” by Andy Miller and Renuka Rayasam.

Mary Agnes Carey: The New York Times’ “When Medicaid Comes After the Family Home,” by Paula Span, and The AP’s “State Medicaid Offices Target Dead People’s Homes to Recoup Their Health Care Costs,” by Amanda Seitz.

Also talked about on this week’s podcast:

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