by The host
Julie Rovner KFF Health News @jrovner
Julie Rovner is chief Washington correspondent and host of KFF Health News’ weekly health policy news podcast, “What the Health?” Julie is a noted health care policy expert and author of the critically acclaimed reference book “Health Care Politics and Policy A to Z,” now in its third edition.
When it comes to health care, this year’s presidential campaign is increasingly a matter of what would-be voters want to believe. Democrats, led by Vice President Kamala Harris, say Republicans want to further restrict reproductive rights and repeal the Affordable Care Act, citing their past actions and claims. Meanwhile, Republicans, led by former President Donald Trump, insist they have no such plans.
Meanwhile, as open enrollment for Medicare approaches, the Biden administration is dodging a political bullet and avoiding a sharp spike in Medicare drug premiums next year.
This week’s panelists are Julie Rovner of KFF Health News, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call and Anna Edney of Bloomberg News.
Panelists
One of the takeaways from this week’s episode:
- This week, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance rattled positions on health policy during the vice presidential debate, including downplaying the possibility of a national abortion ban. And Melania Trump, the former president’s wife, spoke out in support of abortion rights. Their comments appear intended to allay voters’ concerns that former President Donald Trump could take action to further block access to abortion.
- Vance raised eyebrows with his debate night claim that Trump “saved” the Affordable Care Act — when in fact the former president promised to repeal the law and defended the Republican Party’s efforts to make good on that promise. Meanwhile, Trump dodged questions from AARP about his plans for Medicare, responding, “What we need to do is make our country successful again.”
- On the Democratic side, Vice President Kamala Harris is campaigning on health, most notably releasing new ads highlighting the benefits of the ACA and Trump’s efforts to restrict abortion. Polls show that health is a winning issue for Democrats and that the ACA is popular, especially its protections for people with pre-existing conditions.
- Also in the news, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reported a slight decline in average Medicare drug premiums for next year. In an annual report – released shortly before Election Day – it appears that government subsidies have absorbed the changes in the system, meaning seniors no longer have to pay the premiums they can save under the new annual out-of-pocket cap on drug costs, for construction .
- And in abortion news, a judge has lifted Georgia’s six-week abortion ban, but many providers have already left the state. And a new California law protects coverage for in vitro fertilization, including for LGBTQ+ couples.
Also this week, Rovner interviews Lauren Sausser of KFF Health News, who reported the latest KFF Health News-Washington Post “Bill of the Month” and wrote about a teen athlete whose necessary surgery had no billing code. Do you have a confusing or outrageous medical bill you want to share? Tell us about it.
Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too:
Julie Rovner: KFF Health News’ “Physicians pushing for boycotts of conferences over abortion bans face an uphill battle,” by Ronnie Cohen.
Anna Edney: Bloomberg News’ “A Free Drug Experiment Sidesteps the U.S. Health Care System’s Secret Tariffs,” by John Tozzi.
Alice Miranda Ollstein: The Wall Street Journal’s “Hospitals hit by IV fluid shortage after Hurricane Helene,” by Joseph Walker and Peter Loftus.
Sandhya Raman: The Asheville Citizen Times’ “Without water after Helene, residents of Asheville public housing complex fear for their health,” by Jacob Biba.
Also mentioned in this week’s podcast:
Credits
- Francis Ying Audio Producer
- Emmarie Huetteman Editor
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