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Abortion, a problem that has been simmering mostly below the surface of late, takes center stage in battles in Supreme Court, Congress, and in the states, as the fate of legalized abortion in the United States hangs in the balance. Game.
Meanwhile, Congress flirted with disaster as it seemed unlikely to meet the deadline to approve a series of budget bills, including an extension of the federal government’s lending power. But lawmakers have found ways to extend the programs long enough to continue negotiating until the fall.
This week’s panelists are Julie Rovner of KHN, Joanne Kenen of Politico and Johns Hopkins, Yasmeen Abutaleb of the Washington Post and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet.
Some takeaways from this week’s episode:
- As Democratic lawmakers seek to lower the cost of the president’s $ 3.5 trillion plan to boost health and other national programs, they are questioning whether to reduce the number of programs they fund while fully supportive or to maintain a wider range of initiatives, but fund them for fewer years or at lower levels. Supporters of the latter proposal argue that it is important to start the programs and, if they have a constituency, it will be difficult for Congress in the future to cut the programs.
- Senator Joe Manchin (DW.Va.), who was at the center of the negotiations because he refused to back the package if it remained at $ 3.5 trillion, called for new initiatives to be subject to conditions of resources so that the benefits don’t go to higher-income Americans. Past experience suggests that this may reduce the popularity of the programs as it creates more bureaucracy to oversee the benefits and sometimes creates problems in getting voters to accept the need.
- As negotiations drag on, it seems less likely that Democrats will agree on a plan to curb prescription drug prices. Executives have not agreed on how they would like to approach the problem, and drug companies have stepped up their advertising campaign to oppose any action that could threaten their bottom line.
- Manchin may also throw a wrench in the negotiations if he goes ahead with plans to seek a provision in the legislative package that makes the so-called Hyde Amendment permanent. The Hyde Amendment, which is commonly added to annual health spending legislation, prohibits most federal dollars from being spent on abortions. Progressive Democrats strongly oppose the Hyde Amendment and would like to remove it from the Department of Health and Human Services annual spending bill.
- Pfizer announced Thursday that it is seeking approval from the Food and Drug Administration for a covid vaccine for children aged 5 to 11. The agency has already scheduled an advisory committee meeting and a decision could be made around Halloween. A decision on vaccines for children under 5, however, seems unlikely before the end of the year.
- The recent controversy over whether the United States should allow so-called vaccine boosters has drawn attention to the lack of good national data on the effects of covid. Much of the argument for these additional injections was based on studies in Israel and Britain, as U.S. health officials have not collected the same level of data on covid cases and outcomes. . This is in part a reflection of the decentralization of the American health care system.
- The Biden administration announced this week that it is overturning a federal Title X rule that denies funding to organizations that counsel people about abortion or refer them to abortion providers. Planned Parenthood left the program after the Trump administration implemented this rule.
- Abortion is fast becoming a big issue in Supreme Court this quarter. Judges had previously agreed to hear a case opposing a Mississippi law restricting most abortions after 15 weeks, but cases involving a controversial Texas law that denies abortions after six weeks soon appear to have to be taken to the High. Court.
- Abortion opponents hope court will overturn benchmark Roe vs. Wade decision legalizing the procedure. But it could also prepare the tribunal for a major backlash and complaints about its politicization.
- Biden has another key health opening in his administration: the director of the National Institutes of Health. But it doesn’t seem like he’s as difficult to fill as the head of the FDA, for whom the White House has yet to nominate a candidate.
Also this week, Rovner interviews Aneri Pattani of KHN, who reported on the latest KHN-NPR “Invoice of the month”Presents two similar jaw surgeries with two very different price tags. If you have an outrageous medical bill, you want to send it to us, you can do it here.
Plus, for added credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week that they think you should read, too:
Julie Rovner: The New York Times’ “A” historic event “: the first malaria vaccine approved by the WHO” by Apoorva Mandavilli
Joanne Kenen: Vox.com “Why Merck’s Covid-19 pill, molnupiravir, might be so important, by Umair Irfan
Yasmeen Abutaleb: The “Wall Street Journal”Why it’s so hard to find a therapist who takes out insurance, by Andrea Petersen
Sarah Karlin Smith: The “Washington Post”70 years ago, Henrietta Lacks’ cells were taken without her consent. Now her family wants justice, by Emily Davies
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