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The Home handed a package deal of payments to limit the supply of assault weapons to minors and different measures to curb gun violence, however talks within the Senate have but to provide breakthroughs on what has been a legislative stalemate for years.
In the meantime, as inflation continues to be a top-tier subject for voters, the Federal Commerce Fee is trying into the practices of pharmacy profit managers and hospitals in an try and protect what value competitors there may be within the bloated U.S. well being system.
This week’s panelists are Julie Rovner of KHN, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Anna Edney of Bloomberg Information, and Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Faculty of Public Well being and Politico.
Among the many takeaways from this week’s episode:
- Senators are assembly to attempt to discover compromise measures on gun security that may draw no less than 10 Republican votes wanted to clear a filibuster. The query round city is whether or not Democrats are keen to accept one thing that has been narrowed sufficient to get GOP votes. If not, this might turn into one other instance of gun security negotiations imploding.
- The Biden administration’s efforts to usher in toddler system from different nations look like serving to present provides to determined households. Some information analyses counsel the nation is popping out of a scarcity peak. However that hasn’t dampened frustration with the FDA’s delay in coping with the shortages and the contamination points at a key U.S. system manufacturing plant in Michigan that was compelled to shut. That plant reopened this week, however it will likely be a number of extra weeks earlier than system made there’ll begin reaching retailer cabinets.
- Democratic lawmakers, who worry that the Supreme Courtroom is about to overturn its Roe v. Wade choice that assured the proper to abortion, are asking the Biden administration to take motion to assist reduce the impression. However even when govt orders have been issued by the president, their results can be restricted. That’s as a result of a court docket transfer to overturn Roe would go away abortion guidelines primarily as much as the states.
- Abortion opponents are already speaking about their subsequent purpose, suggesting they want to see a nationwide ban on abortion. However that creates a messaging drawback since they’ve for years argued that abortion ought to be a state subject.
- Employers are starting to really feel strain on this subject, and a lot of giant corporations have mentioned they are going to supply staff advantages to assist them get abortions out of state if their state bans the process. For a lot of employees, although, abortion is a non-public choice; they could not wish to let their employers know they’re contemplating one. The businesses’ initiatives can also play to shoppers seeking to know extra concerning the politics of corporations they cope with.
- The Federal Commerce Fee introduced it would have a look at pharmacy profit managers, the facilitators who negotiate drug costs for well being plans. Critics have argued that the consolidation between well being plans and PBMs could assist drive up costs. The fee additionally sued to dam a number of hospital mergers just lately, arguing they might harm competitors and enhance costs.
- Congress stays at an deadlock on a invoice to fund federal efforts to arrange for an additional surge within the covid pandemic. Democrats have raised issues about whether or not the nation may have satisfactory vaccine and testing sources within the fall if new variants trigger a rise in instances, however Republicans have mentioned that different federal funds might be tapped.
Additionally this week, Rovner interviews Cori Uccello of the American Academy of Actuaries concerning the newest report from Medicare’s trustees board and why policymakers must act earlier than this system runs out of cash.
Plus, for additional credit score, the panelists suggest their favourite well being coverage tales of the week they suppose it is best to learn, too:
Julie Rovner: KHN’s “Misinformation Clouds America’s Most Popular Emergency Contraception,” by Sarah Varney
Alice Miranda Ollstein: Politico’s “How Many Covid Deaths Are Acceptable? Some Biden Officials Tried to Guess,” by Rachael Levy
Anna Edney: The nineteenth’s “Florida Could Be a Critical Access Point for Abortion, but the State’s Own Battle Is Just Starting,” by Shefali Luthra
Joanne Kenen: The Hint’s “In 2019, Congress Pledged Millions to Study Gun Violence. The Results Are Nearly Here,” by Chip Brownlee
Additionally mentioned on this week’s podcast:
The Washington Publish’s “Even if Roe Is Overturned, Congress Must Act to Protect the Unborn,” by Robert B. George and Josh Craddock
Well being Affairs’ “The Association Between COVID-19 Mortality and the County-Level Partisan Divide in the United States,” by Neil Jay Sehgal, Dahai Yue, Elle Pope, Ren Hao Wang, and Dylan H. Roby
Bloomberg Regulation’s “Companies Urged to Review Abortion Coverage With Roe in Balance,” by Sara Hansard
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