The Host
Julie Rovner
KFF Well being Information
Julie Rovner is chief Washington correspondent and host of KFF Well being Information’ weekly well being coverage information podcast, “What the Well being?” A famous professional on well being coverage points, Julie is the writer of the critically praised reference e book “Well being Care Politics and Coverage A to Z,” now in its third version.
Come January, Republicans will management the Home of Representatives, Senate, and White Home, regaining full energy for the primary time since 2018. That may give them vital clout to dramatically change well being coverage. However slim margins in Congress will go away little room for dissent.
In the meantime, President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to not contact Medicare, although there are Medicare-related points — together with drug value negotiations and doctor pay — that may quickly demand consideration.
This week’s panelists are Julie Rovner of KFF Well being Information, Anna Edney of Bloomberg Information, Rachel Roubein of The Washington Publish, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Publish.
Panelists
Anna Edney
Bloomberg
Rachel Roubein
The Washington Publish
Lauren Weber
The Washington Publish
Among the many takeaways from this week’s episode:
- Republicans will management the Home and the Senate starting subsequent 12 months, probably providing Trump essential votes in help of his nominees and agenda. Nevertheless, the get together will govern with solely a slim majority in each chambers, which may hamper its capability to make sweeping or controversial adjustments. Regardless, the GOP will steer legislative efforts, similar to setting authorities spending ranges and limits, and management committees that determine what to prioritize and oversee.
- Trump this week named a number of individuals he intends to appoint to his Cupboard. But a lot of his picks lack related expertise or have staked out controversial coverage positions — or each — elevating the query: Can they clear the Senate affirmation course of? Trump has steered utilizing recess appointments to get round that, a technique that will largely bypass the Senate and restrict his Cupboard secretaries’ authority.
- In the meantime, among the many points on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s well being agenda are some that resonate with Democrats, similar to cracking down on ultra-processed meals and meals dyes. Notably, these kinds of initiatives — which may tighten guidelines for companies, for example — haven’t been a part of the normal conservative playbook.
- And, wanting forward, there’s so much the Trump administration may do to additional erode abortion rights, and the GOP is prone to see this as a second for making an attempt issues.
Plus, for “additional credit score,” the panelists counsel well being coverage tales they learn this week that they suppose you must learn, too:
Julie Rovner: KFF Well being Information’ “In Vermont, The place Nearly Everybody Has Insurance coverage, Many Can’t Discover or Afford Care,” by Phil Galewitz.
Anna Edney: The Atlantic’s “Throw Out Your Black Plastic Spatula,” by Zoë Schlanger.
Rachel Roubein: Politico’s “‘Been a Lengthy Time Since I Felt That Approach’: Sexually Transmitted An infection Numbers Present New Hope,” by Alice Miranda Ollstein.
Lauren Weber: JAMA Community Open’s “Medical Board Self-discipline of Physicians for Spreading Medical Misinformation,” by Richard S. Saver.
Additionally talked about on this week’s podcast:
Click on to open the transcript
Transcript: Readying for Republican Rule
[Editor’s note: This transcript was generated using both transcription software and a human’s light touch. It has been edited for style and clarity.]
Julie Rovner: Howdy, and welcome again to “What The Well being?” I’m Julie Rovner, chief Washington correspondent for KFF Well being Information, and I’m joined by a few of the greatest and smartest well being reporters in Washington. We’re taping this week on Thursday, November 14th, at 10 a.m. As all the time, and notably this week, information occurs quick and issues would possibly’ve modified by the point you hear this. So, right here we go.
As we speak we’re joined by way of videoconference by Rachel Roubein of The Washington Publish.
Rachel Roubein: Hello. Thanks for having me.
Rovner: Anna Edney of Bloomberg Information.
Anna Edney: Howdy.
Rovner: And Lauren Weber, additionally The Washington Publish.
Lauren Weber: Double bother at this time. Thanks for having me.
Rovner: No interview this week however greater than sufficient information to make up for it, so let’s dig proper in. In order of yesterday, it’s official. Come January twentieth, Republicans will management the presidency, the Senate, and the Home, though the ultimate cut up continues to be but to be decided and is perhaps even smaller than the handful it’s now. Plus President-elect [Donald] Trump retains naming Home Republicans to his administration, which is able to complicate issues and which we’ll discuss in a second. However assuming there’s a trifecta when Trump places his hand on the Bible at midday on January twentieth, what distinction is that going to make to the well being agenda than if the Home had flipped Democratic, even by a vote or two?
Edney: Properly, I feel that, as you simply talked about, this majority is prone to be so small. And simply pondering to the previous, we’ve seen such divisions, even among the many Republican Occasion, on what ought to be accomplished.
Rovner: It solely takes one or two — when you may solely afford to lose one or two votes, it solely takes one or two individuals to gum up the works.
Edney: Yeah, and there are a variety of members — and notably, it looks as if, within the GOP — which are very prepared to do this. I imply, I feel that additionally the potential is that well being care isn’t prime of thoughts for President Trump, at the very least. So I do know we’ve heard Speaker [Mike] Johnson say that he wish to overturn the ACA [Affordable Care Act] immediately, however I don’t know that, like we stated, with the small majority, that that may be capable of even occur.
Rovner: I really feel like that’s a giant distinction from, I’d say from 2017, after we got here in and well being care, repealing ACA, was proper on the prime. Not a lot now. Lauren.
Weber: I used to be simply going to say: What model of the Trump administration on well being care are we going to get? I imply, you might have Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on the market speaking about “Make America Wholesome Once more,” which additionally flies within the face of a variety of Republican ideology. I imply, a variety of what he’s speaking about appears to be excessive regulation of ultra-processed meals. He appears to need to restrict promoting for pharmaceutical advertisements. He needs to concentrate on continual illness, which is one thing that lots of people on the left would like to see extra curiosity in, together with the ultra-processed meals. However is that the brand new Republican Occasion focus for well being? I don’t know. I feel we’re going to see, I imply, contemplating RFK appears poised for a big place within the administration.
Rovner: And we’ll speak extra about him in a couple of minutes. Rachel, you needed so as to add one thing.
Roubein: Yeah. I consider — after I take into consideration Congress and the facility construction, I’m pondering so much about simply the federal government spending payments and the way that’s used to barter. Like, in case you look from a number of years in the past, Democrats negotiated some Medicaid insurance policies that they needed on maternal well being for change for what Republicans needed on unwinding Medicaid. And so Democrats lose their negotiating leverage there. And actually one of many huge insurance policies in Congress for subsequent 12 months, I feel, is the expiration in 2025 of the improved Obamacare subsidies. So Democrats don’t actually have a chamber there.
Rovner: Which we’ll additionally get to. However, I imply, the massive distinction is that if the Democrats had gained a majority even by one or two votes, that will’ve given them management of committees, which now they received’t have. And that’s, sure, a giant deal. I used to be going to say, Anna, in a 12 months when well being isn’t essentially on the prime of the kind of huge agenda, what occurs in committee is usually what occurs.
Edney: Proper, yeah, what they determine to look into or to not look into. One of many locations perhaps the place they may kind of cross paths or agree in a means with RFK Jr., if that’s the way in which the Trump administration goes, is there’s nonetheless a variety of anger on the precise in regards to the covid vaccine. So we may see investigations ongoing — I feel they’re nonetheless taking place — however ongoing in that vein, and [Anthony] Fauci may preserve getting referred to as earlier than Congress. And that results in a kind of aversion to pandemic preparedness, which may very well be regarding as a result of we’re wanting down at this fowl flu potential downside that retains getting barely extra regarding on a regular basis.
Rovner: There’s a young person in Canada in intensive care with fowl flu, who was not uncovered to something on a farm. That has public well being individuals involved.
Edney: Proper, proper, precisely. And when you consider uncooked milk and RFK Jr. in help of that — I do know we’ll get to him — nevertheless it all looks like an ideal storm, probably. However I feel that the way in which that the Republicans would like to go isn’t coping with — they’d moderately intestine pandemic preparedness. They don’t see a spot for it, in order that these issues may change into essential down the road.
Rovner: In order I discussed, President-elect Trump is already saying heaps and plenty of individuals to workers the higher ranges of his incoming administration. And even with the Senate, with the Republican majority, that appears fairly probably to offer him no matter he needs, he’s been curiously suggesting that he needs to make use of one thing referred to as recess appointments for his main places of work, which might imply his appointees can be non permanent, however they’d additionally keep away from the conventional Senate affirmation course of, which includes vetting and hearings and votes and even on an expedited foundation can take weeks. Are we beginning to get an thought of why he needs that, given a few of the of us that he’s already named, like firebrand and ethics-challenged Republican congressman Matt Gaetz to be lawyer basic?
Edney: Yeah, actually. We haven’t seen an HHS [Department of Health and Human Services] decide but, and I can’t even guess who it is perhaps simply given what’s already come out was very surprising. And so I feel that you simply’ve seen companies just like the Meals and Drug Administration undergo that earlier than, the place they’ve simply had these non permanent individuals or they’ve stored in place whoever was the deputy on the time, they usually change into the commissioner for some time and never confirmed. And it actually hampers their capability to do so much, although. There are selections {that a} division or an company can’t make if somebody’s not Senate-confirmed.
Rovner: However doesn’t that throw extra energy again to the White Home? Isn’t that type of the concept right here?
Edney: Yeah, true. That’s a great level. If RFK Jr. will get this kind of well being czar spot — I’ve been telling individuals I couldn’t actually see him as HHS secretary, as a result of a variety of what he needs to do is beneath the USDA [Agriculture Department], so that will make no sense. And so if he simply type of has the facility he needs within the White Home to do what he wants, you make a great level there as properly.
Rovner: Yeah, what else are — I’d’ve stated earlier than yesterday that they’d by no means title RFK Jr. to be HHS secretary. Though after a few of the names we obtained yesterday, perhaps that may occur. This might occur whereas we’re taping this. However what different names are we listening to, if any? I do know I’ve three individuals right here who’ve been protecting the FDA. I imply, clearly in the course of the first Trump administration, the FDA was headed by Scott Gottlieb, who we might take into account a conventional Republican, a health care provider. He’d labored within the company earlier than. He’d been in authorities. That doesn’t appear probably what we’re going to see this time round.
Edney: I feel that’s true. I feel the one factor is what Trump’s focus might be. If he does let another person type of take the reins on this, perhaps we might see somebody a bit extra measured. I’d say proper now, a lot of the names that I’m listening to for HHS or FDA are very a lot recycling from final time round. And so I’m actually not sure whether or not individuals are simply batting that round as a result of these are names which have come ahead earlier than or whether or not that’s who we’ll truly see named. I feel we’ll know briefly order, as a result of I do suppose that these are popping out rapidly. And I appreciated, Julie, that you simply corrected everybody that they’re not nominated. There’s an intent to appoint by a president-elect, so, however nonetheless will—
Rovner: Though, I’ll say, his statements say that he’s nominating, which is complicated individuals.
Edney: Yeah. I feel they’re much less involved with the specifics.
Rovner: Sure. Properly, shock, shock. All proper, now let’s discuss RFK Jr. Clearly, we don’t know what place he’s going to fill, however we’ve talked so much about his extra Republican-friendly positions, anti-vax stuff and uncooked milk and kind of anti-public-health. However Rachel and Lauren, you’ve obtained a narrative up at this time about another positions that Democrats is perhaps a bit extra sympathetic to. What are a few of these?
Roubein: There’s at the very least two concepts that we had kind of checked out on this story which have discovered some public help on each the precise and the left, similar to stripping ultra-processed meals from faculty cafeterias and type of cracking down on meals dyes. And, I imply, one of many issues we famous up prime is that that is, a few of this might be a contradiction from Trump’s first time period, the place Sonny Perdue, who was Trump’s agriculture secretary, throughout the first week or two of him being in his place, he vowed to quote-unquote “make faculty meals nice once more” after which type of waged this assault on Michelle Obama’s efforts to make faculty meals more healthy. That’s to not say that Kennedy being a place of energy doesn’t alarm federal well being officers or public well being consultants or individuals within the meals business, as a result of it does. However there are some insurance policies that he may have a [Sen.] Bernie Sanders agree with him on.
Rovner: And whereas we’re as regards to ultra-processed meals, Lauren, you’re our Lunchables correspondent, and there’s Lunchables information this week. Inform us about it.
Weber: There’s Lunchables information this week, and dependable listeners of the pod will do not forget that I did a narrative at The Washington Publish final 12 months with a few of my colleagues that checked out how Lunchables had ended up on faculty lunch trays for the primary time ever. Kraft Heinz had type of tinkered with the formulation, reformulated it, and really ended up including extra sodium whereas including extra protein and different issues to qualify for the Nationwide College Lunch Program. And, clearly, a variety of vitamin consultants have been appalled as a result of they felt like that is an instance of ultra-processed meals that’s being served as free and decreased lunch to youngsters who don’t essentially have as a lot of a alternative there on what’s being served to them. And we obtained information this week that Kraft Heinz didn’t make sufficient cash, that college districts didn’t buy their reformulated product, they usually had, because of quote “lack of demand,” they’re taking them off the choices.
So it’s type of attention-grabbing. RFK’s push towards ultra-processed meals is coming at a second not simply in class lunches however in america, the place there was rising consciousness about ultra-processed meals making up 60% of the American’s eating regimen. And for a really, very very long time, meals business has been actually profitable in Congress at watering down a few of the rules towards stuff like ultra-processed meals, particularly in class lunches, to type of weaken these rules, as Rachel talked about, that Michelle Obama had pushed for and different methods, in order that they may proceed promoting their merchandise. And so a few of the meals business of us that Rachel and I talked to are fairly involved a few doable RFK position as a result of he’s actually pushing towards the powers that be there. And it’s actually attention-grabbing to see that dynamic, as a result of, as Rachel identified, the one different individual that’s actually been doing that lately is Bernie Sanders. So that you type of have this horseshoe of proper and left that’s coming to the forefront right here.
Edney: I used to be simply going so as to add, I truly wrote my e-newsletter on this at this time. The FDA is doing a little issues on this vein which are kind of attention-grabbing. I stated it was type of an RFK-FDA, very tiny, very small Venn diagram in that the company can also be ultra-processed meals. They stated — Jim Jones is their deputy commissioner for human meals, and he stated lately that they have been doing a little work making an attempt to determine the right way to research whether or not there’s actually causality, however he did say they’ve been working they usually have accomplished so much on sure trans fat, getting them out of meals. They’ve accomplished so much to attempt to, they’re making an attempt to scale back sodium ranges. That’s going to be a stepwise course of in meals. They usually have made shoppers much more conscious, together with on the label, of added sugars. And he was like, That is all what we see in processed meals that may be a downside.
And so there’s kind of this quiet— they’re quietly going after it, simply not calling it that. After which on the dyes, they’re actually not going so far as RFK Jr. and saying, We need to ban all dyes. However they’ve had a petition in entrance of them for a pair years, and Jim Jones stated he anticipated a response from the FDA. I overlook precisely the quote, nevertheless it was very quickly on what they’re going to do on Pink Dye Quantity 3, which is kind of the one which has been studied essentially the most and has hyperlinks to most cancers and probably hyperactivity in youngsters.
Roubein: I feel it’s additionally value noting, in speaking in regards to the FDA’s vitamin division, is the day after the election, RFK Jr. was on MSNBC saying that there are total departments at FDA that should go, and he particularly stated the vitamin division. Once more, whether or not you can simply have type of a mass firing of civil servants is type of fairly TBD, however that’s how he’s viewing the nutritionists there, and that’s alarming to workers. FDA Commissioner Robert Califf the opposite day stated that, referred to as them hardworking individuals. He was requested about it and had a little bit of a protection there.
Weber: Simply so as to add in on that, too, there are some vitamin advocates that wouldn’t be that unhappy about that. I imply, I do know that they really feel just like the FDA has been too sluggish, is just too influenced by business. I imply, take a look at the meals label story that we talked about additionally on this podcast, that Rachel and I did. The Biden administration was presupposed to suggest potential front-of-pack labels for entrance of meals, and a variety of vitamin advocates thought, regardless that this proposal has not come out but, that what they have been excited about was too weak and too deferential to business. So RFK has actually tapped into this rising anger, it appears, on the lack of protections for teenagers or basically in regards to the meals provide. I feel a part of it’s is that he and Trump are superb entrepreneurs. They’ve these catchy slogans, “Make America Wholesome Once more.” I feel that’s considerably at play as properly.
Rovner: I feel earlier than we go away this kind of subsequent administration phase, although, I do need to broaden it out a bit bit, as a result of we’ve been speaking about this contradiction that’s Donald Trump, which is, on the one hand, he’s obtained a gaggle of individuals that desires to strip the federal authorities of all of its capability to control and eliminate rules and let business run wild as a result of, as Vivek Ramaswamy says, regulation is a yoke across the neck of innovation. Alternatively, he’s obtained individuals like RFK Jr. who need to are available and say: No, let’s get business out of presidency. Let authorities do its job regulating. I imply, the well being business have to be — their heads have to be spinning, as a result of this clearly goes to have an effect on totally different parts of the business other ways, proper?
Edney: Yeah, it’s a complicated factor, too, when you consider the pharma business, for example. I can say, they’re extremely regulated within the sense that they pay a number of cash to the FDA, hundreds of thousands and hundreds of thousands of {dollars} to have their new drug purposes reviewed. There’s a really strict means of what they get for that, what the FDA will do for that. They don’t need that thrown away, as a result of that offers them a variety of safety on, Right here’s how issues are going to work and we have to know that, versus in case you simply had any person up there being like, Sure to that one, no to that one. And there may very well be different areas. Actually Large Pharma wouldn’t adore it if all the pieces was tried to be cured with ivermectin and the hydroxychloroquine. So that will be an issue for all of us. So I feel that there’s simply a variety of confusion and uncertainty in pharma, at the very least.
Rovner: And I imply, the one factor we all know is that business hates uncertainty. They want to have the ability to plan.
Edney: Sure. Proper, sure. They very a lot want that for themselves, for his or her researchers, for his or her shareholders. That’s tremendous essential.
Rovner: Yeah, so clearly, everyone in well being care is kind of watching eagerly. All proper, properly, whereas we’ve all been busy speaking in regards to the election, open enrollment started for the Reasonably priced Care Act for 2025, presumably the final 12 months that hundreds of thousands of People will stay eligible for expanded subsidies, since a totally Republican Congress and president appear unlikely to increase them past December thirty first, 2025. What will change into of the ACA expanded subsidies? Is there any likelihood they get prolonged? It will displace hundreds of thousands of people that have gotten medical insurance by means of the ACA.
Edney: Properly, I feel if we’re speaking in ways in which Trump could also be fascinated by, the insurance coverage firms wouldn’t prefer it, as a result of they don’t need to lose all of these sufferers. So I assume perhaps that’s the potential glimmer of hope for individuals who need these expanded subsidies to remain intact.
Rovner: And we nonetheless don’t know what the Republicans take note of for the Reasonably priced Care Act. As I wish to level out, they’ve been speaking a few alternative since 2010 and we’ve by no means truly seen one.
Roubein: Trump has ideas of a plan, he says.
Rovner: So we have now heard.
Roubein: Keep in mind that within the debate? I imply, we heard that for what number of years, proper? Years and years.
Rovner: Two weeks. He’s going to have one thing in two weeks.
Edney: I used to be going to say, if anybody writes an In two weeks it’s coming story, they’ve to purchase drinks for everybody.
Rovner: Completely. Lauren, you needed to say one thing.
Weber: I imply, I used to be simply going to say that the primary Trump administration was not identified for increasing any kind of subsidies for the ACA. So I’m curious. However as Anna identified, frankly it’s all the time arduous to remove one thing that’s in style. You don’t essentially need these individuals mad at you. So to be fairly trustworthy, let’s wait and see.
Rovner: Yeah, TBD.
Weber: TBD.
Rovner: Properly, that is additionally the primary 12 months that DACA [Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals] recipients, the so-called “Dreamers” who have been dropped at the U.S. with out documentation as youngsters, are eligible themselves for backed ACA protection. That’s estimated to be about 100,000 individuals. I wouldn’t anticipate that to final both, although. And I’m questioning, it may not even make it by means of the 12 months, because it’s the topic of a lawsuit introduced by Republican attorneys basic that I anticipate a brand new Justice Division would simply drop?
Roubein: Yeah, I really feel like with all the pieces, there’s type of a highway map to have a look at what Trump did within the first time period, simply type of talking broadly, not simply on DACA. However then there are issues that they may not do once more. So I really feel prefer it’s arduous to foretell, however yeah, feasibly I really feel like that would kind of be the pondering.
Rovner: Trump has been nothing greater than unpredictable during. So I’m going to do my extra-credit story early this week as a result of I need us all to speak about it a bit bit. It’s from my KFF Well being Information colleague Phil Galewitz, and it’s referred to as “In Vermont, The place Nearly Everybody Has Insurance coverage, Many Can’t Discover or Afford Care.” And it’s about an issue that’s type of been sneaking up on us and is now right here for all to see: Having insurance coverage is important however not ample to get well being care.
As Phil factors out, Vermont has principally the bottom uninsured fee in america, however care there may be costly. Each suppliers and insurers are having monetary difficulties, and rising numbers of sufferers both can’t discover care or can’t pay for it or each. A few of this seems to be demographics. Vermont is, on common, older and extra rural than most different states, and a few of it’s presumably because of well being supplier consolidation. However I really feel like that is type of the early warning of the identical kinds of issues taking place across the nation. At what level do we have now to really take inventory of the truth that our well being system isn’t functioning very properly? I imply, we’re so busy speaking about what business needs and what authorities needs and what’s going to assist this group and what’s going to assist that group. And it’s like, even with an all-time-low uninsured fee, the tales about individuals being unable to get care have gotten greater than anecdotal, proper?
Weber: I imply, I feel, Julie, return to the title of this podcast. The podcast known as “What the Well being?” I imply, I feel you’ve, clearly, and all of us right here have been protecting this for a few years. However Phil’s story was simply fantastically accomplished, as a result of it confirmed how multifaceted the issue is. However that additionally means there’s not a fast repair. However the bottom-line kicker was these individuals are paying a ton of cash for his or her well being care and are having to attend months and months and months for stuff they really feel like isn’t that nice, or they’re pressured to go throughout state strains and pay extra some place else to get it faster. And clearly that’s, as you stated, not fairly an answer. So an interesting take a look at, what it looks as if, numerous components which are inflicting critical points with individuals’s well being care supply.
Rovner: I simply really feel prefer it’s a warning to not — I imply, clearly we’re well being reporters. We take a look at issues within the micro. However generally I really feel like we’re type of shedding the forest for the bushes, and this was a very good reminder. It’s like there’s a forest on the market and issues aren’t going nice within the forest.
All proper, properly, let’s flip to abortion. Although seven out of 10 states with poll measures voted for the abortion rights place — eight states, in case you depend Florida, the place the measure to overturn the state six-week ban obtained 57%, however that was in need of the 60% it wanted to go — the anti-abortion motion is nonetheless gearing as much as undo as a lot of this as it will possibly.
Based on our podcast panelist Alice Ollstein, a few of the methods anti-abortion teams plan to pursue are ones that we have now talked about right here earlier than, together with requiring that abortion drugs be labeled as a managed substance, like they’re doing in Louisiana, or that the stays of treatment abortion be dealt with as medical waste. Different concepts are new or at the very least new-ish, like making an attempt to chop off funding to schools and universities that present abortion drugs at campus services. The anti-abortion motion can also be making an attempt to push state laws aimed toward circumventing the protecting amendments that these states’ voters simply handed. This struggle is a great distance from being over, proper?
Edney: Oh, yeah. And also you simply talked about states. That’s the place I’m positive that a variety of the main focus is, as a result of if Trump holds to his phrase, and I don’t know if that’s the case, he stated it ought to be as much as the states on how they deal with all of these items. So I think about now could be their second in the event that they’re going to strive a few of these extra out-of-the-box methods of coping with it.
Roubein: And I feel one factor that emerged, notably after Republicans took again the Home in 2022 and Roe v. Wade was overturned, was that the battleground being states, but additionally the chief department. The battleground when it comes to Congress, the Home didn’t convey up a invoice to ban abortion at 15 weeks or something politically—
Rovner: They couldn’t have gotten the votes with their tiny majority.
Roubein: Yeah, it’s very politically difficult. We’ve seen Republicans again away from these stances. And you then take a look at the Biden administration, which has stated, There are issues we are able to do to kind of do some pointers, et cetera, like letting the VA [Department of Veterans Affairs] do abortions in sure cases, or they rolled again Trump’s adjustments on the Title X federal household program that principally pressured Deliberate Parenthood out. So you can kind of see a few of these issues being rolled again once more.
Rovner: Properly, one of many issues that I haven’t seen famous by anyone, and I completely agree with you about: The very first thing that the Trump and whoever within the Trump administration to do is reverse the issues that [President Joe] Biden did, which in some methods have been reversals of issues that Trump did the primary time round. However we do have a bunch of abortion-related lawsuits nonetheless in play that contain the Justice Division. Keep in mind that Supreme Court docket case the place the justices dominated that the anti-abortion docs who introduced the case didn’t have standing to sue? Properly, that case continues to be alive. It’s nonetheless in court docket, as a result of states have stepped in as plaintiffs. Then there are instances difficult the Biden administration’s interpretation of EMTALA, which is the federal regulation that requires emergency abortions be supplied to guard a pregnant girl’s well being and says that these override state legal guidelines that solely enable abortions if the lady’s life is imminently endangered. I’d suppose these instances would go away beneath Legal professional Normal Matt Gaetz or whoever goes to be accountable for the Justice Division, proper?
Edney: I imply, that makes excellent sense to me that they’d not proceed arguing these by any means until Trump is extra targeted on making an attempt to overturn his personal convictions. I don’t know what that would seem like.
Rovner: Sure, it doesn’t matter what, the Justice Division might be very busy, however I believe not very busy arguing the abortion rights facet of abortion instances.
Edney: Proper.
Rovner: Properly, I need to flip to Medicare. Trump insisted in the course of the marketing campaign that he wouldn’t contact Medicare, however that’s not truly doable for a Congress and an administration. The one actual query is how Medicare might be touched. Medical doctors are, as soon as once more, dealing with a Medicare pay lower for subsequent 12 months. This one is just below 3%. And that’s one thing that the lame-duck Congress, which is simply getting again into session this week, could or could not cancel, given how loopy issues are proper now on Capitol Hill. And The Wall Avenue Journal has a bit this week about how sicker individuals are leaving their Medicare Benefit plans to return to conventional Medicare, which is smart as a result of non-public Medicare Benefit plans make care tougher to entry once you’re sick. In order that finally ends up making — after they go away, it finally ends up making the plans richer as a result of they don’t should pay for the care, and the taxpayers poorer as a result of now Medicare, conventional Medicare, is paying for the care. So Medicare’s going to should be on the desk in some type. We are able to’t simply ignore Medicare for 4 years, proper?
Edney: Yeah, I feel notably that is the kind of larger image. However when you consider if Trump does need to do a bunch of tax cuts and the place does the cash come from, I’m positive there are methods to do it. There are all types of funds tips that may be accomplished to seem like you’re not touching Medicare however you’re touching Medicare, so you may preserve that marketing campaign promise. And I don’t know if that’s actually on the desk for them, however I don’t suppose we are able to anticipate nobody to be this, notably additionally due to the kind of Republican want to prop up the Medicare Benefit a bit bit extra to get … So I don’t know if there’s a method to encourage some individuals again on these plans or how they’re going to have a look at that.
Rovner: Yeah, it’s essential to do not forget that the normal Republican thought on Medicare is to get extra individuals to enter Medicare Benefit, which is going on naturally anyway as a result of people who find themselves growing older into Medicare are principally popping out of managed care plans, in order that they’re used to being in managed care plans. So it’s simple for them to enter these Medicare Benefit plans that say, Hey, we’re going to give you additional advantages that Medicare doesn’t. And it’s not till they really want care and might’t get it that they notice that perhaps that wasn’t one of the best thought. However I actually anticipate this whole debate to hold over to the following administration.
Edney: Properly, and also you additionally … I don’t know why, however you jogged my memory that there are nonetheless medicine to barter beneath Medicare.
Rovner: That’s proper.
Edney: And also you in some way should cope with that, and taking it away can be fairly tough, seemingly.
Rovner: And value some huge cash.
Edney: And value some huge cash. However you can negotiate issues in a different way or — I’m unsure.
Rovner: Sure, we’ll have loads of Medicare to speak about. All proper, properly, that’s the information, at the very least up till this second. Now it’s time for our extra-credit phase. That’s the place we every acknowledge a narrative we learn this week we expect you must learn, too. Don’t fear in case you miss it. We’ll put the hyperlinks in our present notes in your cellphone or different cell machine. I’ve already accomplished mine. Anna, why don’t you go subsequent? Yours is so very on model for you.
Edney: Thanks. So mine is from The Atlantic. It’s referred to as “Throw Out Your Black Plastic Spatula.” Actually, I grew up in my household and my dad and mom nonetheless have all their black cooking utensils. And what that is speaking about is how most of our black cooking utensils are comprised of recycled electronics. And there’s an entire motive for that. It’s actually attention-grabbing to examine. However the final result is that there are additionally a variety of hearth retardants in these, so we’re getting hearth retardants leaching out into our meals.
Rovner: After all, hearth retardants are why they’d them within the first place, proper? Since you’re placing them in highly regarded issues.
Edney: Properly, that is extra due to the electronics. Like, yeah, once you’re utilizing an digital, I assume there’s hearth retardants in there since you don’t need the battery blowing up or no matter. However in case you’re recycling these and making utensils out of them, you then’re going to get a few of that in your meals.
Rovner: The darkish facet of recycling.
Edney: Sure.
Rovner: Lauren, why don’t you go subsequent?
Weber: Mine’s truly a research in JAMA that’s titled “Medical Board Self-discipline of Physicians for Spreading Medical Misinformation.” And the research discovered that truly the least widespread motive for medical board self-discipline was spreading misinformation, which was not truly information to me or a few of my colleagues at The Washington Publish, as they cite our work on this research. However Lena Solar, Hayden Godfrey, and I final 12 months did a big investigation by which we truly surveyed all 50 medical boards and went by means of and requested them about whether or not or not they’d disciplined anybody for misinformation.
After which on the boards that didn’t reply, which was many, we then went by means of and browse each single disciplinary motion to see what we may discover. And the underside line is is docs didn’t get punished. There’s a variety of free-speech protections, and, frankly, it needed to be very, very, very egregious for medical boards to step in. Usually, medical boards are weak. They’re identified to be poor at self-regulating their very own. It takes so much to essentially get punished by a medical board, so it’s not that shocking. However after a variety of clamor throughout covid and a variety of physicians that basically turned megaphones for unscientific proof, it’s nonetheless fairly putting that not very a lot of them confronted any kind of repercussions for that.
Rovner: Yeah, one other concern going ahead. Rachel.
Roubein: My additional credit score, it’s titled “‘Been a Lengthy Time Since I Felt That Approach’: Sexually Transmitted An infection Numbers Present New Hope,” in Politico by Alice Miranda Ollstein. The story talks about principally how there’s been this drop in sexually transmitted infections, and that has adopted years of simply skyrocketing instances. So that is from new information from the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention that got here out this week. So, for example, whole instances of syphilis elevated 1% and congenital syphilis ticked up 3%, however that’s a far slower fee of development than the spikes of the previous couple of years. In order that’s an encouraging notice for STD well being administrators in states. However within the piece, she talks about how there’s some concern from public well being consultants and different advocates about probably backsliding beneath Trump, relying what occurs, and likewise noting that Congress final 12 months clawed again lots of of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} in public well being funding.
Rovner: That’s proper. And clearly the federal Household Planning Program performs a giant position within the prevention of sexually transmitted infections, and we do not know what’s going to change into of the federal Household Planning Program beneath a Republican trifecta. So once more, a narrative that I’m positive we’ll spend extra time speaking about.
All proper, that’s this week’s present. As all the time, in case you benefit from the podcast, you may subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. We’d admire it in case you left us a evaluate. That helps different individuals discover us, too. Particular thanks this week to our non permanent manufacturing staff, Taylor Cook dinner and Lonnie Ro, in addition to our editor, Emmarie Huetteman. As all the time, you may e mail us your feedback or questions. We’re at whatthehealth, all one phrase, @kff.org. Or you may nonetheless discover me at X @jrovner and more and more at Bluesky @julierovner.bsky.social. The place are you guys today? Lauren?
Weber: Nonetheless simply on X, LaurenWeberHP. The “HP” is for “well being coverage.”
Rovner: Anna.
Edney: On X. It’s @annaedney. And I’m making an attempt out Bluesky as properly, however I’m so new that I don’t even keep in mind my title.
Rovner: It’s OK.
Edney: I’ll get that subsequent time.
Rovner: Rachel.
Roubein: Equally to Lauren, on X, @rachel_roubein.
Rovner: We might be again in your feed subsequent week. Till then, be wholesome.
Credit
Taylor Cook dinner
Audio producer
Lonnie Ro
Audio producer
Emmarie Huetteman
Editor
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