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The Senate is expected to vote in the coming days on a Democratic-led plan to extend temporary supplemental subsidies that have reduced out-of-pocket costs for Affordable Care Act health plans. But even as the vote nears, Republicans in the House and Senate are divided over what, if any, alternative plan they should propose.
Meanwhile, anti-vaccine forces at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration have both agencies in disarray.
This week’s panelists are Julie Rovner of KFF Health News, Paige Winfield Cunningham of the Washington Post, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico.
Among the takeaways from this week’s episode:
- Republican lawmakers are struggling to reach consensus on a health care plan as the Senate prepares to vote on the fate of the ACA’s enhanced premium subsidies. Many broadly oppose Obamacare and argue that Democrats deserve blame for the rising cost of health care, while some Republicans facing tough re-election fights next year are arguing for renewing the more generous subsidies. A new poll shows that even most of President Donald Trump’s supporters favor continuing the subsidies.
- It’s not just ACA plan members who are learning that their out-of-pocket expenses will increase next year. Premium payments for those relying on the federal Employee Health Insurance program are rising again, with those plans among many reporting an increase in out-of-pocket costs.
- The Federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is meeting this week. Earlier this year, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. replaced committee members, adding notorious criticism of vaccines. At this meeting, the committee will discuss previous recommendations on the birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine and the immunization schedule for children.
Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Aneri Pattani about her project tracking the distribution of $50 billion in legal opioid settlement payments.
Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy articles they read this week that they think you should also read:
Julie Rovner: “These Hospitals Figured Out How to Reduce C-Section Rates” from The New York Times, by Sarah Kliff and Bianca Pallaro.
Joanne From: “A fentanyl vaccine is about to undergo its first major test,” from Wired, by Emily Mullin.
Paige Winfield Cunningham: According to a New York Times study, “A smartphone before age 12 could pose health risks,” by Catherine Pearson.
Alice Miranda Ollstein: “Miscarriages, Infections, Neglect: Pregnant Women Detained by ICE,” by Kelly Rissman.
Also mentioned in this week’s podcast:
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