The Host
Incoming President Donald Trump’s inauguration is Monday, but the brand new GOP-led Congress is already dashing to work his priorities into laws, eyeing cuts to Medicaid to pay for brand spanking new tax and immigration priorities. However even in its waning days, the Biden administration continues to make massive coverage strikes, together with a doable order for tobacco corporations to dramatically lower the quantity of nicotine in cigarettes.
In the meantime, the fires in Los Angeles are drawing new consideration to the well being risks of not simply smoke from natural matter, but additionally poisonous substances launched by burning plastic and different man-made supplies — in addition to the risk posed to each air and water high quality.
This week’s panelists are Julie Rovner of KFF Well being Information, Anna Edney of Bloomberg Information, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins College Bloomberg College of Public Well being and Politico Journal, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Name.
Among the many takeaways from this week’s episode:
Republican lawmakers are weighing choices to chop federal spending on Medicaid, the practically $900-billion-a-year authorities program that covers 1 in 5 Individuals. They might use the financial savings to bolster Trump priorities, equivalent to extending the 2017 tax cuts. The GOP made splashy however unsuccessful makes an attempt to chop Medicaid when Trump first took workplace and the social gathering held a bigger Home majority — although the social gathering appears extra aligned with Trump right this moment than it was then.
Congress has gotten all the way down to enterprise on messaging payments: It superior laws this week that might ban trans athletes from women’ college sports activities and, individually, a measure to detain and even deport immigrants who’re residing within the U.S. with out authorized standing and have been charged with, although not convicted of, minor crimes equivalent to shoplifting.
The Supreme Court docket has agreed to listen to a case later this yr concerning the U.S. Preventive Companies Activity Pressure — an impartial physique of consultants that points suggestions in illness prevention and drugs. A ruling in opposition to its authority might strip protection for key preventive well being companies from not simply these with Inexpensive Care Act protection, but additionally these on employer-sponsored well being plans. The query stands: If not this activity power, who would make the determinations about what preventive care must be lined?
And the outgoing Biden administration issued a slew of well being rules this week, together with a ban on the dye Purple No. 3 in meals and different ingested merchandise, in addition to an early regulation limiting the quantity of nicotine in tobacco merchandise. The incoming Trump administration might upend these and extra rules, although some do align with its coverage pursuits.
Additionally this week, Rovner interviews Harris Meyer, who reported and wrote the newest KFF Well being Information “Invoice of the Month” function, a few colonoscopy that got here with a a lot bigger price ticket than estimated. When you’ve got a mystifying or outrageous medical invoice you’d wish to share with us, you are able to do that right here.
Plus, for “further credit score,” the panelists recommend well being coverage tales they learn (or wrote) this week that they suppose you must learn, too:
Julie Rovner: KFF Well being Information’ “Can Medical Colleges Funnel Extra Docs Into the Major Care Pipeline?” by Felice J. Freyer.
Anna Edney: Bloomberg Information’ “It’s Not Simply Sunscreen. Poisonous Merchandise Line the Drugstore Aisles,” by Anna Edney.
Joanne Kenen: The Atlantic’s “A Secret Means To Battle Off Abdomen Bugs,” by Daniel Engber.
Sandhya Raman: Nature’s “New Weight problems Definition Sidelines BMI To Concentrate on Well being,” by Giorgia Guglielmi.
Additionally talked about on this week’s podcast:
To listen to all our podcasts, click on right here.
And subscribe to KFF Well being Information’ “What the Well being?” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts, or wherever you take heed to podcasts.
