KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Taking a Shot at Gun Control

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The House handed a bundle of payments to limit the availability of assault weapons to minors and different measures to curb gun violence, however talks in the Senate have but to supply breakthroughs on what has been a legislative stalemate for years.

Meanwhile, as inflation continues to be a top-tier subject for voters, the Federal Trade Commission is wanting into the practices of pharmacy profit managers and hospitals in an try to protect what value competitors there’s in 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 News, and Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico.

Among the takeaways from this week’s episode:

Senators are assembly to attempt to discover compromise measures on gun security that may draw at least 10 Republican votes wanted to clear a filibuster. The query round city is whether or not Democrats are prepared to accept one thing that has been narrowed sufficient to get GOP votes. If not, this might change into one other instance of gun security negotiations imploding.The Biden administration’s efforts to usher in toddler method from different international locations seem like serving to present provides to determined households. Some knowledge analyses counsel the nation is popping out of a scarcity peak. But that hasn’t dampened frustration with the FDA’s delay in coping with the shortages and the contamination points at a key U.S. method manufacturing plant in Michigan that was pressured to shut. That plant reopened this week, however it will likely be a number of extra weeks earlier than method made there’ll begin reaching retailer cabinets.Democratic lawmakers, who concern that the Supreme Court is ready to overturn its Roe v. Wade determination that assured the proper to abortion, are asking the Biden administration to take motion to assist decrease the affect. But even when government orders had been issued by the president, their results could 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 aim, suggesting they want to see a nationwide ban on abortion. But that creates a messaging downside 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 variety of massive firms have mentioned they may supply workers advantages to assist them get abortions out of state if their state bans the process. For many employees, although, abortion is a personal determination; they could not wish to let their employers know they’re contemplating one. The firms’ initiatives may play to customers trying to know extra about the politics of firms they take care of.The Federal Trade Commission introduced it should 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 might assist drive up costs. The fee additionally sued to dam a number of hospital mergers just lately, arguing they might damage competitors and improve costs.Congress stays at an deadlock on a invoice to fund federal efforts to organize for an additional surge in the covid pandemic. Democrats have raised considerations about whether or not the nation may have enough vaccine and testing sources in the fall if new variants trigger a rise in instances, however Republicans have mentioned that different federal funds may very well be tapped.Also this week, Rovner interviews Cori Uccello of the American Academy of Actuaries about the newest report from Medicare’s trustees board and why policymakers must act earlier than the program runs out of cash.

Plus, for additional credit score, the panelists suggest their favourite well being coverage tales of the week they assume you must 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, however the State’s Own Battle Is Just Starting,” by Shefali Luthra

Joanne Kenen: The Trace’s “In 2019, Congress Pledged Millions to Study Gun Violence. The Results Are Nearly Here,” by Chip Brownlee

Also mentioned on this week’s podcast:

The Washington Post’s “Even if Roe Is Overturned, Congress Must Act to Protect the Unborn,” by Robert B. George and Josh Craddock

Health 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 Law’s “Companies Urged to Review Abortion Coverage With Roe in Balance,” by Sara Hansard

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