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In its first abortion case because the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, the Supreme Court docket this week seemed unlikely to uphold an appeals courtroom ruling that will dramatically prohibit the supply of the abortion capsule mifepristone. However the courtroom already has one other abortion-related case teed up for April, and abortion opponents have a number of extra challenges in thoughts to restrict the process in states the place it stays authorized.
In the meantime, Republicans, together with former President Donald Trump, proceed to take goal at fashionable well being applications like Medicare, Medicaid, and the Reasonably priced Care Act on the marketing campaign path — a lot to the delight of Democrats, who really feel they’ve a bonus on the problem.
This week’s panelists are Julie Rovner of KFF Well being Information, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Put up.
Among the many takeaways from this week’s episode:
- Not less than two conservative Supreme Court docket justices joined the three extra progressive members of the bench throughout Tuesday’s oral arguments in expressing skepticism concerning the problem to the abortion drug mifepristone. Their questions targeted totally on whether or not the medical doctors difficult the drug had confirmed they have been harmed by its availability — in addition to whether or not one of the best treatment was to broadly prohibit entry to the drug for everybody else.
- A ruling in favor of the medical doctors difficult mifepristone would have the potential to cut back the drug’s security and efficacy: Specifically, one FDA resolution topic to reversal adjusted dosing, and switching to utilizing solely the second drug within the present two-drug abortion capsule routine would additionally barely improve the chance of problems.
- Two conservative justices additionally raised the applicability of the Comstock Act, a long-dormant, Nineteenth-century regulation that restricts mail distribution of abortion-related gadgets. Their questions are notable as advisers to Trump discover reviving the unenforced regulation ought to he win this November.
- In the meantime, a Democrat in Alabama flipped a state Home seat campaigning on abortion-related points, as Trump once more discusses implementing a nationwide abortion ban. The problem is constant to show thorny for Republicans.
- At the same time as Republicans attempt to keep away from operating on well being care points, the Heritage Basis and a gaggle of Home Republicans have proposed plans that embody adjustments to the well being care system. Will the plans do extra to rev up their base — or Democrats?
- This Week in Medical Misinformation: TikTok’s algorithm is boosting deceptive details about hormonal contraception — and in some instances leading to extra unintended pregnancies.
Additionally this week, Rovner interviews KFF Well being Information’ Tony Leys, who wrote a KFF Well being Information-NPR “Bill of the Month” feature about Medicare and a really costly air-ambulance trip. In case you have a baffling or outrageous medical invoice you’d prefer to share with us, you can do that here.
Plus, for “further credit score,” the panelists counsel well being coverage tales they learn this week they suppose you must learn, too:
Julie Rovner: KFF Well being Information’ “Overdosing on Chemo: A Common Gene Test Could Save Hundreds of Lives Each Year,” by Arthur Allen.
Alice Miranda Ollstein: Stat’s “Fetal Tissue Research Gains in Importance as Roadblocks Multiply,” by Olivia Goldhill.
Sarah Karlin-Smith: The Washington Put up’s “The Confusing, Stressful Ordeal of Flying With a Breast Pump,” by Hannah Sampson and Ben Brasch.
Lauren Weber: Stateline’s “Deadly Fires From Phone, Scooter Batteries Leave Lawmakers Playing Catch-Up on Safety,” by Robbie Sequeira.
Additionally talked about on this week’s podcast:
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