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 creator of the critically praised reference ebook “Well being Care Politics and Coverage A to Z,” now in its third version.
The presidential election is lower than 5 months away, and whereas abortion is the one well being coverage difficulty anticipated to play a number one function, others are prone to be raised within the presidential and down-ballot races. This election could possibly be vital in figuring out the way forward for key well being care applications, equivalent to Medicaid and the Inexpensive Care Act.
On this particular episode of KFF Well being Information’ “What the Well being?” taped on the Aspen Concepts: Well being competition in Aspen, Colorado, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Occasions and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Name be part of Julie Rovner, KFF Well being Information’ chief Washington correspondent, to debate what the election season portends for high well being points.
Panelists
Margot Sanger-Katz
The New York Occasions
Sandhya Raman
CQ Roll Name
Among the many takeaways from this week’s episode:
- Insurance policies surrounding abortion — and reproductive well being points, on the whole — probably will dominate in lots of races, as Democrats attempt to exploit a difficulty that’s motivating their voters and dividing Republican voters. The subjects of contraception and in vitro fertilization are enjoying a extra distinguished function in 2024 than they’ve in previous elections.
- Excessive prescription drug costs — which, for pissed off People, are a longtime image, and symptom, of the nation’s dysfunctional well being care system — have been a precedence for the Biden administration and, beforehand, the Trump administration. However the difficulty is so complicated and progress so incremental that it’s onerous to say whether or not both occasion has a bonus.
- The destiny of many main well being applications might be decided by who wins the presidency and who controls Congress after this fall’s elections. For instance, the momentary subsidies which have made Inexpensive Care Act well being plans extra reasonably priced will expire on the finish of 2025. If the subsidies will not be renewed, tens of millions of People will probably be priced out of protection once more.
- Beforehand hot-button points like gun violence, opioid habit, and psychological well being will not be enjoying a high-profile function within the 2024 races. However that might change case by case.
- Lastly, enormous well being points that might use public airing and debate — like what to do concerning the nation’s crumbling long-term care system and the rising scarcity of significant well being professionals — will not be prone to turn into marketing campaign points.
Credit
Francis Ying
Audio producer
Emmarie Huetteman
Editor
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