What鈥檚 It Really Like to Be HHS Secretary? Three Who鈥檝e Done It Spill the Beans
Three secretaries of Health and Human Services, who served under Presidents Joe Biden, Donald Trump, and Barack Obama, gathered this week for a rare, candid conversation hosted by the Aspen Ideas Festival and 蘑菇影院 Health News鈥 鈥淲hat the Health?鈥 about the experience of being the nation鈥檚 top health official.
For Republican Candidates, Talk About Moms and Babies Is a Thorny Issue
The abortion issue looms large over the midterm elections, and some in the Republican Party, long associated with efforts to restrict access, are looking to reassure voters they have women鈥檚 health in mind.
For the Houma People, Displacement Looms With Every Storm
The Houma, an Indigenous tribe, has seen much of its Gulf Coast community washed away by rising sea levels and dangerous storms. Its leaders say the tribe鈥檚 lack of federal recognition makes it harder to keep rebuilding.
Votantes, m谩s motivados para ir a las urnas tras prohibici贸n del aborto, revela encuesta
El sondeo tambi茅n mostr贸 que la mayor铆a de los votantes, ya sean dem贸cratas o republicanos, no cree que el aborto deba prohibirse en casos de violaci贸n o incesto, ni apoyan las leyes que establecen condenas para los proveedores de abortos y las mujeres que abortan.
Abortion Bans Are Motivating Midterm Voters, Poll Shows
A new 蘑菇影院 poll shows Democrats and those living in states where abortion is illegal say the issue has made them more motivated to vote. It also shows that 70% of Republicans oppose total abortion bans.
Texas, Battling Teen Pregnancy, Recasts Sex Education Standards
As Texas adjusts to a near-total abortion ban, Texas schools are redoubling efforts to end teen pregnancies by enacting new standards for sexual health education. Beyond focusing on abstinence, they are teaching middle schoolers about contraceptives and preventing sexually transmitted infections. But parents must opt in for their children to get the lessons.
鈥楥hildren Are Not Little Adults鈥 and Need Special Protection During Heat Waves
Public health experts say heat waves pose health risks for children, whose bodies may not be as effective at cooling and who rely on caretakers to prevent and notice the signs of heat-related illness.
Betting on 鈥楪olden Age鈥 of Colonoscopies, Private Equity Invests in Gastro Docs
An aging population in need of regular cancer screenings has driven private equity companies, seeking profits, to invest in many gastroenterology practices and set up aggressive billing practices. Steep prices on routine tests are one consequence for patients.
Mental Health Services Wane as Insurers Appear to Skirt Parity Rules During Pandemic
A report from the Government Accountability Office paints a picture of an already strained behavioral health system struggling after the pandemic struck to meet the treatment needs of millions of Americans with conditions like alcohol use disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.
鈥楨xplained by KHN鈥: Health Insurance Help in Covid Relief Law
In this edition of 鈥淓xplained by KHN鈥 Emmarie Huetteman covers how the $1.9 trillion covid relief law will make health insurance coverage significantly more affordable for millions of people.
Covid Vaccine Hesitancy Drops Among All Americans, New Survey Shows
A nationwide poll released by 蘑菇影院 also revealed which arguments are most compelling to persuade people to get a shot 鈥 and which ones are unlikely to work.
Democrats Eye Medicare Negotiations to Lower Drug Prices
Progressive and conservative Democratic lawmakers, as well as President Joe Biden, are in favor of authorizing federal officials to negotiate with drugmakers over what Medicare pays for at least some of the most expensive brand-name drugs and to base those prices on the drugs鈥 clinical benefits. Such a measure could put Republicans in the uncomfortable position of opposing an idea that most voters from both parties generally support.
Pandemic Aid Package Includes Relief From High Premiums
Experts say the two-year expansion of subsidies for most people who buy insurance through the government exchanges would be among the most significant changes to the affordability of private insurance since the passage of the Affordable Care Act.
Hard Bargain: Biden and Congress Agree on Basic Relief, but Chasms Remain on Covid Plan
Agreement between the president and Republican senators on funding for basic public health matters such as vaccine distribution and covid testing was an easy target. That money can鈥檛 move out, though, until accord is reached on some of the president鈥檚 big-ticket economic plans.
4 Vital Health Issues 鈥 Not Tied to Covid 鈥 That Congress Addressed in Massive Spending Bill
Lawmakers answered pleas from strained health facilities in rural areas, agreed to cover the cost of training more new doctors, sought to strengthen efforts to equalize mental health coverage with that of physical medicine and instructed the federal government to collect data that could be used to rein in high medical bills.
Aunque controlen el Senado, dem贸cratas necesitar谩n apoyo republicano en temas clave de salud
Con el control del Senado y la C谩mara de Representantes, tendr谩n el poder de elegir qu茅 propuestas de salud se votar谩n en el Congreso. Pero no ser谩 tan f谩cil.
Even With Senate Control, Democrats Will Need Buy-In From GOP on Key Health Priorities
With a majority too small to eliminate the filibuster, Democrats will not have enough votes in the Senate to pass many of their plans without Republicans and will also have only a razor-thin majority in the House. This combination could doom many Democratic health care proposals, like offering Americans a government-sponsored public insurance option, and complicate efforts to pass further pandemic relief.
As Congress Bickers Over Pandemic Relief, Flight Attendant’s Life Is in a Holding Pattern
The coronavirus pandemic has hit hard for Troy Muenzer of Chicago. He had a 鈥渟uspected case鈥 of COVID in the spring, was billed nearly $1,000 after he unsuccessfully sought to get tested for COVID-19 and has been furloughed after the airline he worked for saw a major decline in passengers.
Senate Republicans Throw the Brakes on Timing for Becerra Hearings
Republican spokespeople for the committees responsible for vetting Health and Human Services nominations said the Senate may not hold hearings on California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, President-elect Joe Biden鈥檚 pick to lead the department, until the Senate approves committee assignments for the new Congress. That could delay the start of the process.
Longtime Health Advocate Donna Shalala Loses House Reelection Race
In a notable loss for Democrats, Shalala, who represented a Miami district, was defeated by Maria Elvira Salazar 鈥 a Republican former TV journalist who compared Democratic policy proposals to leftist oppression in countries like Cuba.
