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The lame-duck Congress is making sluggish progress on its lengthy to-do-before-the-end-of-the-year checklist. Democrats agreed to elevate the covid-19 vaccine mandate for the army as a part of the large protection authorization invoice, however efforts to ease federal restrictions on marijuana didn’t succeed.
In the meantime, the struggle in opposition to excessive drug costs has unfold to employers, which try quite a lot of methods to spend much less on pharmaceuticals whereas nonetheless giving employees entry to wanted drugs.
This week’s panelists are Julie Rovner of KHN, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg College of Public Well being and Politico, Anna Edney of Bloomberg Information, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Name.
Among the many takeaways from this week’s episode:
- The race to the vacation break is on, with no settlement up to now on spending as present authorities funding is about to run out on Dec. 16. Though one other persevering with decision is anticipated, it might probably miss measures resembling addressing psychological well being, so lawmakers would want to start out over subsequent yr. The annual protection authorization invoice can also be within the works and would finish the army’s covid vaccine mandate.
- Within the wake of the toddler system scarcity, an FDA advisory group report this week mentioned the company’s work on meals regulation wants a significant overhaul, particularly with regards to enforcement energy and management.
- In drug pricing information, Individuals can count on to see the prices of covid testing, vaccines, and coverings rise as federal subsidies run out and depart the pandemic response topic to the identical price and entry disparities widespread to the nation’s well being care system. In the meantime, entrepreneur Mark Cuban’s low cost pharmaceuticals firm is teaming up with EmsanaRx, a nonprofit pharmacy profit supervisor — thereby slicing out for-profit PBMs in one other try to chop prices for sufferers.
- Well being care suppliers are pushing Congress to cease a long-planned lower in Medicare funds, whereas a brand new report from KFF reveals the three largest for-profit hospital chains are seeing working margins that exceed pre-pandemic ranges. The Facilities for Medicare & Medicaid Companies additionally issued new guidelines this week on “prior authorization” that suppliers say might mood the bureaucratic problem of coping with Medicare. And personal fairness corporations are entering into the sport of operating scientific trials, whereas in insurance coverage, UnitedHealth Group is shopping for up suppliers.
- On reproductive well being, an Alabama girl is suing the county authorities that jailed her on the suspicion she had uncovered her fetus to medicine. Her concern? She was not pregnant. The case raises questions on how adjustments to abortion entry are enjoying out throughout the nation.
Plus, for further credit score, the panelists advocate their favourite well being coverage tales of the week they assume it’s best to learn, too:
Julie Rovner: The AP Stylebook’s “Abortion Topical Information,” by The Related Press
Anna Edney: The Washington Put up’s “Medication Killed 8 Mates, One by One, in a Tragedy Seen Throughout the U.S.,” by Lenny Bernstein and Jordan-Marie Smith
Joanne Kenen: Columbia Journalism Assessment’s “Nameless Girl,” by Becca Andrews
Sandhya Raman: CQ Roll Name’s “At Worldwide Convention, Dobbs Dominates Debate,” by Sandhya Raman
Additionally talked about on this week’s podcast:
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