\tJulie Rovner
\n\tKFF Health News<\/p>\n
\t\t\t \t\t\t \t\t\tJulie Rovner is chief Washington correspondent and host of KFF Health News\u2019 weekly health policy news podcast, \u201cWhat the Health?\u201d A noted expert on health policy issues, Julie is the author of the critically praised reference book \u201cHealth Care Politics and Policy A to Z,\u201d now in its third edition.\t\t<\/p>\n As expected, the presidential debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris offered few new details of their positions on abortion, the Affordable Care Act, and other critical health issues. But it did underscore for voters dramatic differences between the two candidates.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the Biden administration issued rules attempting to better enforce mental health parity \u2014 the federal government\u2019s requirement that services for mental health care and substance use disorders be covered by insurance to the same extent as other medical services.<\/p>\n This week\u2019s panelists are Julie Rovner of KFF Health News, Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Stat, Riley Griffin of Bloomberg News, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post.<\/p>\n \tRachel Cohrs Zhang \t\t\t \t\t\t \tRiley Griffin \t\t\t \t\t\t \tLauren Weber \t\t\t \t\t\t Among the takeaways from this week\u2019s episode:<\/p>\n Trump declined to say during the debate whether he\u2019d veto legislation implementing a nationwide abortion ban. But he could effectively ban the procedure without Congress passing anything because of the 150-year-old Comstock Act. And Project 2025, a policy blueprint by the conservative Heritage Foundation, calls for doing just that.<\/p>\n There is a good chance that enhanced federal subsidies for ACA coverage that were introduced during the pandemic could expire next year, depending on which party controls Congress. The subsidies have helped more people secure zero-premium health coverage through the ACA exchanges, though Republicans say the subsidies cost too much to keep. Residents in states that haven\u2019t expanded Medicaid coverage \u2014 including Florida and Texas \u2014 would be most affected.<\/p>\n The Census Bureau reports that the uninsured rate didn\u2019t change much last year after hitting a record low in the first quarter. But the report\u2019s methodology prevented it from capturing the experiences of many people disenrolled and left uninsured after what\u2019s known as the Medicaid \u201cunwinding\u201d began. Meanwhile, a Treasury Department report sheds light on just how many Americans have benefited from the ACA, as polls show the health law has also grown more popular.<\/p>\n And Congress has yet to pass key government spending bills, meaning the nation (again) faces a possible federal government shutdown starting Oct. 1. It remains to be seen what could pass during a lame-duck session after the November elections. In 2020, the end-of-the-year spending package featured many health care priorities \u2014 and that could happen again.<\/p>\n Plus, for \u201cextra credit,\u201d the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too:<\/p>\n Julie Rovner:<\/strong> The Wall Street Journal\u2019s \u201cA Nurse Practitioner\u2019s $25,000 in Student-Debt Relief Turned Into a $217,500 Bill From the Government<\/a>,\u201d by Rebecca Ballhaus.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Lauren Weber:<\/strong> Stat\u2019s \u201cYouth Vaping Continues Its Tumble From a Juul-Fueled High<\/a>,\u201d by Lizzy Lawrence.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Riley Griffin:<\/strong> Bloomberg News\u2019 \u201cLilly Bulks Up Irish Operations in Obesity Drug Production Push<\/a>,\u201d by Madison Muller.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Rachel Cohrs Zhang:<\/strong> ProPublica\u2019s \u201c\u2018I Don\u2019t Want To Die\u2019: Needing Mental Health Care, He Got Trapped in His Insurer\u2019s Ghost Network<\/a>,\u201d by Max Blau.<\/p>\n Also mentioned on this week\u2019s podcast:<\/p>\n KFF Health News\u2019 \u201cUS Uninsured Rate Was Stable in 2023, Even as States\u2019 Medicaid Purge Began<\/a>,\u201d by Phil Galewitz.<\/p>\n Louisiana Illuminator\u2019s \u201cDoctors Grapple With How To Save Women\u2019s Lives Amid \u2018Confusion and Angst\u2019 Over New Louisiana Law<\/a>,\u201d by Lorena O\u2019Neil.<\/p>\n ProPublica\u2019s \u201cWhy I Left the Network<\/a>,\u201d by Annie Waldman, Maya Miller, Duaa Eldeib, and Max Blau.<\/p>\n The New York Times\u2019 \u201cHow a Leading Chain of Psychiatric Hospitals Traps Patients<\/a>,\u201d by Jessica Silver-Greenberg and Katie Thomas.<\/p>\n Stat\u2019s \u201cTroubled For-Profit Chains Are Stealthily Operating Dozens of Psychiatric Hospitals Under Nonprofits\u2019 Names<\/a>,\u201d by Tara Bannow.<\/p>\n \tFrancis Ying \tEmmarie Huetteman To hear all our podcasts,\u00a0click here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n And subscribe to KFF Health News\u2019 \u201cWhat the Health?\u201d on\u00a0Spotify<\/a>,\u00a0Apple Podcasts<\/a>,\u00a0Pocket Casts<\/a>, or wherever you listen to podcasts.<\/em><\/p>\n KFF Health News<\/a> is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF\u2014an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t@jrovner\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tRead Julie’s stories.\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n\n\t\tPanelists\t<\/h3>\n
\n\tStat News<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t@rachelcohrs\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tRead Rachel’s stories.\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\tBloomberg<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t@rileyraygriffin\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tRead Riley’s stories.\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\tThe Washington Post<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t@LaurenWeberHP\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tRead Lauren’s stories.\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n\n\t\tCredits\t<\/h3>\n
\n\tAudio producer<\/p>\n
\n\tEditor <\/p>\nUSE OUR CONTENT<\/h3>\n