Today's edition: A leading senator is calling on a government watchdog to investigate health insurance companies charging patients for birth control. A snapshot of new federal data on how many Americans have health insurance. But first …
Politics and polka go hand in hand in Wisconsin
Wisconsin is home to fried cheese curds and the Green Bay Packers. President Biden He plans to make health care a central issue in his upcoming November showdown with the former president. Donald Trump.
Wisconsin went to Trump in 2016 but narrowly to Biden in 2020. Recent polls have shown Trump with a slight lead, but many in the state are still undecided about who to vote for, or whether to vote at all. Rising health care costs are a top concern statewide.
As a die-hard Wisconsinite, I wanted to know what motivates voters, and what better way to get a feel for the state than at the summer Polka Festival, which brings together voters from all political stripes.
For example, last weekend, I Bob PrelipAt the Birnamwood Polka Days, held in Birnamwood, a city of 79, population 10 million. 700.
Prelip, a Republican who served in the Navy and the Vietnam War, voted for Trump in 2016 before switching to Biden in 2020. He said he was upset by Trump's derogatory comments about veterans.
“I knew I couldn't vote for him anymore,” Prelip said after Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. “I can't believe we can't find a better Republican candidate. I'm still not sure what to do.”
Veterans health care has improved significantly under Biden, but that doesn't convince him to vote for Biden. “I'm not happy with Biden,” he said. “Everything is becoming unaffordable, including health care.”
Birnamwood is in a rural part of a state with a ruby-red hue: Trump hats are scattered among the crowds and Trump flags dot the landscape, while Biden supporters are more visible in liberal, densely populated cities like Madison and Milwaukee.
Greg RaabsHe plays tuba in a local polka band and proudly wears a Trump sticker on his instrument.
“We have thousands of people coming across the border,” Raabs said, expressing concern that a Democratic president would give immigrants without legal residency access to health care. Vice President Harris In 2019, California passed a bill that said, “We can't support the whole world.”
Meanwhile, Biden and members of his administration are trying to win over voters by touting a major expansion of Obamacare and promising to do more to expand access to health care, especially in rural communities.
“Because of the work this administration has done, more than 9 million people have access to health care.” Neera TandenBiden's domestic policy advisers were in Rothschild City last week. $11 million Federal investment in the health care workforce. “We have a clear choice.”
But Wisconsin voters told Tanden and the Health and Human Services secretary at Rothschild's town hall-style event: Xavier Becerra Access to health care has been disrupted as states lose hospitals and clinics.
“A hospital that has contributed to the community for over 100 years has suddenly been closed,” he said. Michael GorattThe independent voter, who lives in the town of Altoona, said he believes Biden will make health care a priority, but the president must do more to expand access to health care and mental health treatment. “This is a real crisis here.”
KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism on health issues. KFF — An independent source of health policy research, polling and journalism.
Today's picks: Becerra is on the trip to tout the Biden administration's efforts to protect access to reproductive health care, a key element of the president's reelection strategy.
As part of his trip, the HHS Secretary will visit Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, California, New Mexico, Idaho and Washington, D.C., where he will meet with local medical professionals, advocates, patients and elected officials.
Sanders calls for study on birth control costs
The chairman of the Senate Health Committee is calling on a government watchdog to investigate why women are being forced to pay for contraception that should be free under federal law, our colleagues say. Dan Diamond I will report.
detail: The Affordable Care Act requires health insurance companies to offer birth control to patients as a preventive service, but repeated investigations have found that insurance companies are ignoring the law and asking patients to pay, the senators said. Bernie Sanders (Vermont) yesterday. Government Accountability Office.
“It is completely unacceptable that insurance plans routinely ignore mandated coverage with little enforcement or accountability,” Sanders wrote to GAO leaders. Jean L. DodaroThey requested that an investigation be launched.
Overall picture: Democrats have focused on ensuring access to contraception amid broader challenges to reproductive health services. Senate leaders voted last week to make contraception a federal right, but it died over Republican opposition. Hard-right conservatives have attacked contraception by inaccurately characterizing various methods as causing abortions, and access to contraception faces funding challenges at the state level.
Insurance companies across the country are illegally billing patients for birth control.
In Vermont alone, three companies charged patients $1.5 million for contraceptives that should have been provided free of charge.
They must be stopped. https://t.co/kukJSSB1GD
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) June 17, 2024
In other news from the Senate…
Finance Chair Ron Wyden (Oregon Democrat) and 15 Senate Democrats have released a draft bill aimed at preventing the closure of birthing units in rural and underserved areas.
The Keep Obstetrics Local Bill will:
- Increases Medicaid payment rates for eligible rural hospitals and high-need urban hospitals.
- Introduce “standby” payments for staffing and retention of obstetrics units in low-volume hospitals.
- It would take measures such as requiring all states to provide coverage to Medicaid-enrolled women for 12 months after giving birth.
Though it is currently sponsored only by Democrats, Wyden said on a conference call with reporters yesterday that he believes the bill could garner bipartisan support. American College of Midwives, National Rural Health Association and Families USA.
What's new this morning: The total number of Americans without health insurance 26 percentor 8.2 million From 2019 to 2023, National Center for Health Statistics.
Last year, among adults ages 18-64, 10.9 percent Uninsured at the time of the survey 23 percent I am enrolled in public health insurance. 68.1 percent were covered by private insurers. Hispanic adults were the most likely to have no health insurance, followed by black, white, and Asian adults.
Surgeon General calls for social media warning labels
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy The Washington Post is calling for Congress to pass legislation requiring social media companies to display warning labels on their platforms, highlighting the potential harm to children's mental health. Cristiano Lima-Strong and Aaron Gregg report.
In a New York Times op-ed published yesterday, Murthy cited evidence that heavy social media use among young people leads to an increased risk of anxiety, depression and negative body image. He noted that warning labels, like those on tobacco and alcohol products, have been shown to change people's behavior.
Murthy said Congressional action was also needed. To prevent social media platforms from collecting sensitive data from minors, It recommended that companies be required to share data on health effects with independent researchers and the public.
It is not immediately clear whether the proposal will gain support in Congress. One of the important members of the House of Representatives. Kathy Kastle Florida Democrats said Monday they would work to include warning labels in a bill pending in Congress, but a spokesman for the senators said: Richard Blumenthal (Democrat, Connecticut) Marsha Blackburn The Tennessee Republican argued that one of his proposals, the Child Online Safety Act, already includes warnings that require companies to disclose if their products could harm children.
In May 2023, I outlined recommendations to make social media safer for kids, but parents and kids are still waiting for change. The New York Times The editorial reiterates its calls for lawmakers to act and calls for the Surgeon General's warning labels to be placed on social media.
— Dr. Vivek Murthy, U.S. Surgeon General (@Surgeon_General) June 17, 2024
- Democrat-Led Vermont Legislature The veto was overturned. From Republican Governor Phil Scott Pass a bill authorizing and funding a pilot overdose prevention center in Burlington.
- Food and Drug Administration approved Merck's CapvaxiveThe world's first pneumococcal vaccine specifically tailored for adults. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention A meeting will be held to discuss recommendations regarding its use.
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services They are cutting back on financial aid programs. For Affected Medicare Providers and Suppliers Transforming Healthcare Cyber attacks. Advance applications close on July 12th.
- Federal courts have ruled against the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and employers in Louisiana and Mississippi. Temporary exemption from complying with new federal regulations It required employers to provide workers with time off and other accommodations for abortions. Alexandra Olson and Claire Savage Reports Associated Press.
Dr. Fauci's memoir reveals clashes with Trump and other private moments (Dan Diamond | The Washington Post)
US faces growing criticism over bird flu response (Tina Reid | Axios)
The federal rule failed to stop forced sterilizations, but it did impede access to contraception. Can this be fixed? (Eric Budeman | Stat)
Thanks for reading. Not a subscriber yet? Sign up here.
