Podcast

KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Biden Doubles Down On Obamacare


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Former Vice President Joe Biden has said if he’s elected president he would build on the Affordable Care Act rather than move to a whole new health care system, such as the “Medicare for All” plan supported by some of his primary opponents for the Democratic nomination. But his campaign’s new health plan would include many things Congress tried and failed to pass as part of the health law, including a government-run “public option” plan that would be widely available.

Meanwhile, the U.S. House voted to repeal one of the ACA’s key financing mechanisms, voting overwhelmingly to cancel the so-called “Cadillac tax,” which was set to take effect in 2022. It is a 40% excise tax on the most generous employer-provided health plans.

And it was not a good week for Planned Parenthood. The women’s health provider parted ways with its president of less than a year, Leana Wen. And the Trump administration announced it would begin enforcement of new rules for the federal family planning program that Planned Parenthood said will force it to stop participating.

This week’s panelists are Julie Rovner from Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico, Kimberly Leonard of the Washington Examiner and Margo Sanger-Katz of The New York Times.

Among the takeaways from this week’s podcast:

Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read too:

Julie Rovner: The New York Times’s “Where Roe v Wade Matters Most,” by Quoctrung Bui, Claire Cain Miller and Margot Sanger-Katz.

Joanne Kenen:  Scientific American’s “Why Doctors Are Drowning in Medical School Debt,” by Daniel Barron.

Margot Sanger-Katz: Bloomberg News’ “Deadly Disease Is Treatable, But Newborn Screening Patchwork Leaves Many Vulnerable,” by Michelle Cortez.

Kimberly Leonard: The Washingtonian’s “DC Types Have Been Flocking to Shrinks Ever Since Trump Won. And a Lot of the Therapists Are Miserable,” by Britt Peterson.

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