KHN Weekly Edition: July 8, 2022

Seeking to Kick-Start Biden’s Agenda, Schumer Unveils a Bill for Medicare Drug Price Negotiations
By Michael McAuliff In addition to allowing federal officials to negotiate the price that Medicare pays for some drugs, the bill would cap annual out-of-pocket drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries at $2,000. But before Democrats can pass the bill under special rules that prevent Republicans from staging a filibuster, they must get approval from the Senate parliamentarian.

‘Free’ Screening? Know Your Rights to Get No-Cost Care
By Julie Appleby Even a decade in, the Affordable Care Act’s recommendations to simply cover preventive screening and care without cost sharing remain confusing and complex.

The Push for Abortion Lawmaking After ‘Dobbs’ Is Unique, Legal and Political Experts Say
By Arielle Zionts The surge of calls for special legislative sessions to pass abortion laws is an unusual occurrence in modern U.S. history, according to experts — one caused by the Supreme Court’s decision to give states more power to regulate abortion.

‘My Body, My Choice’: How Vaccine Foes Co-Opted the Abortion Rallying Cry
By Rachel Bluth Anti-vaccine advocates discovered a catchy, succinct, and potent slogan. Its unlikely source: the abortion rights movement.

Listen: Julie Rovner Rehashes the ‘Roe’ Decision
KHN and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.

Montana Clinics That Provide Abortions Preemptively Restrict Pill Access for Out-of-State Patients
By Katheryn Houghton and Arielle Zionts Montana is an island of legal abortion, but three of the state’s five clinics are limiting access to abortion pills for out-of-state patients in an effort to protect themselves and patients from legal attacks.

The Search for Scarce Formula Is Worse for Rural Families on WIC
By Christina Saint Louis Constraints imposed by the Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants, and Children, known as WIC, that prevent recipients from using benefits to buy formula across state lines weigh on families as the nationwide formula shortage drags on.

Vaccine and Testing Delays for Monkeypox Echo Failures in Early Covid Response
By Michelle Andrews Public health officials say monkeypox is not as dangerous as covid and can be handled well with current treatments and if those at risk use caution. But the rollout of vaccines has been slow and led to angst among some at-risk people.

Feds Want a Policy That Advocates Say Would Let Hospitals Off the Hook for Covid-Era Lapses
By Lauren Weber The pandemic disrupted all sense of normalcy for U.S. hospitals, so federal officials are proposing to pause financial penalties against the facilities and to block public access to key hospital safety data — such as the frequency of falls and sepsis — because of concerns that the data isn’t accurate enough. But consumer advocates are furious about the proposal.

How Pfizer Won the Pandemic, Reaping Outsize Profit and Influence
By Arthur Allen The drugmaker has the best-selling vaccine to prevent covid and the most effective drug to treat it. Its success has overshadowed the government’s covid-fighting strategy.

Widely Used Hospital Gowns Show Signs of Exposing Workers to Infection
By Brett Kelman Isolation gowns are supposed to protect health care workers from splattered bodily fluids. But new studies suggest that too much liquid seeps through some disposable gowns, creating a risk of infection.

Crowdsourced Data on Overdoses Pinpoints Where to Help
By Renuka Rayasam University of Texas researchers are testing a program that would allow harm reduction groups to crowdsource data on fatal and nonfatal drug overdoses statewide. While the data relies on word of mouth, they say, it is more comprehensive than anything that exists now and can be used immediately to prevent overdoses.

Gun Safety ‘Wrapped in a Mental Health Bill’: A Look at Health Provisions in the New Law
By Victoria Knight The bulk of the funds provided in the gun reform law known as the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act are for expanding mental health services. Will it help improve mental health outcomes and stem violence?

Digital Mental Health Companies Draw Scrutiny and Growing Concerns
By Harris Meyer Consumers who have trouble getting in to see a therapist are turning to online behavioral health providers that offer quick access. But there’s limited research on their effectiveness.

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: A Chat With the Surgeon General on Health Worker Burnout
Health workers are not OK, and that poses a threat to anyone who may need health services. That’s the central finding of the latest report from the office of U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, “Addressing Health Worker Burnout.” This special episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” podcast is a conversation about the report between Murthy and KHN chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner, which was recorded at the annual research meeting of AcademyHealth in June.