Medicare and Aging: July 31, 2024

Harris in the Spotlight

For the 2024 campaign, Joe Biden is out, and Kamala Harris is in. As the vice president makes moves toward the top of the Democratic presidential ticket, health policy is resurging as a campaign issue. Meanwhile, Congress tries — and again fails — to make timely progress on the annual government spending bills as abortion issues cause delays. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Stephanie Armour of KFF Health News, and Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Stat join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Anthony Wright, the new executive director of Families USA, about his plans for the organization and his history working with Harris on health topics. 

Harris, Once Biden’s Voice on Abortion, Would Take an Outspoken Approach to Health

Stephanie Armour and Julie Appleby and Julie Rovner

If she grabs the baton from President Joe Biden to become the new presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, Kamala Harris would widely be expected to take an aggressive stance in support of abortion access — hitting former President Donald Trump on an issue that could undermine his chances of victory.

At Trump’s GOP Convention, There’s Little To Be Heard on Health Care

Phil Galewitz

Republicans were once the party of Obamacare repeal and abortion opposition. They’ve said little about either issue in Milwaukee.

Florida’s RSV Season Has Started, and It’s Coming Soon to the Rest of US. Here’s a Primer.

Sam Ogozalek, Tampa Bay Times

Florida’s RSV season begins earlier and runs longer than anywhere else in the U.S., according to the University of Florida’s Emerging Pathogens Institute. New vaccines can help, but most older adults, who are vulnerable to RSV, haven’t gotten them yet.

A California Medical Group Treats Only Homeless Patients — And Makes Money Doing It

Angela Hart

Healthcare in Action, a California medical group that exclusively serves homeless people, has tapped into growing demand and funding for street medicine services. Three years in, the innovative nonprofit is raking in revenue and serving thousands of people who otherwise might flock to the hospital for high-cost care.

Misleading Ads Play Key Role in Schemes to Gin Up Unauthorized ACA Sign-Ups, Lawsuit Alleges

Julie Appleby

Misleading money-for-groceries ads helped lure people to call centers where some were enrolled in Affordable Care Act coverage — or switched from their existing plans — without their express permission, a new lawsuit alleges.

Trump Is Wrong in Claiming Full Credit for Lowering Insulin Prices

Jacob Gardenswartz

Though the Trump administration established a voluntary, temporary program lowering insulin costs for some older Americans on Medicare, the mandatory price caps implemented through Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act go significantly further.

California Health Care Pioneer Goes National, Girds for Partisan Skirmishes

Samantha Young

Anthony Wright, a champion for Californians’ health care rights, will take the helm of Families USA in Washington, D.C., where he plans to campaign for more affordable and accessible care nationally. He leaves Health Access California, where he helped outlaw surprise medical billing, require companies to report drug price increases, and cap hospital bills for uninsured patients.

SCOTUS Term Wraps With a Bang

The Supreme Court has issued its final opinions for the 2023-24 term, including decisions affecting abortion access, the opioid epidemic, and how the federal government functions. In this special episode, Sarah Somers , legal director of the National Health Law Program, joins KFF Health News’ chief Washington correspondent, Julie Rovner, to discuss how the justices disposed of the term’s health-related cases and what those decisions could mean going forward.

Lack of Affordability Tops Older Americans’ List of Health Care Worries

Judith Graham

Rising health care costs are fueling anxiety among older Americans covered by Medicare. They’re right to be concerned.

Journalists Drill Down on Ongoing Covid Risks, Escalating Health Care Costs

KFF Health News and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media in the last two weeks to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.

States Set Minimum Staffing Levels for Nursing Homes. Residents Suffer When Rules Are Ignored or Waived.

Jordan Rau

The Biden administration set stringent new federal staffing rules. But for years, nursing homes have failed to meet the toughest standards set by states.

How to Find a Good, Well-Staffed Nursing Home

Jordan Rau

Here are the telltale signs to look for in nursing homes to avoid, and resources that can point to better places.

Despite Past Storms’ Lessons, Long-Term Care Residents Again Left Powerless

Sandy West

Even after multiple massive power outages — including one from a 2021 winter storm in Texas that prompted a U.S. Senate investigation — little has changed for older Americans in senior living facilities when natural disasters strike.

Harris, alguna vez la voz de Biden sobre el aborto, tendría un enfoque abierto en temas de salud

Stephanie Armour and Julie Appleby and Julie Rovner

Mientras los demócratas reconstruyen su candidatura presidencial a pocos meses de las elecciones, se esperaría que, de ser la nueva nominada, Harris adoptase una postura agresiva en apoyo al acceso al aborto y en otros temas controversiales de salud.

En la convención republicana de Trump se escuchó poco y nada sobre atención de salud

Phil Galewitz

La atención médica constituye la mayor parte del presupuesto federal, casi $2 mil millones, así como el 17% de la producción económica del país.

Un grupo médico atiende a personas que viven en la calle… y gana dinero