U.S. Congress Archives - Page 9 of 50

The Walz Record

Episode 359

Aug. 8, 2024

Vice President Kamala Harris this week officially became the Democratic nominee for president and named Minnesota governor and former U.S. congressman Tim Walz as her running mate. Meanwhile, a new study finds the number of abortions taking place since the overturn of “Roe v. Wade” continued to rise into early this year, despite the imposition of abortion bans around the country. Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call and Shefali Luthra of The 19th join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.

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A photo of Senator Ron Wyden speaking inside a Senate committee room.

Oregon Senator Proposes Criminal Charges and Fines for Rogue Obamacare Agents

Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden introduced legislation intended to curb a growing problem in which consumers, without their consent, are enrolled in Affordable Care Act plans or their coverage is switched.

By Julie Appleby

July 24, 2024

The Nation’s 911 System Is on the Brink of Its Own Emergency

911 outages have hit at least eight states this year. They’re emblematic of problems plaguing emergency response communications due in part to wide disparities in capabilities and funding.

By Stephanie Armour

July 17, 2024

A photo of a man standing outside California's capitol.

Spotlight

California Health Care Pioneer Goes National, Girds for Partisan Skirmishes

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.

By Samantha Young

July 15, 2024

What the Health? From KFF Health News

GOP Platform Muddies Abortion Waters

Episode 355

July 11, 2024

As Donald Trump prepares to be formally nominated as the GOP’s candidate for president next week, the platform he will run on is taking shape. And in line with Trump’s approach, it aims to simultaneously satisfy hard-core abortion opponents and reassure more moderate swing voters. Meanwhile, the Federal Trade Commission takes on pharmacy benefits management firms. Shefali Luthra of The 19th News, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, and Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call join KFF Health News’ chief Washington correspondent, Julie Rovner, to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Jennifer Klein, director of the White House Gender Policy Council, about the Biden administration’s policies to ensure access to reproductive health care.

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What the Health? From KFF Health News

Nursing Home Staffing Rules Prompt Pushback

Episode 350

June 6, 2024

The nursing home industry — as well as a healthy number of Congress members — are all pushing back on the Biden administration’s new rules on nursing home staffing. Industry officials say that there are not enough workers to meet the requirements and that the costs would be prohibitive. Meanwhile, Democrats on Capitol Hill are trying to force Republicans to explain their exact positions on assuring access to contraceptives and in vitro fertilization. Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Stat, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Bram Sable-Smith, who reported and wrote the latest KFF Health News-NPR “Bill of the Month” feature about a free cruise that turned out to be anything but.

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Signage outside the Federal Trade Commission headquarters in Washington, DC.

Health Worker for a Nonprofit? The New Ban on Noncompete Contracts May Not Help You

Provider groups are disappointed that the Federal Trade Commission’s new rule may not protect those who work for nonprofit hospitals and health care facilities, which employ the largest number of medical professionals.

By Harris Meyer

June 5, 2024

A still from a video showing Anthony Fauci sitting at a table before a House of Representatives committee.

COVID-19

Watch: Anthony Fauci Defends Feds’ Covid Response, Calling Lawmakers’ Accusations ‘Preposterous’

At a June 3 congressional hearing that underscored the nation's deep political divide over the coronavirus pandemic response, the longtime National Institutes of Health official addressed the agency’s controversies head-on.

By Hannah Norman

June 4, 2024

A photo of Anthony Fauci walking inside the U.S. Capitol.

COVID-19

After Grilling an NIH Scientist Over Covid Emails, Congress Turns to Anthony Fauci

In a trove of emails brought to light through a congressional probe, a former close adviser to longtime National Institutes of Health official Anthony Fauci spoke of hiding messages from public disclosure.

By David Hilzenrath

May 31, 2024

Health Brief

Wyden Demands Penalties for Obamacare Enrollment Fraud

By Julie Rovner

May 30, 2024

An aerial photo shows the entrance and front parking lot of a hospital.

An Obscure Drug Discount Program Stifles Use of Federal Lifeline by Rural Hospitals

A disconnect between two federal programs meant to help keep hospitals afloat discourages struggling rural facilities from accepting the aid.

By Sarah Jane Tribble

May 30, 2024

A man wearing a blue suit and blue tie speaks while seated at a table during a hearing in Washington, D.C.

Exclusive: Senator Urges Biden Administration To Thwart Fraudulent Obamacare Enrollments

With tens of thousands of Americans already affected by enrollment scams that leave some without doctors or treatments, Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden wants increased enforcement against rogue agents or other perpetrators and legislation to allow for criminal penalties.

By Julie Appleby

May 21, 2024

What the Health? From KFF Health News

Bird Flu Lands as the Next Public Health Challenge

Episode 347

May 16, 2024

Public health authorities are closely watching an unusual strain of bird flu that has infected dairy cows in nine states and at least one dairy worker. Meanwhile, another major health system suffered a cyberattack, and Congress is moving to extend the availability of telehealth services. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, and Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Stat join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Atul Grover of the Association of American Medical Colleges about its recent analysis showing that graduating medical students are avoiding training in states with abortion bans and major restrictions.

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Two photos shown side by side. The left photo is of Lucas Kunce speaking to a crowd while holding a microphone. The right is of Sen. Josh Hawley walking down a hallway in the U.S. Capitol.

Democrats Seek To Make GOP Pay for Threats to Reproductive Rights

Democrats running for office are using abortion rollbacks to galvanize voters, with abortion rights ballot initiatives amplifying their lines of attack. In Missouri, the leading Democratic candidate for the Senate also blames Republican Sen. Josh Hawley for threatening access to IVF.

By Samantha Liss

May 10, 2024

KFF Health News & PolitiFact HealthCheck

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Is Wrong About a Ban on NIH Research About Mass Shootings

Since 2020, the National Institutes of Health and other federal agencies have collectively funded millions of dollars in gun-related research, including studies addressing mass shootings.

By Louis Jacobson, PolitiFact

May 2, 2024

Medical Providers Still Grappling With UnitedHealth Cyberattack: ‘More Devastating Than Covid’

Medical providers say they're still coping with the Change Healthcare cyberattack disclosed in February even though parent company UnitedHealth Group reported that much is back to normal and its revenue is up over last year.

By Samantha Liss

April 19, 2024

What the Health? From KFF Health News

Too Big To Fail? Now It’s ‘Too Big To Hack’

Episode 343

April 18, 2024

Congress this week had the chance to formally air grievances over the cascading consequences of the Change Healthcare cyberattack, and lawmakers from both major parties agreed on one culprit: consolidation in health care. Plus, about a year after states began stripping people from their Medicaid rolls, a new survey shows nearly a quarter of adults who were disenrolled are now uninsured. Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post join KFF Health News’ Mary Agnes Carey to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner interviews Caroline Pearson of the Peterson Health Technology Institute.

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A close up photo of a person taking notes in a journal while on a telehealth call. Their laptop is on the couch beside them.

Congress Likely to Kick the Can on Covid-Era Telehealth Policies

With an end-of-year deadline and a presidential election approaching, payment rules that fueled rapid expansion of telehealth in the United States face a last-minute congressional decision.

By Sarah Jane Tribble

April 10, 2024

The Health 202

As Republicans Wrestle With IVF, the Biden Administration Expands Benefits

By Michelle Andrews

April 5, 2024

In vitro fertilization medications and sanitary products are displayed on a countertop.

Feds Join Ranks of Employers with Generous Fertility Benefits

Starting this year, federal employees can choose plans that cover a broad menu of fertility services, including up to $25,000 annually for in vitro fertilization procedures. At the same time, politics around IVF and reproductive health have become a central issue in the current election-year debate.

By Michelle Andrews

April 4, 2024

Trump 2.0

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