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Latest KFF Health News Stories

Three Things About the Abortion Debate That Many People Get Wrong

KFF Health News Original

The commonly repeated myths include arguments that only women who are pregnant are affected by the decision overturning Roe v. Wade, that Democratic lawmakers could have codified abortion protections before, and that Congress can easily get rid of federal laws restricting abortion.

Conservative Blocs Unleash Litigation to Curb Public Health Powers

KFF Health News Original

Spurred on by opposition to pandemic-related health mandates, a coalition of religious liberty groups, conservative think tanks, and Republican state attorneys general has filed a cascade of litigation seeking to rein in the powers of public health authorities.

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Life After ‘Roe’ Is … Confusing

KFF Health News Original

A rapidly changing landscape for abortion has left patients, providers, employers, and lawmakers alike wondering what is and is not legal and what to do next. Meanwhile, Democrats in Congress have resumed negotiations on legislation to lower drug prices and, potentially, continue expanded insurance subsidies for the Affordable Care Act. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Tami Luhby of CNN, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too.

‘American Diagnosis’: A Tribal Court in California Works to Heal Family Separation

KFF Health News Original

Indigenous people in the United States face disproportionately high rates of incarceration and family separation through the foster care system. Episode 8 explores the Yurok Tribal Court’s efforts to keep families together.

Kids Want to Put Montana on Trial for Unhealthy Climate Policies

KFF Health News Original

Sixteen children and young adults are suing the state over energy policies they say are hurting their health and environment. The flooding that closed Yellowstone National Park may show they have a point.

Three Things to Know About Insurance Coverage for Abortion

KFF Health News Original

Even before the Supreme Court struck down the constitutional right to abortion, insurance coverage for the service varied widely. Now it’s become even more complex, with additional changes and court challenges to come.

The Push for Abortion Lawmaking After ‘Dobbs’ Is Unique, Legal and Political Experts Say

KFF Health News Original

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.

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: A World Without ‘Roe’

KFF Health News Original

The Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade has created far more questions than it has answered about the continued legality and availability of abortion, as both abortion rights supporters and anti-abortion activists scramble to put their marks on policy. Meanwhile, Congress completes work on its gun bill and the FDA takes up the problem of the next covid-19 booster. Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, and Victoria Knight of KHN join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KHN’s Angela Hart, who reported and wrote the latest KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month” episode about two identical eye surgeries with very different price tags.

‘American Diagnosis’: Indigenous Advocates Work for Better Reproductive Care

KFF Health News Original

From forced sterilizations in the 1960s to scant access to abortion care today, barriers to health care threaten Native people’s reproductive autonomy. Episode 7 explores efforts to protect and expand Native Americans’ access to comprehensive reproductive and sexual health care.

Genetic Screening Results Just Got Harder to Handle Under New Abortion Rules

KFF Health News Original

Most prenatal genetic tests aren’t performed until after 11 weeks’ gestation, and the time between drawing a sample and getting results may be additional weeks. But new abortion restrictions prevent parents from choosing an abortion when they find out their child has a genetic disease, and make the already difficult decision for them.

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Supreme Court Overturns ‘Roe’

KFF Health News Original

It was expected, but the reality was still jarring: The Supreme Court has formally overturned Roe v. Wade, erasing the nearly 50-year-old guarantee of abortion rights nationwide. Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Sarah Varney of KHN, and Laurie Sobel, associate director for women’s health policy at KFF, join KHN’s Julie Rovner for this special episode to talk about the decision and what happens next for reproductive health care.