Latest Morning Briefing Stories

Surprise Federal Drug Rule Directs Insurers to Reveal What They Pay for Prescription Drugs

KFF Health News Original

A provision the Trump administration tucked into its final rule on health plan price transparency requires telling consumers what they will pay out-of-pocket for drugs and showing them what the plan paid.

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Transition Interrupted

KFF Health News Original

Former Vice President Joe Biden is now the president-elect nearly everywhere but inside the Trump administration, where the president refuses to concede and has ordered officials not to begin a formal transition. That is a particular problem for health care as the COVID-19 pandemic surges. Meanwhile, there’s good news on the vaccine front, but it’s unlikely one will arrive by winter. And the ACA was back before the Supreme Court — again. Joanne Kenen of Politico, Stephanie Armour of The Wall Street Journal and Shefali Luthra of the 19th News join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health stories of the week they think you should read, too.

Justices Bound to See ACA as ‘Indispensable,’ Says Californian Leading Defense

KFF Health News Original

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments Tuesday in a case that could overturn the Affordable Care Act. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, who is defending the law with the backing of more than 20 other states, told California Healthline that he predicts the justices will uphold it.

What to Know as ACA Heads to Supreme Court — Again

KFF Health News Original

Republican state officials and the Trump administration argue that the justices should overturn the entire law. At issue in the case is Congress’ decision to reduce to zero the penalty for not having health coverage.

Biden Wins, but His Health Agenda Dims With GOP Likely to Hold Senate

KFF Health News Original

Democrats had hoped not only to defeat President Donald Trump but also to capture the Senate so they could make major policy changes, such as bolstering the Affordable Care Act and reducing the number of uninsured.

Longtime Health Advocate Donna Shalala Loses House Reelection Race

KFF Health News Original

In a notable loss for Democrats, Shalala, who represented a Miami district, was defeated by Maria Elvira Salazar — a Republican former TV journalist who compared Democratic policy proposals to leftist oppression in countries like Cuba.

If They Sweep on Election Day, Dems Still Face a Challenge Meeting Health Promises

KFF Health News Original

Democrats are favored to win both chambers of Congress after years of campaign-trail promises about health care. But their margin in the Senate could be slim, making it difficult to pass major health care legislation. And they still must heal some rifts within the caucus about how far they can push overhaul efforts.

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: As Cases Spike, White House Declares Pandemic Over

KFF Health News Original

Former President Barack Obama says President Donald Trump is “jealous of COVID’s media coverage.” Indeed, Trump has complained at his rallies, attended by mostly maskless supporters, about how the media covers the pandemic — at a time when cases are rising rapidly across the nation. Meanwhile, open enrollment is about to begin for the Affordable Care Act in a year when many people need coverage, but the law’s future is not secure. Joanne Kenen of Politico, Tami Luhby of CNN and Anna Edney of Bloomberg News join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, Rovner interviews KHN’s Anna Almendrala about the latest KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month” installment.

App-Based Companies Pushing Prop. 22 Say Drivers Will Get Health Benefits. Will They?

KFF Health News Original

Ride-sharing and delivery services such as Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and Instacart are bankrolling California’s Proposition 22, which would keep their drivers classified as independent contractors, not employees. But health benefits? That’s something of a stretch.

The Trump Medicaid Record: Big Goals, Yet Few Successes

KFF Health News Original

The Trump administration sought to shrink the federal-state health program for low-income Americans and give states more flexibility. But Democrats and the courts thwarted most of those efforts.

Did Trump Confuse the Public Option With ‘Medicare for All’?

KFF Health News Original

President Donald Trump was off the mark when he said Vice President Joe Biden’s health plan — which includes a public options — will terminate the private insurance of 180 million people.