A Health-Heavy State of the Union

The Host

Julie Rovner
KHN

Read Julie’s stories.

Julie Rovner is chief Washington correspondent and host of KHN’s weekly health policy news podcast, “What the Health?” A noted expert on health policy issues, Julie is the author of the critically praised reference book “Health Care Politics and Policy A to Z,” now in its third edition.

Health care was a recurring theme throughout President Joe Biden’s 2023 State of the Union address on Capitol Hill this week. He took a victory lap on recent accomplishments like capping prescription drug costs for seniors on Medicare. He urged Congress to do more, including making permanent the boosted insurance premium subsidies added to the Affordable Care Act during the pandemic. And he sparred with Republicans in the audience — who jeered and called him a liar — over GOP proposals that would cut Medicare and Social Security.

Meanwhile, abortion rights advocates and opponents are anxiously awaiting a federal court decision out of Texas that could result in a nationwide ban on mifepristone, one of two drugs used in medication abortion.

This week’s panelists are Julie Rovner of KHN, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Rachel Cohrs of Stat, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet.

Panelists

Rachel Cohrs
Stat News

@rachelcohrs

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Sarah Karlin-Smith
Pink Sheet

@SarahKarlin

Read Sarah’s stories

Alice Miranda Ollstein
Politico

@AliceOllstein

Read Alice’s stories

Among the takeaways from this week’s episode:

President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address emphasized recent victories against high health care costs, like Medicare coverage caps on insulin and out-of-pocket caps on prescription drug spending. Biden’s lively, informal exchange with lawmakers over potential cuts to Medicare and Social Security seemed to steal the show, though the political fight over cutting costs in those entitlement programs is rooted in a key question: What constitutes a “cut”?
Biden’s calls for bipartisanship to extend health programs like pandemic-era subsidies for Affordable Care Act health plans are expected to clash with conservative demands to slash federal government spending. And last year’s Senate fights demonstrate that sometimes the opposition comes from within the Democratic Party.
While some abortion advocates praised Biden for vowing to veto a federal abortion ban, others felt he did not talk enough about the looming challenges to abortion access in the courts. A decision is expected soon in a Texas court case challenging the future use of mifepristone. The Trump-appointed judge’s decision could

SUBMITTED BY RYAN TELLER
for the Neighborhood Further

Union College or university introduced the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Office with the Community Partnership Award Tuesday, Feb. 8, at the ninth once-a-year Neighborhood Appreciation Breakfast at Union Higher education.

Union College or university offers the award to figure out a local company, basis or organization’s steadfast perseverance to encouraging the faculty execute its mission — to develop a private, college student-concentrated local community that empowers pupils for a lifetime of discovering, company and management.

The overall health department’s mission is to defend and market the public’s health and fitness in Lincoln and Lancaster County by way of group well being solutions, dental and nutritional services, animal handle, environmental community overall health, health and fitness advertising and outreach, and public wellness informatics and setting up.

Even though the ongoing pandemic introduced a great deal of interest to the department’s function in running infectious health conditions, Union Faculty nursing professor Kristine Follett nominated the overall health section for this award extensive just before COVID-19 grew to become a family buzzword.

As Follett shared with function attendees, the health section has assisted Union Faculty educate pupils for extra than 40 several years.

“I have been training our Population Wellness and Catastrophe Nursing programs and had the privilege of doing the job carefully with lots of of my Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Division close friends to aid significant mastering encounters for our learners even though serving the local community jointly,” she stated.

In this article are some highlights Follett recounted:

• As significantly again as the 1980s, Union University nursing students partnered with wellness department nurses to hold health and fitness screening and schooling clinics, motor vehicle seat protection schooling and a lot more.

• Senior general public well being nurses speak to students about well being section expert services and facilitate residence visit encounters for nursing learners.

• Wellness office staff members members present a wellbeing screening booth as aspect of the Union College or university foot treatment clinic at Task Join.

• The health department creates college student observation opportunities at the department’s Sexual Wellness Clinic as well as at Animal Regulate and the Females Infants and Small children (WIC) clinic.

• Thurman Hoskins, illness investigator specialist, and Kathy King, an environmental overall health expert, have been visitor lecturers at Union University for several yrs.

• Health section interpreters lover with

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