KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Democrats May Lose on SCOTUS, But Hope to Win on ACA


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Republicans appear to be on track to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court before Election Day, cementing a 6-3 conservative majority on the high court regardless of what happens Nov. 3. Democrats, meanwhile, lacking the votes to block the nomination, used the high-profile hearings to batter Republicans for trying to overturn the Affordable Care Act.

Meanwhile, a number of scientific journals that typically eschew politics, including the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine, threw their support to Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, citing what they call the Trump administration’s bungling of the coronavirus pandemic.

This week’s panelists are Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Mary Ellen McIntire of CQ Roll Call, Shefali Luthra of The 19th and Sarah Karlin-Smith of Pink Sheet.

Among the takeaways from this week’s podcast:

This week, Rovner also interviews Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health. Jha talked about the challenges public health professionals have faced in trying to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read too:

Julie Rovner: The Atlantic’s “How to Tell If Socializing Indoors Is Safe,” by Olga Khazan

Shefali Luthra: The New York Times’ “A $52,112 Air Ambulance Ride: Coronavirus Patients Battle Surprise Bills,” by Sarah Kliff

Mary Ellen McIntire: KHN’s “Making Money Off Marks, COVID-Spawned Chain Store Aims to Become Obsolete,” by Markian Hawryluk

Sarah Karlin-Smith: Politico’s “Health Officials Scrambling to Produce Trump’s ‘Last-Minute’ Drug Cards by Election Day,” by Dan Diamond

Also mentioned in this week’s podcast:

Bill of the Month update: KHN’s “Moved by Plight of Young Heart Patient, Stranger Pays His Hospital Bill,” by Laura Ungar

Scientific journal endorsements: The New England Journal of Medicine’s “Dying in a Leadership Vacuum

Scientific American Endorses Joe Biden,” by The Editors


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This story was produced by Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation.

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