Hospital monopolies have exploded across the US. What is the Biden administration going to do about it?Health care monopolies have helped make the highest in the world. Incoming US Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra faced that problem head on when he was California’s attorney general.In that role, Becerra oversaw one of the largest health care antitrust settlements in US history, targeting a San Francisco hospital system that had bought up its competitors and allegedly used manipulative contracting practices to gobble up more and more health care business in the Bay...…Hospital monopolies have exploded across the US. What is the Biden administration going to do about it?Health care monopolies have helped make the highest in the world. Incoming US Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra faced that problem head on when he was California’s attorney general.In that role, Becerra oversaw one of the largest health care antitrust settlements in US history, targeting a San Francisco hospital system that had bought up its competitors and allegedly used manipulative contracting practices to gobble up more and more health care business in the Bay...WW…

These officials are leaving the Trump administration after Wednesday’s storming of the Capitol.Following by a pro-Trump mob on Wednesday, several top White House officials have resigned, with others reportedly considering whether or not to step down.The extraordinary events, which left four people dead, led to that some senior administration officials were discussing the use of the 25th Amendment to remove President Donald Trump from power or resigning themselves.By Thursday morning, it appeared some of the senior officials who were rumored to be considering resigning, such as National...…These officials are leaving the Trump administration after Wednesday’s storming of the Capitol.Following by a pro-Trump mob on Wednesday, several top White House officials have resigned, with others reportedly considering whether or not to step down.The extraordinary events, which left four people dead, led to that some senior administration officials were discussing the use of the 25th Amendment to remove President Donald Trump from power or resigning themselves.By Thursday morning, it appeared some of the senior officials who were rumored to be considering resigning, such as National...WW…

Election Twitter was blown away by Black voter turnout in the Georgia Senate runoffs.More than any other factor, the high turnout from Black voters in Georgia’s Senate runoff elections appears to have won .and have been called by Decision Desk. ; the contest was within the legal recount threshold as of Wednesday morning.It was a historic night: Georgia made Warnock the second Black senator from the South since Reconstruction. The big reason, according to Twitter’s most widely followed election analysts, was the remarkable level of Black turnout. Cook Political Report’s Dave Wasserman, who...…Election Twitter was blown away by Black voter turnout in the Georgia Senate runoffs.More than any other factor, the high turnout from Black voters in Georgia’s Senate runoff elections appears to have won .and have been called by Decision Desk. ; the contest was within the legal recount threshold as of Wednesday morning.It was a historic night: Georgia made Warnock the second Black senator from the South since Reconstruction. The big reason, according to Twitter’s most widely followed election analysts, was the remarkable level of Black turnout. Cook Political Report’s Dave Wasserman, who...WW…

On election eve, the Trump administration is still working to roll back Obamacare.HealthCare.gov is the face of , the online marketplace where millions of Americans sign up for health insurance — and now, two days before the 2020 election, the Trump administration has approved a plan to scrap the website in the swing state of Georgia.In a Sunday announcement, which is highly unusual timing, as several health care experts noted, the US Department of Health and Human Services announced it had approved a plan from Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp to close HealthCare.gov to his state’s residents. They...…On election eve, the Trump administration is still working to roll back Obamacare.HealthCare.gov is the face of , the online marketplace where millions of Americans sign up for health insurance — and now, two days before the 2020 election, the Trump administration has approved a plan to scrap the website in the swing state of Georgia.In a Sunday announcement, which is highly unusual timing, as several health care experts noted, the US Department of Health and Human Services announced it had approved a plan from Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp to close HealthCare.gov to his state’s residents. They...WW…

The final debate between President and former Vice President , held on Thursday evening, was the first one of the that actually felt like a debate.The was a chaotic disaster due to Trump’s constant interruptions; the second one didn’t happen because Trump refused to agree to debate virtually while he had (the candidates held instead). This time around, and the handy use of a mute button allowed both candidates to express their thoughts — leading to a mix of actual substantive policy exchanges and less-than-coherent mudslinging about families and personal finance.The format seems to have...…The final debate between President and former Vice President , held on Thursday evening, was the first one of the that actually felt like a debate.The was a chaotic disaster due to Trump’s constant interruptions; the second one didn’t happen because Trump refused to agree to debate virtually while he had (the candidates held instead). This time around, and the handy use of a mute button allowed both candidates to express their thoughts — leading to a mix of actual substantive policy exchanges and less-than-coherent mudslinging about families and personal finance.The format seems to have...WW…

A Democrat hasn’t won a US Senate seat in Kansas since 1932. And yet, for the first time in decades, the ruby-red state is seeing a truly competitive Senate race.With an open seat after longtime Sen. Pat Roberts (R) announced his retirement, of Democratic state Sen. Barbara Bollier and Republican Rep. Roger Marshall shows a tight contest. This summer, political experts in the state assumed the only way Democrats could make Kansas competitive was by running against controversial , who lost to Marshall in the August primary.But so far, Bollier’s fundraising and polling are defying much of the...…A Democrat hasn’t won a US Senate seat in Kansas since 1932. And yet, for the first time in decades, the ruby-red state is seeing a truly competitive Senate race.With an open seat after longtime Sen. Pat Roberts (R) announced his retirement, of Democratic state Sen. Barbara Bollier and Republican Rep. Roger Marshall shows a tight contest. This summer, political experts in the state assumed the only way Democrats could make Kansas competitive was by running against controversial , who lost to Marshall in the August primary.But so far, Bollier’s fundraising and polling are defying much of the...WW…

HIPAA protects every patient’s privacy, including Trump’s. But he seems to be using it for political advantage.White House physician Sean Conley had a ready explanation on Monday for why he couldn’t share certain information about with reporters or the public: HIPAA.Those five letters (typically pronounced hip-pah) stand for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, a 1996 federal law meant to protect medical patients’ privacy. When reporters asked the president’s attending physician whether chest scans had shown any damage to Trump’s lungs since he had contracted the...…HIPAA protects every patient’s privacy, including Trump’s. But he seems to be using it for political advantage.White House physician Sean Conley had a ready explanation on Monday for why he couldn’t share certain information about with reporters or the public: HIPAA.Those five letters (typically pronounced hip-pah) stand for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, a 1996 federal law meant to protect medical patients’ privacy. When reporters asked the president’s attending physician whether chest scans had shown any damage to Trump’s lungs since he had contracted the...WW…

America’s Covid-19 outbreak is a lot bigger than President Trump.Evidence-based explanations of the coronavirus crisis, from how it started to how it might end to how to protect yourself and others.Since the world learned shortly after midnight on Friday that , more than 97,000 other Americans have been confirmed to have the virus. And the Covid-19 deaths of 1,575 people in the US have been reported, according to .The health of the president of the United States, after he contracted the virus that has plagued the country since February, is inevitably going to be the biggest news story for...…America’s Covid-19 outbreak is a lot bigger than President Trump.Evidence-based explanations of the coronavirus crisis, from how it started to how it might end to how to protect yourself and others.Since the world learned shortly after midnight on Friday that , more than 97,000 other Americans have been confirmed to have the virus. And the Covid-19 deaths of 1,575 people in the US have been reported, according to .The health of the president of the United States, after he contracted the virus that has plagued the country since February, is inevitably going to be the biggest news story for...WW…

Trump’s positive coronavirus test underscores the stakes of his fight against Obamacare.After , President can rest assured he will receive the best medical care without having to worry about the cost.But many Americans already do not have the same guarantee of quality in care and coverage that the president enjoys. And if Republican states supported by the Trump administration succeed at the Supreme Court in , .(The White House is not discussing Trump’s treatment, according to , but we know the president has a team of doctors to monitor his health all the time.)Inequities, especially along...…Trump’s positive coronavirus test underscores the stakes of his fight against Obamacare.After , President can rest assured he will receive the best medical care without having to worry about the cost.But many Americans already do not have the same guarantee of quality in care and coverage that the president enjoys. And if Republican states supported by the Trump administration succeed at the Supreme Court in , .(The White House is not discussing Trump’s treatment, according to , but we know the president has a team of doctors to monitor his health all the time.)Inequities, especially along...WW…

The economic argument for eliminating out-of-pocket costs, in one new study.It turns out $10 can be a matter of life and death, according to on how patients respond to higher health care costs.Researchers at Harvard University and the University of California Berkeley examined what happened when Medicare beneficiaries faced an increase in their out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs. They found that a 34 percent increase (a $10.40 increase per drug) led to a significant decrease in patients filling their prescriptions — and, eventually, a 33 percent increase in mortality.The rise in...…The economic argument for eliminating out-of-pocket costs, in one new study.It turns out $10 can be a matter of life and death, according to on how patients respond to higher health care costs.Researchers at Harvard University and the University of California Berkeley examined what happened when Medicare beneficiaries faced an increase in their out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs. They found that a 34 percent increase (a $10.40 increase per drug) led to a significant decrease in patients filling their prescriptions — and, eventually, a 33 percent increase in mortality.The rise in...WW…