Health Care — Sanders aims to lead Senate health committee

To better understand how badly people want tickets to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, check out this one dad’s reaction to finding out he was picked for presale tickets. Btw, Ticketmaster just canceled the public sale for those tickets today... 

Today in health, we get a glimpse at what the 118th U.S. Congress might look like, with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) vying for the chairmanship of a top Senate health committee. 

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Sanders to seek gavel of Senate health committee

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is pursuing the top spot on the Senate's Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, his spokesman said Thursday, now that Democrats are poised to maintain control of the Senate.

As leader of the committee with jurisdiction over much of federal health policy, Sanders will have a platform to champion his progressive causes, including his "Medicare for All" proposal. 

"As chairman of the committee, he will focus on universal health...

Midwives can alleviate the maternal health crisis. Here’s how.

In the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, maternal mortality is on the minds of many Americans. The United States has long been worst-in-class among developed nations in maternal mortality, and maternal care access keeps getting worse. There’s never been a better time to act. The first step is empowering the professionals who can help change this situation, which some simple federal rule changes can help accomplish.

A whopping 42 percent of births (over 1....

Post Roe, America must end its staggering maternal health crisis

When a child is born, medical providers quickly calculate the Apgar score. Using a 0-10 scale, numbers are assigned to gauge the baby’s breathing, pulse rate and other vitals. A score below 7 is a sign of potential distress that may require emergency care. 

If there was an Apgar score for maternal health, our nation wouldn’t come close to a 7. 

Nearly 1,200 women in the United States — almost 60 percent of whom were women of color — died in 2...

Health Care — Voters solidify pro-abortion stance at the polls

A new video game has officially dropped, and even KFC is excited about it. 

Today in health, we’re looking at the states where abortion access is projected to be enshrined into their respective state constitutions and where anti-abortion measures were shot down. 

Welcome to Overnight Health Care, where we’re following the latest moves on policy and news affecting your health. For The Hill, we’re Nathaniel Weixel and Joseph Choi. Som...

South Dakota votes to expand Medicaid coverage

South Dakota on Tuesday became the seventh GOP-led state to expand Medicaid coverage by ballot initiative. More than 42,000 additional people stand to gain coverage, according to state estimates.

The measure was passing with 56.2 percent support and 43.8 percent in opposition with 97 percent of precincts reporting, according to the Associated Press.

State Republicans like Gov. Kristi Noem opposed the measure, though Noem has said she would accept the results and wor...

Five ballot measures to watch on Tuesday

In addition to who represents them in Congress and in state legislatures, voters on Tuesday will weigh in directly on issues including abortion, marijuana and vaping.

Here are the measures we're watching on Tuesday:

Abortion

Five states will have abortion on the ballot Tuesday, the most abortion-related ballot initiatives ever to take place in a single year. The referendums come more than four months after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, eliminating the ...

How Medicare beneficiaries were duped by Rx reform

Thanks to the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), premiums for Medicare Part D outpatient drug plans will start to rise over the next few years. The increase will be 6 percent a year, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and private forecasts.

To make matters worse, in a few more years, the vast majority of Part D enrollees will start paying more for drugs they get from their local pharmacies than they would have paid under a s...

Health Care — COVID tests, treatments could soon cost you

🚫 There shouldn’t be a need to say this, but do not lick toads, especially the poisonous ones. The National Park Service is asking that everyone “please refrain from licking” anything they come across in national parks. 

In health news, the federal government will soon stop paying for COVID-19 tests, treatments and vaccines, and it will likely be a sticker shock for people who don’t realize it’s coming.  

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Health Care — ObamaCare open enrollment set to begin

Happy Halloween! Send us your pictures of pets in costumes (even if they hate it). 

In health news, Tuesday marks the start of ObamaCare’s 10th open enrollment period — and experts think it will be busy.

Welcome to Overnight Health Care, where we’re following the latest moves on policy and news affecting your health. For The Hill, we’re Nathaniel Weixel and Joseph Choi.

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