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Federal appeals panel skeptical of ObamaCare’s preventative care authority
A federal appeals panel appeared skeptical Monday of the constitutionality of an Affordable Care Act (ACA) provision requiring insurers to cover specific preventive services.
Judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit in New Orleans questioned whether the members of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) have the legal power to make recommendations, since its members are not appointed by the president or confirmed by the Senate.
The ta...
First over-the-counter birth control pill ships to retailers, will hit shelves this month
The first birth control pill available without a prescription in the U.S. has shipped to retailers and will be available in most stores and online later this month, its manufacturer announced Monday.
According to Perrigo, Opill is available for preorder this week from select online retailers and is expected to be on store shelves at major retailers nationwide in the coming weeks.
A month’s supply will carry a recommended cost of $19.99, while the company recomme...
Morning Report — Super Tuesday, State of the Union mark general election combat
This week will add details to an expected rematch ahead in the presidential general election.
Does President Biden have a persuasive vision for four more years? His Thursday State of the Union address, his chance to speak to the largest live media audience he will likely have for many months, adds a bit of suspense to Biden’s performative vulnerability with voters: his age.
Former President Trump
ObamaCare faces key hearing after Texas ruling
A federal appeals court is set to hear arguments Monday on the Biden administration's appeal of a case that threatens the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) promise of free preventive care to more than 150 million people.
A federal judge in Texas last year ruled that the law's mandate requiring employers and insurers to cover a host of preventive services, like certain cancer screenings and HIV prevention, was unconstitutional.
The ruling also invalidated the ...
With solar, we can solve non-profit hospitals’ carbon and community benefit problem simultaneously
Hospitals account for a significant amount of health care’s enormous 550 million metric ton greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint. That is largely because hospitals are remarkably energy inefficient.
In 2023, just 37 — substantially less than 1 percent — were Energy Star certified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for Scope 1 and 2 energy efficiency. The innumerable and unrelenting health harms associated with GHG emissions disproportionately harm Medicare and Medicaid b...
Can Biden overcome his low approval ratings, à la Obama and Bill Clinton? Not likely
Can Joe Biden successfully reboot?
It’s possible; approaching their successful reelection campaigns, both Barack Obama and Bill Clinton also faced poor ratings. But their low ratings were not as low as Biden’s. He heads into election season with the lowest approval ratings — 41 percent — of any president going back to the 1950s, according to Gallup.
Only 46 percent of the public thought Obama was doing a good job in January 2012; by Ele...
Williamson ‘unsuspending’ presidential campaign
Author Marianne Williamson announced Wednesday that she is “unsuspending” her presidential campaign, claiming American voters are “watching a car crash in slow motion” with the current candidates.
“Hey, I have an important announcement to make. As of today, I am unsuspending my campaign for the presidency of the United States,” Williamson said in a video posted to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
The long-shot Biden challenger announced she was sus...
Williamson ‘unsuspending’ presidential campaign
Author Marianne Williamson announced Wednesday that she is “unsuspending” her presidential campaign, claiming American voters are “watching a car crash in slow motion” with the current candidates.
“Hey, I have an important announcement to make. As of today, I am unsuspending my campaign for the presidency of the United States,” Williamson said in a video posted to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
The long-shot Biden challenger announced she was sus...
7th Circuit allows Indiana’s ban on care for transgender youth to take effect
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has allowed Indiana’s ban on care for transgender youth to take effect.
The court issued a stay Tuesday, overturning a June decision from a federal judge that blocked the health care ban.
The three-judge panel heard oral arguments in the case on Feb. 16 and released its decision Tuesday, saying it would release an opinion at a later date.
Indiana’s Senate Bill 480 bans health care providers from administering gender-affirmin...