Julie Rovner

Anti-abortion activists protest outside the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday, May 23.

Abortion bans with no exceptions may be politically risky

Julie Rovner

Some conservative states pressing for abortion bans with no exceptions for rape, incest or the life of the mother. But public opinion polls suggest those limits could cause blowback.

Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy ( left) and Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch teamed up on a series of landmark legislative health care achievements, such as the Ryan White program on AIDS treatment, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the first major federal child care law.

Sen. Orrin Hatch's legacy tracks the GOP's evolution on health

Julie Rovner

The man who forged successful alliances with Democratic health giants, such as Sen. Kennedy and Rep. Waxman, fell back on his deep conservative roots as opposition grew to the Affordable Care Act.

Demonstrators gathered in front of the U.S. Supreme Court as the justices heard arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health, a case about a Mississippi law that bans most abortions after 15 weeks, on December 01, 2021. Experts believe a ruling on this case could undermine or overturn Roe v. Wade.

With the Supreme Court poised to act, Americans remain bitterly divided on abortion

Julie Rovner

Years ago, opponents of abortion tried to change 'hearts and minds' on the issue. Public views haven't budged but the court may take action anyway.

Courts / Law

Supreme Court hears cases on Texas' abortion law, but the outcome may not affect access

Julie Rovner

The arguments before the justices did not deal directly with the state’s ban on abortions after six weeks. Instead, they centered on the unique mechanism in the law that gives state officials no role in enforcement.

Medicare is funded by a combination of money paid directly to the federal government from paychecks and taxes paid by working Americans. Most dental procedures and tests are not covered under traditional Medicare.

Democrats Hope To Beef Up Medicare With Dental, Vision And Hearing Benefits

Julie Rovner

When Medicare began in 1965, its backers expected benefits to expand over time, but politics have mostly stymied that. Congressional Democrats are trying again as part of a $3.5 trillion budget plan.

President Joe Biden has stepped lightly into the abortion politics fray, taking few actions to reverse the previous administrations anti-abortion policies.

Treading Lightly In Abortion Politics, Biden Still Manages To Annoy Both Sides

Julie Rovner

The president is one of a disappearing group of politicians who sought moderate compromises on abortion. His supporters want faster changes. But abortion-rights opponents are also taking him to task.

Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, sworn in last week as the administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, says she will focus on improving Americans' access to health care. Any discussions of shoring up Medicare funding, she says, should also entail strengthening the program's benefits.

Expanding Health Coverage Is Top Priority For New Head Of Medicare/Medicaid

Julie Rovner

Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, the new head of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, says she'll focus her time in charge on getting more Americans insured.

When President-elect Joe Biden takes office, making changes to the U.S. health care system through the executive branch will require painstaking work.

When Biden Takes Office, Undoing Trump's Health Policies Won't Be Easy

Julie Rovner

Democrats control the new Congress by such a slim margin that passing health laws will be daunting. Instead Biden may have to use executive authority to advance his health care vision.

Student demonstrators cheered in 2015 outside the Supreme Court after learning that the high court had upheld the Affordable Care Act as law of the land. But Republican foes of the federal health law are still working to have it struck down.

Health News Florida

Stakes High For Democrats And Republicans In Bid To Rush ACA To Supreme Court

Julie Rovner

Both sides say they want the high court to quickly weigh in on a case that could invalidate the federal health law. Whatever the court decides will likely have consequences in 2020 elections.

Since its passage, the Affordable Care Act has been the subject of multiple court cases and attempts to derail it in Congress — attempts that garnered protests in 2017 and beyond. The law has survived, so far, but a key provision was struck down Wednesday in federal court.

Health News Florida

Obamacare Takes Another Hit In Federal Appeals Court Ruling

Julie Rovner

A federal court in New Orleans has declared a portion of the health law unconstitutional, asking the lower court to reconsider the rest. This leaves the future of the law in limbo.