Julie Rovner

Last week in Florida, at the University of Tampa, President Joe Biden promised to protect and strengthen Social Security and Medicare, as well as lower health care costs.

How seniors could lose in the Medicare political wars

Julie Rovner

Politicians are again pointing fingers over cutting Medicare. Any party accused of threatening the program tends to lose elections, but without a bipartisan agreement, seniors stand to lose the most.

Even though Democrats had bigger majorities in Congress under Democratic Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, large numbers of anti-abortion Democrats in both chambers meant abortion protections could not be codified.

3 common myths about the abortion debate that many people get wrong

Julie Rovner

Common misperceptions are that only abortion-seekers are affected, that Democratics could have codified protections before, and that Congress can easily get rid of federal laws restricting abortion.

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.

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.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett's first opportunity to weigh in on abortion and contraception could come as early as this week, as the high court decides whether to take up a Mississippi case.

How An Abortion Fight In Supreme Court Could Threaten Birth Control, Too

Julie Rovner

In talk of the impact Amy Coney Barrett could have on abortion rights, many people overlook related cases that might be in play, including the right to birth control that the court recognized in 1965.

Funding is shrinking for Medicare's Part A trust fund, which pays for hospitalization and in-patient care. The funding largely comes from a 1.45% payroll tax paid by employees and employers.

Health & Wellness

Another Problem On The Health Horizon: Medicare Is Running Out Of Money

Julie Rovner

With millions of people out of work because of the coronavirus pandemic, fewer payroll taxes are coming in to help keep Medicare's trust fund intact.

Casa de Salud clinicians, staff and health apprentices socially distance outside their New Mexico clinic. The facility is one of many social safety net clinics that haven't yet received pandemic-related funding and are now on the brink financially.

Health & Wellness

Medicaid Clinics And Doctors Have Been Last In Line For COVID-19 Relief Funding

Julie Rovner

Congress authorized $100 billion to reimburse health care providers for losses linked to the pandemic, but much of that money has gone for Medicare patients, with low-income families left behind.

Pedro Rivera waits with other volunteers in District Heights, Md. to hand out food. He's wearing a mask that reads, "This too shall pass."

Health & Wellness

Opinion: Always The Bridesmaid, Public Health Rarely Spotlighted Until It's Too Late

Julie Rovner

Because the public health system mostly operates in the background, it rarely gets the attention or funding it deserves ― until there's a crisis.