Julie Rovner

Even the Trump-era surgeon general is concerned about the repercussions for women's health, as doctors say they are reluctant to practice in states that have banned abortion.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg comes just as the Supreme Court was about to hear a case challenging the ACA. It could end Medicaid expansion and protections for preexisting conditions.

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.