Julie Rovner

House Passes Bill That Would Ban Late Abortions

Julie Rovner — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:11:00 +0000

The House has passed one of the most far-reaching abortion bills in decades. But it's unlikely to ever become law.

By a mostly party-line vote Tuesday of 228-196, lawmakers passed the "Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act," which would ban nearly all abortions starting 20 weeks after fertilization.

"At 20 weeks maybe sooner, the baby feels pain," said physician and Rep. John Fleming, R-La., on the House floor. "And so I would just submit to you today Mr.

To Find Out How The Health Law Affects You, Ask The President

Julie Rovner — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 06:59:00 +0000

Call it the Affordable Care Act, call it Obamacare, call it whatever you want — it's coming. And soon. In less than four months people without health insurance will be able to start signing up for coverage that begins Jan. 1.

A lot has been said about the law, most of it not that understandable.

Judge Reluctantly Approves Government Plan For Morning-After Pill

Julie Rovner — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 17:38:00 +0000

An obviously unhappy Judge Edward Korman has approved the Obama administration's proposal to make just one formulation of the morning-after birth control pill available over the counter without age restrictions.

But in a testily worded six-page memorandum, the federal district judge made it clear he is not particularly pleased with the outcome.

Administration's Plan For Morning-After Pill Pleases No One

Julie Rovner — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 22:20:00 +0000

Reaction was swift to the Obama administration's announcement Monday night that it was dropping a long-running legal battle to keep age restrictions on one type of the morning-after birth control pill.

But like just about everything else in this decade-long controversy, the latest decision has pleased just about no one.

To be clear, the administration is not proposing that all forms of the drug be made available over the counter without age restrictions.

In fact, in it

Court Says Some Morning-After Pills Must Be Available OTC Now

Julie Rovner — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 21:03:00 +0000

A federal appeals court has dealt the Obama administration yet another blow in its quest to keep at least some age restrictions on the sale of emergency contraceptive pills.

In a three-paragraph order, a three-judge panel for the United States Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit ruled that although the government's appeal of a lower court decision removin

Maternity Coverage Sought for Young Women On Parent's Plan

Julie Rovner — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 19:53:00 +0000

Young women covered by a parent's health insurance don't necessarily get maternity coverage.

Administration Touts Competition In Insurance Exchanges

Julie Rovner — Thu, 30 May 2013 21:30:00 +0000

The Obama administration is countering criticism that the new health insurance exchanges will be lacking in competition, though it's doing so a bit quietly.

At a White House briefing Thursday for health reporters, in which senior administration health officials spoke on the condition that they not be named, and in a memo, the administration insisted that in most states at least, competition will

Abortion Opponents Try to Spin Murder Case Into Legislation

Julie Rovner — Thu, 23 May 2013 22:20:00 +0000

As predicted, abortion opponents on Capitol Hill are wasting no time in their efforts to turn publicity over the recent murder conviction of abortion provider Kermit Gosnell to their legislative advantage.

Their latest goal: a federal ban on most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Rep.

Boomer Housemates Have More Fun

Julie Rovner — Wed, 22 May 2013 07:00:00 +0000

Today more than 1 in every 3 baby boomers — that huge glut of people born between 1948 and 1964 — is unmarried. And those unmarried boomers are disproportionately women.

Swell Of Goodwill For First Medicare Chief Confirmed Since 2004

Julie Rovner — Thu, 16 May 2013 19:12:00 +0000

When the Senate voted Tuesday to make Marilyn Tavenner the official administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, it was the first time the world's greatest deliberative body had approved someone to head the huge health agency since 2004.

That's right, you have to go way back to the Bush administration to find Dr.

Cloning, Stem Cells Long Mired In Legislative Gridlock

Julie Rovner — Thu, 16 May 2013 07:04:00 +0000

The news that U.S.

A Sharper Abortion Debate After Gosnell Verdict

Julie Rovner — Tue, 14 May 2013 16:04:00 +0000

The murder conviction in Philadelphia of abortion provider Dr.

Philly Murder Conviction Expected To Inflame Abortion Debate

Julie Rovner — Tue, 14 May 2013 08:49:00 +0000

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Now, the murder conviction of Kermit Gosnell is likely to bring more sparks to the already heated abortion debate in Washington and across the nation. Those on both sides of the divide have been gearing up for what comes next. Here's NPR's Julie Rovner.

JULIE ROVNER, BYLINE: The irony of this case is that those on both sides of the debate were hoping for a conviction.

Judge Denies Administration's Request To Delay Plan-B Ruling

Julie Rovner — Fri, 10 May 2013 19:24:00 +0000

The U.S.

Why A Slowdown In Health Spending Is Starting To Look Real

Julie Rovner — Mon, 06 May 2013 20:46:00 +0000

So you know all that talk about how the boatload of money going to health care will bankrupt the nation if something isn't done soon?

Well, it turns out that while politicians were bickering, the problem started taking care of itself. Well, a little bit.

While not solved, the growth in health spending has definitely slowed. That's the consensus of a series of studies out in the past few week.