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Mifepristone is one of two drugs used in a medication abortion. It is combined with a second drug, misoprostol, to end a pregnancy. Mifepristone blocks a hormone called progesterone that is necessary for a pregnancy to continue. Misoprostol brings on uterine contractions, causing the body to expel the pregnancy as in a miscarriage. Growing evidence from outside the United States suggests that abortion pills are safe even among women who do not have a doctor to advise them.

Persons: Misoprostol Locations: United States

The first data on births since Roe v. Wade was overturned shows how much abortion bans have had their intended effect: Births increased in every state with a ban, an analysis of the data shows. Until now, studies have shown that many women in states with bans have ended their pregnancies anyway, by traveling to other states or ordering pills online. What they have been unable to show is how many women have not done so, and carried their pregnancies to term. “The importance of our results is when you take away access, it can affect fertility,” said Daniel Dench, an economist at Georgia Tech and an author of the paper with Mayra Pineda-Torres of Georgia Tech and Caitlin Myers of Middlebury College. “When you make it harder, women can’t always get out of states to obtain abortion.”

Persons: Roe, Wade, —, ”, Daniel Dench, Mayra Pineda, Torres, Caitlin Myers, can’t Organizations: Institute of Labor, Georgia Tech, Torres of Georgia Tech, Middlebury College

In the 12 months after the Dobbs decision in June 2022, there were on average 82,298 abortions a month, compared with 82,115 in the two months before Dobbs, WeCount found. The new data, released Tuesday, included 83 percent of known providers, and researchers estimated the remainder based on historical trends and abortion data from states. The report does not include abortions outside the U.S. medical system — such as ordering abortion pills from abroad or traveling across the border. The biggest increases in legal abortions occurred in states that border those with bans, suggesting that many patients traveled across state lines. In Florida, which bars abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy but is surrounded by states with stricter bans, abortions were up 28 percent, to 7,705.

Persons: Dobbs, WeCount, Abigail Aiken, Alexia Rice, Henry Organizations: Society of Family, Guttmacher, University of Texas, ARC Locations: Austin, New Mexico, Illinois, Florida

The suit targeted a large doctors’ group that operates anesthesia practices in several states, claiming the group and the private equity firm advising and financing it were consolidating doctors’ groups in Texas so they could raise prices and increase their profits. The agency brought the civil lawsuit in federal court against U.S. Anesthesia Partners and Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe, a private-equity firm in New York. “These tactics enabled USAP and Welsh Carson to raise prices for anesthesia services — raking in tens of millions of extra dollars for these executives at the expense of Texas patients and businesses,” said Lina M. Kahn, the chair of the F.T.C., in a statement. “The F.T.C. will continue to scrutinize and challenge serial acquisitions, roll-ups and other stealth consolidation schemes that unlawfully undermine fair competition and harm the American public.”

Persons: Anderson, Anderson & Stowe, Welsh Carson, ”, Lina M, Kahn Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, U.S, Anesthesia Partners, Anderson & Locations: Texas, Carson, New York

Medicare may just be the budget buster that wasn’t. Somehow, after decades of nonstop growth, its spending per person has flattened over the past dozen years, saving taxpayers roughly $3.9 trillion since 2011, according to an Upshot analysis. But the reasons for the slowdown — and its duration — are not well understood. reduced the payments Medicare made to hospitals and to the insurance companies that administer private Medicare Advantage plans. Those changes alone are responsible for more than a trillion dollars in spending reductions, according to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office, or about a quarter of the savings attributable to the recent flat spending trend.

Persons: ” — Stephen Organizations: Affordable Care, Congressional, Office Locations: Columbus , Ohio

Historically, doctors’ practices have been relatively small, and owned by doctors themselves. Hospitals and insurance companies have also bought out many independent physicians’ practices. Optum, an arm of the publicly traded UnitedHealth Group, which also owns one of the nation’s largest insurers, employs roughly 70,000 physicians. Private equity is often viewed by physicians as an attractive alternative to having their practice bought by a hospital. “It can be a really good thing, but the private equity firms have to keep their promises and be held accountable,” she said.

Persons: ’, “, ”, Richard Scheffler, Lisa Walkush, Grant Thornton, Michael Kroin Organizations: Physicians, Institute, Petris, . Hospitals, UnitedHealth Group, Growth Partners Locations: U.S, Berkeley, Chicago

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