Oregon Right to Life wins exemption from state reproductive health coverage mandate

Oregon Right to Life can now deny coverage for abortions and contraceptives on its insurance plans. This follows a federal judge's ruling that a state law requiring insurance plans to cover the Reproductive Health Equity Act of 2017, which mandates that health insurance companies not impose deductibles, coinsurance, copayments, or other copayments or other cost-sharing requirements on contraceptives and abortions, violates the Constitutional rights of the nonprofit.

Related Brief18h ago

campaign finance

86% of Congress has taken health insurance PAC money as industry spends to shape legislation

86% of sitting members of Congress have accepted campaign donations from health insurance company PACs, a new tracker reveals. The Health Insurance Influence Tracker, released by the Center for Health and Democracy Education Fund, shows that current members of the 119th Congress have received more than $32 million from the industry’s political action committees. Of the 536 lawmakers, 461 have taken money from insurers including UnitedHealth Group, Elevance, Cigna, and CVS/Aetna—firms that collectively reported over $71.3 billion in profits and paid their CEOs more than $146 million in 2024. The tracker uses Federal Elections Commission data to map corporate support across Capitol Hill, showing that donations are strategically directed at lawmakers with jurisdiction over health care policy, regardless of party. The top 10 recipients include seven Republicans and three Democrats. Among the 34 Congressional and party leaders, only Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders have refused all corporate PAC money. The $32 million in tracked PAC contributions is only one channel of influence: the industry also spends hundreds of millions on lobbying and employs 600 registered lobbyists—16 of whom are former members of Congress and 226 former staffers—creating a persistent revolving door that shapes legislation behind the scenes.

U.S. District Court Judge Mustafa Kasubhai ruled Tuesday that the law cannot apply to Oregon Right to Life. The nonprofit sued in 2023, arguing that the law violated its First Amendment rights. While a previous judge had dismissed the lawsuit in facilities as it does not have any religious requirement for being an employee or director, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reversed that decision last fall.

Related Brief1d ago

health care policy

Cash-pay drug purchases could soon count toward insurance deductibles

Paying $1,500 a month for a medication when the same drug costs $15 in cash should count toward your insurance deductible—if you’re insured, you’ve already paid. That’s the core of a new plan from Rep. Greg Murphy (R-N.C.), who is pushing legislation requiring commercial insurers to apply cash-pay prescription drug purchases toward deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums. The policy targets a growing gap in health spending: when a drug’s cash price undercuts the insured copay, especially on direct-to-consumer platforms like TrumpRx or Mark Cuban’s CostPlusDrugs. Right now, patients who opt for lower cash prices forfeit progress toward their deductible—a barrier that discourages cost-saving behavior. Murphy’s bill would fix that, but only for drugs on a plan’s formulary and only for commercial insurance, not Medicare or Medicaid. The change would most directly benefit people in high-deductible health plans, who shoulder more upfront costs. Yet there’s a trade-off: requiring insurers to credit cash payments could lead to higher premiums. Harvard drug pricing researcher Benjamin Rome notes that new benefit mandates aren’t free. “If you're going to put additional requirements on insurers on how they're going to set their benefit design, that does have consequences,” he said. Some movement is already underway. Express Scripts, a major pharmacy benefit manager, must count TrumpRx purchases toward deductibles by 2027 under an FTC settlement. CVS Health hasn’t committed, but CEO David Joyner said the company would if it lowers costs. Insurers push back, arguing most people still get the lowest prices through insurance, not cash. Still, bipartisan frustration with health care pricing is mounting—and Murphy is testing multiple legislative paths, including a version focused solely on TrumpRx, to see what sticks.

Related Brief18h ago

campaign finance

86% of Congress has taken health insurance PAC money as industry spends to shape legislation

Related Brief1d ago

health care policy

Cash-pay drug purchases could soon count toward insurance deductibles

Oregon Right to Life wins exemption from state reproductive health coverage mandate

Read More Analysis

A 10% Interest Rate Cap on Credit Cards Would Eliminate Credit Access for 100 Million Americans

Justice Department Investigation into Fed Renovations Blocks Federal Reserve Leadership Transition

Oregon Right to Life wins exemption from state reproductive health coverage mandate

Read More Analysis

A 10% Interest Rate Cap on Credit Cards Would Eliminate Credit Access for 100 Million Americans

Justice Department Investigation into Fed Renovations Blocks Federal Reserve Leadership Transition

The Ledger Morning

Read More Analysis

A 10% Interest Rate Cap on Credit Cards Would Eliminate Credit Access for 100 Million Americans

Justice Department Investigation into Fed Renovations Blocks Federal Reserve Leadership Transition

The Ledger Morning

Read More Analysis

A 10% Interest Rate Cap on Credit Cards Would Eliminate Credit Access for 100 Million Americans

Justice Department Investigation into Fed Renovations Blocks Federal Reserve Leadership Transition