Presented by Alliance for Aging Research — Plus: How Hurricane Helene is threatening dialysis patients{beacon} Health Care Health Care   The Big Story Biden admininistration proposes expanded contraceptive coverageUnder a new White House proposal, the Affordable Care Act would cover the cost of some contraceptives like over-the-counter birth control pills and condoms.  © Getty The new rule would cover emergency contraceptives like Plan B, condoms, spermicides and nonprescription birth control pills.   If approved, the rule would make birth control available to an additional 52 million women of reproductive age with private health insurance, according to the White House.  “At a time when contraception access is under attack, Vice President Harris and I are resolute in our commitment to expanding access to quality, affordable contraception,” President Biden said in a statement Monday.    “We believe that women in every state must have the freedom to make deeply personal health care decisions, including the right to decide if and when to start or grow their family,” he added.   Harris has made protecting reproductive rights a central theme of her presidential run against former President Trump. She has warned repeatedly throughout her campaign that if Trump is elected again, Republican lawmakers would seek to further restrict Americans' reproductive rights.   In a statement, Harris used GOP lawmakers' efforts to block legislation protecting the right to contraception and in vitro fertilization (IVF) as examples of how Republican lawmakers are “attacking reproductive freedom.”    Trump appointed three conservative Supreme Court justices during his presidency who helped overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark court decision protecting the right to an abortion, in 2022. He has repeatedly taken credit for the ruling’s overturning but has said in the past that he would veto any national abortion ban.   Instead, he has argued that abortion access should be left up to states.  Welcome to The Hill’s Health Care newsletter, we’re Joseph Choi and Alejandra O'connell-Domenech — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health.  Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here.  Essential Reads How policy will be impacting the health care sector this week and beyond:  Florida official says DeSantis’s office ordered him to threaten TV stations over abortion ads John Wilson, general counsel for the Florida Department of Health, wrote in a sworn affidavit that officials from Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R) office pushed him to threaten television stations with criminal prosecutions if they did not take down ads in support of a Florida abortion rights measure. Wilson, who resigned from his position on Oct. 10, wrote in the affidavit that he received prewritten letters directing him to …  Full Story  Frozen waffles recalled due to listeria riskTreehouse Foods recalled frozen waffles due to a possible listeria outbreak in a Friday release. The brand sells items in commercial stores across the United States and Canada. The company says the issue was discovered during routine testing at their manufacturing facility this week.  “Consumers should check their freezers for any of the products listed above and dispose of them or return the recalled product to the place of …  Full Story  How Hurricane Helene is threatening dialysis patients Hurricane Helene is gone, but its ripple effects continue all across the U.S., with tens of thousands of dialysis patients now at risk of losing access to lifesaving care due to a shocked supply chain.   Hospitals warned that when Baxter International’s North Carolina facility was shut down by Helene, the U.S. health system would acutely feel the impact. These harms are now becoming evident nearly three weeks after …  Full Story   In Other News Branch out with a different read from The Hill: Walmart reaches opioid shareholder settlement Walmart reached a proposed settlement agreement about its distribution of prescribed opioids on Friday according to Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings.  Full Story   Around the Nation Local and state headlines on health care: New York, New Jersey schools included in listeria recall linked to meat in pre-packaged meats (CBS News)  Kaiser Permanente mental health workers begin open-ended strike in Southern California (CalMatters)  In foster care, Idaho Department Health and Welfare budget proposal focuses on prevention (Idaho Capital Sun)  What We're Reading Health news we've flagged from other outlets: Survey of trans youth reports high satisfaction with gender-affirming care (The Washington Post)  Former FDA lawyers join tobacco industry in ‘epic’ fight against the agency (Stat)  Medicare drug plans are getting better next year. Some will also cost more. (KFF Health News)  What Others are Reading  Most read stories on The Hill right now: Harris holds slim leads in 4 swing states, Trump polling ahead in 2 others With about two weeks left before Election Day, Vice President Harris holds slim leads over former President Trump in four critical battleground states, … Read more The Memo: Trump leans into populism, crudeness and possibly a second term Former President Trump is leaning into a mix of populism, aggression and outright crudeness in the final stretch of the election campaign — and it … Read more  Close Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here The latest in politics and policy. Direct to your inbox. Sign up for the Health Care newsletter Subscribe