Presented by Alliance for Aging Research — With two weeks until the election, Republicans are kicking their defensive messaging on abortion into high gear, aiming to blunt Democrats’ attempts to paint them as extreme.{beacon} Health Care Health Care    The Big Story Republicans step up their abortion defensive strategyWith two weeks until the election, Republicans are kicking their defensive messaging on abortion into high gear, aiming to blunt Democrats’ attempts to paint them as extreme. © AP Photo/Ed Zurga It’s a tactic many candidates in competitive districts have been adopting ever since it became clear after the 2022 midterm elections that voters largely support abortion rights and have a negative view of people working to overturn them, our colleague Emily Brooks reports.   It marks a shift from the last election cycle in 2022, when many Republicans — caught off-guard by the Supreme Court overturning the federal right to abortion that year — pivoted to other issues like the economy and immigration that polled as bigger concerns.  The GOP underperformed expectations, and abortion was widely credited with breaking an anticipated “red wave.”    Democrats are again heavily campaigning on abortion access this year. But Republican strategists advised candidates to articulate their position on abortion early — and to use those articulated positions to combat Democratic messaging.   Republican campaigns are successfully pitching fact-checks to local media that pick at the claims of Democratic campaigns, and candidates are going on air with ads to directly articulate their stances on abortion.   In debates, GOP congressional candidates are taking a more aggressive approach and accusing Democrats of misrepresenting their position.   In an unusually graphic example of that aggressiveness on Monday, Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.) took advantage of a Zoom debate format to push back on his Democratic challenger, John Avalon — much to the dismay of the moderators.  As Avalon referenced LaLota’s stated opposition to second and third trimester abortion, LaLota held up a printed piece of paper that said: “I OPPOSE A NATIONAL ABORTION BAN.”   Democrats argue Republicans are simply hiding their previous positions or records.    And while a number of Republicans say they wouldn’t support a national abortion ban, Democrats — pointing to strict state-level bans that have gone into effect — are pitching legislation that would codify the protections of Roe v. Wade.    Welcome to The Hill’s Health Care newsletter, we’re Nathaniel Weixel, 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:   Report shows steady increase in abortions in states with bansSince the end of Roe v. Wade in 2022, the number of women receiving abortions has increased steadily and consistently in nearly every state that has banned it, according to a new comprehensive analysis released Tuesday.  The Society of Family Planning said in its quarterly “#WeCount” report that the increase was partly due to women traveling out of state, but also because of a rise in telehealth prescribing …  Full Story  Organizations unite to promote 2025 Medicare drug changesMany older Americans are unaware of the changes coming to Medicare’s prescription drug benefits in 2025 that could save them money, so public and private sector organizations are mobilizing to spread the word.  The changes, which include a $2,000 cap on out-of-pocket prescription drug costs and a new program designed to help enrollees spread out their medication costs over the course of the calendar year, are part of the …  Full Story  Texas rally highlights Harris’s focus on abortion in closing days of campaign Vice President Harris is leaning into abortion rights as a closing argument in the final days before the election, and will head to Texas this week to highlight the state as “ground zero of the nation’s extreme abortion bans.”  Harris doesn’t expect to win the deep red state, but the campaign wants to hammer home its message that former President Trump is a threat to women. At a rally in Houston, Harris will be joined …  Full Story   In Other News Branch out with a different read from The Hill: McDonald’s Quarter Pounder burgers linked to E. coli outbreak McDonald’s Quarter Pounder burgers and some ingredients will be temporarily unavailable in some states to protect customers after the food was linked to an E. coli outbreak, according to a press release from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday. Full Story   Around the Nation Local and state headlines on health care: California’s Native Americans can soon get traditional healing covered by Medi-Cal (KQED)  Missouri voters could undo their state’s abortion ban. Making abortion accessible is a different story (The 19th)  Nearly 40,000 patients at Children’s, UMass, and Tenet hospitals may be forced to find new doctors or insurance plans (Boston Globe)  What We're Reading Health news we've flagged from other outlets: What your mammogram can tell you about your cardiovascular health (NPR)  Pharma execs donated more to Democrats in campaign’s final stretch (Stat)  It’s hot pink and smells sweet. But the party drug tusi can prove deadly (The Washington Post)  What Others are Reading  Most read stories on The Hill right now: Texas sees record early-voting numbers, particularly in Democratic-leaning areas Record numbers of Texans turned out Monday for the first day of early voting — numbers that were particularly concentrated in several of the state’s … Read more Carville ‘doubling down’ on prediction Harris will win Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville reiterated his prediction Monday that Vice President Harris will triumph over former President Trump on … Read more What People Think Opinion related to health submitted to The Hill: California leads the way on regulation of food additives  You're all caught up. See you tomorrow!  Check out The Hill's Health Care page for the latest coverage.Like this newsletter? Take a moment to view our other topical products here 📩 Close Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here The latest in politics and policy. 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