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A federal appeals court in New Orleans is preparing a ruling on the Affordable Care Act that could put the law’s future front and center in the presidential race, overwhelming the current Democratic debate over Medicare for all and reigniting the health care-driven worries that helped Democrats win back the House last year. Three judges on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals are weighing whether to uphold a Texas judge’s ruling that the law’s requirement for most Americans to have health insurance is unconstitutional, and that the rest of the sprawling law cannot function without it. (Goodnough, 10/18)

Support for Medicare for All is showing signs of slipping as top-tier Democratic presidential candidates Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders struggle to sell the proposal without providing specifics on the financial costs for voters. Meanwhile, an abundance of other health proposals aired by the Democratic primary field is complicating messaging efforts as polls show many voters still don’t understand what specific plans would do. (Armour, 10/17)

NARAL Pro-Choice America will host a presidential forum focused on reproductive rights and abortion, the group announced on Thursday. The forum will take place in the second to last week in January in Des Moines, Iowa, a key primary state. The abortion rights campaign group said the forum would feature Democratic presidential candidates, but did not provide a list of who is expected to attend. (Hellmann, 10/17)