POLITICO's Pulse Check
604 episodes - English - Latest episode: 4 months ago - ★★★★★ - 452 ratingsPOLITICO Pulse Check delivers the latest news in health care with sharp policy analysis and a dose of real-world perspective. Hear what stories POLITICO's deep bench of Health Care policy reporters are watching and their analysis of the critical issues facing regulators, legislators, and practitioners.
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Episodes
What’s next for rare disease treatments?
July 24, 2023 09:00 - 7 minutes - 6.24 MBHealth care treatments such as gene therapy may hold the key to effectively treat rare genetic diseases and alleviate future chronic diseases. Host Kelly Hooper talks with Robert King about what we learned from POLITICO's Next Generation of Health Care Therapies event.
Behind the evolving overdose crisis
July 21, 2023 09:00 - 6 minutes - 5.46 MBOverdose deaths involving both cocaine and opioids have spiked over the past decade, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Host Alice Miranda Ollstein talks with Kelly Hooper about the factors driving the deadly increase.
Newt's new view of NIH
July 20, 2023 09:00 - 7 minutes - 6.9 MBOnce one of the biggest champions of the National Institutes of Health, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich now backs funding cuts to the agency. Host Katherine Ellen Foley talks to Erin Schumaker about what's behind Gingrich’s new take on the NIH and how a budget cut would impact the agency's work.
Biden’s plan to expand HIPAA to protect abortion rights comes under bipartisan fire
July 19, 2023 09:00 - 6 minutes - 5.31 MBThe Biden administration’s effort to use HIPAA privacy laws to protect abortion rights is facing dual criticism from Republicans, who say it overreaches, and Democrats, who say it doesn’t go far enough. Host Kelly Hooper talks with Alice Miranda Ollstein about President Joe Biden’s attempt to defend abortion access in the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.
CMS’ physician fee cut plan draws praise and criticism
July 18, 2023 09:00 - 6 minutes - 5.26 MBCMS has proposed changes to Medicare’s physician fees. Host Evan Peng talks to Ben Leonard about a plan the agency says would advance lower costs, and support behavioral health.
How one red state boosted its public health budget
July 17, 2023 09:00 - 11 minutes - 9.34 MBIndiana Gov. Eric Holcomb convinced a bipartisan majority in his state’s legislature to boost public health funding this year by 1,500 percent, overcoming opposition from fellow Republicans angry about the government’s response to Covid-19. Host Kelly Hooper talks to Megan Messerly about Indiana’s conservative model for strengthening public health.
FDA approves first over-the-counter birth control. What’s next?
July 14, 2023 09:00 - 9 minutes - 7.53 MBThe FDA’s approval of Opill comes after the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision and as several states adopt bans on abortion. Host Alice Miranda Ollstein talks to Katherine Ellen Foley about the implications of the agency’s decision.
Sen. Sanders' line in the sand
July 13, 2023 09:00 - 8 minutes - 6.96 MBThe nomination of Monica Bertagnolli to lead the National Institutes of Health is now caught between President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) over the administration's drug pricing agenda. Host Katherine Ellen Foley talks to Adam Cancryn about Bertagnolli’s stalled candidacy.
A White House plan to tackle ‘Tranq Dope’
July 12, 2023 09:00 - 8 minutes - 6.89 MBThe Biden administration has unveiled a plan to combat the growing threat of so-called Tranq Dope — a lethal combination of fentanyl and the horse tranquilizer xylazine — which has led to a surge in deaths in the U.S. Host Megan Messerly talks with Carmen Paun about the administration’s new strategy to curb overdose deaths.
Major health care legislation looms
July 11, 2023 09:00 - 7 minutes - 5.73 MBHigh policy aspirations, partisan gridlock and deadlines for must-pass health care legislation plague lawmakers as they return from the July recess — only 11 legislative days from the next congressional break. Host Ben Leonard talks with Megan R. Wilson about what lies on Capitol Hill.
Biden proposes four-month cap on short-term health coverage
July 10, 2023 09:00 - 6 minutes - 4.87 MBPresident Biden aims to limit short-term health coverage to a maximum of four months, reversing a previous regulation allowing for longer time periods implemented during the Trump administration. Host Kelly Hooper talks with Robert King about an array of recently proposed rules at HHS, DOL and the Treasury Department that the Biden administration believes will safeguard consumers and strengthen the Obamacare exchange by reining in what the president calls “junk insurance” plans.
How the AMA chief plans to tackle pay and talk to Congress
July 07, 2023 09:00 - 8 minutes - 6.66 MBJesse Ehrenfeld, the newly inaugurated president of the American Medical Association, is focusing on the political pressures doctors face as well as their pay. Host Katherine Ellen Foley talks with Daniel Payne about what’s on Ehrenfeld’s mind as he takes the helm of one of the most influential groups in Washington.
CMS under fire from GOP for ignoring doctors’ advice on value-based care
July 06, 2023 09:00 - 6 minutes - 5.45 MBCongressional Republicans have recently criticized CMS, claiming the agency ignored input from an appointed board of doctors about how to transition Medicare payment policies using new payment models. The new models switch from a focus on the volume of physician services provided to patients to payment models in which the value of services dominates. Host Carmen Paun talks with Robert King about the board, known as PTAC, and GOP concerns about the way CMS is implementing the switch to value-b...
The Medicare drug price negotiation plan is out
July 05, 2023 09:00 - 5 minutes - 4.62 MBThe Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has unveiled final guidance explaining how its negotiations with manufacturers over drug prices for Medicare patients will proceed. Congress last year authorized price bargaining on a limited number of medicines. Host Kelly Hooper talks with Robert King about how it will work.
What’s next for the CDC post Walensky?
June 30, 2023 09:00 - 6 minutes - 5.7 MBToday marks CDC Director Rochelle Walensky’s last day at the agency. Host Alice Miranda Ollstein talks with Daniel Payne, who spoke to Walensky about what’s next for the future of the CDC and for her successor.
The future of Alzheimer’s treatment drugs
June 29, 2023 13:26 - 11 minutes - 9.34 MBAs the Alzheimer’s drug landscape shifts, drugmakers are developing the next class of treatments. Host Kelly Hooper talks with Katherine Ellen Foley about the future of such therapies.
Abortion disputes in Congress stalls AIDS relief program
June 28, 2023 09:00 - 7 minutes - 6.39 MBAn abortion dispute in Congress threatens to jeopardize the reauthorization of PEPFAR, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, credited with saving 25 million lives from the disease in the developing world. Host Megan Messerly talks with Carmen Paun about the debate over whether federal funds should support HIV/AIDS organizations that support abortion rights.
FDA’s first draft guidance for psychedelic research released
June 27, 2023 09:00 - 5 minutes - 4.75 MBThe FDA released draft guidance for researchers designing clinical trials using psychedelic drugs. Host Ben Leonard talks with Erin Schumaker about the future of psychedelic drug research and development.
Medicare payment reform flounders on Capitol Hill
June 26, 2023 09:00 - 6 minutes - 4.98 MBHouse Republicans want to reform Medicare’s oft-criticized payment system in order to better compensate doctors and reduce their paperwork burdens, but Daniel Payne tells host Kelly Hooper that his reporting shows prospects for legislation this year are slim given competing legislative priorities and the complexity of the problem.
What the abortion landscape looks like now, one year after Roe
June 23, 2023 09:00 - 10 minutes - 8.76 MBIt’s been a year since the landmark Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, with Republican and Democrat-controlled states taking opposing approaches to abortion rights. POLITICO’s Alice Miranda Ollstein and Megan Messerly go over the developments that defied predictions.
Will Georgia’s Medicaid work requirements get the job done?
June 22, 2023 09:00 - 6 minutes - 5.56 MBGeorgia is set to become the first state in five years to implement work requirements for Medicaid beneficiaries. Host Katherine Ellen Foley talks with Robert King about the waiver’s provisions and why some conservative states are looking to Georgia’s eligibility requirements as a possible model for their own Medicaid programs.
A surprising new strategy to fight abortion bans: religious freedom
June 21, 2023 09:00 - 10 minutes - 8.29 MBProgressives are employing an unconventional legal tactic in their efforts to dismantle abortion bans. Host Megan Messerly talks with Alice Miranda Ollstein, who explains how groups are leveraging religious freedom to strike down abortion bans.
Meet Mandy Cohen, Biden's pick to lead the CDC
June 20, 2023 09:00 - 7 minutes - 5.68 MBPresident Biden’s choice to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mandy Cohen, built her political acumen in previous roles as a health official in North Carolina and in the Obama administration. But Erin Schumaker tells host Katherine Ellen Foley that the politicization of the CDC during the Covid-19 pandemic will be a challenge.
Arkansas' Medicaid experiment
June 16, 2023 09:00 - 12 minutes - 9.66 MBAs many as 15 million people across the country could lose coverage as states check eligibility for the first time since the pandemic started. Host Alice Miranda Ollstein talks with Megan Messerly about Arkansas' approach.
Partisan rift threatens pandemic preparedness bill
June 15, 2023 09:00 - 5 minutes - 4.74 MBA House hearing on the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act underscores the partisan bickering behind reauthorizing must-pass legislation to improve how the U.S. responds to public health crises. Host Katherine Ellen Foley talks with Megan R. Wilson about congressional negotiations before a Sept. 30 deadline.
Can Walensky’s new vision for the CDC weather congressional gridlock?
June 14, 2023 09:00 - 6 minutes - 4.98 MBOutgoing CDC Director Rochelle Walensky fielded questions from Congress on Tuesday about the agency’s lessons learned from the pandemic, while at the same time making a case for lawmakers to support a new vision for the agency. Host Kelly Hooper talks with Daniel Payne about what Walensky said the CDC needs to do to better serve the public.
FDA considering a second Alzheimer's drug
June 13, 2023 09:00 - 8 minutes - 6.77 MBOutside advisers to the FDA recommended that the agency grant traditional approval to the Alzheimer’s drug Leqembi. Host Ben Leonard talks with Katherine Ellen Foley about what final approval could mean for patients.
CMS doubles the number of drugs subject to inflation remedies
June 12, 2023 09:00 - 8 minutes - 6.62 MBThe Biden administration identified 43 drugs subject to rebates from manufacturers to Medicare and lower coinsurance rates for beneficiaries starting July 1 -- more than double the current number. Host Kelly Hooper talks with Robert King about the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' decision.
The impact of the debt ceiling deal on vaccine funding
June 09, 2023 09:00 - 8 minutes - 7 MBHost Alice Miranda Ollstein talks with Carmen Paun about the skepticism that HHS Secretary Xavier Becerras expressed about future funding for Covid vaccines at this week’s POLITICO Health Care Summit.
What we learned at the POLITICO health care summit
June 08, 2023 09:00 - 10 minutes - 8.24 MBPOLITICO hosted its annual health care summit Wednesday to explore the transformative impact of technology and innovation on health care. Host Katherine Ellen Foley spoke with attendees at the summit, including Ashish Jha, White House Covid-19 response coordinator, and reporter Carmen Paun provides her biggest takeaways.
A preview of today’s POLITICO Health Care Summit
June 07, 2023 09:00 - 7 minutes - 5.73 MBPOLITICO is hosting its annual health care summit to explore the transformative impact of technology and innovation on health care and the challenges that lie ahead for the U.S. as the country grapples with improving access to quality care for all Americans. Host Megan Messerly chats with David Lim, who tells us what to expect.
Medicare director charts path in drug price negotiations
June 06, 2023 09:00 - 7 minutes - 5.78 MBCMS wants patients to pay a role in the first round of Medicare drug price negotiations set to begin this fall. Host Ben Leonard talks to Robert King about Medicare Director Meena Seshamani’s efforts to negotiate for lower prices on Medicare Part D.
An unfounded claim about Ron DeSantis troubles people with autism
June 05, 2023 09:00 - 8 minutes - 7.05 MBPeople with autism have come to the defense of GOP presidential candidate Ron DeSantis after Steve Bannon, the former adviser to President Donald Trump, claimed without evidence that DeSantis is autistic. Host Katherine Ellen Foley talks with Michael Schaffer about how Bannon’s baseless attack is reinforcing discriminatory attitudes about people with disabilities.
The rally to keep Medicaid coverage amid program unwinding
June 02, 2023 09:00 - 6 minutes - 4.91 MBThe push to maintain Medicaid enrollment has intensified beyond patient advocates and state workers, with hospitals and clinics striving to prevent individuals from being removed from the program. Host Katherine Ellen Foley talks with Daniel Payne about the efforts.
Doctors and hospitals ready to take on new, riskier ways to save Medicare
June 01, 2023 09:00 - 8 minutes - 6.83 MBDoctors and hospitals are eager to collaborate with the Biden administration on finding new cost-saving measures for Medicare, but they are encountering challenges in engaging with federal regulators. Host Carmen Paun talks with Robert King about the limited options provided by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and why doctors find the programs difficult to navigate.
Low-income workers scored in the Covid economy. But will their progress continue?
May 31, 2023 09:00 - 7 minutes - 5.8 MBA POLITICO analysis of data from the U.S. Labor Department shows that pandemic-era policies reversed the trend toward a widening income gap. But as the move away from those policies ends, that gain is threatened. So, what happens now? Host Ben Leonard talks with Victoria Guida about the labor economy and what the data shows about the health care sector.
How a one-time Alabama abortion clinic is adjusting
May 30, 2023 09:00 - 10 minutes - 8.14 MBPatients arriving for an appointment at the West Alabama Women’s Center one-year post-Roe find a clinic that has shifted its focus to non-abortion services. Host Daniel Payne talks with Alice Miranda Ollstein about the clinic’s struggle to serve patients in a state with a total abortion ban.
Why some Democrats joined with the GOP to pass new fentanyl legislation in the House
May 26, 2023 09:00 - 9 minutes - 7.39 MBOn Thursday, the House passed legislation to classify street versions of fentanyl as a Schedule 1 substance, despite some Democrats saying the bill is a distraction. Host Alice Miranda Ollstein talks with Carmen Paun about The HALT Fentanyl Act.
U.S. HIV infections decline, but racial disparities persist
May 25, 2023 09:00 - 8 minutes - 7.02 MBNew data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a significant drop in new HIV infections across the U.S. — a 12 percent decrease between 2017 and 2021. Even though HIV infections have dropped, racial gaps remain in testing and treatment. Host Katherine Ellen Foley talks with Alice Miranda Ollstein about improving access to testing, treatment and preventive measures as progress remains fragile.
Mayo Clinic vs. Minnesota in health spending fight
May 24, 2023 09:00 - 10 minutes - 8.16 MBMayo Clinic threatened to withdraw $4 billion in new hospital investments in Minnesota if the state’s recent proposed health affordability bill wasn’t killed. Host Ben Leonard talks with Megan Messerly about the challenges states face in reining in health spending against influential industry players.
Medicare contractors will keep paying for remote health monitoring
May 23, 2023 09:00 - 5 minutes - 4.55 MBPrivate insurers will continue coverage for remote patient monitoring devices through Medicare, signaling a significant win for the telehealth industry. Host Megan Messerly talks with Ben Leonard about the decision, which may reduce spending in the program.
Debt limit breach could devastate health care
May 22, 2023 09:00 - 9 minutes - 7.51 MBIf Congress and President Biden can’t reach a deal to cover U.S. debts, Medicare won’t be able to pay its bills, VA hospitals will miss their payrolls, and patients on Obamacare plans will lose their subsidies, among other effects. Host Katherine Ellen Foley talks with Kelly Hooper about her reporting on the consequences of a prolonged default.
Senators investigate extent of Medicare coverage denials
May 19, 2023 09:00 - 5 minutes - 4.67 MBThe Senate panel initiated a bipartisan investigation, demanding records from the largest Medicare Advantage insurers: Humana, UnitedHealthcare, and CVS. Host Ben Leonard talks with Robert King about the frequency of care denials for beneficiaries and the utilization of artificial intelligence.
Bernie's newest health care plan
May 18, 2023 09:00 - 7 minutes - 7.18 MBSen. Bernie Sanders is launching his latest push as one of the Senate’s most powerful committee chairs: to pour nearly $200 billion of new money into the health care system. The new package is Sanders’ response to monthslong discussions on the Senate HELP Committee about how to address growing health workforce shortages and financial woes of community health centers. Host Megan Messerly talks with Daniel Payne.
The one abortion law Democrats aren’t rushing to repeal
May 17, 2023 09:00 - 8 minutes - 6.63 MBDemocrats are divided over whether minors should be able to have abortions without telling their parents. Some see repealing parental notification and consent laws as a political liability, particularly as conservatives push “parents’ rights” to win popular support in other areas. Host Carmen Paun talks with Megan Messerly about the division.
Regulating AI in health care
May 16, 2023 09:00 - 13 minutes - 10.9 MBThe use of artificial intelligence is gaining popularity, and some experts believe that personalized medicine delivered by AI is the future of health care. POLITICO’s Ruth Reader talks with AI entrepreneur and NYU professor emeritus Gary Marcus, who will testify before the Senate Judiciary subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law today, as lawmakers consider regulating AI.
Republicans object to Medicare cost-cutting experiment
May 15, 2023 09:00 - 7 minutes - 6.09 MBHost Katherine Ellen Foley talks with Robert King about some House Republicans’ opposition to a cost-cutting proposal from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation that would reduce payments for drugs that have won FDA approval but haven’t yet proven their clinical benefit. The GOP representatives argue it will curtail innovation and access to promising therapies.
Blue states waver on undocumented Medicaid coverage expansions
May 12, 2023 09:00 - 11 minutes - 10.4 MBDemocratic lawmakers in some states are hesitant to expand health coverage to low-income undocumented immigrants because of budgetary concerns. It’s left some immigration advocates wondering how committed to the issue those Democrats really are. Host Ruth Reader talks with Megan Messerly about the intra-party debate.
FDA advisors back first OTC birth control pill
May 11, 2023 09:00 - 10 minutes - 8.57 MBExpert advisers to the FDA have recommended approving the first over-the-counter birth control pill, Opill. Host Ruth Reader talks with Katherine Ellen Foley about the decision.
The end of an era: What to expect when the Covid PHE is over
May 10, 2023 09:00 - 7 minutes - 6.23 MBThe U.S.’ Covid-19 public health emergency ends Thursday along with pandemic-era rules and waivers. Host Megan Messerly talks with Daniel Payne about how the lifting of the PHE might affect the costs of Covid tests, vaccines and treatment; Title 42; Medicare; telehealth; and more.