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What it's like to run Medicaid, with Tim Hill Jun 20, 2019

Show notes

Tim Hill carved out a nearly three-decade career in the federal government, ultimately rising to a role where he oversaw Medicaid for much of last year.

Now at IMPAQ International, Hill sat down with Dan Diamond to discuss the day-to-day operations of programs like Medicaid, balancing civil service with political changes and some CMS initiatives that have been overshadowed. (Starts at the 1:00-minute mark.)

After the break, Rachana Pradhan and Adam Cancryn join Dan to discuss POLITICO's report on rising tensions between HHS and the White House. (Starts at the 25:00-minute mark.)

MENTIONED ON THE SHOW

The Trump administration's controversial Medicaid work requirements were blocked earlier this year by a federal judge.

CMS Adminstrator Seema Verma has touted efforts to improve maternal mortality.

POLITICO's report on HHS Secretary Alex Azar's recent clashes with the White House.

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Keeping new moms alive, with Katy Kozhimannil Jun 13, 2019

Show notes

Hundreds of women every year die from pregnancy-related complications in the United States — a trend that's been worsening and disproportionately hit minority and rural communities.

Katy Kozhimannil, a University of Minnesota researcher who's helped lead national research into maternal mortality, joined POLITICO's Dan Diamond to discuss why the problem has gotten worse, what presidential candidates like Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris are proposing to stop it and how worried the average new mom should really be.

MENTIONED ON THE SHOW

The award-winning NPR/ProPublica series on maternal mortality.

Katy's Health Affairs article about her family's personal experience with death after childbirth.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren is touting a plan to addressing black maternal mortality. So is Sen. Kamala Harris, who unveiled her own proposal last month.

Reps. Alma Adams and Lauren Underwood have launched the Black Maternal Health Caucus.

CMS Administrator Seema Verma has increasingly focused on rural maternal mortality.

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How the courts are deciding Obama and Trump's health care legacies, with Katie Keith Jun 06, 2019

Show notes

"We're doing health policy by litigation these days."

The fate of Obamacare and a slew of Trump health care policies — from Medicaid work requirements to Title X family planning changes — now rests in the courts.

Georgetown law professor Katie Keith sat down with POLITICO's Dan Diamond to discuss the legal fight over the Affordable Care Act, the litigation over Trump-era regulations, the rollback of LGBTQ patient policies and her own role as Health Affairs' go-to blogger for ACA analysis.

MENTIONED ON THE SHOW

Oral arguments are looming next month as Democrat-led states appeal a decision, supported by the Trump administration, that the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional.

The Texas Tribune looked closer at how GOP lawyers have steered cases to Judge Reed O'Connor, hoping he'll keep striking down Obama-era regulations.

The Trump administration last month rolled back protections for LGBTQ patients. HHS also announced new protections for religious health workers, a decision that drew on old polling by Kellyanne Conway.

Katie blogs about ACA regulations at Health Affairs.

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Roundup: CBD and marijuana, plus 2020 policy fights May 30, 2019

Show notes

With Congress on recess, POLITICO reporters break down a series of recent stories.

First, POLITICO's Sarah Owermohle and Paul Demko discuss the FDA's landmark hearing on CBD and separate efforts to legalize marijuana. (Starts at the 0:50 mark.)

Then, POLITICO's Rachana Pradhan and Adam Cancryn join Dan to review the policy fights over abortion access, drug pricing and LGBTQ protections, and how they're playing ahead of 2020 election campaigns. (Starts at the 16:25 mark.)

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Meet the congresswoman behind Democrats' new health care package May 23, 2019

Show notes

Less than three years ago, Lisa Blunt Rochester had never held elected office. Now the Delaware congresswoman — the first African-American and the first woman to represent her state — is emerging as a player in the House's health care efforts.

Blunt Rochester joined POLITICO's Dan Diamond to discuss her key role in the Obamacare and drug pricing legislation that just passed the House, how she views the health industry as a former state health official and why she endorsed longtime friend Joe Biden for president.

MENTIONED ON THE SHOW

Blunt Rochester's MORE Health Education Act was a key part of House Democrats' health care package last week.

Blunt Rochester in April endorsed Biden for the presidency.

Blunt Rochester broke new ground when she was elected in 2016 to represent Delaware.

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On Uwe Reinhardt's new book and lasting legacy May 16, 2019

Show notes

For health care policy wonks, for decades, perhaps there was no more recognizable name than "Uwe" — the Princeton professor who could explain health care's broken economics in a snappy soundbite.

Uwe Reinhardt passed away in November 2017 but his new book is out this week. His wife and collaborator, Tsung-Mei (May) Cheng, sat down with POLITICO's Dan Diamond to discuss Reinhardt's life, work and lasting lessons.

MENTIONED ON THE SHOW

"Priced Out," Reinhardt's final book, was published this week.

Reinhardt appeared on NPR's "Fresh Air" in 2009 to discuss the push for the Affordable Care Act.

POLITICO Pulse Check's November 2017 reflections on Reinhardt. (Starts at the 45:38 mark.)

"It's the prices, stupid," Reinhardt and colleagues declared in a 2003 Health Affairs paper on the United States' problem with high health costs.

At Stat News, Gerard Anderson — a Johns Hopkins professor and co-author on the "prices, stupid" paper — reflects on Reinhardt's life and work.

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Inside Baltimore's 'Healthy Holly' scandal with the reporter who broke it May 08, 2019

Show notes

Two months ago, Baltimore Sun reporter Luke Broadwater learned that the state's flagship hospital system had paid Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh at least $500,000 for her self-published "Healthy Holly" children's books — even as Pugh sat on the system's board.

More stunning details quickly emerged, and the resulting scandal has reshaped Maryland politics — Pugh resigned last week — and sparked new hospital legislation. Luke joined POLITICO's Dan Diamond to discuss how he got the story, how the Sun has covered the fallout and where Maryland's hospitals and politicians go from here.

MENTIONED ON THE SHOW

Luke's initial March 13 story on the University of Maryland Medical System's deals with its board members.

Pugh's March 28 press conference, where she defended her work and touted "Healthy Holly" themed baby clothes.

Luke's May 4 story on Pugh's decision to resign.

The Baltimore Sun's archive of coverage in the scandal.

Washington Post book critic Carlos Lozada reviewed the "Healthy Holly" book series and found it lacking.

HBO's John Oliver riffed on the Baltimore scandal last month.

Pugh appeared on POLITICO's "Women Rule" podcast in 2017, discussing her ambitions for Baltimore.

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Why 150,000 nurses are fighting for "Medicare for All" Apr 30, 2019

Show notes

The health care industry is trying to stop "Medicare for All." It's also a non-starter with Republicans, and some Democrats don't like it either.

But progressives who support single-payer can count on the muscle of one key constituency: Organized labor.

Bonnie Castillo, the head of National Nurses United, joined POLITICO's Dan Diamond to discuss why her 150,000-member-strong union has thrown its support behind Medicare for All, why she thinks the legislation would help patients and her members, and how her organization is setting strategy and viewing the 2020 election.

MENTIONED ON THE SHOW

Activist Ady Barkan, who's testifying at this week's historic Medicare for All hearing, appeared on "Pulse Check" in December 2017, at an earlier stage of fighting ALS.

National Nurses United helped organize a Medicare for All protest outside of the headquarters of PhRMA, the drug lobby, on Monday.

Nursing unions have spent years pushing for policy priorities like nurse-to-patient ratios.

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'Historic' payment pilots and Ariadne Labs' Asaf Bitton Apr 26, 2019

Show notes

HHS Secretary Alex Azar and other officials this week unveiled new payment pilots that they say will transform primary care. Are they right?

POLITICO's Rachel Roubein and Paul Demko join Dan Diamond to discuss the payment pilots (starts at the 1:30 mark), the latest Obamacare changes (starts at the 9:35 mark) and new developments in the "Medicare-for-All" debate (starts at the 17:10 mark).

Then Asaf Bitton, the new leader of Ariadne Labs — the Atul Gawande-founded think tank — joins PULSE CHECK to discuss his vision for Ariadne and his experience as an adviser on this week's primary care reforms (starts at the 25:10 mark).

MENTIONED ON THE SHOW

HHS on Monday unveiled new payment pilots intended to reward primary care providers for high-value care. In a speech, Azar called it a "historic turning point in American health care."

CMS last week finalized new rules for the Obamacare marketplace in 2020, which the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities said will hit many consumers' pocketbooks.

A new Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that "Medicare for All" has fallen behind other priorities like lower drug costs.

POLITICO's Rachana Pradhan and Dan Goldberg looked at blue states' fight to create "public option" health plans.

Meanwhile, Bitton was named the new leader of Ariadne Labs, succeeding Gawande, and laid out his strategy.

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Roundup: Medicare for All, Democrats' divides and drug pricing investigations Apr 18, 2019

Show notes

On this week's episode, POLITICO reporters debate two of the biggest stories in health policy.

First, POLITICO's Adam Cancryn and Alice Miranda Ollstein join Dan Diamond to discuss Bernie Sanders' new Medicare for All plan and how Democrats are approaching the fight for coverage expansion.

Then after the break (starts at the 25:30 mark), pharma reporter Sarah Owermohle summarizes recent Congressional hearings into high drug prices and pharmacy benefit managers and previews a possible regulation to come.

MENTIONED ON THE SHOW

Sanders unveiled his Medicare for All plan last week and touted it aggressively — including on Fox News.

Congressional Republicans have pushed for votes on Medicare for All, seeking to highlight Democrats' splits.

The New York Times profiled the tensions between the Sanders campaign and the Center for American Progress, partly over health care plans. The article sparked outrage from many Democrats, some of whom objected to quoting the 78-year-old mother of CAP's president.

Lawmakers grilled insulin manufacturers and PBMs last week over high drug prices.

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