Politico's Pulse Check

It’s been another packed week in health care, and PULSE CHECK — with help from a conservative health care analyst — is here to help make sense of it all. First, POLITICO’s Jennifer Haberkorn and Adam Cancryn join Dan Diamond to talk about their reporting about the tax package that’s poised to pass the Senate (starts at the 1:45 mark), the fight over HHS Secretary-nominee Alex Azar (11:00), and the latest timing on funding for Children’s Health Insurance Program (15:00). Dan also discusses the false reports about Kellyanne Conway being appointed “opiods czar.” (19:45) Then after the break, Chris Jacobs — the CEO of the Juniper Research Group and a prominent conservative health care analyst — explains his criticism of the tax package (starts at the 25:30 mark), his review of the GOP’s health care efforts after 10 months of controlling government (35:00), and his thoughts on the state of conservative health care analysis (37:45). We’d appreciate your help: Please share PULSE CHECK and rate us on your favorite

As the year winds down, PULSE CHECK is casting an eye outside of Washington and on what’s coming next for health care. And that's why this week's conversation is with one of the industry's big thinkers — Jeff Goldsmith, who grapples with these questions as a health care futurist and Navigant advisor. Jeff sat down with POLITICO’s Dan Diamond to discuss what a futurist does and how his predictions have panned out (starts at the 1:20 mark), the trend toward hospital consolidation and what providers are doing right and wrong (9:00), where the health care industry stands and the signals being sent by Washington, D.C. (17:45), and a lightning round on what’s next for major sectors (28:00). At the end of the episode, listen to a special excerpt from POLITICO MONEY, Ben White’s new podcast on politics, finance and economics, with this week’s episode focused on Republicans' tax bill fight. (Starts at the 31:10 mark). We’d appreciate your help: Please share PULSE CHECK and rate us on your favorite podcast app! Hav

It’s been a busy week in health care, and PULSE CHECK is here to help make sense of it all. First, POLITICO’s Paul Demko and Sarah Karlin-Smith join Dan Diamond to discuss Republicans’ tax reform plans, Alex Azar’s nomination as HHS secretary, the state of ACA enrollment and Dan’s reporting on the Mayo Clinic. (Starts at the 2:00 mark.) Then, Dartmouth professor Brendan Nyhan sits down with Dan to discuss his research into myths and lies about the ACA, vaccines and other health care issues, and how to change a person’s mind. (Starts at the 27:15 mark.) Finally, Dan reflects on Uwe Reinhardt, the giant of health policy who passed away this week. (Starts at the 45:35 mark.) We’d appreciate your help: Please share PULSE CHECK and rate us on your favorite podcast app! Have questions, suggestions or feedback? Email ddiamond@politico.com. Stories and work referenced on the podcast: Sarah and Adam Cancryn's story on Alex Azar, the nominee to lead HHS: https://www.politico.com/story/2017/11/13/alex-azar-hhs-se

"I don't know why people in rural America should have to settle for insurance that no one else in the industrialized world has to settle for... Just because you live in a rural place, why should you have to pay for insurance that's of no use to you?" Sen. Michael Bennet is an intriguing figure in the national health care debate. The Colorado Democrat sits on the Senate’s two key health care committees, he’s been pragmatic about the Affordable Care Act, and with Sen. Tim Kaine, he’s the author of Medicare-X, a new plan to expand coverage. The senator sat down with POLITICO’s Dan Diamond to share his reaction to Democrats’ victories in Tuesday’s election (starts at the 15:45 mark), his Medicare-X bill and his exhaustion with the ACA debate (19:40), Democrats’ desire for universal coverage and why Colorado’s single-payer bill failed (28:45), his role on the Senate Finance and HELP committees overseeing HHS and CMS (34:10) and his thoughts on the state of media (43:00). But first, Josh Peck — the former Chief

Atul Gawande doesn't really need an introduction — but if PULSE CHECK were to provide one, it would highlight his work as a New Yorker writer, researcher, best-selling author, surgeon and founder of two non-profits. (Among other responsibilities.) Atul sat down with POLITICO's Dan Diamond to discuss how he manages his schedule (starts at the 2:05 mark), his book "Being Mortal" and how he thinks its lessons have resonated (5:50), his perspective on politics and public health (11:20), his early career as a Hill staffer and Clinton-era appointee at HHS (18:00), whether he'd ever take a job in D.C. again (26:00) and his writing process (28:00). Plus, stick around to hear Atul answer PULSE CHECK listener questions, which starts at the 40:20 mark. We’d appreciate your help: Please share PULSE CHECK and rate us on your favorite podcast app! Have questions, suggestions or feedback? Email ddiamond@politico.com. Stories and book referenced on the podcast: Atul's 2015 book, "Being Mortal": https://www.amazon.com/dp

Aaron Carroll is making a play to be America’s doctor, or at least the physician we need to bust medical myths. The pediatrician from Indianapolis is a best-selling author of medical advice books, a featured writer in the New York Times, and even a YouTube celebrity, with more than 250,000 subscribers to his channel. So how did he do it? In a bonus episode of PULSE CHECK, Aaron joins POLITICO’s Dan Diamond to discuss his path from blogger to New York Times contributor (Starts at the 1:35 mark), his critical analysis of Medicare-for-all proposals (11:20), his view as an Indiana-based doctor of that state’s health reforms, led by Mike Pence and Seema Verma (15:50), why Congress is failing on CHIP and what policies they should pursue (20:35), Aaron’s mythbusting on what you should, and shouldn’t eat(23:00) and more. We’d appreciate your help: Please share PULSE CHECK and rate us on your favorite podcast app! Have questions, suggestions or feedback? Email ddiamond@politico.com or tweet him @ddiamond. Stories and

The Washington conversation has been focused on the fate of the ACA and whether insurers are planning to stick around. So for this episode of PULSE CHECK, we took the conversation outside the Beltway to hear from Mario Schlosser, CEO of Oscar Health — the insurance startup that’s gotten a lot of buzz and is heading into more Obamacare markets this year. Mario caught up with POLITICO’s Dan Diamond last month to discuss Oscar's evolving strategy (starts at the 2:00 mark), why Oscar is moving into new Obamacare markets (8:05), the company's much-hyped founding story (16:00) and some of the unwanted attention on Oscar, including the insurer's ties to Jared Kushner (26:10). We’d appreciate your help: Please share PULSE CHECK and rate us on your favorite podcast app! Have questions, suggestions or feedback? Email ddiamond@politico.com.

Every shortlist of health care power players includes Bernard J. Tyson, head of Kaiser Permanente. (Modern Healthcare this summer ranked him the fourth most influential person, after Sens. Collins, McCain and Murkowski.) So how does this prominent figure see the industry, and what's he telling Congress? Bernard caught up with POLITICO’s Dan Diamond last week to discuss the whirlwind around ACA repeal and what he wants to see fixed (starts at the 1:50 mark), whether insurers can come back to Obamacare markets (9:00), his own career path and whether it's replicable today (23:30), KP's role as an employer and community anchor (29:00), and the future of his organization (33:30). We’d appreciate your help: Please share PULSE CHECK and rate us on your favorite podcast app! Have questions, suggestions or feedback? Email ddiamond@politico.com.    

The political fights over U.S. health policy often pale next to the world's health care challenges — and Sue Desmond-Hellmann would know. The doctor-turned-CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is on the front lines of the global public health battle, as her organization tackles challenges like eradicating polio and preventing maternal and newborn deaths. Sue caught up with POLITICO’s Dan Diamond last week to discuss if the Trump administration’s putting global progress at risk (starts at the 2:45 mark), the Gates Foundation’s work around the globe, the public health priorities that are being overlooked, and the role of philanthropy in solving the world’s crises. We’d appreciate your help: Please share PULSE CHECK and rate us on your favorite podcast app! Have questions, suggestions or feedback? Email ddiamond@politico.com.

Here’s how fast things are moving in health care: Mike Leavitt, who ran HHS under President George W. Bush, came to Washington 10 days ago to testify about the need for bipartisan health reforms — and since that day, when he sat down with POLITICO's Dan Diamond, the Senate’s bipartisan health push has collapsed and the GOP’s latest Obamacare repeal bill is on life support. Although the conversation is slightly dated, the former HHS secretary is a must-listen voice on health care issues, and he shares his perspective on possible health reforms (starts at the 16:30 mark), his pessimism on Medicare-for-all (22:00), his concerns about the Affordable Care Act (25:15) and his post-government work as head of Leavitt Partners (32:30). But first, POLITICO’s Rachana Pradhan and Jennifer Haberkorn join PULSE CHECK to break down the wild week in health care (starts at the 2:15 mark) and Rachana and Dan’s reporting about HHS Secretary Tom Price’s charter jets — an investigation that made this podcast so delayed (starts at

Progressives have spent 2017 rethinking, regrouping and — in some cases — re-litigating what it means to be a Democrat after last year's shocking presidential loss. And two health care issues, abortion rights and single-payer, have been at the center of this year's party debates. One person leading those conversations is Ilyse Hogue, head of NARAL Pro-Choice America, who joined POLITICO's Dan Diamond to explain the mission of her pro-abortion advocacy organization (starts at the 2:00 mark), whether Donald Trump has actually been a boon to progressives (7:20), how anti-abortion Republicans are targeting the judiciary (14:20), whether Democrats should only vote for candidates who support abortion rights and Medicare-for-all (17:20), her own career path (25:00) and why she talked about her own abortion on national TV at the Democratic National Convention (29:25). We’d appreciate your help: Please share PULSE CHECK and rate us on your favorite podcast app! Have questions, suggestions or feedback? Email ddiamond@p

PULSE CHECK is back from August recess with a closer look at how health care politics and policy can influence spending — and sometimes not for the better. But first, Jen Haberkorn and Adam Cancryn rejoin PULSE CHECK to discuss the competing approaches to Obamacare in the Senate, whether either plan has a chance at succeeding, and if the GOP still wants to fight to repeal the law (starts at the 1:23 mark). After the break, Yale economist Zack Cooper discusses his team's first-of-its-kind work into the connection between politics, hospital behavior and health care spending, and how one last-minute addition to a major piece of Medicare legislation boosted hospital payments — and politicians' campaign contributions (starts at the 22:30 mark). We’d appreciate your help: Please share PULSE CHECK and rate us on your favorite podcast app! Have questions, suggestions or feedback? Email ddiamond@politico.com or tweet him @ddiamond.

Kathleen Sebelius, the former HHS secretary who oversaw the rollout of Obamacare, is worried that HHS’s current leaders are steering the ACA the wrong direction. "They have done a lot to sabotage the health care law," Sebelius told POLITICO’s Dan Diamond. The former HHS secretary shares her thoughts on the current administration’s strategy, what she thinks HHS should be prioritizing and what’s been overlooked because of the intense focus on the ACA. (Starts at 22:00) But first, POLITICO’s Rachana Pradhan and Paul Demko join PULSE CHECK to discuss the emerging bipartisan efforts in the Senate to stabilize the ACA, the disconnect between President Trump’s comments and the Trump administration’s actions on health care and what’s on tap when Congress returns in September (starts at 1:35 mark) We’d appreciate your help: Please share PULSE CHECK and rate us on your favorite podcast app! Have questions, suggestions or feedback? Email ddiamond@politico.com or tweet him @ddiamond. Stories referenced on the podcast: Ra

Andy Slavitt has been busy: Since leaving office in January, the man who ran Medicare, Medicaid and the ACA has mounted a whirlwind defense of Obamacare, holding town halls coast to coast and being ever-present on social media. And in a repeat podcast appearance, Slavitt rejoins POLITICO's Dan Diamond to explain his strategy — and what this year has been like as his profile exploded. Andy discusses how he morphed from Obama administration official to the ACA's most visible advocate (starts at the 3:00 mark), the bipartisan solutions he thinks are necessary in health care (6:30), what he thinks HHS will do and why he thinks his criticism of the GOP is fair (12:00), whether he'd ever run for office (25:00), if he still needs the media as someone with 100,000-plus Twitter followers (34:30), and what he's learned about communications strategy since leaving office (42:20). Note: This conversation was recorded in late July, a few days before the Senate GOP health bill failed on the floor. We’d appreciate your help:

The central fight over the ACA has (for now) moved from Congress to the White House, where President Donald Trump is debating whether to yank key payments for insurers. But some senators are hinting that a bipartisan compromise on Obamacare is coming — as long as Trump doesn’t blow up their efforts, that is. First, POLITICO’s Jennifer Haberkorn and Paul Demko join Dan Diamond to talk about what's next in the Senate, the legal case that gives Trump the power to nix the payments, and what it was like to watch the dramatic vote early Friday morning. (Starts at 1:30.) Then after the break, Nicholas Bagley, a University of Michigan law professor who’s a leading voice on the ACA's legal issues, explains the theory behind the current case, what happens in the courts if Trump yanks the payments, and the series of legal attacks on Obamacare over the years. (Starts at the 22:45 mark). We’d appreciate your help: Please share PULSE CHECK and rate us on your favorite podcast app! Have questions, suggestions or feedback? E

The Senate GOP is pushing forward with plans to roll back all or part of the Affordable Care Act, threatening insurance coverage for millions of Americans. A devastating moment for progressives? Not at all, says Ben Wikler, the Washington director for MoveOn.org, who argues that the drawn-out fight to repeal the ACA has turned into a major win. Wikler joined PULSE CHECK to talk about activism in the Trump era, how “the Resistance” in 2017 compares to the Tea Party in 2009 and how he’s thinking about the health care fight and what lies ahead. (Starts at the 9:25 mark.) But first: POLITICO deputy health care editor Jason Millman joined Dan Diamond to talk about the latest developments in the Senate and the “skinny repeal” plan now under consideration. (Starts at the 2:00 mark.) We’d appreciate your help: Please share PULSE CHECK and rate us on your favorite podcast app! Have questions, suggestions or feedback? Email ddiamond@politico.com or tweet him @ddiamond. NOTE: Dan will be at Politicon.com in California t

The nation heard from President Donald Trump on Wednesday, who again urged Republicans to repeal the ACA. Congress continues to loudly battle over the law, and governors have spoken out too. But one voice that’s been largely ignored: Local health leaders. And on this episode of PULSE CHECK, two big city health commissioners — New York City commissioner Mary Bassett and Chicago commissioner Julie Morita — join POLITICO’s Dan Diamond to explain how Republicans’ plan would hit their cities, why they prioritize "health" over "health care" and how they're addressing persistent social inequality. They also walk through what it’s like to be a city health commissioner — a role that both describe as their dream job. We’d appreciate your help: Please share PULSE CHECK and rate us on your favorite podcast app! Have questions, suggestions or feedback? Email ddiamond@politico.com or tweet him @ddiamond. NOTE: Dan will be at Politicon.com next week for a live-taping of POLITICO’s Nerdcast podcast and to moderate a panel on

Meet the new bill — mostly the same as the old bill. Senate Republicans released their revised health care legislation this week, and while Sen. Ted Cruz is now firmly onboard, many moderate senators remain publicly uncommitted. And it's possible the bill could fail — again — next week. A team of POLITICO reporters break down what happened and what's next. First, Jen Haberkorn and Adam Cancryn rejoin PULSE CHECK to discuss what's in the new bill, the frenzied push to win over enough holdouts to simply bring it to the floor and their reporting on which senators to watch (starts at the 1:50 mark). Then after the break, Paul Demko and Sarah Karlin-Smith drill down on implications for the health care industry and recap the mostly overlooked developments for the fate of Obamacare's insurance markets and changes to drug payments (starts at the 23:30 mark). We’d appreciate your help: Please share PULSE CHECK and rate us on your favorite podcast app! Have questions, suggestions or feedback? Email ddiamond@politico.co

Even Republican senators say their health care bill is "dead." But their effort to repeal and replace the ACA is far from over — and the GOP is preparing to unveil a revised bill and sprint to pass it across July. POLITICO’s Adam Cancryn and Jennifer Haberkorn join Dan Diamond to discuss where Republicans stand after their rough recess (starts at the 1:30 mark), Adam’s reporting trip to cover holdout Sen. Shelley Moore Capito in West Virginia (10:30), the role of Donald Trump in selling the bill (13:40), how the next few weeks could shake out (18:30) and a few stories that are flying below the radar (26:15). We’d appreciate your help: Please share PULSE CHECK and rate us on your favorite podcast app! Have questions, suggestions or feedback? Email ddiamond@politico.com or tweet him @ddiamond. Read Adam's story on Capito: http://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/09/capito-gop-senator-opposes-health-bill-240311 Read Jen's story on recess: http://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/07/gop-health-plan-home-districts-misgi