Politico's Pulse Check

The introduction of new weight loss drugs is unlikely to replace bariatric surgery, but they may increase patient awareness and demand for weight loss procedures overall. Host Kelly Hooper talks with health care reporter Daniel Payne about the potential impacts of new medications on the bariatric surgery industry. 

John Bell, the former U.K. testing czar, argues governments should increase disease surveillance, develop routine adult vaccination programs, and build clinical trial networks in Africa to better prepare for the next pandemic. Host Megan Messerly talks with POLITICO global health reporter Carmen Paun about her Q&A with Bell.            

The NYC organization Health + Hospitals is shuttering eight school-based health centers by Aug. 31 due to low uptake. Host Katherine Ellen Foley talks with POLITICO health care reporter Maya Kaufman about the health care system’s shift away from the school clinic model to a broader community-based model.            

On the first anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act, the Biden administration is defending its authority to negotiate drug prices through Medicare as the Department of Health and Human Services filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce challenging HHS new price-setting powers under the IRA. Host Alice Miranda Ollstein talks with Lauren Gardner about the legal challenges facing the administration’s efforts to lower prescription drug costs.    

Virginia Democrats are betting that defending abortion rights will lead to wins in the state’s fall elections. Host Ben Leonard talks with Madison Fernandez, author of POLITICO’s Weekly Score, about the momentum building among Democrats despite their 2021 losses on the issue there.    

Psychedelic drugs like psilocybin and MDMA are gaining bipartisan support in Washington as potential treatments for mental health issues like PTSD, anxiety, and depression. But concerns about side effects persist. Host Kelly Hooper talks with POLITICO health care reporter Katherine Ellen Foley about the promising yet delicate path forward for psychedelic therapies.    

States -- both blue and red -- are dropping millions of Medicaid enrollees for the first time in three years, after a pandemic policy meant to prevent vulnerable people from losing health coverage expired in May. Host Alice Miranda Ollstein talks with POLITICO’s White House correspondent Adam Cancryn about how this change comes at the worst time for President Joe Biden. 

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued proposed rules for the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, requiring employer accommodations for pregnant workers. However, the EEOC’s inclusion of abortion has drawn pushback from Republicans. Host Katherine Ellen Foley talks with Olivia Olander about the broader landscape of protections for pregnant workers.

The number of medical device shortages reported to the FDA plummeted after mandatory reporting requirements — tied to the Covid-19 public health emergency — expired in May. Host Megan Messerly talks with David Lim about the reporting nosedive.     

Despite a decade of bipartisan collaboration and personal friendship, Reps. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio) and Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.) have found their relationship strained as chair and ranking member of the committee dedicated to investigating the government response to Covid-19. Host Ben Leonard talks with Alice Miranda Ollstein about their inability to find common ground on the pandemic response, raising concerns about further erosion of public trust in government.    

Molina Healthcare, which manages Medicaid for states, gave $1 million to the Republican Governors Association in the first half of 2023, far exceeding past contributions. Host Evan Peng talks with Robert King about the backdrop for this spike: A reassessment of Medicaid rolls that threatens insurers’ bottom lines.    

Covid-19 hospitalizations have risen for the first time since early 2023. But public health experts and the White House remain confident treatments and vaccines can manage a potential fall outbreak. Host Alice Miranda Ollstein talks with David Lim about the recent increase in cases and what it may signal.

Maternal health care continues to disappear across many parts of the nation as more OBGYNs move or shutter their practices and more birthing hospitals shut down, negatively affecting millions of pregnant individuals, according to new data from the March of Dimes. Host Katherine Ellen Foley talks with Alice Miranda Ollstein about factors fueling obstetric unit closures — maternal care costs, traveling distance to deliver and state abortion bans.              

The House and Senate have only a few more working weeks left to pass key legislation before funding for crucial health programs runs out on September 30. Host Megan Messerly talks with Megan R. Wilson and David Lim about the status of major health policy bills and the challenges Congress faces in addressing them.    

Millions of Americans risk losing Medicaid coverage as pandemic protections expire, sparking fear among public health experts of more opioid overdoses. Host Ben Leonard talks with Daniel Payne about the impacts of redetermination on the crisis.    

Industry leaders and patient advocates are preparing to oppose a forthcoming Biden administration regulation that would set minimum staffing requirements for nursing homes, with the former worried about costs and the latter concerned standards won’t be high enough. Host Kelly Hooper talks with Daniel Payne about the criticism of the pending nursing home rules.

The CDC has identified three more tuberculosis infections linked to recalled bone graft materials from Aziyo Biologics, bringing the total cases to 5, with one death. At least 36 more patients are being preemptively treated. Host Alice Miranda Ollstein talks with Lauren Gardner about the latest contamination concerns.

Mississippi’s new medical marijuana market is struggling to find its footing, with more than 280 licensed businesses but fewer than 20,000 enrolled patients. Host Katherine Ellen Foley talks with Paul Demko about how the market is trying to balance robust competition with attracting enough patients to sustain all the new businesses.    

The Biden administration has proposed a rule designed to force health insurers to comply with a 2008 mental health parity law. Host Megan Messerly talks with Ben Leonard about the White House’s push to equalize mental and physical health benefits and what it would mean for patient access and costs.

House Republicans’ health care hopes are riding on the must-pass legislation. Host Ben Leonard talks to Alice Miranda Ollstein about how the culture wars are more prominently featuring into this year’s appropriations process.