POLITICO's Pulse Check

Scott Gottlieb was nominated to run the FDA in March 2017. Two years — and nearly 500 press announcements — later, the productive and high-profile commissioner is preparing to step down in early April 2019. Gottlieb joined POLITICO's Dan Diamond to discuss why he's leaving FDA (starts at 1:30), his regulatory and communications strategy (4:40), his work on medical device safety (10:30), digital health (16:30), opioid abuse (19:15), the Trump administration's approach to science and the choice of Ned Sharpless as acting FDA commissioner (24:25), what Gottlieb would've pursued if he had more time at FDA (26:30) and if he'll ever return to government (28:30). MENTIONED ON THE SHOW As commissioner, Gottlieb has received bipartisan praise for his activist agenda. Gottlieb's aggressive moves as commissioner came as a surprise, given his pre-Trump administration reputation as someone with a free-market background. The conservative Washington Times cheered Gottlieb's departure, suggesting that he became "an avenging angel for the Nanny state" and pushed too much regulation on vaping. Before rejoining FDA in 2017, Gottlieb was a frequent critic of its actions, such as in a 2010 AEI column where Gottlieb urged FDA to become more transparent on drug company letters. Gottlieb steered numerous reforms at FDA, including pushing an overhaul of medical device reviews. FDA recently approved a powerful painkiller called Dsuvia, drawing some criticism. Gottlieb's January 2018 and November 2018 appearances on "Pulse Check." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

He's tried to cut global HIV funds. He's made moves to roll back LGBTQ protections. He reportedly confused "HIV" and "HPV." Can we really trust President Donald Trump when he promises to end the HIV epidemic in a decade? Jen Kates of the Kaiser Family Foundation joins POLITICO's Dan Diamond to discuss the president's pledge, his latest funding moves and the state of the global fight against HIV. MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Trump promised at the State of the Union that he would end "AIDS in America and beyond." The strategy unveiled by Trump's health department faces a potential minefield, from skeptical public health experts to conservative religious organizations. Meanwhile, Trump's budget proposed new money for domestic HIV initiatives — but significantly cut global health efforts. Anthony Fauci, the federal government's top infectious disease official, says that the recent cure of an HIV patient isn't a path to curing everyone. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb's leaving the Trump administration, and POLITICO reporters react to the monumental news. In the first panel (starts at the 1:30 mark), Sarah Karlin-Smith and Adam Cancryn join Dan Diamond to react to Gottlieb's resignation and discuss the political implications. In the second panel (starts at the 21:00 mark), Sarah Owermohle and Helena Bottemiller Evich join Dan to discuss Gottlieb's policies and reflect on his legacy. MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Gottlieb's appeared on PULSE CHECK twice: In January 2018, to discuss his agency's priorities, and November 2018, to unveil his e-cigarette strategy. POLITICO's Sarah, Sarah and Helena looked at Gottlieb's departure and key milestones. Bloomberg's Max Nisen argued that Gottlieb was the Trump administration's most popular official. The shutdown hit FDA especially hard, with Gottlieb and others warning that FDA's food safety inspections were imperiled. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More than 100 House Democrats on Wednesday, led by Rep. Pramila Jayapal, unveiled their sweeping Medicare for All legislation. So what comes next — and why is the health care industry so opposed to it? First, POLITICO's Alice Miranda Ollstein joins Dan Diamond (starts at the 1:05 mark) on Capitol Hill to explain the state of play. Then Lauren Crawford Shaver, head of the Partnership for America's Health Care Future (starts at the 9:00 mark), explains why her members — groups like the American Medical Association and the American Hospital Association — think Medicare for All and Democrats' other proposals are non-starters. REFERENCED ON THE SHOW Democrats' Medicare for All bill, released this week, doesn't include a price tag, Alice and POLITICO's Adam Cancryn wrote. Jayapal appeared on "Pulse Check" in December 2018 to discuss her Medicare for All plans. The Partnership has been running digital ads against Medicare for All. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Congress on recess, POLITICO's reporters (and a bonus guest) take stock of three big stories in a grab-bag episode. First, Rachana Pradhan leads a conversation on Utah's controversial changes to voter-approved Medicaid expansion (starts at the 1:20 mark). Next, Paul Demko offers an update on lawsuits over President Donald Trump's cancellation of ACA payments to insurers (starts at the 12:40 mark). Finally, Rodney Whitlock — a former top aide to Sen. Chuck Grassley — joins POLITICO's reporters to help preview next week's drug pricing hearings in the Senate (starts at the 24:00 mark). MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Utah's GOP leaders shrunk the state's voter-approved Medicaid expansion. Rachana will sit down with Utah Gov. Gary Herbert on Friday morning at a POLITICO livestreamed event. Multiple judges have now ruled that the United States owes billions of dollars to insurers after Trump cancelled certain ACA payments in 2017. Seven leading pharma executives will face the Senate Finance Committee in a much-anticipated hearing next week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"In our view, our jurisdiction is the world... Every time you watch the nightly news, [I] come up with at least three new ideas for hearings." Rep. Diana DeGette, the Colorado Democrat leading oversight for the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee, joins POLITICO's Dan Diamond to discuss why she prioritized hearings on family separations, vow an investigation of high insulin prices, reflect on her mentor John Dingell and more. MENTIONED ON THE SHOW DeGette's subcommittee held its first hearing last week, focused on HHS' role in family separations. DeGette, alongside GOP Rep. Tom Reed, probed the high prices of insulin last year. DeGette says she has questions about HHS' new fetal tissue policy. Planned Parenthood's Leana Wen was on the podcast last week. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley also joined POLITICO in recent weeks to discuss his priorities. Bob Carey, the former head of the HHS refugee office, joined the podcast last year to explain the refugee office and his concerns about the Trump administration's policies. Rep. Joe Kennedy, who's DeGette's vice-chair on the subcommittee, joined the podcast in 2017 to discuss his career and focus on health care. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"We are at a time when everything is at stake… If we don’t fight and we don’t lead the charge… then who is going to?” The Trump administration has made no secret of its plans to roll back access to abortion. One of the key figures attempting to stop them: Leana Wen, a physician tapped to be Planned Parenthood's new leader last fall. Wen joined POLITICO's Dan Diamond to rebut President Trump's latest efforts to limit abortion access, explain her vision for Planned Parenthood and share reflections on her fast-rising career. MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Wen was tapped in September 2018 as the new leader of Planned Parenthood — the first doctor to run the organization in decades. BuzzFeed profiled Wen and her vision for Planned Parenthood, although Wen later took issue with the headline. Marjorie Dannenfelser, head of the prominent anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony List, appeared on POLITICO's podcast last year. In a separate episode, POLITICO reporters traced the fight over abortion access. (Interested in more perspectives on abortion? Check our archives for interviews with NARAL's Ilyse Hogue, Equity Forward's Mary Alice Carter and other prominent figures.) Wen's four-year stint as Baltimore health commissioner attracted significant attention and was widely praised. Baltimore's notorious for its health care disparities, which have contributed to broader unrest, as Dan wrote in 2015. Wen and other city health commissioners sued the Trump administration over its abrupt cancellation of teen pregnancy prevention funds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sen. Chuck Grassley says it's time for the secrecy in the pharma industry to end. "The lack of transparency... is something that allows the shenanigans that we read about every day," the Senate Finance Committee chairman said, on the eve of his committee's first drug pricing hearing. Grassley sat down with POLITICO's Dan Diamond to review his drug pricing plans, explain his approach to government oversight and talk through his priorities — including his famous use of Twitter. MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Grassley in 1983 disregarded the Reagan administration to probe Pentagon cost overruns. The resulting hearing led to a TIME Magazine cover story. Grassley in 2017 pushed back against the Trump administration's effort to limit oversight requests. Grassley in 2018 co-sponsored the CREATES Act, which was intended to lower prescription drug prices. Grassley has used social media to promote a variety of priorities — including his ongoing "corn watch." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ashish Jha has spent years sounding the alarm about the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program — an Obamacare policy intended to encourage hospitals to provide better care. But Jha argues the program instead put patients at risk, and new data suggests he might be right. Jha, the director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, joins POLITICO's Dan Diamond to discuss the readmissions policy and the latest data. Jha also reflects on the Trump administration’s approach to global health and how his perspective has evolved over the past two years. MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Jha’s February 2017 appearance on POLITICO “Pulse Check,” where he discussed his career and global health priorities. A JAMA study in December found a link between the readmissions policy and rising mortality. Harvard researchers this month also concluded that Medicare has overstated the benefits of its readmissions policy. Yale’s Harlan Krumholz helped develop the policy and has extensively defended it, including in this 2017 comment in JAMA. Writing in the New York Times, Paula Span reviewed the latest arguments and data. HHS Secretary Alex Azar has a unique perspective: Even as he oversees a policy to cut readmissions, Azar was readmitted to the hospital last year while suffering an intestinal infection. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why spend more than a year investigating hospital bills? Vox's Sarah Kliff says it all started with a $629 band-aid; now she's probing a hospital named after Facebook's founder. Sarah — a senior policy correspondent, host of "The Impact" podcast and a former POLITICO reporter — sits down with Dan Diamond to discuss her billing series and the reaction, what she's learned about health care prices and how she thinks about policy journalism. MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Sarah's story on Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and its unusual billing practices. Sarah's ongoing series on hospital billing and the impact on patients. Dan's story on efforts to regulate not-for-profit hospitals, led by Sen. Chuck Grassley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thousands of migrant families were separated at the border by the Trump administration last year. One of the HHS officials involved in putting them back together: Chris Meekins — a Trump appointee who normally helped oversee emergency preparedness, but was tapped as part of HHS' broader response. Meekins, who left HHS last week, sat down with POLITICO's Dan Diamond to defend the HHS family reunification effort and discuss the Trump administration's broader missteps at the border (starts at the 1:30 mark), explain how HHS responds to natural disasters (21:00), review the biosecurity threats facing America (26:30) and more. REFERENCED ON THE SHOW How HHS got drawn into the family separation crisis. The Trump administration has been criticized for its response to hurricanes that hit Puerto Rico. The Strategic National Stockpile was shifted from CDC to HHS last year. The Trump administration last fall announced a new biodefense strategy. A U.S. doctor exposed to Ebola was brought to Nebraska last week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a new year, and PULSE CHECK returns to look at what's ahead. POLITICO's Adam Cancryn and Rachana Pradhan join Dan Diamond to discuss if the partial government shutdown will end soon (starts at the 1:45 mark), what's on Congress' to-do list (4:00) and how the Trump administration is putting its stamp on the states (16:45) — with a bonus conversation about the most influential Trump appointees (26:10). REFERENCED ON THE SHOW There’s no sign that the partial government shutdown will come to an end soon. More. Adam and Alice Miranda Ollstein’s POLITICO Pro story on House Democrats’ new health strategy. (Behind the Pro firewall.) More. Rachana’s story about thousands of Arkansas residents losing Medicaid coverage every month. More. Arkansas health chief Cindy Gillespie and ex-CMS Administrator Andy Slavitt dueled on POLITICO's podcast about whether work requirements would harm Medicaid beneficiaries. More. Atul Gawande’s October 2017 New Yorker article on whether health care should be a right. More. Mississippi is quietly considering Medicaid expansion, POLITICO’s Paul Demko scooped. More. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In an episode of POLITICO's "Nerdcast," guest host Dan Diamond joins congressional reporters Rachael Bade and Burgess Everett to review the partial government shutdown, how it's affecting the agencies and the possible path toward a deal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You may have heard about Texas' lawsuit over Obamacare, and a judge's recent decision that the ACA is unconstitutional. But have you heard about Maryland's counter-attack? Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh is locked in a legal battle with the Trump administration, and he joined POLITICO's Dan Diamond to explain his fight to get the ACA declared as the law of the land. (Starts at the 1:20 mark.) Then after the break, POLITICO executive editor for health care Joanne Kenen and reporter Paul Demko sit down with Dan to discuss the ongoing ACA legal battles, interpret the latest Obamacare enrollment numbers and explain why so many Americans are at risk after Friday's court ruling against the ACA. (Starts at the 14:20 mark.) REFERENCED ON THE SHOW Frosh in September sued the Trump administration over the ACA. Paul and Alice Miranda Ollstein's review of ACA enrollment numbers. Joanne and Alice's article on how many Americans benefit from the ACA, whether they know it or not. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"I don't want anyone to think I'm against the harm-reduction potential of these devices for adults. But 3 percent of adults are using these devices — [and] 20 percent of high schoolers are using these devices." Surgeon General Jerome Adams sits down with POLITICO's Dan Diamond to explain why he's issuing an advisory on the risks of e-cigarettes for youth — just the second surgeon general advisory since 2005. (Starts at the 1:30 mark.) Adams also reviews what he thought of doctors' recent clash with the NRA on social media, how he's setting his 2019 priorities and even shares some personal details. After the break, POLITICO's Sarah Owermohle joins Dan to discuss Adams' comments on e-cigarettes and the Trump administration's broader push on vaping. (Starts at the 21:30 mark.) REFERENCED ON THE SHOW The surgeon general's office has a resource guide for parents, providers and children on e-cigarettes. FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb joined POLITICO's podcast in November to discuss his own concerns about vaping and his pending crackdown. Physicians pushed back after the NRA said doctors should "stay in their lane" and not discuss gun violence. Adams praised "Blue Zones," the work into why some communities appear to be healthier than others. Former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy appeared on POLITICO's "Pulse Check" in 2016, discussing his own approach to the role. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Policy wonks are increasingly pessimistic about Affordable Care Act open enrollment this year, as sign-ups fall further behind last year's pace. What's next for health coverage — in 2018 and beyond? First, Noah Lang of Stride Health joins POLITICO's Dan Diamond to discuss Stride's new partnership with CMS to help workers for Uber, Etsy and other gig economy companies get covered. Then, POLITICO's Adam Cancryn and Alice Miranda Ollstein review the ACA sign-up slowdown, Democrats' tricky policy fight over Medicare for All and why the Supreme Court turned down a chance to weigh in on abortion. REFERENCED ON THE PODCAST Sign-ups on HealthCare.gov are about 10 percent behind last year's pace, according to CMS data released Wednesday. There are many possible culprits. Adam's story on progressives' looming dispute over Medicare for All. Alice's story on the Supreme Court rejecting petitions to hear cases involving Planned Parenthood. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Health care helped Democrats capture the House of Representatives. Now comes the hard part: Figuring out a path forward, with some progressives embracing proposals like Medicare for All — and centrists worried that the plan isn't feasible and a political loser. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, who leads the House's Medicare for All Caucus, joined POLITICO's Dan Diamond to defend the idea amid Republican attacks, explain why she thinks its time has come, and criticize the health care industry's attempts to stop it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

POLITICO's Paul Demko, who's in for host Dan Diamond, speaks with reporters Alice Ollstein and Sarah Karlin-Smith about what to expect on the health care front from the lame-duck session of Congress (spoiler: not much). Plus, just as only Nixon could go to China, perhaps only Republicans can limit drug coverage in Medicare Part D -- a discussion of proposed changes from CMS and the seeming lack of opposition from Congressional Republicans, at least for the moment. Reporting referenced in this episode: GOP infighting delaying popular health bills CMS takes on 'protected classes' in Part D Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dan Barber is a chef known for his radical take on food. He's appeared on the popular Netflix show Chef's Table and is the owner of Blue Hill Restaurant. He joins host Dan Diamond to talk about the future of food and nutrition, and why he thinks we should be using more of the foods we throw away. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"All the great gains that we've made in this country, reducing smoking rates ... all of that will be reversed or lost if we can't address the youth use of e-cigarettes." FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb is planning a crackdown on sales of e-cigarettes — a story that broke on Thursday — and he sat down exclusively with POLITICO to talk about why the agency is making such a dramatic move. Gottlieb joined POLITICO's Dan Diamond to discuss his infamous "almonds don't lactate" comment and other nutrition news (starts at the 6:00 mark), explain his concerns about e-cigarettes and tease the FDA's pending crackdown (14:45), answer questions about the Trump administration's approach to science and vaccines (30:30), discuss FDA's new approach to approving opioids (35:30) and explain why the FDA's drug importation working group has been so low-profile (38:30). And stick around for the lightning round of questions about Gottlieb's job, which starts at 42:30. But first, POLITICO's Sarah Owermohle joins the podcast to put the e-cigarette news in context (starts at the 1:45 mark). MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST Gottlieb's infamous "an almond doesn't lactate" line at the POLITICO Pro summit. TV host Stephen Colbert touting "An Almond Doesn't Lacate" line of t-shirts. The FDA and Department of Agriculture's turf battle over lab-grown meat. Gottlieb's reported plan to crack down on sales of e-cigarettes. The fight over fetal tissue research inside HHS pitting "pro-life against pro-science." Concerns about President Trump's inaccurate comments about vaccines. FDA's formation of a working group to look at drug importation. Gottlieb's announcement of a new approach to opioid approvals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From Medicaid expansion to ACA repeal, health care was on the ballot on Tuesday night. POLITICO's Rachel Roubein, Paul Demko and Adam Cancryn join Dan Diamond to discuss the key winners — and notable losers — and explain what to watch in Congress and the states in the coming months. READING MATERIAL Adam and Alice Miranda Ollstein looked at how Tuesday's results served as redemption for the Affordable Care Act. POLITICO's Burgess Everett and Elana Schor examined the Senate GOP's strengthened hand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Need a guide to Election Day — and all of the health care storylines? POLITICO's health team has you covered this week, with a roundtable episode that explains what we're watching around the nation. First, Victoria Colliver joins from California to discuss the record spending on the state's measure to cap dialysis clinic profits. (Starts at the 1:15 mark.) Then Adam Cancryn and Paul Demko sit down with POLITICO's Dan Diamond to review key races and share insights from reporting trips to states like Ohio, Idaho and Kansas (Starts at the 7:30 mark.) MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Victoria's story on the record $111 million in spending over California's ballot measure to rein in dialysis clinics' profits. (The story is behind POLITICO's Pro firewall.) Michael Hiltzik of the Los Angeles Times looks at the spending fight over the dialysis ballot measure. Paul's story on Idaho's ballot measure for Medicaid expansion. Alice Miranda Ollstein's story on the Medicaid expansion debate in Georgia and other states led by GOP governors. Avalere Health's projection that 2.7 million people could gain Medicaid coverage after this year's election. Paul shadowed GOP Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers on the campaign trail. Adam's story about the controversial opioid ballot measure in Ohio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nora Volkow has run the National Institute on Drug Abuse for 15 years — long enough to serve three presidents, to see the science of addiction evolve and to witness the rise of the opioid crisis (and try to fight it). Nora sat down with POLITICO's Dan Diamond to discuss her unusual background — a Mexican who ended up leading the U.S. agency that investigates drug abuse and addiction — as well as the causes of addiction, what the government is doing to fight it and which movie or TV show actually gets the problem right. MENTIONED ON THE SHOW AND FOR FURTHER REFERENCE NIDA's work on addiction science, which informs international efforts. Nora's own research, as a practicing scientist. Brianna Ehley's recent POLITICO story on the rise of deaths from meth, cocaine and other drugs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"What we were trying to do at the time was change the mindset of the executives running these large organizations. And I, for one, think we succeeded far beyond my wildest imagination, in putting enough things into the Affordable Care Act that the people out in the field said, 'Whoa, the world is changing and we’ve got to respond to it.'" Peter Orszag is one of the intellectual godfathers of the Affordable Care Act, serving as President Barack Obama's top budget official during the health care fight. Now he's helping put together the health care giants of the future, advising on mega-deals like CVS-Aetna and Cigna-Express Scripts as a top investment banker at Lazard. Peter sat down with POLITICO's Dan Diamond to walk through his experience in the Obama White House, what he's learned on Wall Street and how he sees health care moving forward. (Starts at the 7:10 mark.) But first, Dan runs through some of the big stories from the week, including the Trump administration's plan to require that drug companies post prices in ads and the choice of Mary Mayhew to serve as director of Medicaid. MENTIONED ON THE SHOW HHS Secretary Alex Azar's speech announcing new requirements for drug companies to post their prices. PhRMA's pre-emptive move to announce they'll voluntarily disclosure about costs. POLITICO's Sarah Karlin-Smith recaps the dueling moves on pharma prices. The Trump administration chose Mary Mayhew to serve as director of Medicaid. Mayhew's January 2017 letter to then-HHS Secretary nominee Tom Price on her Medicaid wish-list for Maine. Peter Orszag's July 2013 defense of the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB). Vanderbilt's Melinda Buntin talked to POLITICO about Medicare's spending slowdown. James Fallows' criticism of Orszag's move from the White House to Wall Street. Sign up for Dan's special newsletter from the Milken Institute's "Future of Health" summit next week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s no secret that health care has been a key election issue — Democrats are promising to defend the Affordable Care Act and expand coverage, while Republicans are warning that Medicare for All puts seniors at risk. So where do we stand a month away from the midterms? First, POLITICO's Adam Cancryn joins Dan Diamond to break down the latest campaign messaging on health care and several key battles. (Starts at the 1:45 mark.) Then, Lauren Underwood — a nurse, a former HHS staffer and a first-time candidate for the House of Representatives — explains why she's running for Congress, in a competitive Illinois race. (Starts at the 16:45 mark.) (Note: POLITICO reached out to Underwood's opponent, Rep. Randy Hultgren, but has been unable to book him on the show.) It's not too early to cast a vote for PULSE CHECK: Please rate us on your favorite podcast app! Have questions, suggestions or feedback? Email [email protected]. MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Writing in POLITICO, Adam's story on Republicans using misleading health care ads to attack Democrats. POLITICO's Alice Miranda Ollstein wrote about congressional candidates — including Lauren Underwood — campaigning on their own pre-existing conditions. The New York Times/Siena College poll of Lauren Underwood's race against Rep. Randy Hultgren. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since becoming law in 1965, Medicaid has been shrouded in debate and misperceptions. It costs too much; the services are poor quality; it’s just a handout. In this special branded episode of Pulse Check at Work, we sought to set the record straight with Dr. Rod Hochman, president and CEO of Providence St. Joseph Health (PSJH), and Dr. Rhonda Medows, executive vice president of Population Health at PSJH. This episode is sponsored content from Providence St. Joseph Health and produced by POLITICO Focus, POLITICO’s in-house brand content studio. POLITICO’s editorial team was not involved in the production of this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A "health coach" is just what it sounds like — a coach who’s there to help patients manage a problem, or make changes to their lifestyle. And thousands. On this episode, you'll hear from two. First, Michele Geraldi — a coach for Omada Health, which specializes in diabetes prevention — explains how she works to convince patients to be healthier. Then Ruth Wolever, who runs Vanderbilt's health coaching program and cofounded an international consortium to make coaching better, explains how health coaches fit into value-based care and where she thinks the industry is heading. It's your chance to coach POLITICO: Please rate or review this show on your favorite podcast app; just search for "POLITICO Pulse Check"! And tip [email protected] with suggestions and feedback. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Health care is awash in data. And we’re all being tracked, maybe in ways we don’t even realize, by a new class of analysts, armed with increasingly savvy tools. So who are these people — these data scientists — and what exactly do they do? That's what we'll answer on this episode of "Pulse Check: At Work." First, Jonathan Sung takes us inside his data-driven projects at the Department of Transportation and Kaiser Permanente. Then, Aneesh Chopra — who was the nation's first Chief Technology Officer and is now president of CareJourney, a firm using data to improve care — explains the skill set to get hired as a data scientist and why he thinks we need a "digital Hippocratic Oath." Want to help POLITICO improve our own data? Please rate or review this show on your favorite podcast app; just search for "POLITICO Pulse Check"! And tip [email protected] with suggestions and feedback. Note: We'll continue our regular news coverage and analysis while this series is running — look for bonus episodes in your feed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Overseas doctors are cheaper. Artificial intelligence could eventually be smarter. Patient safety concerns have multiplied. Are American radiologists' days numbered? These radiologists say no — and take listeners inside their work. First, Dr. Stefan Tigges of Emory University opens up about the highs and lows of the job, and how he uses his cartoons to teach the next generation of radiologists. After the break, Dr. Rebecca Smith-Bindman of the University of California-San Francisco, shares a national perspective about how the work is changing, how she thinks about radiation risks and what policymakers need to know. Like PULSE CHECK? Rate or review us on your favorite podcast app. And tip [email protected] with suggestions and feedback. Note: We'll continue our regular news coverage and analysis while this series is running — look for bonus episodes in your feed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Home health aide is one of the fastest-growing jobs in America — and the first job in our month-long series that will explain how different health care workers fit into the broader health policy picture. What's it like to be a home health aide — and why take such a demanding, low-paying job in the first place? Lisa Morris, a home health worker in New Jersey, joins POLITICO to explain. Meanwhile, Harvard professor David Grabowski offers insight into the trends and policies that are shaping the home health field. Like PULSE CHECK? Rate or review us on your favorite podcast app. And tip [email protected] with suggestions and feedback. Note: We'll continue our regular news coverage and analysis while this series is running — look for bonus episodes in your feed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a bonus episode, POLITICO's Adam Cancryn and Paul Demko join Dan Diamond to preview this week's high-stakes hearings. Tuesday: The Senate Judiciary Committee begins grilling Judge Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump's latest nominee to the Supreme Court. Wednesday: Texas v. Azar gets underway, with the Affordable Care Act's protections at stake. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s no secret that President Donald Trump and his administration oppose the Affordable Care Act. But what's gone under the radar: a lawsuit that’s trying to use Trump’s own words to prove that his "sabotage" violates his constitutional responsibilities. On the podcast, Zach Klein — the attorney for Columbus, Ohio — explains to POLITICO's Dan Diamond why he decided to join the multi-city lawsuit against the Trump administration and how efforts to weaken the ACA could harm his constituents. After the break, Yale law professor Abbe Gluck explains the legal theory behind the case and whether she thinks it has a shot at success. We'd appreciate your help: Please share PULSE CHECK and rate us on your favorite podcast app! Have questions, suggestions or feedback? Email [email protected]. MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Columbus joined Baltimore, Chicago and other cities in suing the Trump administration. Abbe Gluck in October 2017 laid out the argument that Trump's moves to undermine the Affordable Care Act were illegal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"I think rural health care is on life support...[and] we need to redesign all of that." Sen. Heidi Heitkamp says that states like hers are facing multiple health care challenges: Too few hospitals and doctors, and too many mothers dying early. The North Dakota senator joined POLITICO's Dan Diamond to discuss rural health care, tribal health and other issues often overlooked in Washington, D.C. Heitkamp — who narrowly won election in 2012 and is arguably Republicans' top target this fall — also explains why she supports some Medicaid work requirements and is against Medicare-for-all. We'd appreciate your help: Please share PULSE CHECK and rate us on your favorite podcast app! Have questions, suggestions or feedback? Email [email protected]. MENTIONED ON THE SHOW The Trump administration won't exempt Native Americans from Medicaid work requirements. Heitkamp's campaign is airing ads on pre-existing conditions. Brett Kavanaugh previously signaled that presidents could ignore laws that they think are unconstitutional. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"I've been physically harassed. I've been sued as a way of getting me to shut up. I've had three death threats the FBI deemed credible... But doing the right thing isn't an easy thing." Paul Offit, a pediatrician at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, has stepped forward as one of the nation's leading defenders of vaccines — a role that's won him national praise and interviews with Stephen Colbert, but also led him to battle with a vocal community of anti-vaxxers. Paul joined POLITICO's Dan Diamond to discuss vaccines and why the current political climate is so troubling — and why he wants to send some reporters to "journalism jail" for enabling lies about science. We'd appreciate your help: Please share PULSE CHECK and rate us on your favorite podcast app! Have questions, suggestions or feedback? Email [email protected]. REFERENCED ON THE PODCAST Paul’s new book, "Bad Advice: Or Why Celebrities, Politicians, and Activists Aren't Your Best Source of Health Information" Paul’s 2015 book, “Bad Faith: When Religious Belief Undermines Modern Medicine.” Donald Trump made public statements linking autism and vaccines. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"The real, ultimate issue is not interoperability — it's unaffordability of American healthcare and lack of consistent health care product... You go to see somebody, and you don't know what it's going to cost." Don Rucker, the national coordinator for health information technology, explains how the Trump administration is building on — and departing from — the Obama administration's policies. POLITICO's Darius Tahir also joins to evaluate efforts to improve data access. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When conservative analyst Lanhee Chen joined POLITICO's "Pulse Check" podcast two years ago, he wasn't sure what to expect from then-candidate Donald Trump. Today, Lanhee's happy with the moves that the Trump administration has made, and he joins Dan Diamond to discuss what won him over. (Starts at the 15:00-minute mark.) But first, POLITICO's Adam Cancryn sits down to talk about the latest news on the insurance market and HHS at the six-month mark under Secretary Alex Azar. We'd appreciate your help: Please share PULSE CHECK and rate us on your favorite podcast app! Have questions, suggestions or feedback? Email [email protected]. MENTIONED ON THE SHOW The Trump administration on Wednesday finalized a rule intended to encourage Americans to buy short-term health plans. Adam’s story on association health plans and NFIB’s decision. Dan’s story on political interference at ASPE, the internal policy shop at HHS. Lanhee’s July 2016 appearance on POLITICO’s Pulse Check podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"It's not about how I feel — that's not really what this is about. What this is about is affordability, access, and quality of health care for millions of American people and families across the country." Sylvia Mathews Burwell, the former HHS secretary and current American University president, sits down with POLITICO's Dan Diamond to discuss her career, how she views the Trump administration's efforts to tear down the Affordable Care Act and how she's adjusting to new challenges in higher ed. We'd appreciate your help: Please share PULSE CHECK and rate us on your favorite podcast app! Have questions, suggestions or feedback? Email [email protected]. MENTIONED ON THE SHOW: A photo from the 1993 documentary, "The War Room." The Atlantic's 2014 story on Burwell taking "the worst job" in Washington. The Washington Post's 2018 story on Burwell guest-coaching the American University women's basketball team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

POLITICO's Jennifer Haberkorn joins PULSE CHECK to trace the battle over abortion in America, from the courts to Congress and beyond. Some of Jen's recent reporting on abortion: How anti-abortion forces learned to love Trump: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/22/anti-abortion-forces-trump-561191 The next Supreme Court justice could weigh in on abortion quickly: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/03/trump-supreme-court-pick-abortion-667924 The truth behind Sen. Bob Casey's 'pro-life' stand: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/02/casey-abortion-pennsylvania-midterms-689505 States prepare for a post-Roe world: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/15/abortion-states-roe-wade-687468 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Washington has been consumed with fights over the Affordable Care Act, HHS' care of migrant kids and Donald Trump's promise to cut drug prices — and we'll get back to all of those issues on PULSE CHECK soon. But today's episode goes outside the Beltway for a look at a persistent public health problem: Brain cancer. POLITICO's Dan Diamond sat down with Ron DePinho, a famed researcher who led MD Anderson Cancer Center, to discuss the moonshot cancer initiative, whether "curing" cancer is realistic and why he stepped down as hospital president. REFERENCED ON THE PODCAST MD Anderson's "Moon Shots" Program, which inspired the Obama administration's own cancer initiative. Ron's 2017 resignation speech as MD Anderson Cancer Center president. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's official: Judge Brett Kavanaugh is President Donald Trump's choice to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy on the Supreme Court. And his probable confirmation, and the Court's resulting shift to the right, raises serious questions for health care. What happens to the Affordable Care Act? Is Roe v. Wade doomed? And how does this change lawmakers' strategy ahead of the midterms? In a bonus conversation, POLITICO's Jennifer Haberkorn and Adam Cancryn joined Dan Diamond to discuss Kavanaugh's background and why he was picked, how the selection is playing across key advocacy groups that could sway the nomination and what's next for the Court and Congress. REFERENCED ON THE PODCAST Kavanaugh's track record as an appeals court judge: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/09/brett-kavanaugh-track-record-675294 Adam's story on the reaction to Kavanaugh's selection: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/09/brett-kavanaugh-conservative-policies-675460 POLITICO's reporting on how Kavanaugh quickly emerged as a front-runner for the seat: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/09/brett-kavanaugh-trump-private-meeting-706137 POLITICO's Josh Gerstein dug into Kavanaugh's decision on abortion access for a teen immigrant, a ruling that's split conservatives. https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/06/trump-supreme-court-pick-kavanaugh-immigrant-abortion-teen-700856 Jen's April 2018 reporting on how opponents of Roe v. Wade were preparing for this moment: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/04/15/abortion-trump-supreme-court-roe-wade-473601 Jen's story on abortion cases that could come before the Supreme Court: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/03/trump-supreme-court-pick-abortion-667924 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A federal judge on June 26 ordered the Trump administration to reunite migrant families that it separated at the border. But days later, there's been little progress, and POLITICO's Paul Demko and Renuka Rayasam join Dan Diamond to discuss what has — and still hasn't — happened at HHS (starts at the 1:30 mark). Paul also discussed the latest enrollment numbers from the Affordable Care Act marketplaces and the state of Obamacare heading into the midterm elections (starts at the 12:45 mark). Then after the break, Dan sits down with Atul Gawande in a previously unaired segment to discuss Atul's thoughts on long-term care and how he sees health reform (starts at the 26:45 mark). We'd appreciate your help: Please share PULSE CHECK and rate us on your favorite podcast app! Have questions, suggestions or feedback? Email [email protected]. MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Renu's story on medical workers' concerns about migrant families' health risks: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/06/20/some-of-the-kids-i-spoke-to-were-traumatized-some-could-barely-speak-638329 Dan and Ted Hesson's story on HHS' slow response to reuniting families: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/02/separated-families-border-children-reunite-664674 Paul's story on how ACA rate hikes will be a headache for Republicans: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/06/24/obamacare-rate-increase-republicans-election-642386 Atul's New Yorker article on whether health care is a right: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/10/02/is-health-care-a-right Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"What has been done to these children, to forcibly separate small children from a parent... it's what totalitarian regimes do as a form of torture... We all should be outraged." Bob Carey, who ran the Office of Refugee Resettlement between 2015 and 2017, talks with Dan Diamond about how the office works, why it belongs inside HHS and the looming challenges of trying to put families back together again (starts at the 23:30 mark). But first, POLITICO's Jennifer Haberkorn and Adam Cancryn join Dan to discuss what the Supreme Court's latest rulings mean for health care, review how the migrant crisis is playing out on Capitol Hill and dive into Congress' efforts to put together opioid bills (starts at the 1:30 mark). We'd appreciate your help: Please share PULSE CHECK and rate us on your favorite podcast app! Have questions, suggestions or feedback? Email [email protected]. MENTIONED ON THE SHOW The Supreme Court's ruling on crisis pregnancy centers: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/06/26/supreme-court-crisis-pregnancy-centers-673183 Jen and Brianna Ehley's story on lawmakers rushing to write bipartisan opioid bills: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/06/16/lawmakers-opioid-bills-midterms-624926 Adam's story on the special interests and companies that stand to gain from the House's opioid package: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/06/22/house-opioid-bills-lobbying-637695 HHS Secretary Alex Azar was grilled on Capitol Hill over his agency's plan to reunite migrant families: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/06/26/azar-separated-families-673186 Scott Lloyd, Bob Carey's successor at the HHS refugee office, built his career as an anti-abortion advocate: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/06/21/scott-lloyd-anti-abortion-separated-kids-642094 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Live from the Aspen Ideas Festival’s “Spotlight Health,” ex-Obama official Andy Slavitt and Arkansas health chief Cindy Gillespie address how HHS should quickly reunify separated families, look for common ground on Medicaid work requirements and debate the future of the ACA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2015, the Wall Street Journal's John Carreyrou revealed that the blood tests developed by Theranos — the $9 billion company led by Elizabeth Holmes — didn't work. Now John's out with "Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup," a book that offers new details about Holmes, her fraud and her efforts to kill his investigation. John joined POLITICO's Dan Diamond to discuss how he got the story and walk through the Theranos timeline (starts at the 1:35 mark), how Holmes was able to attract staff, investors and media attention (12:00), why government regulators didn't spot the fraud (21:30), why staff were scared to blow the whistle (28:15), what Carreyrou thinks of reporters who missed the story and more on his journalistic process (33:30). At the end, there's a lighting round of listener-submitted questions at 43:30. We'd appreciate your help: Please share PULSE CHECK and rate us on your favorite podcast app! Have questions, suggestions or feedback? Email [email protected]. MENTIONED ON THE SHOW John's initial story on Theranos in 2015: https://www.wsj.com/articles/theranos-has-struggled-with-blood-tests-1444881901 Fortune Magazine's 2014 cover story on Holmes, one of many laudatory articles: http://fortune.com/2014/06/12/theranos-blood-holmes/ John's new book, "Bad Blood." https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078VW3VM7/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 Federal prosecutors filed criminal charges against Holmes and her lieutenant Sunny Balwani this month: https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-files-criminal-charges-against-theranoss-elizabeth-holmes-ramesh-balwani-1529096005 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tevi Troy helped lead the nation's health department under President George W. Bush. Now he's helping steer JUUL — the nation's most popular e-cigarette company — through the Washington policymaking process and public health scrutiny. "Using a JUUL is worse than doing nothing," Troy acknowledged on the podcast. But"if we can get people to switch away from [traditional] cigarettes… there's a potentially huge public health benefit." In conversation with POLITICO’s Dan Diamond, Tevi explains why he joined JUUL and how he sees the company’s mission (starts at the 2:00 mark), why JUUL has a special responsibility given its market-leading position (6:00), the public health risks of e-cigarettes and resulting FDA scrutiny (8:30), the politics of vaping (15:30), the New Yorker’s article on JUUL (18:30), why opening a JUUL feels like unboxing an Apple iPod (20:00), and Tevi's views on the current HHS, having served as deputy HHS secretary during the George W. Bush administration (24:00). Then in the recurring “Steal My Job” segment, Tevi talks about how he became a published book author and offers tips for anyone interested in writing a book (36:20). We'd appreciate your help: Please share PULSE CHECK and rate us on your favorite podcast app! Have questions, suggestions or feedback? Email [email protected]. MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Some of FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb's March 2017 comments on e-cigarettes. https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm601690.htm Jia Tolentino's New Yorker article on JUUL. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/05/14/the-promise-of-vaping-and-the-rise-of-juul Tevi's books, "What Jefferson Read, Ike Watched, and Obama Tweeted: 200 Years of Popular Culture in the White House." https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00APDG0VK/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 and "Shall We Wake the President?: Two Centuries of Disaster Management from the Oval Office." https://www.amazon.com/Shall-Wake-President-Centuries-Management-ebook/dp/B01LWCUH4N/ref=la_B001HPAYYE_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1528929225&sr=1-1 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the past year, Sen. Bill Cassidy has played a pivotal role in Republicans’ health care strategy. The doctor-turned-lawmaker helped craft the Graham-Cassidy proposal to repeal the Affordable Care Act, sparking outrage from public health groups (and a certain talk show host) who warned that the legislation would lead to millions more people being uninsured. Now Cassidy’s out with a new package of ideas that the Louisiana Republican argues will “make health care affordable again.” The wide-ranging blueprint includes pushing price transparency, studying racial disparities and resurrecting the stalled bill to prop up the Affordable Care Act’s individual insurance market. Cassidy joined POLITICO’s Dan Diamond to discuss the reception to his new proposals (starts at the 1:40 mark), why he wants more Americans to use health savings accounts (3:30), why Cassidy is betting big on price transparency (5:30), the fight over the ACA’s high premiums and Democrats’ concerns about short-term health plans (10:30), his criticism of monopolies in health care (16:45), why Cassidy wants HHS to investigate social determinants of health (19:45) and how he’s blasting a “rigged” health system (21:45). After the break, Cassidy discussed whether there should be another ACA repeal vote this year (25:40), what he and the GOP learned from last year’s health care fights (27:45) and his feud with Jimmy Kimmel and public health groups (31:00). Then in the recurring “Steal My Job” segment, Cassidy discussed his decision to leave medicine to get into politics and who’s influenced his thinking about health care (36:20). We'd appreciate your help: Please share PULSE CHECK and rate us on your favorite podcast app! Have questions, suggestions or feedback? Email [email protected]. MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Bill Cassidy’s new plan: “Ideas to Make Health Care Affordable Again.” https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Dr%20Bill%20Cassidy%20-%20Make%20Health%20Care%20Affordable%20Again.pdf Hospitals have reported a rise in bad debt as patients increasingly shift to high-deductible health plans. https://www.hfma.org/Content.aspx?id=50653 Cassidy referenced a CalPERS initiative to use reference pricing to lower prices of many procedures, which Austin Frakt wrote about at the New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/09/upshot/how-common-procedures-got-20-percent-cheaper-for-many-californians.html However, a 2017 Health Affairs study concluded that CalPERS’ price transparency tool didn’t reduce patients’ spending. https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2016.1636 The health insurance lobby criticized the Trump administration's push on short-term health plans. https://www.ahip.org/ahip-responds-to-administrations-proposed-rule-on-short-term-health-plans/ Industry expert John Gorman appeared on POLITICO's podcast last month, where he said that short-term plans would be "junk" insurance. https://simplecast.com/s/2d8d7d17 Dan’s 2017 story: “Kimmel, not Cassidy, is right on health care, analysts say.” https://www.politico.com/story/2017/09/20/jimmy-kimmel-bill-cassidy-obamacare-repeal-242932 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two years ago, anti-abortion leaders attacked then-candidate Donald Trump as a “pro-choice” liberal who couldn’t be trusted. This week, the movement's most prominent leader praised Trump as “the most pro-life president in history” as he spoke at the Susan B. Anthony List’s gala. How did Trump became an unlikely anti-abortion hero, and what has Trump actually accomplished? First, POLITICO’s Jennifer Haberkorn joins Dan Diamond to discuss Trump’s recent moves, including this week’s changes to the Title X program (starts at the 1:55 mark), and why public health experts say Trump’s proposed limits on abortion amount to a “gag rule” on physicians (6:35). Then Marjorie Dannenfelser, who leads SBA List and chaired Trump’s “Pro-Life Coalition” during his campaign, discusses why anti-abortion groups are surging under Trump (starts at the 12:50 mark), the passionate politics around abortion issues (13:45), how she went from Trump critic to top Trump supporter (20:30), her relationship with the White House (25:10), the anti-abortion strategy ahead of the midterms (26:25) and whether being “pro-life” includes supporting measures like gun control (31:15). Then stick around after the credits for Marjorie’s thoughts on how to build an advocacy organization in the latest “Steal My Job” segment (35:30). We'd appreciate your help: Please share PULSE CHECK and rate us on your favorite podcast app! Have questions, suggestions or feedback? Email [email protected]. MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Jen Haberkorn and Chris Cadelago’s story on how the anti-abortion movement came to love Trump: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/22/anti-abortion-forces-trump-561191 Jen’s story on how abstinence advocate Valerie Huber gained new powers at HHS to manage the Title X program: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/03/06/abstinence-advocate-family-planning-dollars-389453 Equity Forward’s Mary Alice Carter appeared on PULSE CHECK in April and criticized the Trump administration’s abortion policies: https://simplecast.com/s/e5b29eb9 (Starts at the 1:50 mark). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One week ago, HHS Secretary Alex Azar joined President Donald Trump in the Rose Garden to announce his signature initiative: A long-awaited plan to lower drug prices. The secretary’s been on a tour to explain the plan — which has faced resistance from pharma and was panned by some Wall Street analysts — and POLITICO’s Dan Diamond joined Azar at HHS headquarters to review the latest developments. On this episode, Azar discusses where drug prices rank as an administration priority and how he wants taxpayers to judge success (starts at the 1:40 mark), why the plan doesn’t include importing drugs from Canada, an idea that Trump supported as a presidential candidate (5:15), why Azar wants to put drug prices in TV ads (9:00), whether he was prepared for the backlash to the plan (10:15), why he suggested that the media doesn’t want the drug plan to be perceived as successful (12:10), how Azar wants to combine Medicare Part B and Part D negotiations (13:10), and what Azar sees as a former pharma executive (16:45). Then stick around after the credits for a closing thought from Azar on his time at HHS (19:30). We'd appreciate your help: Please share PULSE CHECK and rate us on your favorite podcast app! Have questions, suggestions or feedback? Email [email protected]. MENTIONED ON THE SHOW The Trump administration's "American Patients First" drug pricing plan: https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/AmericanPatientsFirst.pdf Former Obama appointee Tim Gronniger, who steered CMS’ failed efforts to reform drug prices in 2016, joined POLITICO's podcast this week to share his perspective on the Trump plan: https://simplecast.com/s/7b2ddfbc The Community Oncology Alliance warned against the Trump plan: https://www.communityoncology.org/2018/05/16/may-16-coa-physician-survey-medicare-part-b-proposals-will-harm-patients-increase-costs-and-bureaucracy/ Vermont became the first state this week to permit drug imports from Canada: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/16/vermont-drug-imports-canada-546107 The FDA approved a biosimilar for an anemia drug this week: https://www.upi.com/FDA-approves-biosimilar-drug-for-anemia-treatment/4561526408086/ Azar appeared on the “Hugh Hewitt” radio show to discuss the drug plan this week: http://www.hughhewitt.com/hhs-secretary-alex-azar/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump finally unveiled his plan to lower drug prices last week, and on this week’s episode, POLITICO looks closer at what’s in the strategy and how it builds (or doesn’t) on the Obama administration’s own efforts. First, POLITICO’s Sarah Karlin-Smith discusses her reporting on the Trump administration’s drug plan (starts at the 2:05 mark), what’s in the bill and how it’s being received. Then after the break, Tim Gronniger — who served as CMS Chief of Staff and led the agency’s work on drug spending under the Obama administration — discusses his impression of the Trump plan (starts at the 14:05 mark), and what he learned from Obama-era efforts to try and lower drug prices, which met with significant resistance and were largely stalled. Stick around for a new segment — “Steal My Job” (starts at the 37:00 mark) — where Tim discusses how he got his jobs in the Obama administration and tips for people interested in a similar career path. GLOSSARY OF TERMS ON THIS EPISODE Average sales price (ASP): A manufacturer's sales of a drug divided by the total number of units, which is used to help set government reimbursement. Biosimilars: A type of product that’s highly similar to existing FDA-approved biologic drugs (like Remicade) but intended to offer a lower-cost alternative. Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs): A third-party manager of a prescription drug program that helps insurers and others negotiate on drug prices. Drug companies say that PBMs are middlemen that drive up prices. STORIES REFERENCED ON THIS EPISODE Adam Cancryn and David Pittman’s story on the Trump drug plan: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/11/trump-administration-drug-price-plan-535667 Sarah’s piece on Trump’s ‘America First’ agenda for drug pricing: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/09/trump-drug-pricing-prescriptions-514925 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The health care safety net is rarely glamorous, but for tens of millions of Americans, it's often necessary. These low-income patients depend on Medicaid, public hospitals and other services for care — although safety-net resources have been increasingly strained in recent years, partly because of decisions made in Washington. On this episode of PULSE CHECK, we meet one person trying to make the safety net stronger: Veenu Aulakh, the executive director of the Center for Care Innovations (www.careinnovations.org), which tests safety-net ideas and works to implement solutions across California and beyond. In this conversation (recorded in Oakland in January), Veenu talks about her center’s mission (starts at the 1:10 mark), the state of the health care safety net (4:00), the focus on “innovation” buzzwords in health care (7:30), how consolidation is affecting safety-net patients (9:30), how policymaking in Washington is playing out on the front lines in Oakland and beyond (13:30), and why Veenu walked away from a Fortune 500 health care company to work on safety-net projects (17:45). We'd appreciate your help: Please share PULSE CHECK and rate us on your favorite podcast app! Have questions, suggestions or feedback? Email [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices