POLITICO's Pulse Check

Health care reporter Alice Miranda Ollstein and guest host Jeremy Siegel dig into Alice's story on the 'hard stop' that 40,000 National Guard members currently face. The Trump administration’s order currently ends deployments on June 24, just one day before thousands would qualify for education and retirement benefits. Stay up-to-date on the latest Covid-19 news by subscribing to the POLITICO Nightly and POLITICO Pulse newsletters. MENTIONED ON THIS SHOW 'Hard stop': States could lose National Guard virus workers Dan Diamond is host of POLITICO Pulse Check and author of the POLITICO Pulse newsletter.Jeremy Siegel is a host for POLITICO Dispatch.Alice Miranda Ollstein is a health care reporter for POLITICO.Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio. Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio.Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Dan Diamond, health reporter Sarah Owermohle and POLITICO Dispatch host Jeremy Siegel look at Dr. Rick Bright, the ousted vaccine expert turned whistleblower testifying Thursday in Congress. Stay up-to-date on the latest Covid-19 news by subscribing to the POLITICO Nightly and POLITICO Pulse newsletters. MENTIONED ON THIS SHOW Colleagues painted a mixed picture of the ousted vaccine chief A congressional ally is chairing Thursday's must-watch hearing Bright said he was among the health officials alarmed by President Donald Trump's push of unproven drugs The malaria drug touted by Trump has shown no benefit in fighting Covid-19 Dan Diamond is host of POLITICO Pulse Check and author of the POLITICO Pulse newsletter.Sarah Owermohle is a healthcare reporter for POLITICO.Jeremy Siegel is a host for POLITICO Dispatch.Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio. Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio.Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Dan Diamond and POLITICO Dispatch host Jeremy Siegel look at the Trump administration's efforts to ramp up testing to get the country to re-open...and grade how well Jared Kushner's team has done.Stay up-to-date on the latest Covid-19 news by subscribing to the POLITICO Nightly and POLITICO Pulse newsletters.MENTIONED ON THIS SHOW Kushner assembled a crash team to address coronavirus problems, Dan first reported.· By early April, it was clear that many major initiatives were being driven by Kushner's group.· The team now says its work, including a 96-hour project, helped reverse the nation's testing problems. Trump touted reopening. Privately, his team sounded alarms. Dan Diamond is host of POLITICO Pulse Check and author of the POLITICO Pulse newsletter.Jeremy Siegel is a host for POLITICO Dispatch.Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio. Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio.Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Dan Diamond, health reporter Adam Cancryn and POLITICO Dispatch host Jeremy Siegel discuss how the dysfunction at the agency of Health and Human Services happened at the worst possible time... and how HHS is being sidelined in the current coronavirus response. Stay up-to-date on the latest Covid-19 news by subscribing to the POLITICO Nightly and POLITICO Pulse newsletters.MENTIONED ON THIS SHOW White House weighed plan to replace Azar Trump rejects reports, affirms support for Azar White House installed a Trump loyalist as HHS spokesperson Inside HHS after 100 days of Covid Dan Diamond is host of POLITICO Pulse Check and author of the POLITICO Pulse newsletter.Adam Cancryn is a health care reporter and author of the POLITICO Pulse newsletter.Jeremy Siegel is a host for POLITICO Dispatch.Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio. Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio.Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Dan Diamond, Maya King and Jeremy Siegel discuss new CDC data that shows that Covid-19 is affecting black Americans at at higher rates and how the Trump administration — and specifically, Surgeon General Jerome Adams — are responding to criticism. Stay up-to-date on the latest Covid-19 news by subscribing to the POLITICO Nightly and POLITICO Pulse newsletters. MENTIONED ON THIS SHOW POLITICO detailed how Jerome Adams was sidelined earlier this week. Black doctors blast 'woefully anemic' data on minority coronavirus cases. Dan Diamond is host of POLITICO Pulse Check and author of the POLITICO Pulse newsletter.Maya King is the Campaign 2020 reporting fellow at POLITICO.Jeremy Siegel is a host for POLITICO Dispatch.Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio. Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio.Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Dan Diamond and Dispatch host Jeremy Siegel examine how previous presidential administrations prepared — or didn’t — for the possibility of a pandemic… and how those actions led to the crisis today.Stay up-to-date on the latest Covid-19 news by subscribing to the POLITICO Nightly and POLITICO Pulse newsletters. MENTIONED ON THIS SHOW Dan Diamond talked to top officials from three administrations for his deep investigation tracing the disease preparedness plans over the last 20 years. Dan Diamond is host of POLITICO Pulse Check and author of the POLITICO Pulse newsletter.Jeremy Siegel is a host for POLITICO Dispatch.Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio. Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio.Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Dan Diamond and White House reporter Nancy Cook talk about President Donald Trump versus ... everyone else in a conversation with Dispatch host Jeremy Siegel. The White House's coronavirus strategy has stirred rebukes from career health officials. Meanwhile, Trump attacked the HHS inspector general after the watchdog's survey on coronavirus readiness. Stay up-to-date on the latest Covid-19 news by subscribing to the POLITICO Nightly and POLITICO Pulse newsletters. MENTIONED ON THIS SHOW Dan Diamond and Nancy Cook broke down Trump's 'Hail Mary' drug push rattling his health team. Brianna Ehley and Alice Miranda Ollstein detailed the HHS watchdog report about hospitals' lack of coronavirus readiness — a report that stirred Trump's anger. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dan Diamond and Nahal Toosi describe the process of getting the secret "pandemic playbook" from sources — while keeping a safe six-feet social distance, of course. Plus, Dispatch host Jeremy Siegel asks Dan and Nahal about the shadow coronavirus task force being headed by Jared Kushner. Stay up-to-date on the latest Covid-19 news by subscribing to the POLITICO Nightly and POLITICO Pulse newsletters. MENTIONED ON THIS SHOW: Dan Diamond and Nahal Toosi broke the story of the NSC's pandemic playbook — a document the Trump administration largely ignored. Jared Kushner has emerged as a central figure coordinating the coronavirus response. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"We can't afford to let this happen again," said the former FDA commissioner, offering advice on next steps. Dan Diamond sits down with Gottlieb, who's become one of the most prominent voices publicly on coronavirus while privately advising the Trump administration on its response. Gottlieb discussed his new travel routine (starts at the 1:15 mark), the tragedy unfolding in New York City (4:15), the next cities he thinks are at risk, (11:30), his aggressive warnings on coronavirus (16:10) and his advice to the administration and whether he'd go back inside (23:45). Stay up-to-date on the latest Covid-19 news by subscribing to the POLITICO Nightly and POLITICO Pulse newsletters. MENTIONED ON THIS SHOW Writing in the Wall Street Journal, Gottlieb and Luciana Borio on Jan. 28 urged leaders to "act now to prevent an American epidemic." Gottlieb and fellow former FDA Commissioner Mark McClellan this week issued a road map to combat COVID-19. POLITICO called Gottlieb "the shadow coronavirus czar" — a term he disputed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dan Diamond and Dispatch host Jeremy Siegel provide a truth check on some of President Trump’s most recent claims and tell us where the U.S. coronavirus outbreak is heading. Stay up-to-date on the latest Covid-19 news by subscribing to the POLITICO Nightly and POLITICO Pulse newsletters. MENTIONED ON THIS SHOW: Dan detailed Trump's focus on short-term decision-making and the risk to long-term coronavirus planning. Health officials want the president to double down on public health interventions, not lighten up, POLITICO's Adam Cancryn and Nancy Cook report. "If it were possible to wave a magic wand and make all Americans freeze in place for 14 days while sitting six feet apart, epidemiologists say, the whole epidemic would sputter to a halt," Donald G. McNeil Jr. writes at the New York Times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

U.S. health officials have told Americans to begin preparing for the coronavirus outbreak. What's the current risk to the United States — and what is the Trump administration doing to protect us? David Lim joined Dan Diamond to discuss the state of public health, Trump's response and POLITICO's own reporting about the spreading outbreak. MENTIONED ON THE SHOW David was first to report that problems with CDC lab tests were delaying efforts to expand U.S. screening for coronavirus. In a follow-up story, David reported that the CDC wasn't ready to detect stealth coronavirus spread — hours before a new case of "unknown origin" was announced in California, after testing had been delayed for days. Dan reported on the growing scrutiny on whether CDC was adequately prepared to fight the virus and on how the Trump administration was increasingly seeing the outbreak as the biggest threat to the president's re-election. Dan also joined POLITICO's Nancy Cook to scoop that the White House was considering a shake-up to the coronavirus task force, hours before President Donald Trump announced that Vice President Mike Pence would oversee efforts instead of HHS Secretary Alex Azar. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Louisiana health secretary, Rebekah Gee oversaw Medicaid expansion, struck a novel drug-pricing deal — and faced constant Republican attacks over her pro-abortion-rights record — before resigning last month. Gee sat down with POLITICO's Dan Diamond to reflect on her four years leading Louisiana's health department and what she's learned about public health and politics. After the break, POLITICO's Alice Miranda Ollstein walks through the case previously known as June Medical v. Gee, one of the most anticipated Supreme Court cases this year, which could reshape abortion access in America. REFERENCED ON THE SHOW Gee oversaw Louisiana's Medicaid expansion, which has enrolled more than 400,000 people, amid criticism from Republicans. Gee also hammered out a novel "subscription" model to rein in spending on Hepatitis C drugs. A New York Times op-ed writer named Gee as one of five people who "spread hope" in 2019. Gee split with her boss, Gov. John Bel Edwards, over whether to allow a proton beam imaging center. Chosen as Louisiana health secretary in 2016, Gee faced persistent criticism from anti-abortion groups. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More than 100 people are dead from a new virus that originated in Wuhan, China, and thousands of others around the world are infected as the outbreak spreads quickly. How worried should we be? Chris Meekins, who served as a top emergency-response official at HHS, joined POLITICO's Dan Diamond to explain what we know about the new coronavirus and how his former HHS team fights viral outbreaks like this one. MENTIONED ON THIS SHOW The health department has warned that the virus is a threat but stressed that Americans should not be worried about their personal safety. U.S. officials have praised China's response on the coronavirus outbreak — up to a point. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, campaigning for Democrats' presidential nomination, released a new plan to fight infectious disease. The U.S. government has a secret stockpile of drugs and supplies meant to save us in a bioterror attack, Lena Sun wrote last year in the Washington Post. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah Owermohle, who's led POLITICO's coverage of the teen vaping epidemic, and Paul Demko, who edits the Pro Cannabis team, joined Dan Diamond to review the recent outbreak of vaping-linked illness, President Donald Trump's resulting plan to crack down e-cigarettes, how vaping and marijuana are playing in the 2020 campaign and whether young Americans remain at higher risk of nicotine addiction. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

POLITICO's Alice Miranda Ollstein and Adam Cancryn join Dan Diamond to discuss what's getting missed in the presidential debates about Medicare-for-all, from the likely Senate math in 2021 to the complications posed by Obamacare repeal. The PBS NewsHour/POLITICO presidential primary debate will be held on Thursday Dec. 19 and also televised on CNN. MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Alice's story with Alex Thompson and Holly Otterbein about how Medicare-for-all proposals caused trouble for candidates like Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris. Adam's story about the Partnership for America's Health Care Future, the industry-backed group working to kill Medicare expansion. Dan's story about how the Obama administration weakened the Affordable Care Act's cost-cutting measures to preserve jobs during the recession. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

HHS Secretary Alex Azar and CMS Administrator Seema Verma are the two most important health officials in the Humphrey building — but they've spent months disagreeing on policy, personnel and priorities. The longstanding cold war between them has heated up amid questions over Verma's use of outside public relations contractors. On this episode of "Pulse Check," POLITICO's Dan Diamond joins colleagues Adam Cancryn and Rachana Pradhan to discuss the team's recent reporting on the Azar-Verma relationship, what it means for the Trump administration's policies and where it's all headed. MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Verma's faced congressional inquiries and an inspector general probe following a POLITICO report that she directed millions of federal dollars toward PR communications contracts that benefited her personal brand. Azar and Verma's battles have affected big ideas — like the administration's plans to replace Obamacare — and smaller moments like who gets to announce new regulations, POLITICO reported last week. Azar also has clashed with the White House — and specifically Joe Grogan, the domestic policy council chief — over policy ideas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One-third of the nearly 9 million veterans who receive healthcare from the VA live in remote, rural areas across the country, and delivering treatment when and where it’s needed most can prove challenging. Hear from two health experts who are leveraging telehealth technologies to break down the barriers to heath care for America’s veterans. This special branded episode of Pulse Check was produced by POLITICO’s in-house brand content studio, POLITICO Focus. POLITICO’s editorial team was not involved in the creation of this episode. A disclaimer from our Sponsor, Philips: Sentry Score is a predictive algorithm for the adult intensive care unit (ICU) that shows a patient’s probability of receiving an intervention within 60 minutes. Sentry Score patient risk predictions are continuously updated as new vital sign data are received providing deeper insights into the patients’ trajectory, which can potentially provide the opportunity for earlier intervention. Sentry Score is a proprietary, locked, algorithm developed as a regression Machine Learning model using patterns of vital sign data from Philips eICU Research Institute (eRI) associated with clinical interventions. References to AI within this podcast are related to the application of Machine Learning in the algorithm development; Sentry Score is not actively changing. Interviews Include: Nathan Naylor, Vice President of Veterans Health, Philips Karsten Russell-Wood, Head of Global Marketing Patient Care Analytics, Philips Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the fourth episode of POLITICO's miniseries on the VA, "Pulse Check" and POLITICO's Arthur Allen sit down with Sen. Jon Tester, the ranking member of the Senate committee overseeing the VA. Tester walks through how lawmakers have tailored legislation to boost the VA, where he thinks senators should push on oversight and what worries him about the agency's direction. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the third episode of POLITICO's miniseries on the VA, "Pulse Check" and POLITICO's Arthur Allen sit down with a permanently disabled veteran who relies on the agency. Today, J.R. Wilson talks about his experience after getting injured during an Army parachuting accident, how he's relied solely on VA services to help with his recovery and his concern that privatizing the agency would harm its specialized quality of care. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the second episode of POLITICO's miniseries on the VA, "Pulse Check" and POLITICO's Arthur Allen delve deeper into the challenges of the long-troubled agency. Today, former VA Secretary David Shulkin discusses his rocky tenure leading the agency under President Donald Trump, how he he tried to implement changes before being fired and what he sees as the biggest risks to the VA's future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Veterans Day, "Pulse Check" and POLITICO's Arthur Allen kick off a four-episode miniseries: what does the future of the VA look like? Today, we talk to former VA social worker Andrea Plate, author of the upcoming book, "Madness: In the Trenches of America’s Troubled Department of Veterans Affairs," about the challenges of caring for veterans amid funding crunches, structural problems and a battle for the agency's soul. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The National Cancer Institute estimates that over 1.7 million new cases of cancer are diagnosed annually. Advancements in science and technology are paving the way for new cancer treatments that can make a huge difference for patients. And yet, many people don’t have access to them. Hear from two health care leaders working to provide cancer patients with innovative, effective and affordable treatments. This special branded episode of Pulse Check was produced by POLITICO’s in-house brand content studio, POLITICO Focus. POLITICO’s editorial team was not involved in the creation of this episode. Interviews Include: Andy Schmeltz, Global President & General Manager, Pfizer Oncology Patricia Goldsmith, Chief Executive Officer, CancerCare Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When there's an Ebola epidemic — or a natural disaster — that could threaten the world, a team at CDC springs into action: the Division of Global Health Protection, which deploys disease detectives and helps stand up emergency operations to fight the problem. Capt. Nancy Knight, MD, joined POLITICO's Dan Diamond to debrief on global health crises and the world's response, part of a special pop-up podcast at the Milken Institute's "Future of Health" summit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An organ donation can save a life — or at least that's the message hammered home across public health, in advertisements or even when getting a driver's license. But why does the U.S. system fail to recover so many transplantable organs? And why are some donated organs even thrown away? Greg Segal of ORGANIZE joined POLITICO's Dan Diamond to discuss the current problems and the promising future for organ donation, part of a special pop-up podcast at the Milken Institute's "Future of Health" summit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Marty ran for state Senate in Minnesota in the 1980s because he wanted to achieve social change. More than 30 years later, single-payer health care has become his defining mission — and Marty says that his local battle has been supercharged by Bernie Sanders and the national Medicare for All movement. POLITICO's Dan Diamond looked at the political dynamics around Medicare for All and then sat down with Sen. Marty to discuss his policy, strategy and the difficult trade-offs behind single-payer. MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Marty has spent years pushing for what he calls the Minnesota Health Plan. MinnPost wrote about Marty's "lonely quest" to achieve single-payer health care — a decade ago. The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan advocacy organization, has thrown its support behind Medicare for All. The Minnesota Nurses Association has pushed for single-payer health care and specifically backed Marty's bill. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump has repeatedly relied on HHS to help carry out his sweeping immigration agenda, and a new order that would limit visas to people who aren't "health care burdens" could be the latest dramatic change. Mark Greenberg, who served as the acting assistant secretary for children and families during the Obama administration, sits down with POLITICO's Dan Diamond to discuss HHS' role in immigration and why he's so worried about Trump's recent order (starts at the 6:00 mark). Then Scott Lloyd, the Trump appointee who led the HHS refugee office, joins Dan to discuss his experience after the administration began separating migrant families and thousands of children ended up in his office's custody (starts at the 25:45 mark). REFERENCED ON THE PODCAST The Migration Policy Institute predicted that Trump's recent proclamation linking health care and insurance could block as many as two-thirds of green card applicants. Career health officials have raised concerns that Trump's latest order on immigration and health care could be illegal. Watchdogs like GAO and the HHS inspector general have found that family separations began months before the Trump administration officially announced the policy. HHS Secretary Alex Azar emerged as the face of the family-separation crisis last summer, even though HHS didn't lead the policy. House Democrats and watchdog groups have pressed Lloyd over his decisions and testimony. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Adam Boehler took the reins of the powerful CMS Innovation Center in early 2018, pledging to help shift the U.S. health care system away from fee-for-service. Eighteen months later, he's leaving the agency, having launched a series of payment pilots that Boehler vows will lead to dramatic changes. Boehler sat down with POLITICO's Dan Diamond to discuss why he originally took the job, how he evaluated possible payment reforms and why he thinks the Trump administration didn't fear "sacred cows" in health care. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Boehler founded multiple companies before joining the government, including Landmark Health, which focused on serving the sickest patients. Boehler helped steer major payment pilots at the innovation center, including an effort to reshape kidney care. The CMS Innovation Center could be eliminated if the Affordable Care Act is struck down in court. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Block grants for Medicaid" have been a conservative pipe dream and a progressive bogeyman for decades. Now Tennessee's GOP governor is moving forward with a plan to turn block-grant dreams into reality — if Trump officials and other lawmakers give permission. First, Joan Alker of Georgetown's Center for Children and Families reviews how Trump officials and GOP leaders have changed the Medicaid program, why she blames the Trump administration for a recent spike in uninsured kids and why she's so worried about the Tennessee proposal. (Starts at the 1:55 mark.) Then POLITICO's Rachana Pradhan joins Dan to review the policy and politics of block grants and how the Trump administration is sending mixed-messages to Republican states. (Starts at the 30:00 mark.) MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Joan first appeared on "PULSE CHECK" in February 2017, to preview Seema Verma's possible tenure at CMS. Children's uninsurance rose in 2018, the first uptick in years and a concerning change that Joan and colleagues predicted. Current and former Trump administration officials — like Brian Blase and CMS Administrator Seema Verma — have argued that ineligible Americans are wrongly enrolling in Medicaid. The Trump administration has steadily pursued a plan to allow states to seek block grants for Medicaid. Tennessee had wanted to be the first state to win approval for a Medicaid block grant. Its GOP leaders rolled out their plan this week. Law professor Nick Bagley argues that Tennessee's plan wouldn't be legal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Washington is coming back to life after the summer, and POLITICO's Adam Cancryn and Sarah Owermohle join Dan Diamond to give their predictions on suprise billing legislation, new curbs on vaping, drug pricing reforms, the Trump administration's health plan and other hot-button issues and people to watch. (Starts at the 14:30 mark) But first, Paul Demko — longtime health reporter and new editor of POLITICO's cannabis team — joins Dan to explain why POLITICO is launching the new team and how he sees the opportunity. (Starts at the 1:20 mark.) MENTIONED ON THE SHOW POLITICO is launching a free newsletter covering the cannabis industry. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is driving new tobacco legislation. President Donald Trump has repeatedly pledged to introduce a health care plan before the elections. Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal is facing a primary challenge amid progressive pressure on his health care positions. Activist Ady Barkan has launched a new video series of interviews with presidential candidates. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are millions of legal immigrants who depend on programs like Medicaid — and now, after the Trump administration revamped a nearly 140-year-old immigration rule, there's growing concern that many will drop out. First, Ted Hesson joins POLITICO's Dan Diamond to discuss how the new "public charge" rule would work (starts at the 2:00-minute mark), White House official Stephen Miller's role in driving the plan (8:05) and the broader immigration changes underway (12:00). Then, Dr. Omolara Uwemedimo of Northwell Health explains her background as the daughter of immigrants and her work as a pediatrician (starts at the 17:05-minute mark), how she sees immigrant patients being affected by the new rule (20:45) and her broader observations on how immigration and health care collide (26:00). MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Immigration official Ken Cuccinelli appeared on NPR last week to defend the public charge rule — and twist the inscription on the Statue of Liberty. The Urban Institute reviewed how the public charge rule could affect immigrants' use of government programs like Medicaid. The Kaiser Family Foundation also prepared a fact sheet on the rule's impact. Ted's story about Stephen Miller's close involvement in the public charge rule, complete with Miller's emails. Ted also broke news about how the State Department's public charge denials have already skyrocketed, a possible precursor to national implementation of the new rule. Dr. Uwemedimo's op-ed in Newsweek about her family's immigration story and why she's worried about the public charge rule's impact. Michael Dowling, the CEO of Northwell Health — the largest health care provider in New York — is himself an immigrant from Ireland. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A pair of mass shootings have renewed the spotlight on the nation's high rate of gun deaths. POLITICO's Dan Diamond reviews why health care groups say that gun violence deaths represent a "public health crisis" — and how GOP congressmen and the current Surgeon General avoid using that term. Then Dan talks with Amy Barnhorst, a UC Davis psychiatrist who specializes in gun violence research, about her work and legislation intended to reduce deaths (starts at the 3:15 mark), what she makes of recent comments by President Donald Trump and Democratic frontrunner Joe Biden about the role of mental illness and video games (15:45), and how physicians were mobilized by the NRA's "stay in their lane" tweet and what she would advise politicians to do (21:30). MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Dr. Barnhorst's February 2018 New York Times op-ed on why the mental health system shouldn't be responsible for stopping mass shooters. A Sactown Magazine article looks closer at UC Davis' work on gun violence research. California's implemented a gun violence restraining order law, devised in part by Dr. Barnhorst. The president linked gun violence with mental health in a speech on Monday. Biden also decried violent video games as a possible factor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"You're wrong" about Medicare-for-all, Sen. Bernie Sanders told former Rep. John Delaney as this week's Democratic debates kicked off — an exchange that set the tone for the first night. Pulse Check host Dan Diamond joined Scott Bland, host of POLITICO's Nerdcast, to discuss the exchange (and Sen. Elizabeth Warren's comments too) for a bonus crossover episode. MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Delaney's "BetterCare" plan, which goes further than some other Democrats' proposals toward ensuring universal coverage. Warren's rebuke that Democrats need to stop using Republican talking points on health care. POLITICO's Nerdcast, Pulse Check's sister podcast, looks closer at the political landscape every week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Neera Tanden is one of the most prominent voices in the Democratic party — and her organization, the Center for American Progress, has been pumping out policy ideas ahead of the 2020 election, helping shape the Democratic primary. Neera sits down with POLITICO's Dan Diamond to discuss CAP's signature Medicare Extra proposal and Democrats' debate over Medicare for All (starts at the 1:00 mark), what she makes of the Democratic primary (15:30), President Donald Trump's influence on politics and why Neera blames Trump for the "warfare" gripping America (22:45), and if the Democratic party has a leadership gap (28:30). MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Neera first appeared on PULSE CHECK in June 2017, as Republicans pushed to repeal the Affordable Care Act. CAP commissioned an independent analysis from Avalere on its Medicare Extra plan. Vox's Ezra Klein praised many elements of CAP's Medicare Extra proposal. Progressives have urged Democrats to commit to Medicare for All, saying that opting for a public option instead would still leave millions at risk. A new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll found that 70 percent of respondents favor "Medicare for All" when they have a choice between a government plan and private insurance, but just 41 percent favor a mandatory Medicare for All plan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Artificial intelligence is poised to transform the world, including the world of health care. In this bonus episode of Pulse Check, we present POLITICO's newest show, Global Translations, which features the White House point person on AI, Lynne Parker, reflecting on the promise of AI in the health field. Global Translations examines big problems that don't respect political boundaries. The first season of the show is tackling trade, technological disruption, and climate change. If you like the show, subscribe for free wherever you listen to podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump on Wednesday ordered a series of changes intended to reshape how tens of millions of Americans receive kidney care and boost the number of kidney transplants — a plan, scooped by POLITICO, that's received bipartisan praise. Dr. Carmen Peralta, a nationally known kidney expert at UCSF and chief medical officer for Cricket Health, joins Dan Diamond to discuss the historic problems with U.S. kidney care and what Trump's plan could accomplish (starts at the 1:35 mark). Then Dan briefly discusses the latest legal threat to Obamacare, following a contentious court hearing this week (starts at the 23:30 mark). MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE The Trump administration moved to shake up how kidney care is delivered in the United States. A history of Medicare's unusual decision to pay for kidney failure treatment, which critics said has warped the market. Federal judges aggressively questioned whether Obamacare can survive in a hearing this week. Law professors Nick Bagley and Richard Primus laid out strategies for Congress to protect the ACA against the lawsuit working its way through the courts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Washington is quiet this week, ahead of the Fourth of July holiday and with Congress on recess. So we're featuring excerpts from two classic conversations: doctor-turned-venture capitalist Bijan Salehizadeh on how he invests in health care and why he passed on Theranos (starts at the 1:35 mark) and Gates Foundation CEO Sue Desmond-Hellmann on how her foundation views public health and what the United States can learn from global efforts (starts at the 15:00 mark). MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Bijan's full 2016 appearance on "Pulse Check," where he explained how venture capitalists approach the health industry and how he decides where to invest. Sue's full 2017 appearance on "Pulse Check," where she explained her foundation's work on problems like polio and why she wishes "prevention" was more of a political priority in U.S. health efforts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lamar Alexander is one of the most powerful senators on health care. The Tennessee Republican leads the HELP Committee, which steers much of the key health legislation, and he's now pushing a wide-ranging bill that he says will lower health care costs. Alexander sat down with POLITICO's Dan Diamond to discuss his new health care package, what he's learned from guiding bills through Congress and how he would fix the Senate — if he could. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tony Fauci joined NIH in 1968. He was named head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in 1984. And on a warm day in April 2019, he sat down with POLITICO's Dan Diamond to reflect on his ongoing work — from the emergence of HIV/AIDS nearly 40 years ago to how the Trump administration is trying to end the epidemic. On the podcast, Fauci also discussed the resurgence of measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases, his perspective on the Trump administration and what it's like to give advice to a president. MENTIONED ON THE SHOW President Donald Trump has vowed to effectively end HIV transmission within a decade. Fauci has long argued that we have the tools to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Jen Kates of the Kaiser Family Foundation recently appeared on "Pulse Check" to discuss Trump's HIV policy. Fauci was a prominent voice during the Ebola epidemic, urging a measured response and even treating one patient himself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rep. Joe Kennedy first appeared on this podcast in early 2017, at House Democrats' lowest moment: The GOP had steamrolled the party, speeding an Affordable Care Act repeal bill that seemed inevitable. But the GOP's efforts ultimately failed; Democrats retook the House a year later; and Kennedy this week rejoined POLITICO's Dan Diamond to reflect on how House Democrats' health policy has changed as they've become the majority party, why he now supports a Medicare for All bill, how he approaches questioning Trump officials like HHS Secretary Alex Azar and more. MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Kennedy's 2017 appearance on the "Pulse Check" podcast. House Democrats have worried that the push for "Medicare for All" could divert the caucus' energy from other health care priorities, like preserving the Affordable Care Act. Kennedy's questioning of HHS Secretary Alex Azar during a hearing last month, which went viral. Kennedy last week introduced a bill to strengthen Medicaid and CHIP funding. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just a year ago, Mike Braun was an underdog in the Republican primary for an Indiana Senate seat. Now he's a freshman senator, installed on the Senate's key health care committee — and pushing his own package of health reforms. Braun joined POLITICO's Dan Diamond to explain his frustration over how Washington regulates the U.S. health system, his criticism of the latest effort to strike down the ACA and why he thinks more Republicans need to make health care a policy priority. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices