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Presented by PhRMA: Delivered daily by 10 a.m., Pulse examines the latest news in health care politics and policy. | | | | | |  | | By Sarah Owermohle and Adam Cancryn | | | With Alice Miranda Ollstein Editor’s Note: POLITICO Pulse is a free version of POLITICO Pro Health Care's morning newsletter, which is delivered to our s each morning at 6 a.m. The POLITICO Pro platform combines the news you need with tools you can use to take action on the day’s biggest stories. Act on the news with POLITICO Pro.
| | | — Top congressional Democrats admit health care wishes could get dropped in ongoing budget discussion, but that is where agreement ends. — The world hit 200 million Covid-19 cases the same day world health leaders asked richer nations to pause booster shots to help others. — Former health officials across the political spectrum are pressing businesses to require vaccines or, at minimum, mask mandates and testing. WELCOME TO THURSDAY PULSE — “My hands are permanently damaged, but the insurance helped me make the best of a bad situation.” No, it’s actually not health insurance that is the good guy here. Send tips and good renter’s insurance to sowermohle@politico.com and acancryn@politico.com. | | | | A message from PhRMA: In Washington, there’s often a big difference between what politicians say and what they mean. Politicians are saying they’ll negotiate medicine prices in Medicare. But it really means the government could stand between you and your medicines. There’s a better way to help patients. See how. | | | | | | DEMS’ HEALTH CARE DREAMS SLAM INTO FISCAL REALITY — Top Democrats on Capitol Hill have begun openly admitting there won’t be enough funding in the 3.5 trillion budget bill, which could drop as early as this week, to cover all the health policy plans they’ve promised voters and which they’re counting on to help them hold the majority in next year’s midterm elections. Lawmakers and aides in the House and Senate told Alice Miranda Ollstein and Rachel Roubein that they’re currently debating how to fit as much as possible into the bill, even if it means some programs only get authorized for a few years, with the hope of renewal down the road. But other Democrats argue that won’t work for some priorities, like Biden’s $400 billion plan to expand Medicaid’s home-care services for the elderly and people with disabilities, saying the plan needs at least 10 years of funding to function. And some policies are likely to get left out entirely. A senior Democratic aide told POLITICO that the package won't lower the eligibility age for Medicare — a top progressive demand. Hopes are still high, however, for both an expansion of Medicaid in holdout GOP states and the addition of dental, vision and hearing benefits to Medicare. Tough pill: Democrats are still counting on prescription drug reform to fund the lion’s share of this new health spending. But the Senate Finance Committee is still working on its alternative to the House’s HR.3, and people familiar said that senators are searching for a domestic alternative to international reference pricing as a result of pushback from within the caucus.
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CASE SURGES COULD CAUSE BOOSTER DELAY — The world reached the somber benchmark of 200 million Covid-19 cases Wednesday as the Delta variant and others (like the emerging ‘Delta plus’ ) spread and many countries scramble to secure vaccines. Amid case surges and lumbering vaccine distribution, the World Health Organization that same day called for a moratorium on vaccine boosters until at least 10 percent of every country’s population is vaccinated — which could take until the end of September at least, POLITICO Europe’s Ashleigh Furlong reports.
“High-income countries have now administered almost 100 doses for every 100 people,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. “Meanwhile, low-income countries have only been able to administer 1.5 doses for every 100 people, due to lack of supply.” His comments land as several countries are already administering or planning for booster shots, especially among vulnerable populations. Israel and Hungary have programs underway while the U.K., France and Germany are working out plans, and the U.S. leaves the door open for additional shots. DOZENS OF FORMER GOV’T OFFICIALS CALL FOR COVID SAFE ZONES — Private workplaces need to establish safe zones for workers by requiring vaccination or implementing plans that incentivize vaccines while mandating masks and other measures, health leaders argued in a letter signed by former Biden, Trump, Obama, and Bush health officials, including former FDA commissioners Scott Gottlieb, Peggy Hamburg and Mark McClellan, former Biden advisor Andy Slavitt and former Surgeon General Jerome Adams. What they say: These Covid safe zone recommendations “are not a broad vaccination mandate” and are “temporary measures until we are reliably back to low Covid rates and the public health threat is behind us.” They add that while the measures — including regular testing — could be a burden for private businesses, the cost is “relatively modest” compared to the ongoing pandemic’s impact. What’s happening: Several major corporations, including Walmart, Microsoft and Tyson Foods, already require proof of vaccination for their employees. But the letter seems aimed less at corporate giants than smaller businesses weighing their options. “Many of you in one-on-one conversations with us have expressed a desire to follow the types of policies we are recommending,” they write. “But we recognize there is momentum for collective action, so no business feels disadvantaged and the impact of these steps is maximized. We believe if you take visible action, many more will follow.” | | | DELAURO BUILDS A BASE IN KEY HOUSE ROLE— Appropriations Chair Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), faced with one of the House’s toughest jobs, has nevertheless racked up a slew of centrist allies as she gathers support for massive appropriations moves, Sarah Ferris and Heather Caygle write. After three decades in office, the 78-year-old Democrat is running Congress’ most powerful panel at a frenetic pace, juggling calls with her colleagues past 10:30 at night. Ahead of floor votes on a divisive spending bill, DeLauro and her staff doled out thick packets to every Democrat, complete with each member’s top five priorities included in the bill. Her rise hasn’t been without some friction. Privately, some colleagues say her own policy interests sometimes lead to turf wars with other committee chairs, such as when Democrats drafted a massive Covid bill last year dealing with some of DeLauro’s legacy issues, like paid family leave and the child tax credit. This year, DeLauro also decided to remove the Hyde Amendment, a 45-year-old ban on Medicaid spending for abortion, despite the long odds that the Senate will agree to strip it. Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), another senior appropriator and progressive who was a Hill staffer when the policy was created, called the effort "long overdue" and "a racial justice issue." The debate could have turned nasty. Instead, the one Democrat who opposed it in committee, socially conservative Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), backed the final measure on the floor. No other Democrats objected. HOUSE DEMOCRATS: NO SURPRISE BILLING SURPRISES — Two dozen House Democrats penned a letter to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and the Labor and Treasury secretaries urging the departments to close potential loopholes as they draft regulations to implement the surprise billing ban passed into law last year. “We have significant concerns that potential regulatory gaps could result in surprise bills for patients, and that expanded arbitration considerations could place undue harm and financial burdens on consumers,” wrote the progressives, led by Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), in a letter Wednesday. One top concern is that patients could still be “tricked” into consenting to receive balance bills. Another is that arbitration to resolve the bills could become a lucrative business model for private equity firms and providers but instead should be used as a last resort. The second surprise billing rule landed at the White House Office of Management and Budget Monday and could deal directly with some concerns the lawmakers raised. | | | |   | | | | | | FIRST INVESTMENT FOR JPMORGAN’s HEALTH VENTURE — Morgan Health is pouring $50 million into coordinated-care provider Vera Whole Health, marking its first investment since JPMorgan created the unit to lower costs and improve its employees’ care. Vera operates a series of primary care centers across the country, and also has a partnership with physician-owned primary care group Central Ohio Primary Care. It will form the basis of a broader coordinated-care model at Morgan Health, CEO Dan Mendelson said. JPMorgan launched Morgan Health in May , with initial plans to spend up to $250 million on various investments. Its formation came just months after the company shuttered Haven — a high-profile venture between JPMorgan, Amazon and Berkshire Hathaway that had similar goals of disrupting the health care system.
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| | | ProPublic released a full, eight-hour video of Richard Sackler’s 2019 testimony about Purdue Pharma’s hand in the opioid crisis. David Armstrong wrote that ProPublica wanted to share the complete video with the mass opioid settlement imminent. Nursing homes are increasingly requiring staff to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, putting them at odds with some staff in an already burned out and high-turnover field, Matt Richtel and Reed Abelson write in The New York Times. The first vaccine Barbie? Mattel announced Wednesday it created a Barbie doll to honor Sarah Gilbert, project leader for Oxford University and AstraZeneca’s vaccine, CBS News’ Sophie Lewis writes. | | | | A message from PhRMA: Under Medicare Part D, seniors and people with disabilities have coverage for a vast number of prescription medicines they pick up at the pharmacy. Wide choice of plans and robust coverage of medicines is possible, in part, because of a protection in the Medicare statute known as the non-interference clause. Now, some want to repeal this provision, saying the government will “negotiate” lower medicine prices. What they really mean is they want to repeal the part that protects robust coverage and choice of plans for seniors and people with disabilities. People want choice, access and affordability when it comes to their medicines in Medicare, not barriers. There’s a better way to help patients. See how. | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |  |
