HHS BRACES FOR FREE-TEST CHALLENGES — Health officials are still sketching out the details of Biden’s pledge that Americans can be reimbursed for at-home tests in 2022, a critical component of the administration’s efforts to make Covid-19 tests that will yield rapid results more accessible. But the administration is also anticipating legal questions, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra told reporters in a briefing Tuesday. “We believe — under the authorities we have that Congress gave us with the public health emergency — that we can try to provide certain levels of reimbursement for the dispensing of those rapid tests,” he said. “I suspect someone is going to test us on that.” Vaccine mandates prove a warning sign. The secretary likened potential testing hurdles to several ongoing challenges, primarily led by conservative states, to the president’s vaccine mandate for federally funded health workers. “Does the government have the ability to require vaccines? That’s an open question — we think we do,” he said. “Can we require insurers to pay for the testing? We think we’ve taken action which will make the tests available.” The administration will roll out its testing reimbursement plan in January, but in the meantime, Becerra also anticipates hurdles outside the insured population. “That’s going to be the difficult one,” he said. “We have to make sure that they’re accessible to everyone. … That’s where the job is.” HEALTH OUTLETS LEFT OUT OF BECERRA BRIEFING — The secretary’s hour-long Tuesday roundtable with 11 journalists — one of few press briefings since he took offices — notably omitted health-specific news outlets, weeks after an organization for health journalists pressed for more media access. The Association of Health Care Journalists wrote Becerra in November, urging the department to hold regular briefings and streamable press conferences and upload accessible recordings and transcripts. But while Tuesday’s briefing included major print and TV news outlets, notable health news publications including Stat News, Inside Health Policy, MedPage Today and BioCentury didn’t get the invite. The response: “I am extremely frustrated and disappointed,” said MedPage Today’s Washington editor Joyce Frieden, who sits on AHCJ’s board of directors and co-wrote the November letter about press access. “We are glad the secretary is starting to hold these types of events, but the exclusive nature of this one is directly contrary to the kind of openness that we are hoping for from HHS, and we hope that future briefings will be more inclusive.” Biotechnology-focused news outlet BioCentury was also not invited, said Washington editor Steve Usdin. “In my experience, there has been very little openness from the Office of the Secretary and HHS in the Biden administration, but communications and openness from agencies such as FDA and NIH have been excellent." Why it matters: Reporters have been pressing for more access to top HHS officials amid the continuing pandemic and a range of looming health policies, including surprise billing regulations and the specter of drug pricing reform. AHCJ’s letter pointed to President Donald Trump’s HHS Secretary Alex Azar as a precedent for “regularly held press briefings during which reporters could ask questions pertinent to their reporting responsibilities.” HHS spokesperson Sarah Lovenheim defended the limited access as the only way to ensure each attendee had ample time to quiz the secretary. “It wouldn’t be a true pen-and-pad conversation if I invited so many outlets that not every person could ask a question,” she said. The department is planning a similar event in the near future for health-focused publications, though a date has yet to be set. HHS’ senior leadership returned to the office only last week, so this was the first opportunity for an in-person session with reporters. Lovenheim also stressed that Becerra has held regular press availabilities during his trips throughout the country to tout Biden’s agenda — and plans to do more with the Washington press corps now that he and his top advisers are working out of the Humphrey building regularly. | 
