Axios Vitals: Democrats' next move

Plus: Woodcock's "interrogation" | Thursday, July 15, 2021

Open in app View in browser   Presented By PhRMA   Axios Vitals By Tina Reed ·Jul 15, 2021 Good morning, Vitals readers. Today's newsletter is 522 words, or a 2-minute read. 🌭 In very non-health-related news: It's worth checking out the lineup of foods that will be offered at the Iowa State Fair, as reported by Axios Des Moines. Among the 63 new options are a "Bacon Mac Dog," spicy pickle-flavored cotton candy, and something I'd definitely want to try: a peanut butter waffle-on-a-stick.     1 big thing: Democrats' power play Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios   Democrats took yet another step forward this week in their effort to slash what Americans — particularly seniors — pay for health care, Axios' Caitlin Owens writes. Driving the news: Senate Democrats unveiled their framework for a massive legislative package that includes several of the party's largest health care priorities. It calls for expanding Medicare to cover dental, hearing and vision benefits; expanding home and community-based services; and extending the enhancement of Affordable Care Act subsidies passed earlier this year. It also calls for closing the Medicaid coverage gap in states that haven't expanded, and for reducing what patients spend on drugs. Between the lines: The outline doesn't mention lowering the Medicare eligibility age or creating a public option. Both of these would have been met with fierce resistance from hospitals, providers and insurers. In fact, Democrats appear to be picking a fight with only one major industry group: pharma. The framework doesn't specifically call for allowing Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices. But it does list "prescription drugs" as a source of savings to the federal government that will help offset trillions of dollars of new spending. What we're watching: The party will now have to flesh out complicated policy details while also fighting a messaging war against the drug industry and its allies. Go deeper.     2. Most seniors lack dental coverage Data: KFF; Chart: Danielle Alberti/Axios Two-thirds of Medicare beneficiaries don't have dental coverage, and half haven't been to a dentist in the past year, Caitlin writes. The big picture: Democrats are pushing to have the program cover dental, hearing and vision benefits the same way it does other medical care. Some seniors have access to dental coverage through Medicare Advantage, Medicaid or private plans. But coverage is often capped, leading to high out-of-pocket costs. What they're saying: "This would be the most significant improvement to Medicare since the drug benefit took effect in 2006," KFF executive director Tricia Neuman said.     3. Alarming rise in overdose deaths Data: CDC; Map: Danielle Alberti/Axios Overdose deaths in the U.S. soared to more than 93,300 last year, up nearly 30% from more than 72,000 deaths in 2019, newly released federal data shows. The states with the greatest increases included Vermont (58%), Kentucky (54%) and South Carolina (52%). Only two states — South Dakota and New Hampshire — saw a decline in overdose deaths in 2020.     A message from PhRMA Out-of-pocket costs don't have to be out-of-this-world confusing     The way insurance covers your medicine is too complicated. Getting to what you pay for medicines shouldn't be a maze. What you pay out of pocket for medicines should be more transparent, more predictable and more affordable. If we fix insurance, we can fix out-of-pocket medicine costs. See how.     4. Quote of the day Acting FDA commissioner Janet Woodcock. Photo: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images   "I think we ought to move on." — Acting FDA commissioner Janet Woodcock, after STAT's Nicholas Florko peppered her with questions yesterday about the FDA's approval of Alzheimer's drug Aduhelm. Woodcock then wondered aloud if the interview was an "interrogation." Watch a clip. Go deeper: Woodcock told Florko the process could've been handled better, but "we believe our decisions are based on the data in front of us and the standards that we have," Axios' Bob Herman writes. The medical community overwhelmingly disagrees on her latter point.      5. CDC panel will talk boosters A CDC advisory panel plans to discuss COVID-19 boosters for immunocompromised people when it meets next week. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will also examine the possible link between Guillain-Barré syndrome and the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The FDA added a warning to the J&J coronavirus vaccine on Tuesday, saying the shot can lead to an increased risk of the rare neurological condition.     A message from PhRMA Out-of-pocket costs don't have to be out-of-this-world confusing     The way insurance covers your medicine is too complicated. Getting to what you pay for medicines shouldn't be a maze. What you pay out of pocket for medicines should be more transparent, more predictable and more affordable. If we fix insurance, we can fix out-of-pocket medicine costs. See how.   Like this email style and format? Learn more about Axios HQ. It'll help you deliver employee communications more effectively.   Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. If you're interested in advertising, learn more here. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. Axios, 3100 Clarendon B‌lvd, Suite 1300, Arlington VA 22201   You received this email because you signed up for newsletters from Axios. 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