| | | | |  | | By Chelsea Cirruzzo and Ben Leonard | | Presented by |  | | | | | ‘JUST NOT READY’ — Health leaders see a worrisome future ahead: one in which the mistakes in Covid responses are repeated, POLITICO’s Daniel Payne reports. Those concerns are coming to the fore as the threat of avian flu rises, with the disease now circulating among cattle in the United States. Though the risk of H5N1 remains low for the general public and there’s no evidence of widespread human-to-human transmission, the hypothetical scenario worries infectious disease leaders at major health systems. “We’re far from ready” for another major public health crisis, Dr. Bruce Farber, chief public health and epidemiology officer at Northwell Health, said of the U.S. health system. Government officials have emphasized that the risk to the general public, for now, remains low, and multiple agencies are working together to track and control potential spread. Officials in charge of preparing for significant infectious disease threats have said they have a substantial supply of vaccines and antivirals on hand that they believe could be useful for H5N1, which could represent an advantage over supplies available in the early days of Covid. “There’s a head start, which is good — more than we had in Covid, when it comes to pandemic flu,” said Dawn O’Connell, assistant secretary for preparedness and response at the Department of Health and Human Services. Even so, infectious disease experts at hospitals say many of the lessons learned through the Covid pandemic have yet to be implemented. Supply chain problems for tests and medications could create the same challenges they did through Covid, health leaders said. And in some ways, they said, the country’s health system is worse off than it was in 2019. The clinical workforce is worn down by years of stress, and public trust in medical professionals has plummeted. “I don’t think that we would do well if we were to be hit by a pandemic right now,” said Dr. Payal Patel, an infectious disease specialist at Intermountain Health in Utah. “What we’ve learned over the last few years is that it’s really hard to predict what turn things will take — and also that it's important to learn from the past.” WELCOME TO FRIDAY PULSE. Today’s newsletter is fueled by the “Challengers” movie soundtrack, which is shockingly good. Send your tips, scoops and feedback to ccirruzzo@politico.com and bleonard@politico.com and follow along @ChelseaCirruzzo and @_BenLeonard_.
| | A message from HCA Healthcare: At HCA Healthcare, our work to advance technology and innovations helps us to show up for our patients and colleagues. Recent highlights include our partnership with Google Cloud that uses generative AI to streamline time-consuming tasks like clinical documentation. We also introduced a new electronic health record system for improved care coordination. All of these advancements underscore our commitment to creating healthier tomorrows. Click here to learn more about the dynamic innovations at HCA Healthcare. | | | | | RFK JR. WORRIES BOTH SIDES OF ABORTION DEBATE — Anti-abortion and abortion-rights groups have one thing in common. They’re worried third-party presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could sway the 2024 election, POLITICO’s Alice Miranda Ollstein reports. Kennedy and his running mate Nicole Shanahan have taken vague and sometimes conflicting positions on abortion — endorsing a 15-week ban before walking it back, and offering just enough detail for people across the ideological spectrum to hear what they want while committing to few specifics. That’s left abortion-rights groups concerned that Kennedy and Shanahan could muddy the waters on an issue with which they hope to present a clear contrast between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. The campaign arm of Reproductive Freedom for All — the abortion-rights group formerly called NARAL — spent five figures to run a YouTube ad in April targeting voters ages 18 to 40 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Madison, Wisconsin, arguing that Kennedy and his running mate Nicole Shanahan would “put your reproductive freedom at risk.” Anti-abortion activists are also nervous that some of the conservative voters they’ll need in swing states that are likely to be decided by small margins will back Kennedy out of frustration with Trump’s pledge to leave abortion policy to the states and his repeated criticisms of sweeping restrictions adopted by Arizona and Florida. “They’re looking at Trump, they’re looking at Biden, they’re looking at RFK and they’re saying, ‘I don’t see any pro-life candidates,’” said Allie Beth Stuckey, a conservative activist who hosts the popular podcast Relatable, adding that discouraged voters she’s talked to are attracted to RFK Jr.’s other policies, like his well-known opposition to vaccine mandates. “This should be troubling to the Trump camp. This should not be dismissed.” The Kennedy campaign declined to comment, instead referring POLITICO to his website’s “More Choices, More Life” policy page.
| | | | THE GOLD STANDARD OF HEALTHCARE POLICY REPORTING & INTELLIGENCE: POLITICO has more than 500 journalists delivering unrivaled reporting and illuminating the policy and regulatory landscape for those who need to know what’s next. Throughout the election and the legislative and regulatory pushes that will follow, POLITICO Pro is indispensable to those who need to make informed decisions fast. The Pro platform dives deeper into critical and quickly evolving sectors and industries, like healthcare, equipping policymakers and those who shape legislation and regulation with essential news and intelligence from the world’s best politics and policy journalists.
Our newsroom is deeper, more experienced and better sourced than any other. Our healthcare reporting team—including Alice Miranda Ollstein, Megan Messerly and Robert King—is embedded with the market-moving legislative committees and agencies in Washington and across states, delivering unparalleled coverage of health policy and the healthcare industry. We bring subscribers inside the conversations that determine policy outcomes and the future of industries, providing insight that cannot be found anywhere else. Get the premier news and policy intelligence service, SUBSCRIBE TO POLITICO PRO TODAY. | | | | | | | | | BIDEN WELCOMES DREAMERS TO OBAMACARE — President Joe Biden on Friday announced a final rule allowing DACA recipients to qualify for subsidized Obamacare plans, Megan reports. Federal officials expect roughly 100,000 so-called Dreamers, who came to the United States as children but do not qualify for government health insurance because they lack legal status, to sign up for coverage. “We are committed to making health coverage accessible for all Americans, including DACA recipients, Dreamers, who have worked hard to live the American dream,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. Biden had initially hoped to help more than a half million DACA recipients through the rule change — but the administration is not at this point moving forward with a second portion of the proposed rule that would have also opened up state Medicaid programs to Dreamers.
| | | | A message from HCA Healthcare:   | | | | | BIO CONCERNS — The biotech industry is in a bind when it comes to the BIOSECURE Act, bipartisan legislation that would effectively prohibit Chinese biotech companies from doing business in the U.S. Our Megan R. Wilson explores how the dynamic between the U.S. and China is impacting corporate advocacy efforts on the bill: Those appearing overly favorable risk angering Beijing, but companies looking for carve-outs may look lax on national security. The issue underscores the allure of China’s investment climate and how dependent the industry has become on China’s role in the supply chain even as lawmakers have grown increasingly wary about the threat that reliance poses. Lawmakers are concerned the Chinese government could exploit Americans’ genomic information and U.S. intellectual property via the firms targeted in the bill, which is scheduled for a House markup on May 15. A Senate panel advanced its version of the measure in March in an 11-1 vote following briefings with intelligence officials.
| | | | POLITICO IS BACK AT THE 2024 MILKEN GLOBAL CONFERENCE: POLITICO will again be your eyes and ears at the 27th Annual Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles from May 5-8 with exclusive, daily, reporting in our Global Playbook newsletter. Suzanne Lynch will be on the ground covering the biggest moments, behind-the-scenes buzz and on-stage insights from global leaders in health, finance, tech, philanthropy and beyond. Get a front-row seat to where the most interesting minds and top global leaders confront the world’s most pressing and complex challenges — subscribe today. | | | | | | | | | DOCS: ACCEPT AI RESPONSIBILITY — The Federation of State Medical Boards said Thursday that doctors are responsible for their use of artificial intelligence and accountable for any harms stemming from that use, POLITICO’s Ruth Reader reports. “Once a physician chooses to use AI, they accept responsibility for responding appropriately to the AI’s recommendations,” the report states. The report said doctors may not rely on an AI tool to make medical decisions, but must explain why they followed the tool’s advice or rejected it. Why it matters: Health systems and medical tech companies alike are wondering who is ultimately responsible for AI decisions that harm patients. While the American Medical Association agrees that doctors shouldn't depend on AI and must use their own expertise to make diagnosis and treatment decisions, the organization has previously raised concerns about physicians being held liable for AI's mistakes. What’s next: States are considering their medical boards’ role in regulating how doctors use AI, with decisions expected in the months to come.
| | Gina Comottor is joining Reservoir Communications Group as VP. She most recently was director of corporate comms at the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
| | POLITICO’s Arek Sarkissian reports on an emergency rule for life-threatening pregnancy complications in Florida. NPR reports that some scientists say the U.S. may be missing cases of bird flu in humans.
| | A message from HCA Healthcare: At HCA Healthcare, we integrate healthcare technology and leverage strategic collaborations with other organizations to advance our ability to deliver high-quality patient care.
One exciting development is HCA Healthcare’s collaboration with Google Cloud to use generative artificial intelligence (AI) to help care teams improve time-consuming tasks like documentation. HCA Healthcare has also developed advanced staffing and scheduling solutions for our nurses, enabling nurses to spend more time focusing on what they do best — caring for patients.
Furthermore, HCA Healthcare is implementing a new electronic health record system to create efficiencies for care teams, improving coordination of care for patients and powering innovation. All of this, and so much more, underscores HCA Healthcare’s commitment to show up for our patients, colleagues and communities.
Click here to learn more about the dynamic innovations at HCA Healthcare. | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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