POLITICO's Pulse Check

As lawmakers push for banning gender-affirming care in their states, the effects are felt by doctors in states where the care is legal. As a result, physicians who provide such care to transgender adolescents say they have been threatened. Megan Messerly talks with host Ben Leonard about the far-reaching effects on doctors and minors nationwide.

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A bipartisan group of representatives has introduced legislation to move more care from the hospital to the home. They say it’s a win-win that will both give patients what they want and shore up Medicare’s teetering finances. Host Katherine Ellen Foley talks with Ben Leonard about what’s in the bill.

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The breach of DC Health Link, uncovered last month, involved the theft of more than 50,000 customers, including at least 17 House members and almost 600 House staffers, according to a top executive from the company in charge of the DC Health Link insurance market. Maggie Miller talks with host Alice Miranda Ollstein about the breach.  

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The FDA has simplified the Covid vaccination regimen by updating the emergency use authorizations of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna bivalent mRNA boosters. Katherine Ellen Foley talks to host Ruth Reader about what this means for those who have never been vaccinated and for immunocompromised individuals and those over age 65.

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Washington has become the first state to create data privacy protections specifically related to health information, following the Supreme Court overturning of Roe v. Wade in June. Alfred Ng talks with host Megan Messerly about the impact this might have on companies sharing or collecting consumer health data and the possible far-reaching influence it could have on other states. 

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Sen. John Fetterman returned to Congress this week, and  Myah Ward talks to host Ben Leonard about the lawmaker’s experience with depression shows that Washington is more openly talking about mental health, and making the issue a policy priority.

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When people check out mental health apps, telehealth services or even hospital websites, they may not know they are capturing detailed personal information used for marketing and advertising. Ruth Reader talks to host Katherine Ellen Foley about what the FTC and HHS are doing to crack down on the practice.

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Simmering tensions at one of the nation’s leading trade organizations for generic drugmakers could threaten its lobbying clout at a crucial time for the industry. Megan R. Wilson talks with host Ruth Reader about the Association for Accessible Medicines, which has lost some members, contributing to budget cuts and layoffs of some top staffers.

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The White House has designated a horse tranquilizer as an "emerging threat" to public health because when mixed with fentanyl it could be fatal. The number of overdose deaths where xylazine was detected increased by more than 1,000 percent between 2020 and 2021 in the South. Carmen Paun talks to host Ruth Reader about the steps being taken by the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

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Lawmakers have introduced several bills this year that could ease the clinician shortage by expanding the roles of health care workers, allowing them to care for more patients than they currently do. But doctors say the proposed changes would put patient safety at risk. Daniel Payne talks with host Megan Messerly about what this means for the future of medical practices around the U.S.

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