POLITICO's Pulse Check

President Donald Trump on Wednesday ordered a series of changes intended to reshape how tens of millions of Americans receive kidney care and boost the number of kidney transplants — a plan, scooped by POLITICO, that's received bipartisan praise.

Dr. Carmen Peralta, a nationally known kidney expert at UCSF and chief medical officer for Cricket Health, joins Dan Diamond to discuss the historic problems with U.S. kidney care and what Trump's plan could accomplish (starts at the 1:35 mark).

Then Dan briefly discusses the latest legal threat to Obamacare, following a contentious court hearing this week (starts at the 23:30 mark).

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

The Trump administration moved to shake up how kidney care is delivered in the United States.

A history of Medicare's unusual decision to pay for kidney failure treatment, which critics said has warped the market.

Federal judges aggressively questioned whether Obamacare can survive in a hearing this week.

Law professors Nick Bagley and Richard Primus laid out strategies for Congress to protect the ACA against the lawsuit working its way through the courts.

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Washington is quiet this week, ahead of the Fourth of July holiday and with Congress on recess.

So we're featuring excerpts from two classic conversations: doctor-turned-venture capitalist Bijan Salehizadeh on how he invests in health care and why he passed on Theranos (starts at the 1:35 mark) and Gates Foundation CEO Sue Desmond-Hellmann on how her foundation views public health and what the United States can learn from global efforts (starts at the 15:00 mark).

MENTIONED ON THE SHOW

Bijan's full 2016 appearance on "Pulse Check," where he explained how venture capitalists approach the health industry and how he decides where to invest.

Sue's full 2017 appearance on "Pulse Check," where she explained her foundation's work on problems like polio and why she wishes "prevention" was more of a political priority in U.S. health efforts.

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Lamar Alexander is one of the most powerful senators on health care. The Tennessee Republican leads the HELP Committee, which steers much of the key health legislation, and he's now pushing a wide-ranging bill that he says will lower health care costs.

Alexander sat down with POLITICO's Dan Diamond to discuss his new health care package, what he's learned from guiding bills through Congress and how he would fix the Senate — if he could.

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Tim Hill carved out a nearly three-decade career in the federal government, ultimately rising to a role where he oversaw Medicaid for much of last year.

Now at IMPAQ International, Hill sat down with Dan Diamond to discuss the day-to-day operations of programs like Medicaid, balancing civil service with political changes and some CMS initiatives that have been overshadowed. (Starts at the 1:00-minute mark.)

After the break, Rachana Pradhan and Adam Cancryn join Dan to discuss POLITICO's report on rising tensions between HHS and the White House. (Starts at the 25:00-minute mark.)

MENTIONED ON THE SHOW

The Trump administration's controversial Medicaid work requirements were blocked earlier this year by a federal judge.

CMS Adminstrator Seema Verma has touted efforts to improve maternal mortality.

POLITICO's report on HHS Secretary Alex Azar's recent clashes with the White House.

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Hundreds of women every year die from pregnancy-related complications in the United States — a trend that's been worsening and disproportionately hit minority and rural communities.

Katy Kozhimannil, a University of Minnesota researcher who's helped lead national research into maternal mortality, joined POLITICO's Dan Diamond to discuss why the problem has gotten worse, what presidential candidates like Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris are proposing to stop it and how worried the average new mom should really be.

MENTIONED ON THE SHOW

The award-winning NPR/ProPublica series on maternal mortality.

Katy's Health Affairs article about her family's personal experience with death after childbirth.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren is touting a plan to addressing black maternal mortality. So is Sen. Kamala Harris, who unveiled her own proposal last month.

Reps. Alma Adams and Lauren Underwood have launched the Black Maternal Health Caucus.

CMS Administrator Seema Verma has increasingly focused on rural maternal mortality.

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"We're doing health policy by litigation these days."

The fate of Obamacare and a slew of Trump health care policies — from Medicaid work requirements to Title X family planning changes — now rests in the courts.

Georgetown law professor Katie Keith sat down with POLITICO's Dan Diamond to discuss the legal fight over the Affordable Care Act, the litigation over Trump-era regulations, the rollback of LGBTQ patient policies and her own role as Health Affairs' go-to blogger for ACA analysis.

MENTIONED ON THE SHOW

Oral arguments are looming next month as Democrat-led states appeal a decision, supported by the Trump administration, that the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional.

The Texas Tribune looked closer at how GOP lawyers have steered cases to Judge Reed O'Connor, hoping he'll keep striking down Obama-era regulations.

The Trump administration last month rolled back protections for LGBTQ patients. HHS also announced new protections for religious health workers, a decision that drew on old polling by Kellyanne Conway.

Katie blogs about ACA regulations at Health Affairs.

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With Congress on recess, POLITICO reporters break down a series of recent stories.

First, POLITICO's Sarah Owermohle and Paul Demko discuss the FDA's landmark hearing on CBD and separate efforts to legalize marijuana. (Starts at the 0:50 mark.)

Then, POLITICO's Rachana Pradhan and Adam Cancryn join Dan to review the policy fights over abortion access, drug pricing and LGBTQ protections, and how they're playing ahead of 2020 election campaigns. (Starts at the 16:25 mark.)

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Less than three years ago, Lisa Blunt Rochester had never held elected office. Now the Delaware congresswoman — the first African-American and the first woman to represent her state — is emerging as a player in the House's health care efforts.

Blunt Rochester joined POLITICO's Dan Diamond to discuss her key role in the Obamacare and drug pricing legislation that just passed the House, how she views the health industry as a former state health official and why she endorsed longtime friend Joe Biden for president.

MENTIONED ON THE SHOW

Blunt Rochester's MORE Health Education Act was a key part of House Democrats' health care package last week.

Blunt Rochester in April endorsed Biden for the presidency.

Blunt Rochester broke new ground when she was elected in 2016 to represent Delaware.

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For health care policy wonks, for decades, perhaps there was no more recognizable name than "Uwe" — the Princeton professor who could explain health care's broken economics in a snappy soundbite.

Uwe Reinhardt passed away in November 2017 but his new book is out this week. His wife and collaborator, Tsung-Mei (May) Cheng, sat down with POLITICO's Dan Diamond to discuss Reinhardt's life, work and lasting lessons.

MENTIONED ON THE SHOW

"Priced Out," Reinhardt's final book, was published this week.

Reinhardt appeared on NPR's "Fresh Air" in 2009 to discuss the push for the Affordable Care Act.

POLITICO Pulse Check's November 2017 reflections on Reinhardt. (Starts at the 45:38 mark.)

"It's the prices, stupid," Reinhardt and colleagues declared in a 2003 Health Affairs paper on the United States' problem with high health costs.

At Stat News, Gerard Anderson — a Johns Hopkins professor and co-author on the "prices, stupid" paper — reflects on Reinhardt's life and work.

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Two months ago, Baltimore Sun reporter Luke Broadwater learned that the state's flagship hospital system had paid Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh at least $500,000 for her self-published "Healthy Holly" children's books — even as Pugh sat on the system's board.

More stunning details quickly emerged, and the resulting scandal has reshaped Maryland politics — Pugh resigned last week — and sparked new hospital legislation. Luke joined POLITICO's Dan Diamond to discuss how he got the story, how the Sun has covered the fallout and where Maryland's hospitals and politicians go from here.

MENTIONED ON THE SHOW

Luke's initial March 13 story on the University of Maryland Medical System's deals with its board members.

Pugh's March 28 press conference, where she defended her work and touted "Healthy Holly" themed baby clothes.

Luke's May 4 story on Pugh's decision to resign.

The Baltimore Sun's archive of coverage in the scandal.

Washington Post book critic Carlos Lozada reviewed the "Healthy Holly" book series and found it lacking.

HBO's John Oliver riffed on the Baltimore scandal last month.

Pugh appeared on POLITICO's "Women Rule" podcast in 2017, discussing her ambitions for Baltimore.

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