POLITICO's Pulse Check

It’s no secret that health care has been a key election issue — Democrats are promising to defend the Affordable Care Act and expand coverage, while Republicans are warning that Medicare for All puts seniors at risk.

So where do we stand a month away from the midterms?

First, POLITICO's Adam Cancryn joins Dan Diamond to break down the latest campaign messaging on health care and several key battles. (Starts at the 1:45 mark.)

Then, Lauren Underwood — a nurse, a former HHS staffer and a first-time candidate for the House of Representatives — explains why she's running for Congress, in a competitive Illinois race. (Starts at the 16:45 mark.)

(Note: POLITICO reached out to Underwood's opponent, Rep. Randy Hultgren, but has been unable to book him on the show.)

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MENTIONED ON THE SHOW

Writing in POLITICO, Adam's story on Republicans using misleading health care ads to attack Democrats.

POLITICO's Alice Miranda Ollstein wrote about congressional candidates — including Lauren Underwood — campaigning on their own pre-existing conditions.

The New York Times/Siena College poll of Lauren Underwood's race against Rep. Randy Hultgren.

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Since becoming law in 1965, Medicaid has been shrouded in debate and misperceptions. It costs too much; the services are poor quality; it’s just a handout. In this special branded episode of Pulse Check at Work, we sought to set the record straight with Dr. Rod Hochman, president and CEO of Providence St. Joseph Health (PSJH), and Dr. Rhonda Medows, executive vice president of Population Health at PSJH.

This episode is sponsored content from Providence St. Joseph Health and produced by POLITICO Focus, POLITICO’s in-house brand content studio. POLITICO’s editorial team was not involved in the production of this episode.

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A "health coach" is just what it sounds like — a coach who’s there to help patients manage a problem, or make changes to their lifestyle. And thousands. On this episode, you'll hear from two.

First, Michele Geraldi — a coach for Omada Health, which specializes in diabetes prevention — explains how she works to convince patients to be healthier.

Then Ruth Wolever, who runs Vanderbilt's health coaching program and cofounded an international consortium to make coaching better, explains how health coaches fit into value-based care and where she thinks the industry is heading.

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Health care is awash in data. And we’re all being tracked, maybe in ways we don’t even realize, by a new class of analysts, armed with increasingly savvy tools.

So who are these people — these data scientists — and what exactly do they do? That's what we'll answer on this episode of "Pulse Check: At Work."

First, Jonathan Sung takes us inside his data-driven projects at the Department of Transportation and Kaiser Permanente.

Then, Aneesh Chopra — who was the nation's first Chief Technology Officer and is now president of CareJourney, a firm using data to improve care — explains the skill set to get hired as a data scientist and why he thinks we need a "digital Hippocratic Oath."

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Overseas doctors are cheaper. Artificial intelligence could eventually be smarter. Patient safety concerns have multiplied. Are American radiologists' days numbered?

These radiologists say no — and take listeners inside their work.

First, Dr. Stefan Tigges of Emory University opens up about the highs and lows of the job, and how he uses his cartoons to teach the next generation of radiologists.

After the break, Dr. Rebecca Smith-Bindman of the University of California-San Francisco, shares a national perspective about how the work is changing, how she thinks about radiation risks and what policymakers need to know.

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Home health aide is one of the fastest-growing jobs in America — and the first job in our month-long series that will explain how different health care workers fit into the broader health policy picture.

What's it like to be a home health aide — and why take such a demanding, low-paying job in the first place? Lisa Morris, a home health worker in New Jersey, joins POLITICO to explain. Meanwhile, Harvard professor David Grabowski offers insight into the trends and policies that are shaping the home health field.

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In a bonus episode, POLITICO's Adam Cancryn and Paul Demko join Dan Diamond to preview this week's high-stakes hearings.

Tuesday: The Senate Judiciary Committee begins grilling Judge Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump's latest nominee to the Supreme Court.

Wednesday: Texas v. Azar gets underway, with the Affordable Care Act's protections at stake.

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It’s no secret that President Donald Trump and his administration oppose the Affordable Care Act. But what's gone under the radar: a lawsuit that’s trying to use Trump’s own words to prove that his "sabotage" violates his constitutional responsibilities.

On the podcast, Zach Klein — the attorney for Columbus, Ohio — explains to POLITICO's Dan Diamond why he decided to join the multi-city lawsuit against the Trump administration and how efforts to weaken the ACA could harm his constituents.

After the break, Yale law professor Abbe Gluck explains the legal theory behind the case and whether she thinks it has a shot at success.

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MENTIONED ON THE SHOW

Columbus joined Baltimore, Chicago and other cities in suing the Trump administration.

Abbe Gluck in October 2017 laid out the argument that Trump's moves to undermine the Affordable Care Act were illegal.

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"I think rural health care is on life support...[and] we need to redesign all of that."

Sen. Heidi Heitkamp says that states like hers are facing multiple health care challenges: Too few hospitals and doctors, and too many mothers dying early. The North Dakota senator joined POLITICO's Dan Diamond to discuss rural health care, tribal health and other issues often overlooked in Washington, D.C.

Heitkamp — who narrowly won election in 2012 and is arguably Republicans' top target this fall — also explains why she supports some Medicaid work requirements and is against Medicare-for-all.

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MENTIONED ON THE SHOW

The Trump administration won't exempt Native Americans from Medicaid work requirements.

Heitkamp's campaign is airing ads on pre-existing conditions.

Brett Kavanaugh previously signaled that presidents could ignore laws that they think are unconstitutional.

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"I've been physically harassed. I've been sued as a way of getting me to shut up. I've had three death threats the FBI deemed credible... But doing the right thing isn't an easy thing."

Paul Offit, a pediatrician at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, has stepped forward as one of the nation's leading defenders of vaccines — a role that's won him national praise and interviews with Stephen Colbert, but also led him to battle with a vocal community of anti-vaxxers.

Paul joined POLITICO's Dan Diamond to discuss vaccines and why the current political climate is so troubling — and why he wants to send some reporters to "journalism jail" for enabling lies about science.

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REFERENCED ON THE PODCAST

Paul’s new book, "Bad Advice: Or Why Celebrities, Politicians, and Activists Aren't Your Best Source of Health Information"

Paul’s 2015 book, “Bad Faith: When Religious Belief Undermines Modern Medicine.”

Donald Trump made public statements linking autism and vaccines.

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