POLITICO's Pulse Check

Kathleen Sebelius, the former HHS secretary who oversaw the rollout of Obamacare, is worried that HHS’s current leaders are steering the ACA the wrong direction. "They have done a lot to sabotage the health care law," Sebelius told POLITICO’s Dan Diamond. The former HHS secretary shares her thoughts on the current administration’s strategy, what she thinks HHS should be prioritizing and what’s been overlooked because of the intense focus on the ACA. (Starts at 22:00) But first, POLITICO’s Rachana Pradhan and Paul Demko join PULSE CHECK to discuss the emerging bipartisan efforts in the Senate to stabilize the ACA, the disconnect between President Trump’s comments and the Trump administration’s actions on health care and what’s on tap when Congress returns in September (starts at 1:35 mark) We’d appreciate your help: Please share PULSE CHECK and rate us on your favorite podcast app! Have questions, suggestions or feedback? Email [email protected] or tweet him @ddiamond. Stories referenced on the podcast: Rachana’s story on how the Trump administration is spending millions to prop up Obamacare: http://www.politico.com/story/2017/08/13/trump-millions-save-obamacare-241549 Paul’s story on how the ACA survived the threat of “bare counties”: http://www.politico.com/story/2017/08/20/obamacare-insurers-county-health-plans-241803

Andy Slavitt has been busy: Since leaving office in January, the man who ran Medicare, Medicaid and the ACA has mounted a whirlwind defense of Obamacare, holding town halls coast to coast and being ever-present on social media. And in a repeat podcast appearance, Slavitt rejoins POLITICO's Dan Diamond to explain his strategy — and what this year has been like as his profile exploded. Andy discusses how he morphed from Obama administration official to the ACA's most visible advocate (starts at the 3:00 mark), the bipartisan solutions he thinks are necessary in health care (6:30), what he thinks HHS will do and why he thinks his criticism of the GOP is fair (12:00), whether he'd ever run for office (25:00), if he still needs the media as someone with 100,000-plus Twitter followers (34:30), and what he's learned about communications strategy since leaving office (42:20). Note: This conversation was recorded in late July, a few days before the Senate GOP health bill failed on the floor. We’d appreciate your help: Please share PULSE CHECK and rate us on your favorite podcast app! Have questions, suggestions or feedback? Email [email protected] or tweet him @ddiamond.

The central fight over the ACA has (for now) moved from Congress to the White House, where President Donald Trump is debating whether to yank key payments for insurers. But some senators are hinting that a bipartisan compromise on Obamacare is coming — as long as Trump doesn’t blow up their efforts, that is. First, POLITICO’s Jennifer Haberkorn and Paul Demko join Dan Diamond to talk about what's next in the Senate, the legal case that gives Trump the power to nix the payments, and what it was like to watch the dramatic vote early Friday morning. (Starts at 1:30.) Then after the break, Nicholas Bagley, a University of Michigan law professor who’s a leading voice on the ACA's legal issues, explains the theory behind the current case, what happens in the courts if Trump yanks the payments, and the series of legal attacks on Obamacare over the years. (Starts at the 22:45 mark). We’d appreciate your help: Please share PULSE CHECK and rate us on your favorite podcast app! Have questions, suggestions or feedback? Email [email protected] or tweet him @ddiamond. Stories referenced on the podcast: Jen’s story on how the GOP got stuck on repeal: http://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/31/republicans-obamacare-repeal-241152 Paul’s story on Trump’s looming decision on ACA payments: http://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/31/obamacare-payments-insurers-trump-decision-241171

The Senate GOP is pushing forward with plans to roll back all or part of the Affordable Care Act, threatening insurance coverage for millions of Americans. A devastating moment for progressives? Not at all, says Ben Wikler, the Washington director for MoveOn.org, who argues that the drawn-out fight to repeal the ACA has turned into a major win. Wikler joined PULSE CHECK to talk about activism in the Trump era, how “the Resistance” in 2017 compares to the Tea Party in 2009 and how he’s thinking about the health care fight and what lies ahead. (Starts at the 9:25 mark.) But first: POLITICO deputy health care editor Jason Millman joined Dan Diamond to talk about the latest developments in the Senate and the “skinny repeal” plan now under consideration. (Starts at the 2:00 mark.) We’d appreciate your help: Please share PULSE CHECK and rate us on your favorite podcast app! Have questions, suggestions or feedback? Email [email protected] or tweet him @ddiamond. NOTE: Dan will be at Politicon.com in California this weekend for a live-taping of POLITICO’s Nerdcast podcast and to moderate a panel on health care. Stories referenced on the podcast: The Senate’s push to repeal the ACA: http://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/26/obamacare-repeal-republicans-minimum-240982 John McCain’s attack on the GOP: http://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/25/john-mccain-obamacare-repeal-240946 The so-called "skinny repeal": http://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/25/mitch-mcconnell-skinny-obamacare-repeal-240943

The nation heard from President Donald Trump on Wednesday, who again urged Republicans to repeal the ACA. Congress continues to loudly battle over the law, and governors have spoken out too. But one voice that’s been largely ignored: Local health leaders. And on this episode of PULSE CHECK, two big city health commissioners — New York City commissioner Mary Bassett and Chicago commissioner Julie Morita — join POLITICO’s Dan Diamond to explain how Republicans’ plan would hit their cities, why they prioritize "health" over "health care" and how they're addressing persistent social inequality. They also walk through what it’s like to be a city health commissioner — a role that both describe as their dream job. We’d appreciate your help: Please share PULSE CHECK and rate us on your favorite podcast app! Have questions, suggestions or feedback? Email [email protected] or tweet him @ddiamond. NOTE: Dan will be at Politicon.com next week for a live-taping of POLITICO’s Nerdcast podcast and to moderate a panel on health care. Stories referenced on the podcast: How the Cleveland Clinic gets healthier while its neighborhood stays sick: http://www.politico.com/interactives/2017/obamacare-cleveland-clinic-non-profit-hospital-taxes/ How hospitals got richer off Obamacare: http://www.politico.com/interactives/2017/obamacare-non-profit-hospital-taxes/

Meet the new bill — mostly the same as the old bill. Senate Republicans released their revised health care legislation this week, and while Sen. Ted Cruz is now firmly onboard, many moderate senators remain publicly uncommitted. And it's possible the bill could fail — again — next week. A team of POLITICO reporters break down what happened and what's next. First, Jen Haberkorn and Adam Cancryn rejoin PULSE CHECK to discuss what's in the new bill, the frenzied push to win over enough holdouts to simply bring it to the floor and their reporting on which senators to watch (starts at the 1:50 mark). Then after the break, Paul Demko and Sarah Karlin-Smith drill down on implications for the health care industry and recap the mostly overlooked developments for the fate of Obamacare's insurance markets and changes to drug payments (starts at the 23:30 mark). We’d appreciate your help: Please share PULSE CHECK and rate us on your favorite podcast app! Have questions, suggestions or feedback? Email [email protected] or tweet him @ddiamond.

Even Republican senators say their health care bill is "dead." But their effort to repeal and replace the ACA is far from over — and the GOP is preparing to unveil a revised bill and sprint to pass it across July. POLITICO’s Adam Cancryn and Jennifer Haberkorn join Dan Diamond to discuss where Republicans stand after their rough recess (starts at the 1:30 mark), Adam’s reporting trip to cover holdout Sen. Shelley Moore Capito in West Virginia (10:30), the role of Donald Trump in selling the bill (13:40), how the next few weeks could shake out (18:30) and a few stories that are flying below the radar (26:15). We’d appreciate your help: Please share PULSE CHECK and rate us on your favorite podcast app! Have questions, suggestions or feedback? Email [email protected] or tweet him @ddiamond. Read Adam's story on Capito: http://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/09/capito-gop-senator-opposes-health-bill-240311 Read Jen's story on recess: http://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/07/gop-health-plan-home-districts-misgivings-240306 Read DD's PULSE on what's next: http://www.politico.com/tipsheets/politico-pulse/2017/07/10/with-original-bill-dead-gop-begins-sprint-to-sell-new-one-221235

Republicans' health care push continues to grip the Capitol and keep the industry on high alert. On this episode of PULSE CHECK, we review how that effort is unfolding in D.C. but also in Ohio, in a sit-down interview with one of America's most powerful health care leaders. First, POLITICO's Jen Haberkorn joins Dan Diamond to discuss her reporting on the latest twists and turns in the GOP health care push (starts at the 1:45 mark). Then Dr. Toby Cosgrove, the heart surgeon who runs the Cleveland Clinic, talks about why he turned down both the Obama and Trump administration's overtures about being VA Secretary, what he's telling Ohio Sen. Rob Portman about Republicans' health bill and his view on the health care industry's challenges (starts at the 12:45 mark). We’d appreciate your help: Please share PULSE CHECK and rate us on your favorite podcast app! Have questions, suggestions or feedback? Email [email protected] or tweet him @ddiamond.

It's a big week in health care, and POLITICO's reporters are here to help you sort through it. In a bonus episode of PULSE CHECK, senior reporter Jennifer Haberkorn joined Dan Diamond to discuss what to expect this week (starts at the 1:40 mark), the procedural hurdles that Republicans need to jump through (3:30), other possible turning points (14:30), a rundown of where key GOP senators stand (16:30), and media coverage of the health care debate (23:30). We’d appreciate your help: Please share PULSE CHECK and rate us on your favorite podcast app! Have questions, suggestions or feedback? Email [email protected] or tweet him @ddiamond.

The Senate health bill is here, and Neera Tanden is furious. Neera's a major figure in Democratic politics: She's the head of the liberal Center for American Progress, a former Obama administration staffer — and someone who was heavily favored to be HHS Secretary in a prospective Clinton administration. Neera joined POLITICO's Dan Diamond to discuss Republicans' health care process (starts at the 1:40 mark), their proposed changes to Medicaid (6:00), how she thinks it will play in upcoming elections (12:30), what the Clinton administration would've done on health care (19:40), what it was like having her email hacked (22:45), what it's like to run an organization like CAP today (27:00), her advice to young activists (30:00), and if it's a setback for progressives if the bill passes (36:30). We’d appreciate your help: Please share PULSE CHECK and rate us on your favorite podcast app! Have questions, suggestions or feedback? Email [email protected] or tweet him @ddiamond.