on the hill
Lame duck cheat sheet
A lot of what happens on health care policy during the lame duck and the next Congress depends on election outcomes. But that doesn't mean you can't prepare now by reading John Wilkerson's cheat sheet on the health care policies to watch following the election.
Health care policies that could be in play during the lame duck include telehealth, Chinese biotech restrictions, Medicare payments for hospitals, and PBM reforms.
No matter what happens, or doesn't happen, before newly elected officials take office in January, expect a major fight next year over expanded Affordable Care Act premium subsidies and Trump's 2017 tax cuts, both of which expire at the end of 2025.
drug policy
State Medicaid programs coming around on GLP-1s
Most state Medicaid programs don't cover the new class of drugs for obesity — but half of those holdouts are considering it, per a new KFF report.
The potential for expanded coverage of Wegovy and Zepbound under Medicaid comes as private plans are starting to aggressively crack down on covering the medications for obesity. Medicare prohibits coverage of the drugs for that indication, Tara Bannow writes.
Currently, just 13 state Medicaid programs cover GLP-1s for obesity; most others cite the drugs' high cost. The report notes increased spending on the class of drugs starting in 2021. Dive into the findings.
eye on fda
Meet the new CDER director
It's official: Michelle Tarver will be the new leader of the FDA's medical devices center, STAT's Lizzy Lawrence scooped this week.
Tarver has temporarily served in the role since veteran devices head Jeffrey Shuren announced his departure in July. The agency conducted a nationwide search for Shuren's replacement, but Tarver quickly seemed to be the top pick, shadowing Shuren at conferences and town halls, Lizzy writes.
Tarver joined the center in 2009, eventually becoming the director of the Office of Transformation and helping to launch the agency's patient engagement advisory committee. Read more.
health investment
Jill Biden calls on industry to support women's health
Addressing a packed main stage hall on the last day of the HLTH conference, Jill Biden touted her husband's track record on womens' health — and called on industry to investigate and fund key gaps in medical knowledge about womens' health care.
"The potential in this space is too great to ignore," Biden said.
As of Wednesday, Joe Biden-founded health agency ARPA-H has awarded $110 million — more than it had originally pledged — to a few dozen projects, the White House announced in conjunction with HLTH.
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