A conservative talks health-care priorities for a GOP White House

Today's edition: New study on how Native Americans fare on liver transplant lists across the country. Details on the latest major opioid settlements. But first…

Personal market reform, Medicaid and more: Paragon's Brian Blades on the Republican White House's priorities

The South Carolina primary is still two weeks away and Super Tuesday isn't until next month, but strategists are already making health policy wish lists in anticipation of a Republican return to the White House in 2025.

Among them are brian blazeserved in the Trump administration and is currently president. Paragon Health Research Institutea conservative think tank.

I recently spoke with Blaise about the health care policies he helped advance during current candidate Donald Trump's time in the White House, and the work that remains to be done if Republicans return to the driver's seat. This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

H202: You served as Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy at the National Economic Council from 2017 to 2019. What are some areas of Republican health policy that you have advanced, and how do you plan to build on them?

Blaze: A big part of what I did in that role was coordinating regulatory actions for the government. Ministry of Health and Human Services, labor and Ministry of Finance. We have established three key rules that will expand options for small businesses and consumers to purchase the coverage that is best for them.

The first one association health planowns a small business [become] By banding together, we can receive the same regulatory benefits that large employers offer coverage. I think AHP has been exposed to a lot of misinformation, and the Washington Post did some great reporting. How well did the rules work? Unfortunately, the district court judge said it was invalid ERISA extension.

One of the things Paragon is working on is how we can address the judges' concerns and deliver a different AHP rule that works and provides more choice for small businesses. Because one of the problems we have is that more and more small businesses are not offering health insurance.

The second is Short-term limited period rules. This coverage is much more affordable for many people for whom ACA plans are unattractive. In fact, the Biden administration announced the proposed regulations To limit short-term planning. They expect him to complete it at some point in 2024, but this will take an enormous amount of time. But it's coverage that allows people to buy the benefits and deductibles that work best for them.

What I'm most excited about and passionate about is individual reporting. Health insurance reimbursement arrangements. Most people get health insurance through their employer, and while that certainly has its benefits, one problem is that employers choose a plan that all workers must choose from. is. It's just a major financial product where people have no say.

What our rules do is give employers the ability to make contributions to their workers, who then use them to purchase the individual market plan that works best for them. Now we need to make reforms that make it really attractive for employers to offer that coverage.

H202: Let's say the Republicans take control of the White House in 2025. What’s at the top of your to-do list?

Blaze: I think the individual market still needs reform. That's not a good value proposition for people who can't get subsidies. So what can be done to make the private market more affordable by reducing government mandates and regulations that drive up costs?

Medicaid also needs major reform. The Medicaid program works well for powerful interest groups. It's not working well for those involved in the program. So how can we empower those in the program and bring funding more directly under their control? And how can we reduce the wide disparities in how the federal government supports states through Medicaid? , we also need to eliminate discrimination against traditional Medicaid recipients in favor of population expansion.

H202: Where do you stand on Medicaid expansion and how would you like to see Congress and presidential candidates address this issue?

Blaze: I [recently] tweeted The primary goal of conservative rights reform should be to equalize reimbursement rates among citizens. I think states that are already expanding should be allowed to continue expanding. But again, I think federal reimbursement rates should be equalized so that there's no discrimination against people who are actually much more vulnerable.

Native Americans have little access to liver transplant systems

This is new: Despite having the highest death rate from liver disease, Native Americans are far less likely to be placed on national liver transplant lists than other ethnic groups, a four-year data analysis by a U.S. research institute shows. It was revealed that. markup and post.

In terms of numbers: Compared to the total number of deaths from liver disease, whites are almost three times more likely to be on transplant lists than Native Americans. If the rates remained the same, nearly 1,000 more Indigenous people would have received a liver transplant between 2018 and 2021.

Native Americans on transplant lists proceed to surgery at about the same rate as whites. This shows that access to the front end is a major factor in the disparity. These include barriers to primary care providers who test for liver disease and to specialists who refer patients to transplant centers if their illness becomes life-threatening.

Overall picture: These findings come as mortality rates from liver disease are rising nationwide, reaching nearly zero. 57,000 According to , the number of deaths in 2021 will be Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Researchers attributed this increase to an increase in heavy drinking, especially among young people, during the coronavirus pandemic.

DEA settles with opioid distributor

pharmaceutical distributor morris & dixon I will confiscate $19 million As part of the settlement with drug enforcement agency My colleague about the company's failure to flag an unusually large order of prescription opioid painkillers. david obare is written.

The company will be allowed to continue selling controlled substances under the agreement announced yesterday — nearly nine months after the DEA announced it would revoke the company's license to sell drugs such as oxycodone and hydrocodone. .

The DEA investigation into Morris & Dixon comes amid heightened scrutiny of the drug distribution company's role in fueling the nation's opioid crisis.. Distributors are required to notify the Drug Enforcement Agency and seize drugs if suspicious orders are discovered, a key sign that drugs are being diverted to the black market.

The settlement ends a legal challenge to the revocation by Louisiana-based Morris & Dixon, the nation's largest pharmaceutical distributor. The company has admitted to wrongdoing and will face five years of intense scrutiny by the DEA, the agency said.

House passes ban on controversial pricing index

House Republicans narrowly passed the bill Yesterday, it expanded Medicare's ban on the use of quality-adjusted life years and similar metrics to all federal health programs.

of law from residential energy and commercial Chair Cathy McMorris Rogers (Republican, Washington State) Passed on a party-line vote 211-208.

Key context: QALYs are used to calculate the cost-effectiveness of a drug based on its impact on health outcomes and quality of life. This metric is becoming increasingly attractive to insurance companies as a tool to reduce expenses.There's more widely criticized Because it discriminates and disrespects people with disabilities.

The bill is expected to face headwinds in the Senate.Especially after the White House opposed it.in statementthe Biden administration said the bill would strip funding for “critical investments in health and human services.”

Democrats are generally skeptical of the proposal. On the House floor yesterday, the highest-ranking Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee said: Frank Pallone Jr. (New Jersey), He called the bill a “Trojan horse.” It was intended to undermine the party's efforts to reduce drug costs.

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.):

• This is new: According to an announcement shared with The Health 202, the Biden administration is partnering with major sports leagues and player unions to promote physical activity, increase nutrition programs, and build healthier communities across the country. We are launching a partnership.
• The federal deficit is expected to balloon from $1.6 trillion this year to $2.6 trillion in 2034.according to, new report Congress' bipartisan fiscal scorekeeper cites the nation's aging population and rising health care costs as underlying trends driving the increase.
• Ohio to rescind plan to impose new restrictions on gender-affirming treatment for adults After receiving a wave of public feedback criticizing the proposal, according to statement From the state health department.
• Pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly Agreed Sell ​​insulin products to Minnesotans with diabetes for less than $35 per month for the next five years In 2018, the government filed a first-of-its-kind lawsuit to resolve allegations of price gouging. Jeremy Olson report of star tribune.

Makers of Ozempic and Munjaro race to meet demand for weight loss drugs (by Daniel Gilbert | The Washington Post)

Florida Supreme Court Justices Skeptical of Arguments to Reject Abortion Amendment (by Michael Moline, Jackie Lanos and Mitch Perry | Florida Phoenix)

Group of AGs received thousands of dollars from companies their members were cracking down on in 2023 (Written by Hailey Fuchs | Politico)

thank you for reading! see you tomorrow.