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President Biden — who was propelled into office in no small part by his health care agenda — realized Democrats' decades-long dream of allowing Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices, and came closer to achieving his party's equally elusive goal of universal health coverage than any other Democratic president before him. (Owens and Bettelheim, 7/22)

Biden’s signature achievement is the Inflation Reduction Act, the sweeping legislation that passed Congress on a party-line vote and that the president signed in August 2022. ... One big piece of the Inflation Reduction Act — and one that, in spirit, hews closer to the name of the legislation — is a series of measures designed to reduce the price of health care, including pharmaceuticals. The Inflation Reduction Act allows the federal government to negotiate directly with manufacturers, imposes penalties for rapid price hikes, and imposes a $35 cap on insulin for seniors and people with disabilities. Most of the provisions affect only Medicare, and even then only some drugs. But the law gives the federal government authority that counterparts abroad have long had, and that U.S. lawmakers in the future can expand. (Cohn, 7/21)

Joe Biden is dismissing Republican calls to step down as president — including from the speaker of the House — now that he’s abandoned his reelection bid, charging headlong this week into high-stakes conversations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other major priorities. The White House confirmed Sunday that Biden will remain commander-in-chief even as he abandons his pursuit of another four years, saying he “looks forward to finishing his term and delivering more historic results for the American people.” (Cancryn, 7/21)

President Biden’s promise to eliminate medical debt at a rally earlier this month was welcomed by advocates and will likely appeal to plenty of indebted voters — but it won’t be easy given Americans currently owe about a quarter trillion dollars in medical arrears. Earlier this month in Detroit, Biden issued the campaign promise during a speech in which he laid out his plans for his first 100 days in office if he’s reelected to a second term. (Choi, 7/20)

A new federal rule could save nearly 13,000 lives a year, researchers say, despite pushback from nursing home officials who argue the updated staffing standards could lead to home closures. At the request of Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, University of Pennsylvania researchers estimated the number of lives that would be saved under the Biden administration's finalized minimum staffing rule for nursing homes. The researchers said fully implementing the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services' staffing rule would result in 12,945 fewer deaths yearly. (Alltucker, 7/20)

�鶹Ů�� Health News: Biden Administration Tightens Broker Access To Healthcare.Gov To Thwart Rogue Sign-Ups

The Biden administration on Friday put in place stringent curbs aimed at thwarting rogue insurance brokers from switching consumers’ Affordable Care Act plans without their consent. The announcement came in response to mounting complaints from consumers. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said Friday that, in the first six months of the year, more than 200,000 people reported to the agency that they were either enrolled in Obamacare plans or switched from one plan to another without their permission. (Appleby, 7/19)

Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, a Democrat from Texas who was a leading voice for racial justice and progressive causes during three decades in the House, died on Friday in Houston. She was 74.Her death was announced in a statement by her family that did not list a cause. She said in June that she had pancreatic cancer. “By God’s grace, I will be back at full strength soon,” she told constituents at the time. (Yoon, 7/19)