'Historic' payment pilots and Ariadne Labs' Asaf Bitton

POLITICO's Pulse Check

HHS Secretary Alex Azar and other officials this week unveiled new payment pilots that they say will transform primary care. Are they right?

POLITICO's Rachel Roubein and Paul Demko join Dan Diamond to discuss the payment pilots (starts at the 1:30 mark), the latest Obamacare changes (starts at the 9:35 mark) and new developments in the "Medicare-for-All" debate (starts at the 17:10 mark).

Then Asaf Bitton, the new leader of Ariadne Labs — the Atul Gawande-founded think tank — joins PULSE CHECK to discuss his vision for Ariadne and his experience as an adviser on this week's primary care reforms (starts at the 25:10 mark).

MENTIONED ON THE SHOW

HHS on Monday unveiled new payment pilots intended to reward primary care providers for high-value care. In a speech, Azar called it a "historic turning point in American health care."

CMS last week finalized new rules for the Obamacare marketplace in 2020, which the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities said will hit many consumers' pocketbooks.

A new Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that "Medicare for All" has fallen behind other priorities like lower drug costs.

POLITICO's Rachana Pradhan and Dan Goldberg looked at blue states' fight to create "public option" health plans.

Meanwhile, Bitton was named the new leader of Ariadne Labs, succeeding Gawande, and laid out his strategy.