Axios Live: Health coverage access strains worsen amid federal policy shifts

WASHINGTON – Conflicting goals, problematic regulations and rising costs are pushing more Americans to lose or risk losing health insurance coverage, speakers said at an Axios Live event.

Why it matters: Coverage losses could deepen existing affordability gaps, leaving more people unable to access care or afford prescriptions.

• The fight to make health care more affordable has long been a top policy priority for lawmakers and advocacy groups, but complex insurance structures and clashing interests across the system have made it difficult to find solutions that actually lower costs.

Axios' Maya Goldman and Peter Sullivan spoke with No Patient Left Behind executive director Priscilla VanderVeer, Rep. Greg Murphy (R-N.C.) and Rep. Kim Schrier (D-Wash.) at the event.

What they're saying: "I think that there is a lot to be said about what's happening to patients at the pharmacy counter, and I don't fault policymakers who are looking for solutions to that," VanderVeer said.

• "I think when we talk about solutions like MFN [Most Favored Nation], like the Inflation Reduction Act … we're looking at a solution that may not solve the problem," she said.
• "When you talk to patients, where they experience the biggest pain is at the pharmacy counter, and what we often see with these solutions is that the cost for the patient doesn't actually go down."

State of play: Intermediaries and vertical integration are "the greatest problem that we're facing today in medicine," Murphy said.

The big picture: Policy changes have reduced the availability of health insurance coverage for many Americans, worsening existing access and affordability challenges.

• "It's a huge issue, and we are on record of supporting subsidies in the ACA," VanderVeer said. "I think it's going to start to become clear after Q1 ends, where you have that grace period of not paying your premium in your ACA plan, we're going to start to see a lot of people lose their coverage, I think, in the next few months, and that is going to be devastating for folks."
• "I think the biggest barrier right now is just that people are lacking insurance," Schrier said. "Right now, a lot of people are in a situation where they can't go see a primary doc, and they certainly can't afford to go see a specialist."