National

On Friday, December 16th, Axios Latino editor Astrid Galván and justice & race reporter Russell Contreras led conversations with Latino voices on the news of the day. Guests included Representative-elect Monica De La Cruz (R-Texas) and White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics executive director Melody Gonzales.

Representative-elect Monica De La Cruz described her goals for bipartisan work in Congress and her beliefs surrounding immigration and border security policy.  

On her intentions to represent all voters regardless of their party: “At the end of the day, you are absolutely right, I’m a conversative, Christian, Republican woman and that’s how I ran. However, look at the role that this district and being a congresswoman actually plays. It is to represent everybody in my district, whether they voted for me or not. And that’s exactly what I intend to do.”

On how living in Texas has shaped her views on immigration: “I think that I have a view of illegal immigration differently than maybe someone does in Michigan or another part of the country, because I’m here and I’m living it with my community members…I think that down here in south Texas, we are compassionate people and a caring people. And that’s why we believe that these immigrants should come in a way that honors them and that they are able to have the American dream by following the rules and our laws in place.”

Melody Gonzales discussed the mission of the White House Hispanic Initiative and her work connecting young people to technical and professional programs.

On new aspects of the White House Hispanic Initiative under the Biden administration: “We are now expanded. Instead of just being rooted in education, we also have equity and economic opportunity that President Biden and the administration very intentionally added into our title.”

On working to inform young people about available grants and jobs:  “That to me is what this work is all about. You know, it’s about helping connect people to the technical programs and the historic dollars that are out there right now, the job opportunities.”

Thank you Bank of America for sponsoring this event.

Watch: A conversation on news of the day for Latino communities

On Dec. 16, covered the news of the day for Latino communities during a virtual event.

Axios event

Illustration of a rectangular, mulitcolor sign that says "Latino." Text: Axios Latino: Las Noticias del Día

On Friday, December 16th, Axios Latino editor Astrid Galván and justice &amp; race reporter Russell Contreras led conversations with Latino voices on the news of the day. Guests included Representative-elect Monica De La Cruz (R-Texas) and White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics executive director Melody Gonzales.Representative-elect Monica De La Cruz described her goals for bipartisan work in Congress and her beliefs surrounding immigration and border security policy. <ul><li>On her intentions to represent all voters regardless of their party: “At the end of the day, you are absolutely right, I’m a conversative, Christian, Republican woman and that’s how I ran. However, look at the role that this district and being a congresswoman actually plays. It is to represent everybody in my district, whether they voted for me or not. And that’s exactly what I intend to do.”</li><li>On how living in Texas has shaped her views on immigration: “I think that I have a view of illegal immigration differently than maybe someone does in Michigan or another part of the country, because I’m here and I’m living it with my community members…I think that down here in south Texas, we are compassionate people and a caring people. And that’s why we believe that these immigrants should come in a way that honors them and that they are able to have the American dream by following the rules and our laws in place.”</li></ul>Melody Gonzales discussed the mission of the White House Hispanic Initiative and her work connecting young people to technical and professional programs.<ul><li>On new aspects of the White House Hispanic Initiative under the Biden administration: “We are now expanded. Instead of just being rooted in education, we also have equity and economic opportunity that President Biden and the administration very intentionally added into our title.”</li><li>On working to inform young people about available grants and jobs: “That to me is what this work is all about. You know, it’s about helping connect people to the technical programs and the historic dollars that are out there right now, the job opportunities.”</li></ul>Thank you Bank of America for sponsoring this event.

Axios Events

On Wednesday, December 7th, Axios health care editor Tina Reed and health care reporter Tina Reed led conversations looking at the top priorities, issues and challenges shaping the post-midterm health care policy landscape for the U.S. Guests included Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.), Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), and White House deputy assistant for Health and Veterans Affairs Christen Linke Young. Our View from the Top sponsored segment featured PhRMA chief operating officer Lori M. Reilly.

Rep. Robin Kelly discussed the prospects for partisanship next year and how she expects women’s health issues to play out in Congress over the next several months.

On the prospects for partisanship next year:  “I’m sure there’s going to be some partisanship, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this past election sent a message that there wasn’t the red wave, it was a red twinkle a little bit, and if New York maybe had done something different, you know, maybe some things would be different. So I’m hoping that sends a message that the American people don’t want the extremes wherever they’re coming from, and they want us to get work done.”

On the GOP floating a national 15-week abortion ban: “I don’t think that they’re going to be successful…even if it passed in the House, but even in the House, I’m not sure, you know, we’re tight in the House, and I think that more moderate Republicans feel a little sense of freedom, I think now, I don’t want to speak for them, but they might push for it, but I don’t think that it’s going to go anywhere.”

Rep. Brett Guthrie described how the GOP health care agenda has evolved and how resolving price transparency issues are a priority for him. 

On the evolution of the GOP health care agenda: “So any kind of major overhaul of the health care system, we’re not saying it doesn’t need to be done, but what we’re saying is, what can we get done over the next two years? And so we really focused on very important things we need to do…but that was kind of the evolution of the thinking, it wasn’t that we don’t have a Republican agenda moving forward…we just wanted to deal with reality and it’s time to get some things done.”

On price transparency: “I think that’s a bipartisan issue…we’re going to sit down with our Democrat counterparts and say these are some things we want to get done, we think can be bipartisan...where’s the delta between what we’re paying and what the pharmacy is receiving, and that’s what we want to have people have access to the information, let the market work.”

Christen Linke Young explained the White House’s health care priorities for the lame duck session and what the administration is doing to prevent a spike in the uninsured rate once the public health emergency ends.

On White House health care priorities: “We are working closely with both chambers as we enter this end of the year period. In terms of priorities, there’s a number of issues we’re tracking. There’s of course key public health priorities that the Congress is looking to deal with around FDA and other sort of key public health issues that we’re paying a lot of attention to. There are your typical suite of Medicare extenders that are something that we need to pay attention to…and the last priority I would mention is mental health.”

On preventing a spike in the uninsured rate when the PHE ends: “We have been focused since day one of this administration on making that process as smooth as possible, and so over the last two years, we’ve really invested a lot of effort and resources in improving the ability of Medicaid agencies and healthcare.gov to communicate with each other and to communicate directly with enrollees to ensure that when coverage transitions need to happen, they happen as seamlessly as possible.”

In the View from the Top segment, PhRMA chief operating officer Lori M. Reilly highlighted the health care issues that jumped out to voters during the midterm elections.

“If you look at almost every poll that came out, the issues were driven by jobs, the economy, issues like abortion, health care was pretty low on the list, honestly, about 7% if you look at the ABC poll. But if you kind of break that number down in terms of health care, I think there are two issues that do jump out for people. One of which is people feeling like they’re spending a lot more on their insurance, but they’re not necessarily getting what they expect to get. And the second is the ever increasing cost of their premiums.”

Thank you PhRMA for sponsoring this event.

Watch: A conversation on post-midterm health care policy

Join Axios for an event in Washington, D.C. on December 7 on the post-midterm health care agenda.

The Post-Midterm Health Care Agenda. Presented by Phrma. Caduceus symbol on top a sign pointing different directions.

On Wednesday, December 7th, Axios health care editor Tina Reed and health care reporter Tina Reed led conversations looking at the top priorities, issues and challenges shaping the post-midterm health care policy landscape for the U.S. Guests included Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.), Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), and White House deputy assistant for Health and Veterans Affairs Christen Linke Young. Our View from the Top sponsored segment featured PhRMA chief operating officer Lori M. Reilly.Rep. Robin Kelly discussed the prospects for partisanship next year and how she expects women’s health issues to play out in Congress over the next several months.<ul><li>On the prospects for partisanship next year:  “I’m sure there’s going to be some partisanship, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this past election sent a message that there wasn’t the red wave, it was a red twinkle a little bit, and if New York maybe had done something different, you know, maybe some things would be different. So I’m hoping that sends a message that the American people don’t want the extremes wherever they’re coming from, and they want us to get work done.”</li><li>On the GOP floating a national 15-week abortion ban: “I don’t think that they’re going to be successful…even if it passed in the House, but even in the House, I’m not sure, you know, we’re tight in the House, and I think that more moderate Republicans feel a little sense of freedom, I think now, I don’t want to speak for them, but they might push for it, but I don’t think that it’s going to go anywhere.”</li></ul>Rep. Brett Guthrie described how the GOP health care agenda has evolved and how resolving price transparency issues are a priority for him. <ul><li>On the evolution of the GOP health care agenda: “So any kind of major overhaul of the health care system, we’re not saying it doesn’t need to be done, but what we’re saying is, what can we get done over the next two years? And so we really focused on very important things we need to do…but that was kind of the evolution of the thinking, it wasn’t that we don’t have a Republican agenda moving forward…we just wanted to deal with reality and it’s time to get some things done.”</li><li>On price transparency: “I think that’s a bipartisan issue…we’re going to sit down with our Democrat counterparts and say these are some things we want to get done, we think can be bipartisan...where’s the delta between what we’re paying and what the pharmacy is receiving, and that’s what we want to have people have access to the information, let the market work.”</li></ul>Christen Linke Young explained the White House’s health care priorities for the lame duck session and what the administration is doing to prevent a spike in the uninsured rate once the public health emergency ends.<ul><li>On White House health care priorities: “We are working closely with both chambers as we enter this end of the year period. In terms of priorities, there’s a number of issues we’re tracking. There’s of course key public health priorities that the Congress is looking to deal with around FDA and other sort of key public health issues that we’re paying a lot of attention to. There are your typical suite of Medicare extenders that are something that we need to pay attention to…and the last priority I would mention is mental health.”</li><li>On preventing a spike in the uninsured rate when the PHE ends: “We have been focused since day one of this administration on making that process as smooth as possible, and so over the last two years, we’ve really invested a lot of effort and resources in improving the ability of Medicaid agencies and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="healthcare.gov" data-vars-click-url="http://healthcare.gov/" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="http://healthcare.gov/" target="_blank">healthcare.gov</a> to communicate with each other and to communicate directly with enrollees to ensure that when coverage transitions need to happen, they happen as seamlessly as possible.”</li></ul>In the View from the Top segment, PhRMA chief operating officer Lori M. Reilly highlighted the health care issues that jumped out to voters during the midterm elections.<ul><li>“If you look at almost every poll that came out, the issues were driven by jobs, the economy, issues like abortion, health care was pretty low on the list, honestly, about 7% if you look at the ABC poll. But if you kind of break that number down in terms of health care, I think there are two issues that do jump out for people. One of which is people feeling like they’re spending a lot more on their insurance, but they’re not necessarily getting what they expect to get. And the second is the ever increasing cost of their premiums.”</li></ul>Thank you PhRMA for sponsoring this event.

On Wednesday, December 14th, Axios health care reporter Caitlin Owens and Axios Pro health care policy reporter Victoria Knight led conversations looking at the future of telehealth policy after the midterms and heading into 2023. Guests included Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) and Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Calif.). Our View from the Top sponsored segment featured CVS Health senior vice president of retail health Dr. Creagh Milford. 

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers described why telehealth has become such a popular issue in Congress and the policy path forward for delinking telehealth flexibilities from the public health emergency. 

On how telehealth took off during the pandemic: “Being able to connect electronically can be a game changer and really make a difference in getting people access to care quicker and addressing those health care needs in a way that’s going to serve people better. It took a pandemic to really jumpstart telehealth but now both providers and patients are responding positively.”

On delinking telehealth flexibility from the public health emergency: “I think first and foremost, we want to delink the telehealth flexibilities from the COVID-19 public health emergency, and so that’s step one. We want to make sure that patients remain in control of their doctor visit decisions and that it’s the patient that is deciding whether or not to utilize telehealth services or if they prefer to see a provider in person.”

Rep. Mike Thompson discussed his congressional efforts to expand telemedicine and the barriers to the Senate taking up telehealth legislation that passed the House. 

On what led to pandemic-era telehealth policies: “When COVID hit, it was a no brainer. We needed to do this for all the obvious reasons. The last thing you wanted were people who were frail or susceptible to have to go into a clinic or a hospital for services where they could get their health care while being at home, not being exposed to all of the COVID possibilities. So I had this bill that I had authored that would allow HHS to waive telemedicine restrictions during an emergency, and it just became good public policy.”

On the barriers to the Senate taking up telehealth legislation: “It is a bipartisan issue and it’s an important issue. As you know Congress is a strange place, and there are any number of bills right now that you and I and probably your entire viewership would agree should be passed, but for a number of very complicated reasons, they are lingering, this being one. My bill that you talked about would expand the provisions of telemedicine for two years. Now, there was some rumor that the Senate was inclined to do it, but only wanted to do it for one year, and we’re waiting to see what the final package comes down to.”

In the View from the Top segment, CVS Health senior vice president of retail health Dr. Creagh Milford highlighted the consumer interest in telehealth services. 

“There’s no doubt that the pandemic completely accelerated telehealth services to your point. In a recent survey I looked at, 72% of consumers believe that the quality of care from a virtual visit is as good or better than an in-person visit, which is astounding relative to where we were a couple of years ago. You know, consumers want their health care delivered in a more personal way.”

Thank you CVS Health for sponsoring this event.

Watch: A Vitals "Check-Up" on the future of telehealth policy

A look at the future of telehealth policy heading into 2023.

On Wednesday, December 14th, Axios health care reporter Caitlin Owens and Axios Pro health care policy reporter Victoria Knight led conversations looking at the future of telehealth policy after the midterms and heading into 2023. Guests included Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) and Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Calif.). Our View from the Top sponsored segment featured CVS Health senior vice president of retail health Dr. Creagh Milford. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers described why telehealth has become such a popular issue in Congress and the policy path forward for delinking telehealth flexibilities from the public health emergency. <ul><li>On how telehealth took off during the pandemic: “Being able to connect electronically can be a game changer and really make a difference in getting people access to care quicker and addressing those health care needs in a way that’s going to serve people better. It took a pandemic to really jumpstart telehealth but now both providers and patients are responding positively.”</li><li>On delinking telehealth flexibility from the public health emergency: “I think first and foremost, we want to delink the telehealth flexibilities from the COVID-19 public health emergency, and so that’s step one. We want to make sure that patients remain in control of their doctor visit decisions and that it’s the patient that is deciding whether or not to utilize telehealth services or if they prefer to see a provider in person.”</li></ul>Rep. Mike Thompson discussed his congressional efforts to expand telemedicine and the barriers to the Senate taking up telehealth legislation that passed the House. <ul><li>On what led to pandemic-era telehealth policies: “When COVID hit, it was a no brainer. We needed to do this for all the obvious reasons. The last thing you wanted were people who were frail or susceptible to have to go into a clinic or a hospital for services where they could get their health care while being at home, not being exposed to all of the COVID possibilities. So I had this bill that I had authored that would allow HHS to waive telemedicine restrictions during an emergency, and it just became good public policy.”</li><li>On the barriers to the Senate taking up telehealth legislation: “It is a bipartisan issue and it’s an important issue. As you know Congress is a strange place, and there are any number of bills right now that you and I and probably your entire viewership would agree should be passed, but for a number of very complicated reasons, they are lingering, this being one. My bill that you talked about would expand the provisions of telemedicine for two years. Now, there was some rumor that the Senate was inclined to do it, but only wanted to do it for one year, and we’re waiting to see what the final package comes down to.”</li></ul>In the View from the Top segment, CVS Health senior vice president of retail health Dr. Creagh Milford highlighted the consumer interest in telehealth services. <ul><li>“There’s no doubt that the pandemic completely accelerated telehealth services to your point. In a recent survey I looked at, 72% of consumers believe that the quality of care from a virtual visit is as good or better than an in-person visit, which is astounding relative to where we were a couple of years ago. You know, consumers want their health care delivered in a more personal way.”</li></ul>Thank you CVS Health for sponsoring this event.

On Thursday, December 8th, Axios business editor Dan Primack and technology & business reporter Kia Kokalitcheva led conversations evaluating the factors shaping capital markets in 2023. Guests included NYSE global head of capital markets Michael Harris and Sapphire Ventures president, partner and co-founder Jai Das. Our View from the Top sponsored segment featured Cooley partner Christina T. Roupas.

Michael Harris described his thoughts on when the IPO window would return and what investors are going to be looking for in companies going forward. 

On how the 2022 market differs from the market in 2021: “2022 is a very different environment that we’re in. There is a number of pressures that are at the forefront of investor’s minds, most of them macro-related, whether that’s the inflationary environment, a rising rate environment, supply chain issues, tensions with China.”

On appealing to investors: “I think profits are one part of it, but I think it really goes back to the idea of visibility. And I think the more that companies can demonstrate, whether that’s from a cash flow perspective, from a top line or a bottom line perspective, I think it’s more about being able to talk to the marketplace about visibility into their operations and the ability to actually demonstrate that over a very uncertain business cycle that their model can hold up.”

Jai Das discussed whether he expects the current slowdown to continue into next year and the factors behind the current deceleration in the growth equity market.

On whether the slowdown will continue: “We do think that in 2023, things will open up a little bit. First and foremost, I think a lot of CEOs and founders have come to the realization that maybe they should take some capital at a valuation and multiples that are, you know, not similar to what public market companies are trading at. And second, I think there’s so much money sitting on the sideline that people will start making investments.”

On when he expects the IPO window to reopen for tech companies: “I definitely think in the second half of next year because I think, you know, if you look at it, there will be companies which are 200 or 300 million in revenue growing at 40, 50%, and there’s a fair number of them out there.”

In the View from the Top segment, Cooley partner Christina T. Roupas highlighted some of the trends and industries to watch heading into next year.

“I do believe we will continue to see the life sciences and biotech sector being able to successfully complete IPOs and follow on offerings, but I certainly don’t believe those are going to be the only deals we’re seeing get done. A real focus of investors, particularly in this part of the market cycle, is going to be on cash-flow positive companies who are able to show a track record of profitability, and so what that means is we might start to see the markets opening with companies in more traditional industries. Manufacturing, for instance, is an area where we do expect to see some transactions get done next year.”

Thank you Cooley for sponsoring this event.

Watch: A conversation on capital markets in 2023

On Dec. 8, join Axios for a virtual event evaluating the factors shaping capital markets in 2023.

On Thursday, December 8th, Axios business editor Dan Primack and technology &amp; business reporter Kia Kokalitcheva led conversations evaluating the factors shaping capital markets in 2023. Guests included NYSE global head of capital markets Michael Harris and Sapphire Ventures president, partner and co-founder Jai Das. Our View from the Top sponsored segment featured Cooley partner Christina T. Roupas.Michael Harris described his thoughts on when the IPO window would return and what investors are going to be looking for in companies going forward. <ul><li>On how the 2022 market differs from the market in 2021: “2022 is a very different environment that we’re in. There is a number of pressures that are at the forefront of investor’s minds, most of them macro-related, whether that’s the inflationary environment, a rising rate environment, supply chain issues, tensions with China.”</li><li>On appealing to investors: “I think profits are one part of it, but I think it really goes back to the idea of visibility. And I think the more that companies can demonstrate, whether that’s from a cash flow perspective, from a top line or a bottom line perspective, I think it’s more about being able to talk to the marketplace about visibility into their operations and the ability to actually demonstrate that over a very uncertain business cycle that their model can hold up.”</li></ul>Jai Das discussed whether he expects the current slowdown to continue into next year and the factors behind the current deceleration in the growth equity market.<ul><li>On whether the slowdown will continue: “We do think that in 2023, things will open up a little bit. First and foremost, I think a lot of CEOs and founders have come to the realization that maybe they should take some capital at a valuation and multiples that are, you know, not similar to what public market companies are trading at. And second, I think there’s so much money sitting on the sideline that people will start making investments.”</li><li>On when he expects the IPO window to reopen for tech companies: “I definitely think in the second half of next year because I think, you know, if you look at it, there will be companies which are 200 or 300 million in revenue growing at 40, 50%, and there’s a fair number of them out there.”</li></ul>In the View from the Top segment, Cooley partner Christina T. Roupas highlighted some of the trends and industries to watch heading into next year.<ul><li>“I do believe we will continue to see the life sciences and biotech sector being able to successfully complete IPOs and follow on offerings, but I certainly don’t believe those are going to be the only deals we’re seeing get done. A real focus of investors, particularly in this part of the market cycle, is going to be on cash-flow positive companies who are able to show a track record of profitability, and so what that means is we might start to see the markets opening with companies in more traditional industries. Manufacturing, for instance, is an area where we do expect to see some transactions get done next year.”</li></ul>Thank you Cooley for sponsoring this event.

On Tuesday, January 24th, Axios senior health care editor Adriel Bettelheim and health care editor Tina Reed hosted a virtual event exploring the impact of factors such as policy and social determinants on health outcomes and care options for seniors. Guests included Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.) and National Hispanic Medical Association president and CEO Elena V. Rios. The View from the Top sponsored segment featured UnitedHealth Group chief medical officer and executive vice president Margaret-Mary Wilson.

Rep. Raul Ruiz discussed how Congress could help expand seniors’ access to quality health care and the success he has seen with home-based community health worker visits as a health care delivery model.

On short-term solutions for health care equity: “A very concrete short-term solution would be to extend the flexibilities that Medicare has on telehealth, and telehealth in general, from the Department of Health and Human Services, beyond the extra two years that we just did in the omnibus.”

On home-based care from community health workers: “That has shown to work during the pandemic in terms of utilizing the community health worker model to reach the hardest to reach, hardest hit vulnerable populations from COVID-19 and to decrease the disparities that we saw with vaccinations. So if I were to pick a grandiose plan in helping our community get healthier, especially seniors, and improve their social determinants of health in terms of access to care, social networks and check-ins in home-based care, that’s the system that I would design.”

Elena V. Rios explained how pandemic-era flexibilities in telehealth and at-home care impacted Hispanic patients specifically and how the end of the public health emergency will impact health care access.

On improving equity in telehealth and at-home care delivery: “I think the telemedicine world that we see with COVID-19 and we’re going to continue to see needs to adapt to low-income families more than anything. And I think, you know, in terms of the other home care…it’s very important to have home care that reflects the community.”

On the end of the public health emergency and insurance coverage losses: “By the end of the year, we’re going to see many major changes because the public health emergency ends. But more important, we’re going to see people getting off Medicaid…if there was a way to have better education and better connection to everybody on Medicaid, that they are going to be taken off Medicaid month to month to month, that they need to know about it ahead of time and need to know what they can do to stay on Medicaid if they are eligible.”

In the View from the Top segment, UnitedHealth Group chief medical officer and executive vice president Margaret-Mary Wilson highlighted the importance of treating patients with holistic care and how social factors impact health.

“As a physician over the years which I’ve practiced it has become increasingly evident to us that health cannot just be considered the absence of disease. Health is life. It’s the way we all live, and so it’s really important that we take a comprehensive approach to it and consider social factors that impact that.”

Thank you UnitedHealthcare for sponsoring this event.

Watch: A Vitals "Check-Up" event on health outcomes and care options for seniors

On Jan. 24, join Axios for a virtual Vitals "Check-Up" event.

On Tuesday, January 24th, Axios senior health care editor Adriel Bettelheim and health care editor Tina Reed hosted a virtual event exploring the impact of factors such as policy and social determinants on health outcomes and care options for seniors. Guests included Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.) and National Hispanic Medical Association president and CEO Elena V. Rios. The View from the Top sponsored segment featured UnitedHealth Group chief medical officer and executive vice president Margaret-Mary Wilson.Rep. Raul Ruiz discussed how Congress could help expand seniors’ access to quality health care and the success he has seen with home-based community health worker visits as a health care delivery model.<ul><li>On short-term solutions for health care equity: “A very concrete short-term solution would be to extend the flexibilities that Medicare has on telehealth, and telehealth in general, from the Department of Health and Human Services, beyond the extra two years that we just did in the omnibus.”</li><li>On home-based care from community health workers: “That has shown to work during the pandemic in terms of utilizing the community health worker model to reach the hardest to reach, hardest hit vulnerable populations from COVID-19 and to decrease the disparities that we saw with vaccinations. So if I were to pick a grandiose plan in helping our community get healthier, especially seniors, and improve their social determinants of health in terms of access to care, social networks and check-ins in home-based care, that’s the system that I would design.”</li></ul>Elena V. Rios explained how pandemic-era flexibilities in telehealth and at-home care impacted Hispanic patients specifically and how the end of the public health emergency will impact health care access.<ul><li>On improving equity in telehealth and at-home care delivery: “I think the telemedicine world that we see with COVID-19 and we’re going to continue to see needs to adapt to low-income families more than anything. And I think, you know, in terms of the other home care…it’s very important to have home care that reflects the community.”</li><li>On the end of the public health emergency and insurance coverage losses: “By the end of the year, we’re going to see many major changes because the public health emergency ends. But more important, we’re going to see people getting off Medicaid…if there was a way to have better education and better connection to everybody on Medicaid, that they are going to be taken off Medicaid month to month to month, that they need to know about it ahead of time and need to know what they can do to stay on Medicaid if they are eligible.”</li></ul>In the View from the Top segment, UnitedHealth Group chief medical officer and executive vice president Margaret-Mary Wilson highlighted the importance of treating patients with holistic care and how social factors impact health.<ul><li>“As a physician over the years which I’ve practiced it has become increasingly evident to us that health cannot just be considered the absence of disease. Health is life. It’s the way we all live, and so it’s really important that we take a comprehensive approach to it and consider social factors that impact that.”</li></ul>Thank you UnitedHealthcare for sponsoring this event.