White House COVID chief Jeff Zients said Tuesday that it was in the "national interest to vaccinate the world and protect against any possible future variant."
Why it matters: Senate negotiators have announced a deal on an additional $10 billion COVID funding package, though the bill lacks the $5 billion Democrats hoped to include to boost the distribution of vaccines to other countries.
A bill that would make providing an abortion a felony is heading to the desk of Republican Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt after it was approved by the state's House of Representatives on Tuesday.
Driving the news: House lawmakers were not expected to consider the bill this year because it had been introduced and approved by the state Senate in the previous legislative cycle.
The Biden administration announced Wednesday new initiatives to prevent, detect and treat long COVID.
Why it matters: Millions of people in America are suffering from fatigue, nervous system disorders and other long-term health effects of COVID, but the U.S. does not yet have the infrastructure in place to adequately support people who need treatment.
Olive is the buzzy startup whose purple “go save health care” busses dominate industry conferences. But its promises don't deliver, according to an Axios investigation that included interviews with 16 sources.
Olive relies on rough estimations for its calculations, inflates its capabilities and, in many cases, generates only a fraction of the savings it pledges.
Why it matters: Valued at $4 billion, Olive is the highest-profile startup in health care automation; a holy grail that promises to cut costs and direct more time toward patient care.
Private insurers who administer Medicare Advantage plans can expect a 5% average increase in federal payments next year — half a percentage point above what the Biden administration proposed in February.
Why it matters: The pay bump in the controversial program marks a big win for insurers like UnitedHealth Group and Humana and doused speculation the administration would break with a trend of strong recent increases.
President Biden, joined by former President Obama, on Tuesday will announce regulatory changes to Affordable Care Act rules that could make health insurance more affordable for millions of Americans.
Yes, but: The announcement comes amid significant doubt about whether Congress will be able to prevent millions of current ACA enrollees from seeing large premium hikes next year — or from losing their insurance altogether.
Want to live longer? Take a hike — a shorter one than you’ve been told.
Stunning stat: Mortality risk was reduced by 50% for older adults who increased their daily steps from around 3,000 to around 7,000, according to new medical research.
Why it matters: 7,000 is the new 10,000, in terms of steps you should shoot for, The Lancet medical journal reports.
Future Family, a startup combining fertility financing and care support, raised $25 million in Series B funding steered by Munich Re Ventures at a valuation of $80 million, the company's founder and CEO Claire Tomkins tells Axios exclusively.
Why it matters: Investors have been flocking to fertility startups in recent months as the pandemic has helped boost awareness of gender-based inequities in care, funding and family planning.
A growing segment of the wait-and-see crowd may be warming to the idea of getting a COVID-19 shot for kids 5 and under, according to a poll provided exclusively to Axios from The Harris Poll.
Driving the news: In particular, Harris found nearly half of parents who were unvaccinated themselves said they'd get the vaccine for their little kids, up from 35% in early February.
Former President Obama will return to the White House on Tuesday to join President Biden for an event celebrating the former commander-in-chief's signature health care law, the Affordable Care Act.
Why it matters: This will be Obama's first public appearance at the White House since leaving office in January 2017.
