An unusual coalition of insurers and patient advocacy groups is in the early stages of forming a lobbying group to push for renewing enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies next year, Peter scoops.

Why it matters: The move shows there are a lot of players who rely on the subsidies passed under the Inflation Reduction Act — and will put up a fight to keep them.

Driving the news: Sources say the new coalition is called Americans to Keep Health Care Accessible, and includes major health insurers as well as patient groups, some of whom have been traditional rivals.

• While the effort is in the early stages, groups like America's Health Insurance Plans, as well as patient groups like American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network are involved in the talks.
• "If the enhanced tax credits are not made permanent, affordability could become a barrier to lifesaving cancer care for millions of people in the U.S.," Lisa Lacasse, president of ACS CAN, said in a statement to Axios.
• Providers who support the subsidy extension could also join the effort.

The big picture: The enhanced subsidies that help ACA enrollees cover their premiums will expire at the end of next year unless Congress acts.

• If Republicans sweep the elections, they will likely allow the subsidies to expire. Prospects are better if there's divided government since the 2017 Trump tax cuts are also expiring next year, creating the potential for a deal.
• "We want people to know that the cost of their health care is riding on the outcome of the election," former Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on a press call last week when asked about the enhanced subsidies.

The other side: While Republican messaging against the ACA itself is far less strident than it used to be, congressional Republicans still attack the enhanced subsidies as a giveaway to health plans.

• House Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith and Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington wrote in a letter last month that an extension would mean "writing even bigger checks to insurance companies instead of addressing the true cost of care."

By the numbers: CBO estimates extending the enhanced subsidies would cost $335 billion over 10 years, but would also lead to 3.8 million more people with health insurance.

• A single person making $30,000 a year would see the monthly premium rise from $55 to $168, if the subsidies are not extended, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers is urging HHS and a federal task force to recommend regular screening for people at high risk of chronic kidney disease, in a letter first shared with Victoria.

Why it matters: Chronic kidney disease is the tenth leading cause of death in the U.S., and Medicare spends more than $136 billion on the condition, which disproportionately affects Black Americans.

Context: The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is considering a screening recommendation for chronic kidney disease amid arguments the condition is often not managed enough until a patient has progressed to kidney failure, resulting in significantly higher costs.

• The task force decided in 2012 that there wasn't enough evidence to recommend annual screening. Since then, researchers and patient advocates argue the advent of new drugs has made screening cost-effective and improved outcomes.
• Most private insurance plans are required to cover preventive services that receive a grade of A or B from the Task Force without a copay.

Zoom in: The letter is led by Reps. Suzan DelBene and Larry Bucshon, with 42 other lawmakers, including members of the Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means committees.

• They want the task force to ensure that the screening is inclusive in that it includes those in vulnerable populations and recognizes diabetes and hypertension as independent risk factors for chronic kidney disease.

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