The government shutdown alters HLTH’s schedule

Las Vegas – Typically, the HLTH conference features some of the top health officials in the federal government.

But due to the federal government shutdown, which is now approaching its third week, that isn’t the case this year.

Dr. Mehmet Oz, the director of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, initially was slated to appear Monday. Jim O’Neill, the deputy director of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was also going to appear Tuesday, but he is no longer on the schedule.

HLTH officials explained to the audience during the kickoff program Sunday night that top federal officials aren’t appearing in their official capacity due to the shutdown.

They also made a call for lawmakers and federal officials to put aside some of the partisan conflicts and focus on improving America’s healthcare system.

“At the end of the day, disease doesn’t check voter registration,” said Jody Tropeano Greene, HLTH’s head of content.

Jonathan Weiner, CEO of HLTH, also called for policymakers to drop some of the partisanship in favor of partnership.

“While politics may be what makes headlines, science is what saves lives,” he said.

Calley Means, a top aide to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., appeared at the conference Tuesday and talked about the administration's focus on keeping people healthy, including focus on healthy food and fitness.

But federal agency directors didn't make it, unlike previous years.

In 2022, then-Health Secretary Xavier Becerra attended the HLTH conference, where he talked about the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, Robert Califf, then the Food and Drug Administration, talked about AI and drug shortages at HLTH.

The federal government shutdown has impacted healthcare programs nationwide, notably with the disruption to telehealth and hospital-at-home programs. Medicare waivers for telehealth programs lapsed when the spending bill financing all government programs expired at the end of September.

The key issue in the shutdown centers on the tax credits for the Affordable Care Act, which expire at the end of the year. Democrats have said a new spending bill should include an extension of the tax credits, which help people buy insurance via the Affordable Care Act. Republicans and President Trump have insisted on handling the tax credits in separate legislation and want votes on a government spending bill first.

Hospital and healthcare leaders warn that some Americans will be socked with much higher premiums and won’t be able to afford health insurance without the tax credits. Health systems have implored lawmakers to extend the tax credits, citing projections that millions of Americans will lose their health insurance if those credits disappear.

On the first night of the HLTH conference, Mark Cuban said he thinks the beginning of open enrollment could spur lawmakers to end the shutdown. When open enrollment begins Nov. 1, some Americans are going to see big jumps in premiums and the prospect of losing their health insurance.

“That's when it hits home,” Cuban said.