Berwick speaks: The U.S. healthcare system can "have it all" — better and cheaper care — thanks to ACOs, Medicare Administrator Don Berwick writes in a guest column for Modern Healthcare.

Providers optimistic: The American Medical Association and the Premier healthcare alliance praised Tuesday's announcement.

Maine bill signed: Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) signed a bill Tuesday that makes substantial changes to the state's health insurance market. Critics say it's a giveaway to the insurance industry — if so, it might be a short-lived one. One of the bill's prominent opponents says some of its provisions conflict with the federal healthcare law. Healthwatch's Sam Baker has the story.



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Sebelius in Switzerland: HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius Kathleen SebeliusSpecial counsel investigating DeVos for potential Hatch Act violation: report The Hill's Coronavirus Report: Mike Roman says 3M on track to deliver 2 billion respirators globally and 1 billion in US by end of year; US, Pfizer agree to 100M doses of COVID-19 vaccine that will be free to Americans The Hill's Coronavirus Report: Former HHS Secretary Sebelius gives Trump administration a D in handling pandemic; Oxford, AstraZeneca report positive dual immunity results from early vaccine trial MORE explained at the World Health Organization why the U.S. has introduced a resolution to retain smallpox virus stocks at the two official repositories in the United States and in Russia."By retaining stocks of the virus in highly-secured locations, we'll be able conduct that research, and the results will be made widely available," Sebelius said in a press statement. "Let me be clear: we are committed to the eventual destruction of the virus stocks. But we also believe this Assembly should authorize continued research to develop the countermeasures needed to ensure that we’re prepared for a potential smallpox outbreak."



Vaccine shortage: Republicans called for the government to put in place a process for faster drug approvals during emergencies. Sen. Richard Burr Richard Mauze BurrHillicon Valley: Subpoenas for Facebook, Google and Twitter on the cards | Wray rebuffs mail-in voting conspiracies | Reps. raise mass surveillance concerns Bipartisan representatives demand answers on expired surveillance programs Rep. Mark Walker says he's been contacted about Liberty University vacancy MORE (R-N.C.) during a committee hearing said some vaccines during the H1N1 flu pandemic could only be made available under an "emergency use authorization," which he said the Health and Human Services Department was too slow to issue. Healthwatch has more.







Wednesday's agenda:

The fifth meeting of the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues begins in New York City. The agenda is here.



The Justice Department's reply brief is due in the 26-state lawsuit over healthcare reform's individual mandate. The case is pending in the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.



The Brookings Institution holds a half-day panel discussion on health information technology, featuring an update on an HHS program that funds health IT improvements in 17 cities.







Lobbying registrations :

Dumbarton Group / Innovatix (group purchasing services)

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Holland & Knight / MorseLife (geriatric long-term care facility)

South Florida Hospital and Healthcare Association

The Ingram Group LLC DBA The FIRST Group / Hospital Corporation of America





Reading list :

Time digs into the controversy over drug companies buying doctors' prescribing data for marketing purposes.



The Health Affairs blog gets into the weeds on ACOs and shared savings.



Pharmalot covers the implications of a recent Supreme Court decision on lawsuits involving vaccines.



The Huffington Post says enrollment is still low in healthcare reform's early retiree reinsurance program.



Rep. Ben Quayle (R-Ariz.) took some heat over the GOP's Medicare proposal during a town hall in his district, the local Fox affiliate reports.

Similarly, one of Rep. Allen West's (R-Fla.) town halls reportedly "devolved into a shouting match" over Medicare.





Comments / complaints / suggestions? Please let us know:

Julian Pecquet: jpecquet@thehill.com / 202-628-8527

Sam Baker: sbaker@thehill.com / 202-628-8351

Follow us on Twitter @hillhealthwatch