The Bipartisan Policy Center released a statement today by former Agriculture Secretaries Dan R. Glickman and Ann M. Veneman, co-chairs of BPC’s Prevention Initiative, regarding the release of the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s scientific report.

Comprehensive primary care models have shown significant potential for preventing or delaying the onset of chronic conditions. Our new report includes recommendations to reduce or eliminate federal policy barriers inhibiting the provision of these services in Medicaid.
Watch the Report Release

In this week’s episode, experts from our July 7th report release event discuss why it’s critical to advance primary care services in Medicaid.

Keeping elections safe and healthy won’t be easy this November. In this blog post, BPC’s Tyler Barton and Collier Fernekes urge administrators to reflect on lessons learned from elections that have been held during the pandemic and partner with public health authorities to protect the right to vote.

Many of the 70 million low-income Americans enrolled in Medicaid lack access to comprehensive primary care services, despite evidence of improved outcomes, increased savings, and reduced health disparities. In this blog post, BPC’s Eleni Salyers explores four key federal barriers to providing these services in Medicaid and policy solutions to address them.

While both the House and the Senate are currently on recess, early conversations have begun around another COVID-19 response bill. Republicans continue to be focused on efforts to safely get people back to work, including liability protections and potential tax incentives. Democrats’ priorities include funding for state and local governments, a national plan for testing, support for essential workers, ensuring access to health insurance coverage, and addressing the racial disparities highlighted by COVID-19. The expiring unemployment insurance (UI) expansion, the growing need for child care, and the push to safely reopen schools will also play heavily in these conversations. As of now, the parties remain far apart on substance, but the rise of COVID-19 cases, continued economic challenges, the impending UI deadline, and the allure of August recess could bridge that gap by the end of July.