The long run. Is that a fair argument . Mr. Rains it is fair to say that. It is not just a health care system, it is the workplace, it is a lot of other areas of our economy that it could impact. I wish there was an economical way to do that, to where the state budget could be introduced reimbursed and all those fun things we like to talk about. But that is not necessarily reality. But we definitely see the benefits. Ms. Schumaker that is all the time that we have for the session. Audience, online, and our wonderful panelists. We have heard a lot about drug pricing ends so very different opinions, which i always appreciate. And i want to welcome kevin back to the stage to introduce our our next conversation. [applause] good afternoon, everyone. My name is ben leonard and im a healthcare reporter. Im really excited to sit down with representative kelly from illinois today. Thank you so much to e coming t. We have a ton to dig into and we just heard from a group of panelists about a lot of the innovation thats happening in terms of science and medicine and representative kelly, great to speak to you about that. Recently launched the congressional Digital Health caucus, cochairs that and she serves on the energy and commerce subcommtee andhe also chairs the correctional black caucus. Weve got a lot to dig into from Artificial Intelligence to weight loss drugs to Maternal Health so lets jump right in. About the caucus you recently launched the Digital Health caucus focusing on a■o■i information, energy and commerce is looking at this too. How do you think lawmakers should be weighing ai in regulation in health care right now . The reason that we started with choi, the reason we started it, he wanted to be a platform and the tech folks could get together and share, you know, the good, what hasnt been so good but not working, things that they want us to know so we can be as educated as possible as we do create law. What do you think is the biggest obstacles right now regulating ai to health care . I think that i could say congress, but [laughter] but i think again we develop more knowledge. Some people are very knowledgeable about it and some people not as much and i think there needs to be more conversation. I think there needs to be honest conversation again, you know, what good things we should be doing, what are things that maybe■. De Tech Companies discovered that we shouldnt be doing but we have to be honest with each oth. Left to the agencies for now and congress should take a slower more measured approach, thats sort of what im hearing . I think we should all work together, all the stakeholders should be at the table, tech, agencies and congress also. Theres debate about whether regulation sho c more focused sr by sector like health care, where do you come down on that . Thats a good question. Probably general and as we see needs, needs. One of the concerns i hear a lot is about bias and how bias can be victim of data in ai and, you know,■ reinforce stereotype, you know, outcomes, how do you think lawmakers and agencies should be thinking about thato . Well, about 4 years ago former rep we did like a year study on Artificial Intelligence and we looked at National Security privacy by some workforce and by some workforce and the two things that i was interested in just becau the stories we were hearing about whether there was criminal justice, whether it was health care, whether le someone, a young man told me he was identified as an shoulder white woman, like how does that happen, so i think that really we need to diversify, you know, the workforce that would help, you know, information in and who is putting the information in but, yeah, that definitely needs to be considered but i also think, you know that goes for the workforce and whos working on these things putting the information in. The level of b inevitable and in health care in general. Some sort of bias is inevitable and everything that we do. I mean, thats just the way it o be minimal. Im going shift gears, youve been big on telehealth, a lot of them expire at the end of the year, do you expect fix to that in medicare commercial plans by the end of the year or, you know, another sort of shortterm solution . I would like to see that at this rate in Congress Kind of hard to going to happen from wek to week. It seems like i do really believe in telehealth, not only because of covid but covid showed us how helpful telehealth is. Ive heard stories from constituents in the district how they didnt have to take off work, they didnt have to leave school, they could get treatment in speak to the doctor in school and when it comes know, Mental Health issues, a lot of people in the rural part of my district they took advantage of that. The only thing is the concern about infrastructure because my district is urban, suburban and rural and some people in the dit even get online and then some people cant afford to get online and thats where the Affordable Connectivity Program is so important which needs to. The ways and means hearing yesterday and some of the concerns that i was hearing were telehealth, fraud and lack of data on on outcomes . It was really a bipartisan thing because of the amount of people that have rural areas and i remember worked with some of the republican colleagues even to put this together. I know people can always talk about fraud b we need to mitigate that as much as possible but also look at the greater good. Yeah. Cost is always a question, how much of a factor do you think that will be in terms of whether telehealth can get across the finish line this year . Like with anything with some people■ itll be a factor with some people. Its so important. Like people have told me not even speaking about health that you cant even apply for job if you cant go online so we need to make sure the infrastructure is there, we need to make sure, continue the program the Connectivity Program but i think its really important and the doctors ive spoken to, they love it. To shift gears a little bit, as many in the crowd might know that it has disrupted health care in the past couple of weeks and brought the conversation about cybersecurity and health care to the forefront. You know, some discussion about federal minimum mandates for cybersecurity. Is that something that you that you consider supporting . Definitely. Working onto improvelegislatiog cybersecurity in small and mediumsize hospitals. They oftentimes can afford depad may have one person, responsibility or thats the responsibility and have a lot of other responsibility and i think we need to do work around ensuring how we can help small and medium size and then as far as like hhs i think that we neer beefed up cyber performance goals. Yeah, what might that look like . I know senator warner has floated medicare payment in terms of performsance goals, what do you think that might mean, i could see tieing to it that but also, you know, loin its put together like their network, you know, do what a person has in their about themselves and that kind of thing. To shift gears a little bit, every year we have predictable cycle in terms of medicare and doctor payments, the administration essentially isuto doctors based on formula mandated and doctors and other advocates lobby for effects of some sort. I know youre working on sort of a longerterm fix. What do you think that should look like and do you think this is the year that Congress Finally gets it done . Well, i did vote with a lot of people in energy and commerce to support better physician payment schedule and update that and from what i was just told today from some of my staff that some of that will be baked inatd geographic index factor, extending what w the other thing . We do not want doctors to cut back on medicare patients or to stop doing charity work that they do. My late husband was a doctor so i used to hear his stories about it. To clarify,s in the next spending package thats coming up . I believe so. My staff was just saying as i was coming here that. To shift gears a little bit, i know youre on mad earnal Health Legislation in one of your bills works to the workforce and prenatal post partum care, what are your conversations with republicans on the issue . Well, actually the■ legislation that i was able to get past its all been bipartisan. So and and i we return the maternal care caucus together and so some doctors get it. Theres a number of doctors and also other people that talk about, you know, whats going on in their state and they know that something needs to be done but immely proud that we push and carried the legislation that extended postpartum care and utah became the 45th state and i will admit, i didnt think we would be this sucss quickly, 45 states in the district of colombia. Lets go back to conversations earlier today. A lot theyve done a lot of things for the Inflation Reduction Act negotiating drug pricing. Hasnt necessarily translated into voter knowledge, some of the polling shows biden is not receiving credit for it. Why do you think that is . How can democrats overcome that . I think he did a great job in the state of the union taking the welldeserved victory lap and we continue to talk about it and all of us do in every way wf people on aca, the insulin prices have gone down, drug prices have gone down why, he doesnt get the credit. He doesnt beat his chest enough and we dont talk about it enough even though a lot of us do but i dont know, i really cant, i dont know why he doesnt get the credit. He should, he deserves it. Different messaging strategy or something. I know theres a lot dont take effect. Voters may not be able to feel it. Its their way to compensate for that beyond what theyve been doing now . Eople and they like somebody came up to me, i did not know them and i said thank you so much my insulin price has gone down, people have thanked us and i tell them, we need your help in getting the word out from everyday citizens how much you have been helped and messaging we are trying everything that we can try from social media to, you know, things we are sending to peoples homes and just, you know, going where people get their news, we are trying to meet people where they are. Weight loss drugs have been a hot topic, medicare banned from covering them. Do you think medicare should be able to cover them and how should we be able approaching this obesity . Well, obesity is a disease. They should just stop eating from from science and technology and things like that we know its not just about that for some people, so i think that we should move toward that if itsb ommended i think we should move toward that. Move towards medicare being able to cover it. Because people are in better shape that saves money in the long run. Yeah, yeah. The drugs are obviously expensive right now, you know, would you propose dealing with some of the costs there . Well, hopefully we dont have to legislate but i think that, i mean, there is a problem in the uns with obesity so there are a lot of people that can benefit and plain, you know, i dont know, what can be worked out but if enough people use ite price down and then there are some Drug Companies that do have special things that they do fort afford it so, i mean, we would have to strategize around that. We are running out of time so one last thing. I know that the Biden Administration has proposed ban on menthyl cigarettes and the een■i privately pushing for the administration to move forward on the regulations. Theres been concern that is President Biden could abandon the proposal to avoid backlash from black voters. Are you concerned about that a ban could hurt biden in terms at the polls and how should the administration proceed . Well, im for the ban. I cant be the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus and not be for the ban. I think theres s voters, black americans that die because of menthyl gets and targeted for so many years. My grandparents and my father owned a mom and pop Grocery Store and i worked there like when i remember in college someone suggested for me if it wasnt for black people