“Offering a startlingly candid view into the philosophy guiding vaccine recommendations under the Trump administration, the leader of the federal panel that recommends vaccines for Americans said shots against polio and measles — and perhaps all diseases — should be optional, offered only in consultation with a clinician,” the New York Times reports.

“Congressional leaders reached a bipartisan, bicameral health care deal early Tuesday morning they hope lawmakers will pass later this week as part of a four-bill government spending package,” Politico reports.

“In a continued blow for members on both sides of the aisle, the agreement would not revive enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies that lapsed at the end of last year and are causing premiums to spike for individuals on Obamacare insurance plans.”

President Trump announced his “Great Healthcare Plan” to little fanfare on Capitol Hill last week, Politico reports.

“The question now is how willing and able congressional Republicans will be to actually pass any of it into law after stumbling for years over politically toxic plans to undo Obamacare. The prognosis is not encouraging for the White House.”

“Key parts of the light-on-details proposal likely won’t meet the strict Senate rules for party-line legislation that could skirt a Democratic filibuster. Similar cost-reduction proposals from Republicans ran into problems on that count in last year’s tax-cuts-focused megabill.”

“President Donald Trump unveiled a multipart proposal on Thursday aimed at lowering prescription drug prices and reducing health insurance premiums, as well as increasing pricing transparency. He also vowed to hold big insurance companies accountable,” CNN reports.

“The plan, which the president is calling on Congress to pass, proposes sending money directly to consumers, not insurers, as he has advocated for in recent months amid the debate over whether to extend the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced premium subsidies, which expired at the end of last year.”

“The Senate will leave town this afternoon for 10 days with no deal to revive premium enhanced Obamacare subsidies, and no sign they’re moving toward any compromise on the key hang-ups,” Punchbowl News reports.

“Senators involved in bipartisan health care talks are struggling to reach agreement among themselves. Even if they can, the group would need to build consensus among senators on both sides of the aisle in order to pass a bill, somehow push the measure through the House and then convince President Donald Trump to sign it.”

“All of those steps are incredibly difficult. Meanwhile, the clock is close to running out. Open enrollment for marketplace plans ends today.”

“About 1.4 million fewer people have enrolled in Obamacare coverage this year in the face of soaring premiums, according to an early report, following the expiration of the enhanced subsidies that helped lower the cost of health insurance for millions of Americans,” the New York Times reports.

President Trump said his administration will release a framework to lower health care costs later this week, USA Today reports.

“Democrats sent Republicans a proposal over the weekend to renew enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies for three years, paired with extensions of other expiring health programs,” Axios reports.

“Sunday’s offer shows there’s increasing bipartisan sentiment to address long-stalled priorities like overhauling pharmacy benefit manager business practices — even if prospects for the ACA subsidies are much murkier.”

“The largest nurses strike in New York City history has started after negotiators for five major hospitals and the state nurses union failed to agree to a new contract by Monday’s deadline,” CBS News reports.

President Trump said Sunday he may veto a bill to extend Obamacare subsidies if Congress sent one to his desk, 
Bloomberg reports.

Punchbowl News: “For a moment, it seemed like President Donald Trump was nudging Republicans to make a health care deal with Democrats and address one of the biggest election-year vulnerabilities facing the GOP.”

“But it may have the exact opposite effect.”

“On Tuesday, Trump told Republicans to ‘be flexible’ when it comes to restrictions on federal funding for abortion, known as the Hyde Amendment, seen as the biggest obstacle to a bipartisan Obamacare deal…”

“But Trump’s comments sparked immediate outrage from anti-abortion rights groups, as well as pushback from Speaker Mike Johnson and other GOP leaders — effectively sapping any momentum Trump’s prodding may have ignited.”