MARIA: WELCOME BACK.
EXPANDING TELEHEALTH SERVICES,
PRESIDENT TRUMP SIGNED EXECUTIVE
ORDERS TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO
DOCTORS AMID THE CORONAVIRUS
PANDEMIC.
WATCH.
>> THE ORDER BUILDS UPON A
SERIES OF ACTIONS WE’VE ALL
TAKEN TO MAKE TELEHEALTH
AVAILABLE TO ALL.
WE ENSURED THAT MEDICARE COVERS
TELEHEALTH VISITS AT NO
ADDITIONAL COST.
THAT’S NO ADD INDICTS ADDITIONAL
COPAYMENTS CAN BE WAIVED FOR
TELEHEALTH SERVICES.
WE ARE WORKING VERY HARD ALSO ON
PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICES.
MARIA: JOINING ME RIGHT NOW IS
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
SECRETARY ALEX AZAR.
MR. SECRETARY, GREAT TO SEE YOU
THIS MORNING.
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR JOINING ME.
>> GOOD MORNING, MARIA.
GOOD TO BE WITH YOU.
MARIA: WELL, GREAT IDEA ON
TELEHEALTH SERVICES, OBVIOUSLY
WE NEED IT GIVEN THE SHUTDOWN.
TELL US IF YOU BELIEVE THAT THIS
IS AS EFFECTIVE AS MEETING WITH
A DOCTOR.
>> WELL, ABSOLUTELY, IT’S AS
EFFECTIVE IN MANY CIRCUMSTANCES.
THERE WILL BE TIMES WHERE YOU
NEED TO GO IN AND SEE THE DOCTOR
BUT THIS UNLEASHES A WHOLE NEW
WAY OF DELIVERING CARE IN
AMERICA THAT BRINGS US REALLY
INTO THE 21st CENTURY.
YOU KNOW, AS PART OF PRESIDENT
TRUMP’S HISTORIC RESPONSE TO THE
CORONAVIRUS, HE ORDERED ME AND
THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES TO UNSHACKLE
HEALTHCARE FROM SO MANY OF THE
ARTIFICIAL LAG TORI --
REGULATORY BARRIERS THAT STOOD
IN THE WAY OF BETTER CARE, LOWER
COST AND MORE CHOICE FOR PEOPLE
AND TELEMINIS ONE OF THOSE AREA.
AS PART OF THE CORONAVIRUS
RESPONSE, FROM YOUR HOME YOU CAN
CONNECT WITH YOUR DOCTOR, YOUR
HOSPITAL, YOU CAN GET SO MANY
SERVICES DELIVERED, SO MUCH
DIAGNOSIS TO TAKE PLACE.
PRESCRIPTION TOSSS TO HAPPEN FRO
THERE.
WHAT HE ORDERED IS AS MUCH AS WE
CAN DO BY REGULATION TO KEEP IT
GOING EVEN AFTER THE
CORONAVIRUS.
MARIA: HOW DO DOCTORS FEEL
ABOUT THIS?
ARE THEY LOOKING AT DECLINE IN
REVENUE AND IS THAT CAUSING THEM
TO DO ANYTHING DIFFERENT?
I MEAN, I KNOW THAT SOME DOCTORS
ARE READILY AVAILABLE AND ARE
AGREEABLE TO DO THINGS ON THE
PHONE AND CERTAINLY TO BE IN
TOUCH ON TEXT AND E-MAILS BUT
NOT EVERYBODY.
SO HOW DOES ONE REACH THE DOCTOR
AND WHAT DO THE DOCTORS HAVE TO
SAY ABOUT THIS?
>> WELL, I’VE BEEN TRAVELING ALL
AROUND THE COUNTRY.
I MET WITH HOSPITALS AND DOCTORS
AND PATIENTS AND TELEHEALTH HAS
JUST IN A FEW SHORT MONTHS
BECOME SO EMBEDDED IN THE WORK
FLOW OF HOW WE DELIVER
HEALTHCARE, I THINK IF SOMEBODY
TRIED TO UNWIND THE CLOCK, THEY
WOULD FACE A REVOLUTION AT THIS
POINT.
PATIENTS FIND IT MORE
CONVENIENT.
DOCTORS ARE FINDING IT
CONVENIENT.
THE KEY IS THEY CAN GET PAID NOW
FOR THOSE SERVICES, WHETHER IT’S
THE PHONE CALL, THE SKYPE OR THE
FACETIME, THAT’S A CRITICAL
DIFFERENCE.
WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE
CONGRESS STEP UP TO PLATE,
THOUGH, BECAUSE THERE ARE STILL
IN STATUTE MANY ARTIFICIAL
RESTRICTIONS THAT HAVE KEPT
HEALTHCARE FROM DEVELOPING INTO
A MODERN SYSTEM, BUT, YOU KNOW,
WE WENT FROM 14,000 MEDICARE
TELEHEALTH VISITS A WEEK TO
1.7 MILLION A WEEK BY THE END OF
APRIL.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT OUR
SENIORS AND THE REST OF US ARE
NOT GOING TO WANT TO GIVE BACK.
MARIA: THAT’S TERRIFIC.
ALL RIGHT, I WANT TO ASK YOU
ABOUT THIS SUPPLY CHAIN CONCERNS
FROM CHINA, BUT BEFORE I GO
THERE, SECRETARY, WHAT CAN YOU
TELL US ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS IN
TERMS OF THESE WORRIES OVER
SPIKES.
WHERE ARE WE RIGHT NOW IN TERMS
OF THIS VIRUS?
ARE YOU EXPECTING A SECOND SPIKE
IN THE FALL?
>> I DON’T REALLY THINK IT’S
USEFUL TO TALK ABOUT SECOND
WAVES OR THAT KIND OF THING.
WAS WE’RE SEEING IS EMERGING
OUTBREAKS AND EFFECTIVE TACTICS
THAT CAN ACTUALLY GET THOSE --
GET AT THOSE OUTBREAKS.
IF WE ALL DO OUR PART, IF WE
WEAR FACE COVERINGS, PRACTICE
SOCIAL DISTANCING, USE GOOD
PERSONAL HYGIENE, AVOID
SCENARIOS, SITUATIONS WHERE WE
CAN’T DO THOSE THINGS LIKE
OVERCROWDED BARS OR OVERCROWDED
INDOOR RESTAURANTS AND HOUSEHOLD
GATHERINGS OF TOO MANY PEOPLE,
IF WE ALL DO OUR PART WE CAN
REMAIN OPEN, BUT TURN AROUND
THESE INFECTION RATES.
WE’VE SEEN IT IN PHOENIX.
WE’VE SEEN IT IN OTHER
COMMUNITIES.
AND NOW THE MAJORITY OF OUR
STATES ARE IN A PLAY HE TOE PLAT
DECLINING POSITION BUT WE STILL
HAVE TO BE VERY VIGILANT, ALL OF
US AND WE HAVE TO LOOK FOR EARLY
SIGNS OF OUTBREAKS AND TACKLE
THEM RIGHT AWAY ACROSS THE
COUNTRY.
MARIA: SO IT LEADS ME TO THE
QUESTION ABOUT MASKS.
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL IS
REPORTING THE FDA’S EFFORT TO
SHORE UP SUPPLIES HAS RESULTED
IN MASKS COMING INTO THE COUNTRY
OF VAIR I VARYING QUALITY.
SOME STATES HAVE STOPPED USING
SOME OF THESE MASKS BECAUSE THE
FDA SPARKED CONFUSION ABOUT
WHICH CHINESE MASKS CAN BE
TRUSTED.
SO WHAT SHOULD WE THINK WHEN
WE’VE GOT ALL OF THESE FOREIGN
MASKS COMING IN AND MAYBE THE
ONES FROM CHINA CAN’T BE
TRUSTED.
>> WELL, I THINK THAT’S
ACTUALLY AN EXAMPLE OF THE
FLEXIBILITY AND REGULATORY
NIMBLENESS THAT COMMISSIONER
HAHN HAS BROUGHT TO THE FDA.
THIS DATES BACK TO MARCH WHEN WE
WERE IN THE THROES OF THE
OUTBREAK THERE IN NEW YORK AND
CONNECTICUT AND NEW JERSEY.
AND FACING SHORTAGES OF SUPPLIES
OF N95 MASKS.
WHAT THE FDA SAID WAS THE KN95
MASKS WHICH COME FROM CHINA, SET
UP ALTERNATIVE REGULATORY
PATHWAYS FOR THEM TO COME INTO
THE COUNTRY INCLUDING IF IT WAS
A REPUTABLE OPERATOR, IF IT WAS
APPROVED IN REP PEWABLE REPUTABL
OUT OF CHINA.
WHAT WE FOUND WAS ON INSPECTION
SOME OF THE MANUFACTURERS WERE
NOT RELIABLE AND HADN’T GOTTEN
THE INDEPENDENT TEST
VERIFICATION.
FDA QUICKLY REMOVED THOSE
PRODUCTS FROM THE MARKET.
I THINK IT SHOWS THAT FDA HAS
UNDER PRESIDENT TRUMP’S
DIRECTION BEEN VERY NIMBLE, VERY
ADAPTABLE TO MEET THIS
UNPRECEDENTED PANDEMIC.
MARIA: THIS WHOLE WORRY ABOUT
GETTING THINGS FROM CHINA THAT
WE NEED SO MUCH, WHETHER IT’S
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS AND 70% OF
THE ACTIVE INGREDIENTS IN OUR
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS MADE IN
CHINA, OR THIS MASK ISSUE, HOW
LONG DO YOU EXPECT IT TO TAKE TO
START FIRING UP OUR SUPPLY
CHAINS IN THE U.S. SO THAT WE
CAN ACTUALLY PRODUCE SOME OF
THESE THINGS HERE AND WE DON’T
HAVE TO BE RELIANT ON CHINESE
GOODS?
>> YES.
SO MARIA, IN TERMS OF PERSONAL
PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT, THE
PRESIDENT USED THE DEFENSE
PRODUCTION ACT AND WE’RE SCALING
UP DOMESTIC MANUFACTURING
CAPABILITY, DOMESTIC RAW
INGREDIENT, ACTIVE INGREDIENT
CAPABILITIES FOR THOSE.
IN TERMS OF PHARMACEUTICALS, WE
HAD A HISTORIC ANNOUNCEMENT LAST
WEEK WHERE WE’LL BE STANDING UP
THE KODAK FACILITY IN ROCHESTER,
NEW YORK, OF ACTIVE INGREDIENT
MANUFACTURER.
WE’RE GOING TO WORK WITH OUR
WORLD LEADING BIOPHARMACEUTICAL
INDUSTRY TO ONSHORE MORE GENERIC
MANUFACTURING, MORE ACTIVE
PHARMACEUTICAL INGREDIENT
MANUFACTURING AND A LOT OF
THAT’S GOING TO BE POSSIBLE AS
YOU KNOW, MARIA, THANKS TO THE
PRESIDENT’S IS HISTORIC TAX REFO
THAT GOT RID OF THE TAXES THE
UNITED STATES HAD THAT FORCED
DRUG COMPANIES REALLY TO
MANUFACTURE M OTHER COUNTRIES,
NOW THAT THE PRESIDENT HAS FIXED
THAT, WE CAN ONSHORE CAPITAL
INVESTMENT, ONSHORE JOBS AND
WE’VE SEEN THAT ACROSS THE
PHARMA INDUSTRY.
IT WILL TAKE TIME BUT THE
PRESIDENT’S COMMITTING TO
ONSHORING THE PHARMACEUTICAL AND
PPE MANUFACTURING AS REALLY PART
OF OUR CORE STRATEGIC
CAPABILITIES.
MARIA: YEAH.
IT’S A REALLY IMPORTANT POINT.
WE’VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THAT AS
WELL.
SO SECRETARY, WHEN LOOKING AT
THE SPREAD OF CORONAVIRUS, TASK
FORCE COORDINATOR DEBORAH BIRX
IS WARNING THAT IT IS
EXTRAORDINARILY WIDESPREAD AND
RURAL AREAS NEED TO TAKE
PRECAUTIONS.
TELL ME ABOUT THE SITUATION IN
RURAL AREAS, HOW CONCERNED ARE
YOU ABOUT WHERE THE VIRUS IS
HEADED.
WE’VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT CROWDED
BIG CITIES AND NOW WE HEARD THAT
PEOPLE THAT LEFT THE CITIES AND
ARE IN THE COUNTRY ARE ALSO
CONTRACTING THIS VIRUS.
>> I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT THAT
EVERYBODY BE VIGILANT.
SINCE SO MUCH OF THE OUTBREAK
INITIALLY WAS FOCUSED IN THE NEW
YORK METRO AREA AND EVEN SOME OF
THE RECENT OUTBREAKS HAVE -- WE
TEND TO TALK ABOUT BIG METRO
AREAS LIKE A PHOENIX OR MIAMI OR
DALLAS OR HOUSTON.
BUT IT’S MISLEADING TO THINK
THAT IT IS CONTAINED JUST IN
THOSE AREAS.
PEOPLE TRAVEL INTO AREAS.
THEY GO ON VACATION.
THEY COME BACK TO RURAL
COMMUNITIES.
AND WE HAVE SO MUCH ASYMPTOMATIC
SPREADING OF DISEASE, I THINK
THE MESSAGE IS FOR ALL OF US, IT
DOESN’T MATTER IF YOU’RE IN A
SMALL TOWN IN RURAL AMERICA,
WEAR FACE COVERINGS, PRACTICE
SOCIAL DISTANCING, USE GOOD
PERSONAL HYGIENE, DON’T GO INTO
BAR SETTINGS THAT ARE
OVERCROWDED WHERE YOU’RE NOT
ABLE TO DO THESE THINGS, DON’T
HAVE FAMILY GATHERINGS OF LARGE
NUMBER OF PEOPLE AT YOUR HOUSE
BECAUSE THESE ARE THE TOOLS WE
HAVE AS INDIVIDUALS TO KEEP OUR
COUNTRY OPEN, ALLOW US TO BE
BACK TO WORK, BACK TO SCHOOL,
BACK TO HEALTHCARE, BACK TO
WORSHIP AND WE IF DON’T, YOU END
UP WITH SHUTDOWNS.
MARIA: IT JUST SOUNDS LIKE
WE’RE GOING TO BE LIVING WITH
THIS FOR A WHILE.
COACT, SEVERAL COMPANIES HAVE
BEEN TAPPED TO AID THE WHITE
HOUSE IN TERMS OF THE ON OF
PRESENTATION WARP SPEED --
OPERATION WARP SPEED.
WILL THE U.S. BE READY TO
DISTRIBUTE ONCE A VACCINE IS
APPROVED.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
WE’LL HARNESS THE EXISTING CDC
SYSTEMS OF DISTRIBUTION FOR
VACCINE, THE COMMERCIAL SYSTEMS
OF DISTRIBUTION AND OF COURSE
WE’RE BRINGING THE ENTIRE
LOGISTICS CAPABILITIES OF THE
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT TO FAIR AND
THE UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP OF
OPERATION WARP SPEED.
SO ABSOLUTELY.
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE STEPS
THAT WE AS INDIVIDUALS CAN TAKE
HERE WITH THE CURRENT OUTBREAK
THAT’S WE’RE SEEING.
BUT WE’RE JUST MONTHS AWAY FROM
TREMENDOUS PROMISE HERE IN TERMS
OF THERAPEUTICS AND VACCINES.
WE ALREADY HAVE REMDESIVIR,
STEROIDS, CONVALESCENT PLASMA
THANKS TO THE PRESIDENT’S
LEADERSHIP.
WE HAVE MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES
THAT SHOULD COME IN THE NEXT
SEVERAL MONTHS.
WE HAVE A CONTRACT FOR 70,000 TO
300,000 DOSES JUST FROM
REGENERON BY THE END OF
SEPTEMBER, EARLY FALL.
SO SO MANY ADVANCES THAT WE
SHOULD HAVE US ALL VERY
OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE MONTHS
AHEAD.
MARIA: WE’LL LEAVE IT ON THAT