Power and pain: Rep. Adam Smith's story

The ideas and innovators shaping health care

Jun 02, 2023 View in browser   By Shawn Zeller, Ben Leonard and Erin Schumaker WASHINGTON WATCH Smith has written a new memoir about his battle with anxiety and chronic pain. | Francis Chung/E&E News “It was six, almost seven years that I was in some combination of anxiety or pain. It was a long struggle.” -- Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) Adam Smith is in his 14th term representing Seattle and its environs in the House. He’s chaired the Armed Services Committee, overseeing hundreds of billions in Pentagon spending, and is now the panel’s ranking Democrat. And yet, he titled his new memoir about his struggle with anxiety and chronic pain from hip surgeries “Lost and Broken.” Smith told POLITICO’s Connor O’Brien that he decided to reveal his battle to help other Americans who are suffering. “You can take some combination of anxiety, depression and chronic pain; probably tens of millions of people in this country have gone through some combination of the three of those things,” he said. Smith is the latest lawmaker to reveal mental health challenges, an indication that, despite the continuing stigma, society’s understanding is evolving. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) sought treatment for clinical depression this year, while Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) has spoken about her depression. And Reps. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) and Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), both Marine Corps veterans and Armed Services members alongside Smith, have discussed their post-traumatic stress. “In the last three or four years, there’s been a pretty big change in that you’ve seen a lot of high-profile people being more willing to talk about it,” Smith said. “I still think the stigma is real.”   DON’T MISS POLITICO’S HEALTH CARE SUMMIT: The Covid-19 pandemic helped spur innovation in health care, from the wide adoption of telemedicine, health apps and online pharmacies to mRNA vaccines. But what will the next health care innovations look like? Join POLITICO on Wednesday June 7 for our Health Care Summit to explore how tech and innovation are transforming care and the challenges ahead for access and delivery in the United States. REGISTER NOW.     WELCOME TO FUTURE PULSE Round Pond, Maine | Kate Ackley This is where we explore the ideas and innovators shaping health care. It may never be too late to reap the benefits of starting an exercise routine, a recent study found. When people in their 70s and 80s who didn't previously exercise began working out, brain function improved, the Washington Post reported. Share any thoughts, news, tips and feedback with Ben Leonard at bleonard@politico.com, Ruth Reader at rreader@politico.com, Carmen Paun at cpaun@politico.com or Erin Schumaker at eschumaker@politico.com. Send tips securely through SecureDrop, Signal, Telegram or WhatsApp. Today on our Pulse Check podcast, host Katherine Ellen Foley talks with Daniel Payne about his report on how hospitals, clinics, patient advocates and state workers are striving to prevent individuals from losing their Medicaid coverage as the program unwinds. Listen to today’s Pulse Check podcast   GET READY FOR GLOBAL TECH DAY: Join POLITICO Live as we launch our first Global Tech Day alongside London Tech Week on Thursday, June 15. Register now for continuing updates and to be a part of this momentous and program-packed day! From the blockchain, to AI, and autonomous vehicles, technology is changing how power is exercised around the world, so who will write the rules? REGISTER HERE.     FORWARD THINKING Mark Wednesday, June 7, on your calendar and, if you can, plan to be in Washington, D.C., for POLITICO’s second annual Health Care Summit. If not, you can watch the livestream at Politico.com. If you want to know where health care is headed and how the government can play a role in steering it, our Health Care Summit is the place to be. POLITICO reporters will press panelists on where the Covid pandemic left us, in both the weaknesses and disparities it revealed, and the technological innovation it unleashed. Additionally, we’ll ask our guests how President Joe Biden expects to combat health system failings and promote solutions with a divided Congress. Among the government newsmakers who will speak: — Xavier Becerra, the secretary of Health and Human Services, former California attorney general and 13-term congressman — Ashish Jha, the White House Covid-19 response coordinator who oversaw the unwinding of the public health emergency — Rahul Gupta, the Office of National Drug Control Policy director fighting the fentanyl overdose epidemic — Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), the Senate appropriator in charge of funding the Health and Human Services Department, who will have to cope with the debt ceiling deal’s constraints. — Danielle Carnival, Biden’s deputy assistant in charge of his cancer moonshot — Steven Posnack, HHS’ deputy national coordinator for health information technology Leaders in the health care industry will be there, including: — Bakul Patel, Google’s head of digital health and regulatory strategy — Shannon Thyme Klinger, Moderna’s chief legal officer — Krista Drobac, Moving Health Home’s founder And advocates with influence: — Kate McEvoy, the National Association of Medicaid Directors’ executive director — Jamila Taylor, the National WIC Association’s president and CEO — Lisa Robin, the Federation of State Medical Boards’ chief advocacy officer Our panels will focus on solutions for the cost crisis, artificial intelligence’s impact on care, digital health care, racial disparities in health outcomes and more. Be sure to say hello to Carmen, Ben and Erin, who will be among our moderators.   Follow us on Twitter Ben Leonard @_BenLeonard_ Ruth Reader @RuthReader Carmen Paun @carmenpaun Erin Schumaker @erinlschumaker   Follow us

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