All articles tagged with #health care
Republicans planned to delay the political fallout of health care cuts until after the 2026 midterms, but rising costs have already hurt voters. Democrats are leveraging this immediate pain to attack the GOP, though strategists warn that legislative power remains limited if Republicans keep the Senate and the White House.
Autumn Daniels, a 32-year-old from Champaign, Illinois, was charged $410 for an emergency room visit in April 2026 despite leaving without treatment after waiting four hours. She had sought care for a severe migraine that did not respond to a prior urgent care injection. Although she never saw a physician, Carle Foundation Hospital billed her for an 'Emergency Room Level 1' visit, arguing that registration and nursing assessments constituted the start of care. Daniels’ health plan denied coverage, and she is considering an appeal.
Nearly $12 billion in Medicaid funding for Texas hospitals will be restored, ending a year-long impasse with federal officials. Gov. Greg Abbott credited CMS and the Trump Administration for the decision, saying the funds will support hospitals, physicians, rural clinics, nursing facilities, and behavioral health providers across the state, help keep emergency rooms open, and preserve local care as Texas bridges the gap between reimbursements and costs.
A coalition of large self-funded employers warns Congress that the 2020 No Surprises Act is driving up health-insurance costs and arbitration disputes, potentially boosting premiums. The ERISA Industry Committee—whose members include ExxonMobil, Walmart, and others—pushed for reforms to curb dispute costs and change price benchmarks, as lawmakers hold roundtables and consider amendments ahead of a lame‑duck session.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) will chair the Senate Aging Committee's first hearing on menopause to push for more federal funding for menopause research, better clinician training, and a government study on the issue, arguing the condition is underfunded and underrecognized—and tying the effort to Democrats’ health‑care and cost‑of‑living priorities ahead of the midterms.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott publicly defends roughly $10 billion in Medicaid funding for Texas hospitals after the federal government withholds the money, saying Texas financing fully complies with federal law and the delay threatens hospital care, as CMS reviews how the funding is generated and calculated amid a long-running dispute.
Hospitals say two CMS proposed rules restricting state taxes and payments that inflate Medicaid dollars could erase far more funding than Congress planned — about $340B in expected losses by 2034, rising to roughly $681B in additional losses through 2035 — while the rules would yield $756B in federal savings and $265B in state savings. Hospitals warn the impact could force reduced services, layoffs, or closures, though CMS says the reforms curb misused dollars and will be finalized after comments, with a phased rollout starting in 2028.
Texas hospitals are bracing for a $27 million-a-day shortfall in CHIRP Medicaid funding after the federal government withheld about $9.8 billion for next year, threatening to cut services and create a backlog while Texas and federal officials dispute how local hospital taxes are calculated and how funds are allocated.
Democrats in Ohio see rising health-care costs and looming Medicaid/ACA funding changes as a potential opening to gain power, campaigning in rural and Trump-voting areas with proposals to restore ACA subsidies, bargain drug prices, and forgive medical debt amid hospital closures and higher bills; Republicans focus on fraud crackdown and program integrity, but voters’ anxiety over coverage and costs is driving a broader health-care narrative ahead of the midterms.
Costco Wholesale and SCAN Health Plan are partnering to offer Costco-branded Medicare plans, marking Costco’s first foray into Medicare. The rollout will begin with Medicare Advantage products in two states and a Medicare supplement plan in a third, subject to CMS approval. Plans will be sold in Costco stores and through traditional channels, with federal rules prohibiting bundling the plans with a Costco membership. SCAN’s footprint covers 33 counties across CA, AZ, NV, TX, NM, and WA, serving about 460,000 members (roughly 500,000 when affiliated programs are included).
Texas A.G. Ken Paxton intervened on behalf of an Alaska surrogate in a cross-state surrogacy dispute with California birth parents. The baby, born in Dallas with a congenital heart condition (HLHS), is receiving life-saving care in Texas. A Dallas judge ordered the child remain in Texas for treatment and barred the surrogate from making medical decisions or presenting herself as the child’s mother, even as California rulings recognized the birth parents’ rights; a hearing on parental status and care location is set for Aug. 25.
An Alaskan surrogate in a Texas dispute seeks a Dallas County court’s permission to obtain medically necessary treatment for the fetus she carries after the California couple she surrogates for refuses the procedure. Texas AG Ken Paxton has filed an emergency order backing the surrogate, arguing Texas law recognizes the birth mother as the legal parent and that gestational agreements cannot override state law; he also notified local hospitals to provide care. The case tests surrogacy precedent in Texas, which has allowed intended parents to be recognized before birth, and raises questions about when doctors can treat a child without parental consent in emergencies.
A new perinatal mental health unit is leading an integrated approach to maternal mental health, combining obstetric care with psychiatry and social support to screen, diagnose, and treat mood and anxiety disorders in pregnant and postpartum women, with the aim of reducing stigma and improving outcomes for both mothers and infants.
Eight Republican-led states—Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio and Utah—will require earlier proof of medical frailty to remain on Medicaid, adopting stricter work rules than the federal baseline and skipping the 2027 grace period. Democrats warn the tighter rules will leave sick people uninsured and strain clinics, while conservatives argue tighter verification closes fraud loopholes and reduces waste.
Sen. Mitch McConnell was discharged from a rehabilitation center after his June fall and will continue his recovery at home with physical therapy, while his Senate duties are handled from afar as he remains away ahead of the chamber’s recess.