All articles tagged with #health policy
CMS head Dr. Mehmet Oz told CBS that the MMR vaccine is not lethal, clarifying President Trump’s claims that the shot could be lethal. Trump has signed an executive order to overhaul vaccine recommendations, including splitting MMR into separate doses, though no evidence was provided to support lethal claims. The MMR vaccine has been in use for decades with hundreds of millions of doses administered.”
Trump’s plan to negotiate discounted GLP-1 weight‑loss drugs for Medicaid has stalled: only Indiana has signed on, while 29 states will not participate due to tight budgets. Twelve states still cover GLP-1s, but five of those recently ended coverage (California, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and South Carolina), with Rhode Island set to end in October. As other states weigh participation, many cite cost concerns and the risk to budget sustainability, meaning access to these drugs for low-income Americans on Medicaid is shrinking even as some argue these medications could reduce long-term health costs.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is asking for public comments on potential changes to federal vaccine recommendations—covering how vaccines are categorized, timed, and sequenced and weighing the risks of shared decision-making—following President Trump's order to limit the infant vaccination schedule; comments are due by Sept. 20 to bolster scientific rigor and public trust.
Some primary care practices are shifting from insurance-based billing to direct primary care (DPC), charging patients a monthly or annual fee (often $50–$100) to cover routine visits and chronic-disease management. Proponents say DPC frees physicians from insurance constraints, reduces burnout, and allows longer, more personalized visits with smaller patient panels; some doctors even promise visits lasting up to hours. Federal rules now allow HSAs to pay DPC fees, and interest in DPC/concierge models has surged in recent years. However, critics warn that DPC can double-pay for care (insurance plus DPC), may limit access for those with fewer resources, and won’t cover medications, hospitalizations, or emergencies, potentially exacerbating physician shortages by favoring wealthier patients.
RFK Jr. is barnstorming the country with the GOP to tout his Make America Healthy Again agenda, while the White House markets him as a potent midterm messenger even as Kennedy allies say policy goals are being slowed in Washington. Trump-era picks at HHS, FDA and CDC have advanced MAHA-friendly moves on vaccines and food policy, triggering tensions with MAHA supporters who want tougher action, and highlighting a broader tug-of-war over health policy ahead of the midterms.
Dr. Jerome Adams, a former U.S. surgeon general, argues that RFK Jr.’s emphasis on chronic-disease prevention cannot come at the expense of mounting infectious-disease outbreaks and a weakened public-health infrastructure. He urges the secretary of Health and Human Services to act now with concrete steps: restore comprehensive FoodNet tracking, fill critical CDC/FDA leadership roles, prioritize high-risk foods and imports for inspection and recall, use vaccines as a clear, ongoing messaging priority, and bolster international health-security partnerships to protect Americans at home. The piece contends outbreaks and vaccine coverage are interlinked challenges that require a proactive, well-resourced public-health response.
President Trump is expected to nominate Heidi Overton, the White House deputy director of domestic policy and a physician, to be the next FDA commissioner. Overton has been a key health-policy adviser and would face Senate scrutiny before confirmation. She helped lead administration health initiatives, including food guidance updates, vaccine schedule changes, and negotiating pricing deals with pharmaceutical companies, and has drawn pushback from some health advocates aligned with the Make America Healthy Again movement.
President Trump plans to nominate Heidi Overton, a White House health-policy official and Johns Hopkins-trained physician, to be FDA commissioner. She would replace acting head Kyle Diamantas after Marty Makary’s resignation and would require Senate confirmation, continuing the long-standing practice of appointing a medical doctor to run the agency.
Hospitals that own Medicare Advantage plans—the so-called payviders—now cover about one in six MA enrollees, a shift that can improve care coordination but also risks gaming risk‑adjustment payments and harming competition. Early data show affiliated plans often charge higher premiums and price marks vs. non‑affiliated plans, though some observed benefits include fewer prior authorizations and better care coordination; much remains unknown about the net effects on costs, taxpayer expenditures, and patient access.
North Carolina's Healthy Opportunities Pilots (HOP) used Medicaid funding to cover nonmedical services such as food, housing, and transportation in rural areas and, per UNC Sheps Center evaluation of 31,000 enrollees (2022–2024), saved an average of $164 per member per month after accounting for costs, by shifting care away from emergency departments to community supports. HOP participants saw fewer ER visits and hospitalizations, more outpatient contact, and reductions in food insecurity, housing instability, and transportation barriers, with about 90% reporting health improvements. Built through cross‑aisle cooperation and local trusted organizations, the program is being continued and scaled in North Carolina, with calls for Congress to enable similar Medicaid social‑service integrations and for CMS to expand waivers; the authors argue pragmatism and real‑world evidence can beat partisanship and merit replication.
Hospitals across the United States are using silicone “I Gave Birth” wristbands to alert emergency staff to postpartum risk and reinforce education after birth, aiming to reduce maternal deaths and readmissions—a campaign that has gained traction in several states but whose effectiveness remains under study and could be affected by ongoing Medicaid policy changes.
Vox details how AOC's decision to freeze her eggs highlights a broader barrier: egg freezing costs about $10,000–$20,000 and is rarely covered by insurance, with many workers in self-funded employer plans (ERISA) outside state mandates; federal efforts to expand fertility coverage stall, and even when accessible, success depends heavily on age and clinic quality, underscoring inequities in fertility care.
Hospitals nationwide are distributing silicone 'I Gave Birth' wristbands to remind new mothers and first responders about postpartum health risks and to prompt follow-up care, a NC-originated program that has spread to multiple states; while touted as a low-cost way to reduce postpartum complications and readmissions, independent evidence is limited and it sits within broader policy debates over Medicaid postpartum coverage and federal funding.
Pediatricians warn that the Trump administration's vaccine order could cause confusion and fear among parents, disrupting routine immunizations and potentially putting children at risk by reducing vaccine uptake and undermining confidence in public health.
The Trump administration’s CMS announced that Medicaid and CHIP will stop funding gender-affirming care for minors, including cross-sex hormones, puberty blockers, and sex-change surgeries, with a six-month taper for current patients. Mental health treatments for gender dysphoria will continue to be covered. Officials say the procedures are experimental and carry long-term risks, citing the Cass Review, and frame the move as protecting children while saving taxpayer dollars.