All articles tagged with #health policy
The CDC is proposing to reduce disability-related questions in the 2028 National Health Interview Survey from 49 to 15, a move advocates warn will severely undercount Americans with developmental disabilities and compromise federal funding and health research.
A mother in Bedfordshire is campaigning for increased government funding for junctional epidermolysis bullosa, a rare genetic condition that leaves infants with skin as fragile as glass. Her six-month-old son, Ralph, was diagnosed days after birth with severe blistering and missing skin on his hands and feet. While doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital taught the parents how to manage the condition, there is currently no cure. The mother has launched a petition that gathered 10,000 signatures, prompting a response from the Department of Health and Social Care, which cited existing funding of £1.075 million over five years. Despite this, advocates argue that rare conditions are often overlooked in research priorities, and families must tirelessly campaign for basic care improvements.
The U.S. federal vaccine schedule has been significantly altered under HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., leading to a sharp rise in measles cases and legal challenges. Critics argue these changes, which include removing thimerosal from flu vaccines and ending universal newborn hepatitis B shots, are based on flawed or nonexistent evidence. While the administration claims to align with international norms, experts note the U.S. now lags behind most peer nations in disease coverage, raising concerns about preventable outbreaks and economic costs.
The Society for Women's Health Research (SWHR) has launched a $20 billion, 10-year federal roadmap to address the 'diagnostic odyssey' women face due to historical underfunding. While women live longer, they spend more time sick, largely because only 5 cents of every global research dollar targets women's health. The plan aims to fund research, clinician training, and data collection to close gender and racial health disparities. This push coincides with a special issue from the journal Science and a WHO report urging a broader definition of women's health beyond reproductive care.
Under the Affordable Care Act, most Americans are entitled to one annual preventive doctor visit with no out-of-pocket cost. However, a growing number of patients are receiving surprise bills when they disclose pre-existing conditions during these visits. Providers often reclassify the appointment as a 'sick visit' rather than a 'preventive visit,' triggering copayments or full charges. This discrepancy between policy intent and billing reality is causing widespread frustration and financial strain for insured individuals.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has shifted the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda toward artificial intelligence and massive health data aggregation. Kennedy argues AI will liberate Americans from 'medical tyranny' by bypassing expert consensus, while also pushing to unlock federal and state health records for research into chronic diseases and vaccine safety. This pivot has drawn sharp criticism from MAHA allies who view the new corporate sponsorships as a betrayal of the movement's anti-industry stance.
A new Kaiser Family Foundation analysis shows that the TrumpRx platform delivers mixed results for prescription drug prices. While 17 brand-name drugs cost less than the average in peer countries, 15 are more expensive, and 13 are the most costly among all compared nations. The administration claims $700 million in savings, but experts advise patients to compare prices with insurance and other discount programs.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has proposed a major overhaul of US health data systems, advocating for the integration of medical records, insurance claims, and lifestyle data to be analyzed by artificial intelligence. Speaking at a Make America Healthy (MAHA) Institute event, Kennedy argued that current data silos prevent researchers from identifying links between environmental exposures, diet, and chronic diseases, including autism. He emphasized that AI could accelerate research from years to seconds, though he acknowledged that privacy concerns and existing data governance laws, such as those in Arizona, currently restrict access to such comprehensive datasets.
Jennifer Reich, a sociologist at the University of Colorado, argues that parents who decline vaccines are not acting irrationally or selfishly, but are making logical decisions based on modern cultural pressures. Reich, who follows CDC schedules for her own children, contends that the emphasis on individual wellness and consumer choice has led parents to view vaccines through a lens of personal risk-benefit analysis rather than collective duty. She suggests that acknowledging this logic can improve public health communication.
Vice President JD Vance and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will headline the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Summit on September 29, 2026, in Washington. The event features a fireside chat on regulatory reforms and priorities, alongside panels with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, and former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson. While the summit aims to showcase MAHA progress, it faces criticism over corporate sponsorship fees, internal divisions between grassroots and corporate interests, and ethical concerns regarding government officials attending events funded by companies with business before the Health and Human Services Department.
A Dutch government report has revealed that the first child euthanized under the Netherlands' 2024 expansion of assisted-dying laws was a 24-month-old infant with severe, untreatable brain damage. The child, born prematurely at 26 weeks, suffered from cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and visual impairment. A medical review committee ruled the procedure lawful, though the case has sparked intense debate over the ethics of ending a child's life versus providing palliative care.
A new analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) reveals that the TrumpRx website delivers mixed results for Americans seeking lower prescription drug prices. While prices for 17 brand-name drugs are lower than the average in 11 peer nations, 15 drugs cost significantly more. The site, which targets cash-paying consumers, does not guarantee the 'lowest prices in the developed world' as claimed by the administration. Notable exceptions include weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Zepbound, which remain more expensive in the U.S. than in comparable countries. This finding contrasts with the administration's broader 'most favored nation' strategy, which has secured deals with 26 pharmaceutical companies and enrolled all 50 states in Medicaid pricing reforms.
The Trump administration's WISeR pilot, which uses AI to manage Medicare prior authorizations, is facing severe backlash due to delayed care, high denial rates, and vendor incentives that reward rejecting treatment. While the program was launched in six states in January 2026, new documents reveal technical failures and a financial structure that pays vendors 25% of averted costs for every denial. Lawmakers are demanding transparency, but the administration plans to expand the model to oncology and cardiac care by 2031.
The Trump administration has canceled 760,000 Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans, claiming fraud, and is investigating 420,000 more. Officials say the move saves $2.2 billion, but experts warn it may disenroll legitimate enrollees and worsen coverage gaps.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is preparing to fundamentally alter how childhood vaccines are categorized and recommended, a move that has triggered urgent warnings from public health experts, legal advocates, and state governors. The changes stem from an August 2026 executive order by President Donald Trump, which mandated a reevaluation of the childhood vaccine schedule and the revival of a defunct vaccine task force. HHS recently concluded a public comment period on a Request for Information (RFI) that questions the current three-tier recommendation system: routine/universal, risk-based, and shared clinical decision-making (SCDM). While HHS frames the review around 'individual autonomy' and 'religious freedom,' critics argue the proposed new categories lack scientific basis and will cause widespread confusion. This debate unfolds against a backdrop of a severe measles resurgence, with the U.S. experiencing its worst year since 1991, including 792 cases and four deaths in Pennsylvania alone. State officials and legal groups are urging HHS to maintain a stable, evidence-based framework to prevent a collapse in vaccination rates and a return of preventable diseases.