Government
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Hospital at home programs face uncertainty as another deadline looms
The Acute Hospital Care at Home Program could lapse on Jan. 30 without congressional action, creating significant administrative complexity for providers, experts say.
By Emily Olsen • Jan. 15, 2026 -
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Trump unveils healthcare affordability plan
The “Great Healthcare Plan” is vague, but would send money directly to ACA enrollees and entrench Trump’s drug pricing deals.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Jan. 15, 2026 -
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Kaiser affiliates to pay $556M to resolve Medicare Advantage fraud allegations
The Justice Department claims some Kaiser health plans submitted invalid diagnostic codes to reap higher reimbursement from Medicare. It’s the largest settlement linked to MA upcoding to date, according to one law firm.
By Sydney Halleman • Jan. 15, 2026 -
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Utilization, intensity drove US health spending to $5.3T in 2024: CMS
The U.S. spent 7.2% more on healthcare in 2024. Most of the acceleration was because of greater use and intensity of medical goods and services, not growth in healthcare prices, CMS actuaries said.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Jan. 14, 2026 -
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HHS reverses layoffs at CDC’s work safety research division
Workers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health affected by the layoffs last spring received emails yesterday that their reduction-in-force notices have been revoked. Hundreds of NIOSH employees had been let go.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Jan. 14, 2026 -
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ACA signups lag as enrollment deadline nears
Some 22.8 million people have signed up for Affordable Care Act plans through early January, slower than last year’s pace but more robust than some experts predicted. Still, the CMS data paints an incomplete picture of the market.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Jan. 13, 2026 -
Courtesy of UnitedHealth Group
UnitedHealth ‘aggressively’ gaming Medicare Advantage, Senate investigation finds
Staffers for Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, dove into 50,000 pages of documentation from UnitedHealth for the new report, which accuses the company of maintaining a workforce dedicated to upcoding.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Jan. 12, 2026 -
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Powerful PBM lobby names new CEO
David Marin will become president and chief executive of the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association effective Jan. 30.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Jan. 9, 2026 -
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House votes to revive enhanced ACA subsidies
The House voted 230-196 to extend the financial assistance, which lapsed on Dec. 31, for three years. The measure is not expected to pass the Senate.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Jan. 8, 2026 -
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FDA exempts more wearable, AI features from oversight
The regulator clarified the types of wellness features and clinical decision support tools that don’t fall under medical device oversight in a pair of new guidance documents.
By Elise Reuter • Jan. 8, 2026 -
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Deep DiveTop healthcare provider trends in 2026
Health systems that address costs, workforce planning and portfolio strategy may be better positioned as reimbursement headwinds intensify this year.
By Michael Brady • Jan. 8, 2026 -
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Provider, telehealth groups urge Congress to make telehealth flexibilities permanent
Piecemeal extensions of Medicare coverage for virtual services have impeded access to care, the American Medical Association argued. The policies could expire again on Jan. 30.
By Emily Olsen • Jan. 7, 2026 -
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CDC, following Trump’s orders, weakens US stance on childhood vaccinations
In a drastic decision made outside of its typical review process, the agency declared it would recommend 11 childhood shots going forward, down from 17.
By Delilah Alvarado • Jan. 6, 2026 -
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Q&AŌura’s Ricky Bloomfield proposes new regulatory pathway for wearable health features
The chief medical officer is interested in an easier path to market for health screening features in wearable devices.
By Elise Reuter • Jan. 5, 2026 -
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DEA, HHS extend telehealth controlled substance prescribing flexibilities for fourth time
The extension, released shortly before the flexibilities were set to expire at the end of 2025, gives regulators more time to finish permanent policies, the agencies said.
By Emily Olsen • Jan. 5, 2026 -
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340B rebate pilot remains on hold in win for hospitals
The First Circuit upheld a district court’s pause of the controversial pilot on Wednesday. It’s a setback for the Trump administration, which — urged by drugmakers — wants to reshape 340B’s payment structure.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Updated Jan. 8, 2026 -
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CMS distributes rural health funds for 2026
States received an average of $200 million to expand rural care access. Texas received the most money, while New Jersey received the least.
By Sydney Halleman • Jan. 5, 2026 -
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Time’s up: Enhanced ACA subsidies expire
The expanded tax credits are officially dead after lawmakers failed to secure an extension before the end-of-year deadline. There’s still a chance, though a small one, that they could come back in 2026.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Jan. 1, 2026 -
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Novo Nordisk’s weight loss pill approved by FDA
The clearance kicks off the next phase of an escalating battle for control of the obesity drug market.
By Jonathan Gardner • Dec. 23, 2025 -
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Trump administration nixes Biden-era health IT policies, including AI ‘model cards’
The proposed rules would pare back government guardrails around health information technology software, including some put forward by the Biden administration.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Dec. 23, 2025 -
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9 more drugmakers ink pricing deals with Trump
President Trump said the agreements would significantly lower the prices of prescription medicines.
By Kristin Jensen • Dec. 22, 2025 -
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HHS seeks input on speeding AI adoption in clinical care
The Trump administration has largely taken a deregulatory stance on artificial intelligence in a bid to avoid hampering the technology’s rollout.
By Emily Olsen • Dec. 22, 2025 -
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Trump administration proposes stronger insurer price transparency requirements
The proposed rule aims to tamp down on unwieldy price data files and change how some prices are reported.
By Sydney Halleman • Dec. 22, 2025 -
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Medicare unveils successor to ACO REACH
The value-based care pilot will be replaced by ACO LEAD, a new model that providers and analysts say seems to address many of the problems posed by its predecessor.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Dec. 19, 2025 -
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Trump administration moves to bar hospitals from providing youth gender-affirming care
Under new proposed rules, hospitals would lose federal funding if they offer treatments including puberty blockers, hormone therapy or surgical procedures to minors.
By Sydney Halleman • Dec. 18, 2025
