UnitedHealth, Amedisys merger appears set to close post-DOJ settlement

The settlement is weaker than at least one antitrust expert expected based on the severity of the DOJ’s concerns. But it means the $3.3 billion merger is very likely to close.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Aug. 8, 2025

Democrat senators probe UnitedHealth over nursing home care denials

Sens. Ron Wyden and Elizabeth Warren are seeking more information from the beleaguered healthcare behemoth after The Guardian found it was incentivizing nursing homes to reduce hospital transfers.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Aug. 8, 2025

UnitedHealth and Amedisys reach settlement with DOJ over $3.3B merger

The settlement filed with the Maryland district court on Thursday requires UnitedHealth and Amedisys to divest 164 home health and hospice sites to placate the DOJ’s concerns that the merger is anticompetitive.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Updated Aug. 7, 2025

FTC moves to block Edwards’ JenaValve acquisition

Edwards Lifesciences and JenaValve said they remained committed to completing the deal and would defend the case in court.

By Susan Kelly • Aug. 7, 2025

ACA plans want to hike premiums by median of 18% next year: KFF

The KFF’s projection is steeper than an older analysis that relied on less complete data. It’s the largest increase that ACA insurers have asked for in more than five years as payers brace for membership turmoil.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Aug. 7, 2025

HHS abandons mRNA vaccine research

One vaccine expert called the move, which cancels some $500 million in messenger RNA research contracts, a “giant step backward for science.” 

By Delilah Alvarado • Aug. 6, 2025

Trump administration illegally axed NIH grants, government watchdog says

The Government Accountability Office can file a lawsuit in an attempt to restore the grants. However, the agency has not opted to do so during the second Trump administration.

By Susanna Vogel • Aug. 6, 2025

More urban hospitals dually classifying as rural under Medicare: study

Dually classifying allows urban facilities to benefit from rural health programs, even as many rural facilities struggle financially and are at high risk of closure, researchers wrote.

By Emily Olsen • Aug. 6, 2025

States sue to stop ‘unconstitutional pressure campaign’ on gender-affirming care

A coalition of 16 states and Washington, D.C., argue the Trump administration is trying to ban gender-affirming care for minors without going through Congress.

By Susanna Vogel • Aug. 5, 2025

Trump administration finalizes health IT rule on prior authorization, electronic prescribing

The regulation should enable workflow automation to limit paperwork burdens on providers, regulators said.

By Emily Olsen • Aug. 1, 2025

CMS finalizes inpatient payment rate increase for 2026

Medicare finalized inpatient pay rates that are slightly higher than those proposed in April. Hospital groups were pleased with the increases, but said they were still inadequate.

By Sydney Halleman • Aug. 1, 2025

Trump administration to pilot 340B rebate model next year

The pilot is a significant departure from the current model, which gives hospitals upfront discounts for some drugs. Hospitals say 340B is a lifeline, while drugmakers say hospitals have abused the program.

By Susanna Vogel • Aug. 1, 2025

Trump administration launches health data sharing initiative

More than 60 companies, including Amazon, Google, UnitedHealth and Epic, have pledged to participate in the initiative, which the CMS said would “deliver results” early next year.

By Emily Olsen • July 31, 2025

PBM markets lack competition, new paper finds

The American Medical Association’s research, which found that local PBM markets are highly concentrated, is more fuel for critics of the powerful drug middlemen.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • July 31, 2025

Medicare Part D premiums likely to increase next year

The average monthly bid submitted by insurers for 2026 prescription drug plans increased 33% from last year, according to data released by the CMS.

By Emily Olsen • July 30, 2025

Judge halts Arkansas law forcing PBMs to sell pharmacies

U.S. District Judge Brian Miller agreed with pharmacy benefit managers that the state’s law may violate the Constitution in granting their request for a preliminary injunction. 

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • July 30, 2025

Vinay Prasad, controversial FDA official, abruptly departs agency

Prasad's exit ends a tumultuous tenure during which he led a reworking of agency guidelines on COVID vaccines and his office got embroiled in controversy over a Duchenne gene therapy.

By Ben Fidler • July 29, 2025

FTC seeks comment on gender-affirming care, weighs enforcement options

The agency said it could use the comments to penalize medical professionals providing gender-affirming care. Scrutiny from the Trump administration has already caused several providers to halt the services for minors.

By Susanna Vogel • July 29, 2025

Top medical association warns RFK Jr. not to overhaul preventive services task force

The health secretary reportedly wants to fire all 16 members of the task force that advises insurers on what services they have to cover under the Affordable Care Act. The American Medical Association thinks that’s a bad idea.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • July 28, 2025

Trump administration releases AI adoption plan

While the plan rarely mentions healthcare, it is one of the administration’s first steps to set federal policies, which experts say is important to safely deploy the technology in the sector. 

By Emily Olsen • July 25, 2025

UnitedHealth confirms it’s under investigation by DOJ

The company said it was complying with criminal and civil investigations from the Justice Department into its Medicare program.

By Sydney Halleman • July 24, 2025

A ‘bastardized’ program: GOP lawmakers eye Medicare Advantage reform

In a hearing this week, Republican legislators appeared open to changing the privatized Medicare program — once a GOP darling that’s fallen out of favor amid concerns about prior authorizations, care denials and profiteering.

By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • July 23, 2025

10M people will lose insurance due to GOP policy law: CBO

The final tally from the nonpartisan budget scorekeeper estimates the law will decrease federal healthcare spending by $1.1 trillion over the next decade.

By Emily Olsen • July 23, 2025

Democrat senators warn Medicaid cuts could worsen rural hospital cybersecurity

Funding cuts enacted in the GOP’s massive tax law will push cash-strapped rural providers to deprioritize cyber preparedness, according to Sens. Ron Wyden and Mark Warner.

By Emily Olsen • July 22, 2025

ACA health plan premiums could spike in 2026: report

Insurers are requesting a median premium increase of 15% for 2026 as they grapple with policy uncertainty for plans on the exchanges, according to an analysis from KFF and the Peterson Center on Healthcare.

By Emily Olsen • July 22, 2025