Government: Page 13

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    Head Start zeroed out in Trump’s preliminary budget plan

    The early education program is among those targeted for closure in a budget draft for the HHS.

    By Kara Arundel • April 17, 2025
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    HHS restructuring

    Budget draft outlines Trump’s plan to slash federal health programs

    An OMB document proposes to cut the HHS budget by roughly one-third as well as eliminate several divisions and programs.

    By • April 17, 2025
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    Surescripts receives QHIN status under TEFCA

    The addition of the e-prescribing giant’s information exchange brings the total number of Qualified Health Information Networks to nine.

    By • April 17, 2025
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    Alex Wong via Getty Images
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    CMS rejects Humana’s Medicare Advantage star ratings appeal

    The decision, which Humana disclosed in a Tuesday filing with the court overseeing its lawsuit against the HHS, will be reviewed by Dr. Mehmet Oz, the new CMS administrator.

    By • April 16, 2025
  • President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House on April 7, 2025.
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    Trump signals plan to address ‘pill penalty’ of drug pricing law

    The president’s executive order promising to lower pharmaceutical prices includes support for a fix long sought by the industry, and could augur a new push for Medicare site neutrality.

    By Kristin Jensen • April 16, 2025
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    Deep Dive

    A judge blocked the FDA’s plan to regulate LDTs. What now?

    One attorney said the ruling “isn’t quite the stake in the heart.” The FDA is unlikely to challenge the court’s decision, but Congress could still pass legislation addressing LDT regulation

    By Susan Kelly • April 16, 2025
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    Deep Dive // HHS restructuring

    HHS layoffs may be illegal, legal experts say

    The federal health department sidestepped normal procedures as it laid off 10,000 employees, according to sources. One union has already filed an internal complaint, while at least two law firms are exploring suits.

    By • April 15, 2025
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    UnitedHealth to enter mediation with DOJ over Amedisys deal

    This summer, UnitedHealth, Amedisys and antitrust regulators will have a magistrate judge’s help in hashing out a solution to the DOJ’s opposition to the merger.

    By • April 15, 2025
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    US launches probe that could set stage for pharma tariffs

    The Commerce Department has begun a so-called Section 232 investigation into the national security effects of the U.S. importing pharmaceuticals and their starting materials.

    By Ned Pagliarulo • Updated April 14, 2025
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    Many CMMI models didn’t generate savings: report

    Only one-third of the models analyzed produced substantial savings for the federal government, according to Avalere Health. The payment models have become a target for spending reductions under the Trump administration.

    By • April 14, 2025
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    CMS to end some federal Medicaid spending for state health programs

    The decision represents “the end of an era of being open to a broader conception of health within the Medicaid program,” one expert said.

    By • April 14, 2025
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    Medicare proposes 2.4% pay hike for inpatient hospitals next year

    The rate increase is the lowest since 2019. The American Hospital Association slammed it as inadequate.

    By • April 14, 2025
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    Tariff turmoil: Hospitals, device makers welcome pause, but fear long-term pain

    Healthcare providers and medtech companies still face pressure to find ways to offset potential supply chain shocks despite the latest about-face in President Donald Trump’s tariff wars.

    By Susanna Vogel , Susan Kelly • April 10, 2025
  • House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks to reporters after the House passes the Republicans' budget plan at the U.S. Capitol on April 10, 2025 in Washington, D.C.
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    House adopts budget plan that could cue Medicaid cuts

    Now, lawmakers will hash out legislation that follows the spending blueprint, which could include cuts to the safety-net insurance program — a potentially unpopular choice among Republican voters.

    By • April 10, 2025
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    HHS restructuring

    Biotech CEOs, VCs urge Cassidy, Senate to ease impact of FDA cuts

    Experts say the layoffs are already causing issues in drug development — and things may get far worse without critical institutional knowledge at the FDA.

    By Kristin Jensen • April 10, 2025
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    Medicaid cuts unpopular with Trump voters: poll

    More than 50% of Trump voters oppose cutting Medicaid to pay for tax cuts, according to a GOP pollster. The survey suggests the issue could be politically challenging for Republican lawmakers.

    By • April 9, 2025
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    Trump says ‘major’ tariffs coming on pharmaceuticals

    The president didn’t offer any details on the scope of the tariffs or the timing for the announcement, though he said it would come “very shortly.”

    By Kristin Jensen • April 9, 2025
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    Ned Pagliarulo/Healthcare Dive
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    Trump’s CMS dramatically raises payments to Medicare Advantage plans

    The 5.1% benchmark increase is the largest in the past decade. The hike reflects more recent data capturing cost growth, according to the CMS. Though, the Trump administration likely “had its finger on the scale,” one analyst said.

    By • April 8, 2025
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    Texas federal judge strikes down Biden-era nursing home staffing mandate

    A conservative judge blocked the policy from going into effect, saying the HHS had overstepped its authority to issue the rule.

    By Susanna Vogel • April 8, 2025
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    Judge permanently blocks NIH’s plan to cap funding, setting up appeal battle

    A district judge has again halted the agency’s unilateral plan to cut billions of dollars that support biomedical research, which has already created widespread disruption.

    By Ben Unglesbee • April 7, 2025
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    HHS restructuring

    RFK Jr. won’t appear before Senate panel this week

    HELP committee chair Bill Cassidy, R-La., had invited the HHS secretary to testify April 10 on the sweeping layoffs of federal health workers Kennedy ordered last month. A hearing could still take place later. 

    By Ned Pagliarulo • April 7, 2025
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    Senate advances budget blueprint as healthcare braces for Medicaid cuts

    The Senate’s budget resolution calls for fewer spending cuts than its House counterpart overall but preserves the $880 billion target for reductions under the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

    By • April 7, 2025
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    Judge temporarily blocks $11B in public health funding cuts

    A district court judge granted an emergency restraining order during a hearing Thursday, citing a “voluminous” list of harms documented by the plaintiffs.

    By Susanna Vogel • April 7, 2025
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    Trump rejects Biden administration plan to let Medicare cover obesity drugs

    The decision is a setback for GLP-1 drugmakers, though it's not entirely surprising given the Trump administration’s focus on curbing government spending.

    By • April 7, 2025
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    FTC lawsuit against PBMs can move forward after Ferguson rejoins case

    The FTC chair had previously been recused from the lawsuit. But after consulting with ethics lawyers, Ferguson changed his mind so the case could move forward, he said on Thursday.

    By • April 4, 2025