INSULIN Acts Snags Support Of Four New Co-Sponsors
Four additional senators have joined the bipartisan INSULIN Act, bringing the total number of co‑sponsors to 19. The legislation seeks to extend Medicare’s $35 monthly out‑of‑pocket cap for insulin to the commercial insurance market. If enacted, the bill would standardize affordable insulin pricing across public and private plans. The move reflects growing congressional pressure to curb soaring diabetes drug costs.
Kennedy Terminates USPSTF Leaders To ‘Avoid Uncertainty’
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismissed the chair and deputy chair of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) after a year of repeatedly canceling the panel’s meetings. The move deepens uncertainty about the task force’s ability to issue...
FDA Offers New Details On Real-Time Clinical Trial Pilot, But Questions Remain
The FDA released new operational details for its real‑time clinical‑trial pilot, clarifying that raw patient‑level data will not be transmitted directly to the agency. Instead, sponsors must use their own data‑capture systems to send predefined safety, efficacy, dosing, or operational...
TrumpRx Joins Forces With Mark Cuban, Features More Than 600 Generics
The White House announced that the new TrumpRx platform will feature more than 600 generic drugs. TrumpRx will integrate discounted pricing from Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus Drugs, Amazon Pharmacy and GoodRx, allowing shoppers to compare cash prices side‑by‑side with local pharmacy rates. The...
SCOTUS Rejects Pharma Companies’ Petitions To Review IRA Drug Program
The U.S. Supreme Court on May 18 denied six pharmaceutical companies’ petitions to revisit lower‑court rulings that upheld the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) Medicare drug‑price negotiation program. The decision ends the companies’ multi‑year legal challenge, leaving the federal government’s authority...
CDC Issues Noncitizen Travel Restrictions Amid Ebola Outbreak In Africa
The CDC announced new travel restrictions targeting non‑U.S. citizens who have recently visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda or South Sudan, where Ebola cases are rising. The rule bars entry for travelers who were in the three countries...
CMS Finalizes Removal Of Standardized Plan Options, Non-Network Plans Addition In 2027 Exchange Rule
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued its 2027 health‑insurance exchange rule, stripping away the long‑standing standardized plan requirements and opening the marketplace to non‑network insurers. The rule also expands catastrophic‑only plans, giving consumers lower‑cost entry points. These...
Oz Defends WISeR Model, GAO Gives Congress Green Light To Block Model Using CRA
The Trump administration is defending its controversial WISeR model, an artificial‑intelligence system that expands prior‑authorization requirements for Medicare drugs. Lawmakers argue the model delays care for beneficiaries and adds administrative friction. The Government Accountability Office has given Congress a green...
E&C To Mark Up Wheelchair, ACO Digital Quality Bills Wednesday
On May 13, the House Energy & Commerce Committee will mark up two bipartisan bills. One proposal creates new Medicare billing codes to cover wheelchair purchases for eligible beneficiaries. The other establishes a pilot program that lets accountable care organizations...
CMS Eyes Proposed Rule With Device Identifiers In Claims Forms
CMS announced it will propose a rule requiring the inclusion of Unique Device Identifiers (UDIs) on Medicare and Medicaid claims forms. The move responds to longstanding congressional pressure to improve device traceability and curb costs associated with defective medical products....
FDA Seeks Input On Chronic Diseases To Prioritize For Drug Repurposing
The FDA announced a public‑comment period to identify chronic diseases that should be prioritized for drug‑repurposing. The agency seeks stakeholder input on which conditions lack commercial interest and which approved drugs could be redirected to new therapeutic uses. This effort...
SCOTUS Allows Telehealth Abortion For Three More Days As It’s Pressed To Take Up Case In Current Term
The U.S. Supreme Court on May 11, 2026 extended its stay of a Fifth Circuit ruling, preserving the ability of clinicians to prescribe abortion medication via telehealth for an additional three days. The brief extension buys time as the Court...
Proposals To License AI In Health Care Catch Fire
State lawmakers, academic groups, think tanks, and the American Medical Association are debating whether AI tools that deliver medical care should be required to obtain a license to practice medicine. The debate intensified after Utah controversially permitted an AI system...
Infectious Disease Specialist Slams Government Response To Hantavirus Outbreak
An infectious disease specialist has publicly condemned the federal government’s handling of a hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship, saying officials have failed to provide regular public briefings. The silence, according to the expert, is stoking fear and conspiracy theories...
HIV Advocates Ask Regulators In Multiple States To Probe Highmark’s ‘Copay Armor’ Policy
The HIV+HEP Policy Institute has asked insurance regulators in Delaware, Pennsylvania and West Virginia to investigate Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield’s 2026 exchange plans. The group alleges the plans use a “Copay Armor” or copay‑maximizer program that raises out‑of‑pocket costs...
Makary Critics Rejoice As Trump Reportedly Weighs Firing FDA Chief
President Donald Trump is reportedly weighing the dismissal of FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, whose tenure has been marked by aggressive drug‑pricing reforms and high‑profile clashes with the pharmaceutical industry. Makary, appointed as an ally of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy...
CDRH Leader Teases MDUFA VI, RAPID, Interoperability Paper
FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) director Michelle Tarver signaled that the forthcoming Medical Device User Fee Amendments (MDUFA VI) will likely keep user fees flat while seeking to cement the Total Product Life Cycle Advisory Program (TAP) pilot...
FDA Proposed Rule Would Eliminate Term ‘Gender’ From Regulations
The FDA has issued a proposed rule to replace every instance of the term “gender” with “sex,” or to delete the reference entirely, across its federal regulations. The change is framed as compliance with the Trump administration’s crackdown on diversity,...
UnidosUS: GOP Policies Put Latino Health, Coverage Gains At Risk
UnidosUS released a report warning that the Trump administration’s GOP health‑care agenda could trigger the largest drop in insurance coverage ever recorded, disproportionately harming Latino families. The analysis links proposed Medicaid work requirements, cuts to outreach funding, and a rollback...
Dems Probe Withholding Of Vaccine Safety Studies At CDC, FDA
Democrats on the House Energy & Commerce Committee are pressing HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for an explanation after a CDC study that found COVID‑19 vaccines cut hospitalizations during the latest respiratory virus season was not released. The committee...
FDA Launches Elsa 4.0, Touts Benefits For Employees
The FDA unveiled Elsa 4.0, an upgraded internal large‑language‑model platform, on May 4. The new version enables employees to build custom AI agents, auto‑generate regulatory documents, run data analyses, and conduct secure internet searches. By embedding generative AI directly into product‑review...
FDA Approves Fruit-Flavored Vapes As Controversy Mounts For Makary
The FDA authorized marketing of fruit‑flavored e‑cigarette products on May 5, marking the first such approval in U.S. history. The move follows reports that President Donald Trump pressured FDA Commissioner Marty Makary to green‑light the flavors, a promise he made during...
Stakeholders Await Impact Of Swift Provider Revalidation
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced a swift provider revalidation mandate targeting home and community‑based service providers. Stakeholders, including provider groups and patient advocates, say it is too early to assess the policy’s impact on workforce...
HHS Unveils Plan To Curb Psychiatric Overprescribing, Encourage Tapering
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced a coordinated plan to curb the overprescribing of psychiatric medications and promote safe tapering for patients. The initiative brings together the Administration for Children and Families, the Centers for Medicare &...
Comer Targets CPT System ‘Complexity,’ Citing Concerns Over Fraud, Rising Health Spending
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer warned that the American Medical Association’s Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code system is overly complex, creating loopholes for fraud and inflating federal health‑care spending. He has asked the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services...
Cancer Patient Advocates Endorse Bill To Allow Reimbursement Of Trial Expenses
Cancer patient advocates, led by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, have endorsed a new bipartisan Senate bill that would allow clinical‑trial sponsors to reimburse patients for travel and lodging costs. The legislation aims to dismantle geographic barriers that...
Telehealth Abortion Temporarily Halted Nationwide
On May 1, 2026 the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a nationwide injunction that temporarily blocks telehealth‑provided abortions. The order halts the distribution of mail‑order abortion pills, even in states without restrictive abortion statutes, pending further litigation. The ruling...
UniQure Pushes Forward As FDA Rare Disease Controversies Continue
UniQure, the gene‑therapy pioneer at the heart of FDA Commissioner Marty Makary’s rare‑disease controversy, is pressing forward with a formal request for its Huntington’s disease treatment. The company will present data at a Type B meeting with the FDA in the...
RFK Jr. Wants Stakeholders To Show Real-Time Prices Ahead Of Final Regulation
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is urging health‑care providers and health‑IT firms to deploy Real‑Time Pharmacy Benefit Technology (RTPBT) immediately, rather than waiting for formal rulemaking. RTPBT enables patients to see the exact out‑of‑pocket cost of prescription drugs at...
Advocates Sound Alarm Over Nebraska Starting Medicaid Work Reqs
Nebraska began enforcing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s Medicaid work requirements on May 1, earlier than many states. Advocates warn that the rollout suffers from insufficiently trained staff, an incomplete exemption list, and confusing outreach to beneficiaries. The state’s hurried...
Senators Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation To Enhance Vetting Of Senior Care Staff
Senators reintroduced bipartisan legislation that would allow nursing homes to tap the National Practitioner Data Bank for criminal background checks on prospective caregivers. The bill also loosens current CMS rules, enabling facilities to initiate staff training immediately after a deficiency...
FDA May Be Poised To Collaborate With Paradigm On AI Model
The FDA is reportedly preparing an announcement on real‑world evidence (RWE) that could involve a partnership with Paradigm on its new SPIRAL artificial‑intelligence model. SPIRAL is designed to generate RWE for post‑approval and late‑stage clinical studies, leveraging large‑scale health‑data sources....
Utah Medical Board’s Call To Halt AI Drug Pilot Triggers Med Practice Showdown
Utah’s medical board has ordered an immediate pause on the state’s pioneering AI‑driven prescription renewal pilot, the first of its kind in the nation. The pilot, launched by a consortium of health systems and a tech vendor, used machine‑learning algorithms...
DOJ Asks For Stay Pending Appeal In ACIP Court Case
The U.S. Department of Justice has asked a federal appeals court to pause all further action in a lawsuit filed by medical organizations challenging recent changes to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). The request seeks a stay pending...
FDA Awards Three Priority Review Vouchers For Psychedelics
On April 24, 2026 the FDA announced it will issue three priority review vouchers to companies developing psychedelic therapies. The vouchers cover two psilocybin programs targeting treatment‑resistant and major depressive disorder, and a methylone program for post‑traumatic stress disorder. The...
Regeneron Will Offer Rare Disease Therapy Free As Part Of TrumpRx Deal
Regeneron announced it will provide its newly approved gene therapy for a rare pediatric hearing loss at no cost to U.S. patients under the TrumpRx program. The therapy, cleared by the FDA earlier this year, treats an X‑linked condition affecting...
OpenAI Unveils Free ‘ChatGPT For Clinicians’ To Aid In Clinical Tasks
OpenAI announced on April 22, 2026 a new version of its large‑language model called ChatGPT for Clinicians. The service is offered at no cost to any U.S.-verified physician, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, or pharmacist. It is designed to help clinicians...
CMS Tells Govs To ‘Swiftly’ Revalidate Providers As Medicaid Programs Craft Broader Strategy
CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz sent letters to all 50 state governors on April 23, 2026, urging a swift revalidation of Medicaid providers operating in high‑risk areas. The directive gives states 30 days to complete the revalidation and to outline a broader, long‑term strategy for...
House Panel Advances FDA Spending Hike In Party-Line Vote
The House Appropriations Committee’s FDA subcommittee voted along party lines to advance a bill that adds roughly $200 million to the agency’s budget. The measure cleared the subcommittee with little debate and will move to a full committee markup next week....
HHS Still Developing Long COVID Biomarkers, Online Patient Resource Hub
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that HHS is still working to identify biomarkers for Long COVID and is creating an online patient‑physician resource hub. The effort follows criticism that the previous administration dismantled the...
Paragon: Reforming Policies That Drive Hospital Costs Key To Tackling Health Spending
The Paragon Health Institute released a new report, "The Hospital Cost Crisis," identifying government policies as a primary driver of soaring hospital prices and consolidation. The think‑tank proposes 12 policy reforms, notably site‑neutral payment adjustments and changes to the 340B...
E&C Comprehensive Data Privacy Bill Includes HIPAA Carveout
The House Energy & Commerce Committee released a draft national data privacy bill that explicitly carves out HIPAA‑covered entities from its preemptive framework. The exemption aligns with recommendations health groups submitted to the committee last year. By preserving state‑level health...
MAHA Institute Names Chief Data Strategist Focused On Interoperability Issues
The MAHA Institute, a policy hub backing HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s "Make America Healthy Agenda," has appointed health‑technology executive Jaime Bland as its chief data strategist. Bland’s mandate centers on improving patient access to medical records and establishing...
Marshall: Behavioral Health Providers Should Use One EMR, Dashboard
Sen. Roger Marshall (R‑KS) is urging Congress to mandate that all behavioral health providers adopt a single electronic medical record (EMR) system and a unified mental‑health dashboard. The proposal would tie compliance to federal funding, imposing penalties on providers that...
PA Court Strikes Down Ban On Medicaid Payment For Abortions
A Pennsylvania appellate court struck down the state’s ban on using Medicaid funds for abortions, ruling the restriction invalid after Governor Josh Shapiro refused to defend it. The decision restores the ability of Medicaid enrollees to receive abortion services covered...
DTE Producer Hoping For FDA Leniency, BLA Approval
The FDA announced it will exercise enforcement discretion for animal‑derived desiccated thyroid extract (DTE), allowing the product to stay on the market even though it is classified as an unapproved biologic. Producers of DTE welcomed the move, noting it preserves...
Kennedy Says MMR ‘Safe For Most’ In Heated House Hearing
On April 16, 2026, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told a House Appropriations subcommittee that the measles‑mumps‑rubella (MMR) vaccine is "safe for most people," marking a stark departure from his decades‑long anti‑vaccine narrative. The remark came amid pointed questioning...
Trump Nominates New CDC Director Amid Push For MAHA Image Makeover
President Donald Trump announced the nomination of Erica Schwartz, a former deputy surgeon general from his first administration, to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Schwartz is known for steering clear of high‑profile vaccine controversies, positioning her as a...
Kennedy: 90% Of FDA Reviewers Are Using AI For Faster Drug Approvals
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told the House Ways & Means Committee that more than 90% of FDA reviewers are now using artificial‑intelligence tools to speed drug approvals. The AI applications are also being rolled...
Poll: MAHA Agenda Risky With Key Voters For GOP In Swing Districts
A new Inside Health Policy poll finds the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) agenda losing momentum among key voters in competitive congressional districts. Support has slipped sharply among independents and among voters who favor the movement’s goals but are uneasy...