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News•Feb 13, 2026
FDA Staff Dropoff Continues In First Quarter Of FY 2026
FDA’s drug and biologic product centers reported a continued decline in staff during the first quarter of fiscal 2026, extending a year‑long downward trend. The reduction persists even as Commissioner Marty Makary publicly pledged to accelerate hiring. The agency has not disclosed exact headcount numbers, but the ongoing attrition raises concerns about capacity to review new therapies. The staffing shortfall comes amid broader budgetary constraints and heightened demand for rapid drug approvals.
By Inside Health Policy
News•Feb 13, 2026
CBO: CMS Skin Substitute Policy To Save $245B By 2035
CMS announced a comprehensive overhaul of its reimbursement rules for skin substitutes, high‑cost dressings used in chronic wound care. The policy tightens medical‑necessity criteria, promotes evidence‑based alternatives, and leverages negotiated pricing. The Congressional Budget Office incorporated these changes into its...
By Inside Health Policy
News•Feb 12, 2026
Payers Pledge To Launch Digital Health Payment Models Like CMS’ ACCESS
On Feb 12, HHS announced that health insurers covering roughly 165 million Americans have pledged to implement digital‑health reimbursement models modeled on CMS’s ACCESS program by Jan 1 2028. The ACCESS model adjusts payments based on measurable patient‑outcome impact, shifting from volume‑based to value‑based...
By Inside Health Policy
News•Feb 12, 2026
CDC, NIH Performance Review Change May Rate More Workers ‘Unacceptable’
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health announced a new performance‑review framework that links lower ratings to easier termination. The policy reclassifies a swath of federal staff into a category with reduced civil‑service protections,...
By Inside Health Policy
News•Feb 12, 2026
CDC Facing Another Lawsuit Over Grant Cuts In Blue States
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention abruptly cancelled multi‑year public‑health grants that had already been awarded to jurisdictions in Democratic‑led states. The rescinded funding includes Public Health Infrastructure Grants and programs targeting HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. The...
By Inside Health Policy
News•Feb 12, 2026
NIH Will Not Renew Criswell’s Term As NIAMS Director, Adding To Leadership Vacancies
The National Institutes of Health announced it will not renew Linsey Criswell's term as director of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS). Criswell's departure creates another open director position amid a growing list of leadership...
By Inside Health Policy
News•Feb 12, 2026
CBO: Medicaid Spending Increases Will Slow Due To OBBBA But Expected To Continue
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that the 2025 reconciliation bill’s Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBBBA) will trim roughly $1.2 trillion from Medicaid spending over the next decade. Despite this sizable reduction, overall Medicaid outlays are expected to keep rising because...
By Inside Health Policy
News•Feb 12, 2026
E&C Health Panel Determined To Rein In Remaining PBM Business Tactics
On February 11, the House Energy & Commerce health subcommittee signaled it will keep pressuring pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) after a recent FTC settlement involving Cigna’s Express Scripts. Chair Rep. Buddy Carter asked the new head of the traditional PBM...
By Inside Health Policy