Following the Supreme Court’s June 30 decision in Trump v. Barbara, the Trump administration has continued pursuing restrictions on birthright citizenship through new executive action, while the legal boundaries of that effort remain contested. The case challenged Executive Order (EO) 14160, which sought to deny U.S. citizenship at birth to certain children born in the United States based on their… (Eisen, Colocho, August 20, 2026) #Immigration

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released guidance clarifying its expectations for the impacted payers that must report certain prior authorization metrics beginning this year pursuant to the 2024 Interoperability and Prior Authorization final rule. The rule includes Medicare Advantage organizations, Medicaid and CHIP programs, Medicaid and CHIP managed care, and Qualified Health Plan issuers on the Federally-facilitated Exchanges. In the… (McClurg, August 19, 2026) #Health Information Technology

The National Science Foundation (NSF) released 12 new notices of funding opportunity (NOFOs) providing more than $1.5 billion for foundational research across the sciences and engineering, including opportunities supporting artificial intelligence (AI), advanced computing, bioengineering, biotechnology, materials, quantum information science, and other emerging technologies. The funding package implements priorities outlined in the White House’s FY 2028 Research and Development Budget… (Colocho, August 19, 2026) #Artificial Intelligence, #Grants

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), working with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), and the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), announced a series of actions advancing the Trump Administration’s “Treatment First” approach to homelessness, addiction, mental illness, and family stability. The actions begin to… (Colocho, August 18, 2026) #Grants, #Housing, #Mental and Behavioral Health, #Public Health

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released an initial public draft of NIST AI 200-2, The TEVV-Athlon Framework for Evaluating AI Systems, seeking feedback on a new framework for testing and evaluating the real-world performance and impacts of artificial intelligence (AI) systems. The framework is intended to help organizations develop customized Test, Evaluation, Verification, and Validation (TEVV) assessments… (Colocho, August 18, 2026) #Artificial Intelligence

The Department of Justice (DOJ) finalized the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (NFED), issuing a final rule that formally codifies the division within DOJ’s organizational regulations and establishes its authorities, effective August 24, 2026. The rule largely implements the organizational framework first outlined in Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s April 7 memorandum, which announced the division’s creation and… (Colocho, August 17, 2026) #Program Integrity

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a final rule that bars hospitals from providing gender-affirming care for children under the age of 18 as a Condition of Participation (CoP) in Medicare and Medicaid programs (press release). For purposes of the final rule, CMS uses the term “sex-rejecting procedures” to describe certain forms of gender-affirming medical care for… (Marceno, August 11, 2026) #Coverage Decisions, #Health Equity, #Public Health

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH) is seeking nominations to the National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC). NVAC comprises seventeen voting members with expertise in disease prevention through vaccine use and preventing adverse reactions, including two representatives of the vaccine manufacturing industry, physicians, members of parent organizations concerned with immunizations, representatives of state or local health agencies or… (Marceno, August 11, 2026) #Prescription Drugs, #Public Health

Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Chairman Mike Crapo (R-ID), along with Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA), introduced the bipartisan Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Act. Summary of Key Provisions According to estimates from CBO, the legislation would save taxpayers at least $45 billion. Key provisions include: Permanently increases mandatory funding for… (Llamas, August 10, 2026) #Insurance Coverage

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a new report describing the benefits and challenges of wearable technology for clinical decision-making. GAO assessed how clinicians use data from wearables such as glucose monitors and smart watches to diagnose and treat patients, and how artificial intelligence (AI) could expand what they achieve. GAO describes that wearables increase the amount of information available which could allow… (McClurg, August 10, 2026) #Health Information Technology