The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released a report highlighting a lack of clarity and support for minors who provide unpaid care to family members with health conditions, disabilities, or functional limitations. According to the report, an estimated three to five million children may act as caregivers, yet they remain largely unrecognized in national caregiving policies and programs. The report… (Eisen, May 15, 2025) #Care Coordination, #Chronic Diseases, #Health Equity

The House Appropriations Committee and the Senate Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions Committee held hearings to review the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 budget for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) with Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. During the sessions, both Democratic and Republican members expressed concerns about funding freezes for research programs and significant staffing cuts. While several… (Eisen, May 14, 2025) #340B, #Budget, #Insurance Coverage, #Medicare Advantage, #Mental and Behavioral Health, #National Institutes of Health, #Public Health, #Women’s Health

Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), in partnership with the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy/Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ASTP/ONC), issued a request for information (RFI) (press release) seeking input to shape future policies and infrastructure to support digital health innovation. The RFI aims to inform strategies that expand Medicare beneficiaries’ access to… (Testa, May 13, 2025) #Health Information Technology

The House Agriculture Committee released a committee print of its budget reconciliation legislation ahead of the full committee markup beginning Tuesday evening (section-by-section; overview; one-pager on state accountability; one-pager on prioritizing work in SNAP). Subtitle A deals with nutrition programs, in particular the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This plan meets the $230 billion that the Committee was instructed to save, mostly by requiring states… (McClurg, May 13, 2025) #Nutrition

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a Request for Information (RFI) as part of a major initiative to reduce regulatory burdens across the health care system. This initiative implements President Trump’s Executive Orders (EOs) on deregulation, signaling a coordinated, government-wide initiative aimed at rolling back regulations deemed unlawful, burdensome, or… (Colocho, May 13, 2025) #Costs, #Physicians, #Prevention, #Primary Care, #Public Health, #Transparency, #Wellness

The House Ways and Means Committee (W&M) released an amendment in the nature of a substitute (AINS) to its budget reconciliation legislation ahead of the full committee markup on Tuesday, May 13.   Health-Related Proposals. The 389-page AINS adds numerous provisions that were not included in the 28-page draft released on Friday, May 9. Major proposals include: Commercial Insurance Expand… (Llamas, May 12, 2025) #Health Insurance Exchanges, #Insurance Reform

President Trump signed an executive order entitled “Delivering Most-Favored-Nation (MFN) Nation Prescription Drug Pricing to American Patients” (fact sheet). Overall, the EO calls out the American subsidization of prescription drugs through research and development and higher prices compared to other developed countries and attempt to end “global freeloading” and establish MFN pricing for the United States. The EO comes amid… (Slifer, May 12, 2025) #Pharmacy Benefit Managers, #Prescription Drugs

On March 27, 2025, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a significant reorganization plan pursuant to President Trump’s Executive Order on government efficiency, aiming to consolidate several of its operating divisions. The reorganization includes the formation of the Administration for Healthy America (AHA) by combining five existing agencies, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH), the… (Colocho, May 9, 2025) #Budget, #Food and Drug Administration, #National Institutes of Health, #Program Integrity, #Public Health, #Workforce

The Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee convened a hearing to consider the nomination of James O’Neill to serve as Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Mr. O’Neill largely aligned himself with the views of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and frequently praised the administration’s recent actions. The hearing, originally scheduled to also include testimony… (Eisen, May 8, 2025) #Public Health, #Women’s Health

President Trump has signed more than 145 Executive Orders (EOs) since taking office, hundreds of lawsuits have been filed, and at least 143 rulings have led to full or partial temporary pauses on the government’s ability to implement EOs or other executive actions.  Our litigation tracker is updated daily with information regarding legal cases filed in response to Executive Branch actions. Tab 1 includes instructions for using the tracker. Tab… (Joyce, Eisen, May 8, 2025) #Health Equity