In a special edition of the MLN Connects newsletter, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it has directed Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) to hold all Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, ground ambulance transport, and Federally Qualified Health Center claims with dates of service on or after October 1, in anticipation of Congressional action. The agency says it… (Testa, October 16, 2025) #Ambulance, #Community Health Centers, #Physicians, #Telehealth

President Trump issued an executive order (EO) establishing new policies to centralize oversight of federal hiring decisions, limit workforce expansion, and ensure that staffing aligns with administration priorities (fact sheet). The EO tightens and formalizes control over the federal hiring process to preserve the substantial workforce reductions achieved earlier in President Trump’s second term, building on prior orders which have… (Colocho, October 15, 2025) #Public Health, #Workforce

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) sent a policy memorandum to states about the implementation of changes to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) work requirements in H.R. 1, which has now been made public. The memorandum reminds states that the changes were effective immediately upon signing of the bill on July 4th, and that states must update their screening… (McClurg, October 14, 2025) #Nutrition

Earlier this evening, President Trump announced the administration’s second Most-Favored-Nation (MFN) agreement with AstraZeneca to bring drug prices in line with the lowest paid by other developed nations (MFN pricing). The agreement mirrors that of Pfizer’s that was announced at the end of September (Impact summary) features the following: Providing every state Medicaid program access to MFN prices on AstraZeneca products; Ensuring that foreign… (Slifer, October 10, 2025) #Drug Pricing, #Prescription Drugs

The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee held a hearing to explore how artificial intelligence (AI) can improve patient care, accelerate drug discovery, reduce administrative burdens, and cut costs, while also examining the ethical, workforce, and regulatory challenges that come with integrating AI into health care. Lawmakers discussed potential legislation to ensure privacy, safety, and accountability, and debated… (Colocho, October 10, 2025) #Artificial Intelligence, #Health Information Technology, #Privacy, #Transparency

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) conducted a review of Medicare and Medicaid provider networks to assess the usefulness and limitations of selected plan networks, and to review compliance with network adequacy standards. In conducting the review, OIG found that networks of behavioral health providers contracted under Medicare Advantage (MA) and Medicaid… (Ray, Eisen, October 7, 2025) #Insurance Coverage, #Medicare Advantage, #Mental and Behavioral Health, #Rural Health

Today, Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Ranking Member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce and Richard Neal (D-MA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Ways and Means, sent a letter to HHS Secretary Kennedy and CMS Administrator Oz criticizing CMS for failing to provide timely and clear guidance to providers in advance of the September 30 expiration of Medicare telehealth flexibilities… (Testa, October 9, 2025) #Hospitals, #Telehealth, #Waivers

Yesterday, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released a report warning of the projected impact of health care cuts in H.R. 1 (press release; report). Last week, Ranking Member Sanders invited people across the country to share how cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) would affect them,… (Eisen, October 7, 2025) #Affordable Care Act, #Budget, #Costs, #Insurance Coverage

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a Request for Public Comment (RFC) to gather input on how AI-enabled medical devices perform in clinical settings after deployment. The agency notes that the RFC is for discussion purposes only and is not intended to set policy or guidance, but rather seeks early feedback from the public to inform future FDA discussions… (Colocho, October 7, 2025) #Artificial Intelligence, #Health Information Technology, #Medical Devices, #Transparency

This week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved another generic version of mifepristone, one of the two drugs used in medication abortion. With this approval, three U.S. companies are now authorized to manufacture the medication: Danco Laboratories, which first received FDA approval in 2000; GenBioPro, which secured approval of the first generic in 2019; and now Evita Solutions. The… (Eisen, October 3, 2025) #Generic Drugs, #Women’s Health