The Trump Administration has recently made several announcements related to behavioral health, detailed below. RFJ Announces Press Conference to Address Opioid 7-OH The Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), alongside Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary, Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill, and U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin, will conduct a press conference at 10:30 AM ET on new… (Marceno, July 28, 2025) #Mental and Behavioral Health, #Public Health

The Federal Trade Commission has issued a Request for Information (RFI) seeking public comment on gender-affirming care (GAC) for minors (press release). The RFI suggests that medical providers, clinics, and advocacy organizations may be “misleading” consumers, particularly minors and their families, by overstating the benefits and downplaying the risks of gender-affirming treatments. This inquiry is part of a broader, coordinated… (Eisen, July 28, 2025) #Health Equity

President Trump issued an Executive Order implementing the Administration’s vision to reduce homelessness by redirecting federal investments to promote substance use disorder treatment and mental health institutional placements for individuals with mental illness. The EO argues that a new approach is needed to protect public safety, claiming that cities are in disorder and shifting individuals with mental health conditions to… (Marceno, July 25, 2025) #Housing, #Public Health

The Department of Labor (DOL) proposed to rescind 2013 regulations and return to 1975 regulations that would exempt home health and personal care aides from minimum wage and overtime requirements under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The proposed rule advances the Trump Administration’s deregulatory agenda. Background on 2013 Regulations During the Obama Administration, DOL published a final rule that narrowed… (Llamas, July 25, 2025) #Home Health

Pursuant to President Trump’s executive order on Lowering Drug Prices by Once Again Putting Americans First, today, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), along with the Departments of Justice (DOJ), Health and Human Services (HHS), and Commerce, convened its second of three listing sessions on ways to make prescription drugs more affordable. While the first session (Impact summary) focused primarily on… (Slifer, July 24, 2025) #Drug Pricing, #Food and Drug Administration, #Generic Drugs, #Pharmacy Benefit Managers, #Prescription Drugs

The Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to establish a formal process allowing certain individuals, currently prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law, to apply for the restoration of their gun rights (press release). The proposed rule implements the Attorney General’s authority under 18 U.S.C. 925(c), a long-dormant provision that permits relief from federal firearms… (Colocho, July 24, 2025) #Public Health

The Ways and Means Health and Oversight Subcommittees  held a joint hearing to examine the Medicare Advantage (MA) and potential reforms to the program. Witnesses emphasized that while MA is beneficial for many Medicare beneficiaries, certain actions could be taken to improve the program, including addressing upcoding and prior authorization, along with increased transparency. Members on both side of aisle… (Slifer, July 22, 2025) #Coverage Decisions, #Medicare Advantage, #Program Integrity, #Risk Adjustment, #Transparency

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) released a final research plan on interventions for tobacco cessation in adults. This research plan incorporates feedback from the draft plan issued in February 2025, and aims to assess the effectiveness and potential harms of various tobacco cessation methods, including their impact on different populations (Impact Health summary). The main aim of the… (Colocho, July 21, 2025) #Affordable Care Act, #Coverage Decisions, #Mental and Behavioral Health, #Prevention, #Public Health, #Tobacco, #Wellness

At the request of ranking Democrats on the House and Senate health and budget committees, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) assessed how two hypothetical policy changes – a 10 percent permanent reduction in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding and a nine-month increase in FDA review times for new drug applications (NDAs) – would affect the development of new drugs…. (Colocho, July 21, 2025) #Biosimilars, #Drug Pricing, #Food and Drug Administration, #Prescription Drugs, #Public Health

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) hosted a webinar office hour to describe and answer questions about the new Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) Model. WISeR will implement technology-enabled prior authorization in Original Medicare for a select set of services to help providers steer beneficiaries to safer, higher value care and reduce fraud and waste. This webinar provided… (McClurg, July 18, 2025) #Demonstration Programs, #Health Information Technology, #Program Integrity