Category: Policy
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Vinay Prasad, key Makary ally and a focus of controversy at the FDA, is leaving the agency
Vinay Prasad, key Makary ally and a focus of controversy at the FDA, is leaving the agency WASHINGTON — Vinay Prasad, a top official at the Food and Drug Administration who has been at the center of recurring public controversies, is exiting the agency for a second time. Prasad will leave the FDA at the…
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Breaching the IBD efficacy ceiling, and sham surgeries
Breaching the IBD efficacy ceiling, and sham surgeries Will drugmakers finally be able to breach the efficacy ceiling in inflammatory bowel disease? And is the Food and Drug Administration being flexible enough with rare disease treatments? We discuss all that on this week’s episode of “The Readout LOUD.” Read the rest… Allison DeAngelis, Adam Feuerstein,…
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STAT+: Patient health data as a public utility: A former ARPA-H data chief explains
STAT+: Patient health data as a public utility: A former ARPA-H data chief explains Last year, the Department of Health and Human Services published a sweeping document that described the agency’s approach to real-world data. Historically, health and biomedical data has been intentionally manufactured, the output of carefully designed clinical trials. But in a digitized…
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STAT+: TrumpRx’s slow start
STAT+: TrumpRx’s slow start You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Mary Talley Bowden, who spent years in an expensive court battle with the Texas Medical Board over her license for…
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STAT+: Is RFK Jr. coming for your Dunkin’?
STAT+: Is RFK Jr. coming for your Dunkin’? AUSTIN, Texas — As Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ticked through a list of ways the Trump administration is trying to clean up the nation’s food supply before an appreciative Texas crowd last week, he previewed more to come, including potentially pulling certain ingredients from the…
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STAT+: Virginia lawmakers push a new approach to a prescription drug affordability board
STAT+: Virginia lawmakers push a new approach to a prescription drug affordability board As more states look to contain the cost of prescription drugs, Virginia lawmakers are pushing an affordability board that they believe will go further than similar efforts attempted by other states. At the heart of the approach is a plan to use…
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STAT+: Trump can’t break free from vaccine politics
STAT+: Trump can’t break free from vaccine politics You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. And you may find yourself climbing a StairMaster next to RFK Jr. Send news tips and vague Talking…
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Autism researchers rebuke Kennedy, form independent advisory group
Autism researchers rebuke Kennedy, form independent advisory group A group of autism researchers and advocates announced Tuesday the formation of an independent advisory body that will develop a scientific agenda for the autism community. They hope to act as a bulwark against a federal committee bearing a similar name and its new members who believe…
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STAT+: CMS halts enrollment in Elevance’s Medicare Advantage plans, citing years of misconduct
STAT+: CMS halts enrollment in Elevance’s Medicare Advantage plans, citing years of misconduct Elevance Health will no longer be able to enroll people into its Medicare Advantage plans starting March 31, according to a new, harshly worded suspension notice from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. CMS is imposing the punishment after Elevance failed…
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STAT+: Justice Department backs AbbVie in its bid to overturn a Colorado law guiding a drug discount program
STAT+: Justice Department backs AbbVie in its bid to overturn a Colorado law guiding a drug discount program The Department of Justice is backing AbbVie in its battle to overturn a Colorado law that prohibits pharmaceutical companies from placing restrictions on a controversial federal drug discount program. Created more than 30 years ago, the 340B…
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CMS announces pause on new durable medical equipment suppliers
CMS announces pause on new durable medical equipment suppliers The Trump administration announced Wednesday a nationwide moratorium on new suppliers for certain medical equipment, citing a need to get a handle on the “fraud, waste, and abuse” in the industry that provides wheelchairs, artificial limbs and other equipment. “The amount of fraud is so massive…
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STAT+: Drugmakers lay out their legal arguments against Trump’s drug pricing experiments
STAT+: Drugmakers lay out their legal arguments against Trump’s drug pricing experiments WASHINGTON — The pharmaceutical and biotech industries are pushing back against two Trump administration proposals that would test plans to lower drug prices in Medicare by aligning them with the prices paid in other rich countries. Their comments preview arguments that they might…
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STAT+: DOJ, Ohio attorney general accuse OhioHealth of driving up prices, crowding out competition
STAT+: DOJ, Ohio attorney general accuse OhioHealth of driving up prices, crowding out competition OhioHealth is the latest nonprofit health system to find itself in the government’s crosshairs for allegedly using its market power to suppress competition and drive up costs. The Department of Justice and Ohio’s attorney general filed a civil antitrust lawsuit against…
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STAT+: In first speech to her FDA staff, Høeg says she’ll scrutinize RSV shots and SSRIs in pregnancy
STAT+: In first speech to her FDA staff, Høeg says she’ll scrutinize RSV shots and SSRIs in pregnancy WASHINGTON — Tracy Beth Høeg, the top drug regulator at the Food and Drug Administration, indicated in her first address to staff that she’ll scrutinize antidepressants and the shots used to protect babies from RSV. Høeg told…
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STAT+: The federal directory of doctors and hospitals is coming this year
STAT+: The federal directory of doctors and hospitals is coming this year After years of grand ambitions, the federal government disclosed that it is months away from rolling out a centralized list of doctors and hospitals filled with up-to-date contact and insurance information. Details of how the national provider directory will work are scant —…
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STAT+: NIH Director Bhattacharya to lead CDC after O’Neill’s exit
STAT+: NIH Director Bhattacharya to lead CDC after O’Neill’s exit WASHINGTON — National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya will take on leadership of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on an acting basis, an administration official not authorized to speak publicly confirmed to STAT. Bhattacharya is taking the role after the previous acting…
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STAT+: New FDA guidance for antibiotic use in food-producing animals prompts criticism over antibiotic resistance
STAT+: New FDA guidance for antibiotic use in food-producing animals prompts criticism over antibiotic resistance In a bid to mitigate antibiotic resistance, the Food and Drug Administration has released guidance for drugmakers to define how long medically important antibiotics should be used in food-producing animals. But critics argue the effort fails to consider the impact…
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STAT+: A shakeup at HHS, a toast to bipartisanship, and a cheese poof war
STAT+: A shakeup at HHS, a toast to bipartisanship, and a cheese poof war You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Sen. Thom Tillis apparently went to the Nine Inch Nails…
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STAT+: Medicare Advantage growth dwindles for a second straight year
STAT+: Medicare Advantage growth dwindles for a second straight year The Medicare Advantage program continues to bring in more older adults and people with disabilities, but not nearly at the same rates from just a few years ago. Almost 35.5 million people were enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan as of Feb. 1, up roughly…
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STAT+: Kennedy says he’ll act on legal challenge to ultra-processed foods
STAT+: Kennedy says he’ll act on legal challenge to ultra-processed foods Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired the starting gun in a challenge to the food industry on Sunday, announcing on CBS’ “60 Minutes” that he plans to act on a plan outlined by former Food and Drug Administration chief David Kessler to overhaul…
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STAT+: Exit of CDC’s acting director highlights agency’s lack of leader
STAT+: Exit of CDC’s acting director highlights agency’s lack of leader For 28 days last summer, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had a director who had been confirmed by the Senate. But in less time than it took Susan Monarez to get approved, she was fired for not kowtowing to her boss, Robert…
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Major shakeup underway at HHS as White House braces for midterms
Major shakeup underway at HHS as White House braces for midterms WASHINGTON — Two top health officials are leaving their jobs amid a shakeup at the Department of Health and Human Services aimed at refocusing HHS on politically popular aspects of health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s agenda in advance of the midterm elections. Deputy…
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STAT+: Trump administration is urged to use a federal law to authorize generic versions of GLP-1 drugs
STAT+: Trump administration is urged to use a federal law to authorize generic versions of GLP-1 drugs Public Citizen petitioned the Trump administration to use a federal law to authorize generic competitors for GLP-1 drugs for treating obesity and diabetes, arguing that prices are “unjustifiably high” for too many Americans. In arguing its case, the…
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STAT+: NIH redefines ‘clinical trials,’ dividing researchers
STAT+: NIH redefines ‘clinical trials,’ dividing researchers In a long-debated move, the National Institutes of Health will no longer characterize basic experimental studies involving humans as clinical trials, a step that was cheered by many researchers, but is also raising transparency concerns because the work will no longer have to be registered with — or…
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STAT+: The messaging war over Medicaid cuts
STAT+: The messaging war over Medicaid cuts You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Dr. Oz seems to have invited Jeffrey Epstein to a Valentine’s Day party in 2016, about eight…
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STAT+: Merck is urged by patient groups to ensure widespread access to an HIV prevention pill being tested
STAT+: Merck is urged by patient groups to ensure widespread access to an HIV prevention pill being tested In a preemptive move, more than 170 patient advocacy groups from 30 countries are urging Merck to create a global access strategy for an HIV prevention pill, which is still being studied in clinical trials. A key,…
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STAT+: FDA refuses to review Moderna’s influenza vaccine
STAT+: FDA refuses to review Moderna’s influenza vaccine The Food and Drug Administration refused to review Moderna’s application for a new influenza vaccine, the company said Tuesday, a surprise decision that could raise concerns about the agency’s posture toward drug companies and the Trump administration’s policies on vaccines. Moderna, revealing the rejection, took the unusual…
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STAT+: TrumpRx: Hype or real savings?
STAT+: TrumpRx: Hype or real savings? You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Did you snack on HHS-approved MAHA-mole while shaking to Bad Bunny’s Spanish-language celebration of Puerto Rican and Latin…
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STAT+: FDA warned a Hims & Hers compounder after finding bugs and failing to report a serious side effect
STAT+: FDA warned a Hims & Hers compounder after finding bugs and failing to report a serious side effect The Food and Drug Administration late last year issued a warning letter to MedisourceRx, a compounding pharmacy owned by Hims & Hers, six months after a facility was cited for troubling problems during an inspection. One…
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STAT+: HHS asks Justice Department to probe Hims & Hers over its cheaper compounded version of Wegovy
STAT+: HHS asks Justice Department to probe Hims & Hers over its cheaper compounded version of Wegovy The Department of Health and Human Services asked the Department of Justice to investigate Hims & Hers for potentially violating federal law over its plan to make a compounded version of a low-cost weight loss pill widely available…
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STAT+: TrumpRx claims to offer the lowest prices. But many drugs have cheaper generics
STAT+: TrumpRx claims to offer the lowest prices. But many drugs have cheaper generics WASHINGTON — President Trump said the administration’s new TrumpRx website will offer the cheapest prices in the world for 43 brand-name drugs, and counting. But about half of them are already available as generics, usually for much less. The website is…
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STAT+: White House looks for more drug pricing deals to add to TrumpRx
STAT+: White House looks for more drug pricing deals to add to TrumpRx WASHINGTON — After striking 16 deals with pharmaceutical giants and launching a direct-to-consumer drug purchasing platform, the Trump administration is looking to expand its efforts to lower drug prices to more companies. Federal officials on Thursday unveiled the administration’s TrumpRx drug purchasing…
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What to know about TrumpRx, the Trump administration’s prescription drug platform
What to know about TrumpRx, the Trump administration’s prescription drug platform President Trump on Thursday night is planning to announce the launch of TrumpRx, the website that he and his aides have touted for months as a platform aimed at lowering prescription drug prices. The website, which uses technology from health care company GoodRx, is…
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STAT+: FTC settles lawsuit with Express Scripts over charges it manipulated insulin prices, impeded access
STAT+: FTC settles lawsuit with Express Scripts over charges it manipulated insulin prices, impeded access The Federal Trade Commission said Wednesday that it had settled a lawsuit against Express Scripts, one of the largest pharmacy benefit managers in the U.S., over allegations that the company artificially inflated the price of insulin and impeded access to…
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STAT+: New rule would force PBMs to disclose drug rebates and other fees
STAT+: New rule would force PBMs to disclose drug rebates and other fees Pharmacy benefit managers face new, sweeping requirements to disclose all the different ways they get money from providing drug coverage. The proposed rule from the Department of Labor published on Thursday would be a significant change for an industry that shields prescription…
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STAT+: Trump’s latest deal: $600 million of tech company discounts to help implement Medicaid work requirements
STAT+: Trump’s latest deal: $600 million of tech company discounts to help implement Medicaid work requirements Ten technology vendors are offering $600 million worth of discounts to states that pick them to help implement Medicaid work requirements, the Trump administration announced Thursday, signaling how lucrative they think the sweeping change could be. Mehmet Oz, administrator…
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STAT+: States are the next vaccine battleground
STAT+: States are the next vaccine battleground You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I’d call it a xeet-down, but I can’t tell who won this heated exchange on X between…
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STAT+: Senators raise concerns about TrumpRx in letter to HHS watchdog
STAT+: Senators raise concerns about TrumpRx in letter to HHS watchdog The Trump administration soon plans to launch TrumpRx, a website it says will allow patients to buy prescription drugs directly from pharmaceutical companies at a discount. Over several months, the administration has made deals with more than a dozen pharmaceutical manufacturers to expand access…
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STAT+: Trump administration signals there’s widespread desire to curb Medicare Advantage
STAT+: Trump administration signals there’s widespread desire to curb Medicare Advantage Health insurers have endured a litany of problems with Medicare Advantage over the past three years. They were optimistic things would turn around with the Trump administration in charge. Tough luck, for now. The administration stunned Medicare Advantage insurers and their investors by proposing…
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Medicare proposes new transplant system rules that might spur use of less-than-perfect organs
Medicare proposes new transplant system rules that might spur use of less-than-perfect organs WASHINGTON — The government proposed new rules for the nation’s transplant system Wednesday that aim to increase use of less-than-perfect organs and set additional safety standards for donor groups. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said the proposal would strengthen its oversight of organ procurement…
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HHS appoints 21 new members to federal autism advisory committee
HHS appoints 21 new members to federal autism advisory committee The Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday announced the appointment of 21 new members to a federal committee that advises health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on autism. Many of the new members of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee share a common trait:…
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STAT+: HCA expects $1 billion hit from loss of ACA tax credits, Medicaid changes
STAT+: HCA expects $1 billion hit from loss of ACA tax credits, Medicaid changes The country’s biggest hospital chain outlined Tuesday what could be a more than $1 billion hit to profit this year from the expiration of federal tax credits and changes to Medicaid payment programs. For many other companies, it’d be a catastrophic…
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STAT+: UnitedHealth limps into 2026 with a smaller business and fresh challenges
STAT+: UnitedHealth limps into 2026 with a smaller business and fresh challenges UnitedHealth Group enters 2026 limping financially after one of the most turbulent years in the company’s history, but executives at the health insurance and services giant made it clear they will cut their way to higher profits. On Tuesday, UnitedHealth said revenue would…
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STAT+: HHS spending bill caught up in ICE debate
STAT+: HHS spending bill caught up in ICE debate You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. To those in the path of this winter storm: Are you rethinking dry January yet?…
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Key autism committee is being reshaped to support Kennedy’s vaccine agenda, researchers and advocates fear
Key autism committee is being reshaped to support Kennedy’s vaccine agenda, researchers and advocates fear An influential federal committee that advises the health secretary on all things autism and shapes federally funded autism research and support services held an orientation Thursday for new nonfederal members, according to two sources familiar with the meeting. It was…
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STAT+: Health insurance execs shift blame for costly, confusing health care system
STAT+: Health insurance execs shift blame for costly, confusing health care system Health insurance executives agree that the U.S. health care system is overpriced, wasteful, and confusing. And they also agree that those problems are someone else’s fault. On Thursday, the CEOs of America’s largest health insurance companies appeared before Congress to both justify their…
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STAT+: What’s in Congress’ sweeping health care deal: PBM reform, telehealth, science funding
STAT+: What’s in Congress’ sweeping health care deal: PBM reform, telehealth, science funding WASHINGTON — Congress has reached a deal on several health care policies, including a crackdown on drug-industry middlemen, transparency measures for hospital billing, pediatric cancer research measures, and Medicare coverage of multi-cancer screening tests. Those measures are part of a bill to…
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STAT+: Supreme Court agrees to review ‘skinny labeling’ and generic drug access
STAT+: Supreme Court agrees to review ‘skinny labeling’ and generic drug access The Supreme Court has agreed to review a controversy over so-called skinny labels for medicines, a decision that will be closely watched for its implications for the availability of generic medicines. Skinny labeling refers to moves by generic companies that seek regulatory approval…
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STAT+: Trump releases health care plan amid pressure over affordability
STAT+: Trump releases health care plan amid pressure over affordability WASHINGTON — President Trump on Thursday released a hodgepodge of health care policies that would create new price-control power over pharmaceutical companies, but that otherwise wouldn’t fundamentally overhaul America’s existing system, as he faces mounting pressure to address the cost of insurance and care. The…
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STAT+: Negotiations over ACA subsidy bill drag on
STAT+: Negotiations over ACA subsidy bill drag on You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Inspirational scribbles from baristas have never inspired me, but HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill was moved…
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Kennedy adds two OB-GYNs to vaccine advisory panel amid review of shots for pregnant women
Kennedy adds two OB-GYNs to vaccine advisory panel amid review of shots for pregnant women WASHINGTON — Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appointed two new members to the main federal vaccine advisory board, his latest change to a group that has made a series of controversial recommendations and upended the usual processes for vaccine…
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STAT+: HHS dismisses member of vaccine injury advisory panel
STAT+: HHS dismisses member of vaccine injury advisory panel WASHINGTON — At least one member of a committee that advises the federal government on its vaccine injury compensation program has had her term prematurely ended, potentially foreshadowing further changes to the federal apparatus that reviews vaccine injuries and compensates patients. Veronica McNally, an attorney who…
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STAT+: UnitedHealth has turned Medicare Advantage coding into ‘profit-centered strategy,’ Senate report finds
STAT+: UnitedHealth has turned Medicare Advantage coding into ‘profit-centered strategy,’ Senate report finds UnitedHealth Group’s colossal size has helped the conglomerate turn the way patients are coded in the Medicare Advantage program into “a major profit-centered strategy, which was not the original intent of the program,” according to a new report released Monday from the…
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STAT+: Trump administration indicates it will drop appeal of a court order blocking a 340B pilot program
STAT+: Trump administration indicates it will drop appeal of a court order blocking a 340B pilot program The Trump administration has signaled plans to drop its appeal of a court order that blocked a pilot program from changing payment terms for a controversial federal drug discount program. In a Monday court document, the Department of…
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STAT+: House passes ACA subsidy extension as bipartisan negotiations heat up in Senate
STAT+: House passes ACA subsidy extension as bipartisan negotiations heat up in Senate WASHINGTON — The House voted 230 to 196 to pass a three-year extension of enhanced Affordable Care Act premium subsidies, with 17 Republicans joining all Democrats in favor. Five Republicans did not vote. That the House considered the matter at all shows…
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STAT’s Helen Branswell on the ‘startling’ new U.S. vaccine schedule
STAT’s Helen Branswell on the ‘startling’ new U.S. vaccine schedule It was, in a word, unprecedented. As Helen Branswell, STAT’s infectious diseases correspondent, explains in this video, Monday’s move by the Department of Health and Human Services — political appointees of health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — to unilaterally rewrite the list of vaccines…
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STAT+: HHS slashes vaccine recommendations
STAT+: HHS slashes vaccine recommendations You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We’re almost healthy again, according to RFK Jr., though I’m certainly not in top form after my holiday break.…
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Trump tells Republicans to be ‘flexible’ on abortion restrictions to get a health care deal
Trump tells Republicans to be ‘flexible’ on abortion restrictions to get a health care deal President Donald Trump said Tuesday he wants Republicans to reach a deal on health care insurance assistance by being willing to bend on a 50-year-old budget policy that bars federal money from being spent on abortion services. “You have to be a little…
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With political savvy and outrage over drug prices, advocate David Mitchell was ahead of his time
With political savvy and outrage over drug prices, advocate David Mitchell was ahead of his time About a dozen years ago, I was interviewing for a job at The Wall Street Journal when I was asked by an editor what I thought would be the most important story in the coming year for the pharmaceutical…
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Federal health officials slash recommended childhood vaccinations under Trump’s directive
Federal health officials slash recommended childhood vaccinations under Trump’s directive WASHINGTON — Federal health officials are unilaterally reducing the number of recommended pediatric immunizations in response to an order from President Trump, the most significant reshaping of the vaccine schedule since Trump took office and empowered health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime critic…
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Debates around life, death, and access worry those with disabilities. 3 trends to watch in 2026
Debates around life, death, and access worry those with disabilities. 3 trends to watch in 2026 After a tumultuous year for people with disabilities, advocates are pushing to expand access to primary and emergency care — and add nuance to the emerging conversations around genetic engineering and end-of-life care. As STAT predicted this time last…
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STAT+: Three major health care policy issues to watch in 2026
STAT+: Three major health care policy issues to watch in 2026 WASHINGTON — Health care figured prominently in the first year of President Trump’s second term, and it’ll likely play an even bigger role leading up to the 2026 midterm elections. The shift back to health care politics has been somewhat surprising. Although Republicans were…
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Opinion: Patients are consulting AI. Doctors should, too
Opinion: Patients are consulting AI. Doctors should, too Ask most physicians today, and they’ll describe some version of this scene: In the middle of an appointment, a patient says, “I asked ChatGPT about the treatment you recommended.” A few years ago, doctors might have bristled. Today, this is the new reality. And yet, it’s exactly…
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STAT+: CMS divvies up first payments from $50B rural health fund, with an eye toward MAHA goals
STAT+: CMS divvies up first payments from $50B rural health fund, with an eye toward MAHA goals WASHINGTON — The Trump administration on Monday announced the distribution of the first payments from a new $50 billion rural health fund — but not all states are getting equal payouts. The administration is giving larger awards to…
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We wish we’d written that: STAT staffers share their favorite stories of 2025
We wish we’d written that: STAT staffers share their favorite stories of 2025 This year saw upheaval in all corners of health, science, and biotech. While our staff was covering all of the twists and turns, they were also looking with admiration at stellar work from other journalists. Below is our annual list of stories…
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Best of STAT 2025
Best of STAT 2025 What a year! Yes, it was our 10th anniversary, but it also brought an unprecedented blizzard of news, and while we weren’t added to a Signal chat on war plans, we did have a giant health insurer email us internal strategy documents by mistake. Our coverage featured everything from a piece…
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Nineteen states, D.C. sue HHS over gender-affirming care crackdown
Nineteen states, D.C. sue HHS over gender-affirming care crackdown WASHINGTON — A coalition of Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia has sued the federal health department, calling a declaration that rejected gender-affirming care signed by health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. an overreach of his authority. The lawsuit, filed by 19 states and D.C.,…
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STAT+: The 3 biggest issues to watch in vaccine policy in 2026
STAT+: The 3 biggest issues to watch in vaccine policy in 2026 WASHINGTON — Vaccine policy has become a key issue for the Trump administration, especially under the leadership of health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who himself once led an anti-vaccine group. In less than a year, Kennedy has bulldozed vaccine policy precedent and…
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Opinion: Proposed HHS rule on gender-affirming care radically expands use of Medicare, Medicaid as policy weapons
Opinion: Proposed HHS rule on gender-affirming care radically expands use of Medicare, Medicaid as policy weapons Last Thursday, the Trump administration released a proposed rule prohibiting hospitals that receive Medicare or Medicaid funding from providing any gender affirming care to minors, even when privately funded. This rule will foreclose access to gender-affirming care for families seeking…
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STAT+: Trump moves to require lower drug prices in Medicare
STAT+: Trump moves to require lower drug prices in Medicare You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The NIH director did the Pete & Bobby fitness challenge, but I didn’t see…
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STAT+: Major pharma companies may avoid Medicare experiments’ forced price cuts
STAT+: Major pharma companies may avoid Medicare experiments’ forced price cuts Many of the largest drugmakers may be exempt from Medicare pilot programs intended to force them to lower some of their prices, potentially undermining the effort and depriving American patients of cheaper drugs. Several of the 14 pharmaceutical companies that have struck individual drug-pricing…
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Trump administration’s plan to shrink vaccine schedule sends health sector scrambling
Trump administration’s plan to shrink vaccine schedule sends health sector scrambling WASHINGTON — A possible Trump administration effort to change the childhood vaccine schedule has left hospital leaders, health policymakers, and pediatricians scrambling to navigate what could be the most significant changes to the American vaccine program in decades. The administration had planned to announce…
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STAT+: Trump administration proposes Medicare pilots to lower drug prices on par with peer countries
STAT+: Trump administration proposes Medicare pilots to lower drug prices on par with peer countries WASHINGTON — The Trump administration proposed two Medicare pilot programs to reduce prices for branded drugs bought at pharmacy counters and administered in doctor offices. If the administration moves forward, the programs could slash Medicare spending on prescription drugs by…
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STAT+: Pharmaceutical industry evades drug price transparency, again
STAT+: Pharmaceutical industry evades drug price transparency, again Drug manufacturers and pharmacy benefit managers received a holiday gift from President Trump on Friday: They still will not have to publicly post the actual prices of prescription drugs, more than five years after federal law required them to do so. Net drug prices — the amounts…
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In major effort to end gender-affirming care, Trump administration takes aim at hospitals
In major effort to end gender-affirming care, Trump administration takes aim at hospitals The Trump administration is making its most forceful attempt yet at restricting gender-affirming care for transgender youth in the U.S. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services proposed on Thursday two rules to withhold federal funds in connection with gender-affirming care for…
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CDC’s controversial new hep B vaccine guidance: everything you need to know
CDC’s controversial new hep B vaccine guidance: everything you need to know The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention just rolled back decades-old guidance that newborns should be offered the hepatitis B vaccine at birth. The agency adopted the recommendation of its vaccine advisory panel known as ACIP, which voted on the policy change at…
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STAT+: More drugmakers set to sign pricing deals with Trump on Friday
STAT+: More drugmakers set to sign pricing deals with Trump on Friday WASHINGTON — Several drugmakers are expected to sign pricing agreements with the Trump administration on Friday, according to four people familiar with the plans, who were not authorized to speak publicly. The agreements would be the latest in a series of deals in…
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STAT+: House set to vote on bills to ban gender-affirming care for young people
STAT+: House set to vote on bills to ban gender-affirming care for young people Republicans in Congress are making a renewed push before the end of the year to pass major federal restrictions to gender-affirming care for trans minors. The House is set to consider two bills this week, before lawmakers depart for their holiday…
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STAT+: House juggles options for extending ACA subsidies
STAT+: House juggles options for extending ACA subsidies You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Since the election, Cheryl Hines hasn’t spoken to Larry David, her on-screen husband of 24 years…
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STAT+: Two rare diseases added to newborn screening recommendations
STAT+: Two rare diseases added to newborn screening recommendations Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Tuesday added two deadly rare diseases, Duchenne muscular dystrophy and metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD), to the list of conditions the government recommends states screen newborns for. The announcement came eight months after Health and Human Services, under Kennedy, disbanded the…
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Opinion: STAT readers respond to essays on miracles, vaccines, and more
Opinion: STAT readers respond to essays on miracles, vaccines, and more First Opinion is STAT’s platform for interesting, illuminating, and provocative articles about the life sciences writ large, written by biotech insiders, health care workers, researchers, and others. To encourage robust, good-faith discussion about issues raised in First Opinion essays, STAT publishes selected Letters to…
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STAT+: As superbug fears grow, sales of antibiotics used in food-producing livestock rose dramatically last year
STAT+: As superbug fears grow, sales of antibiotics used in food-producing livestock rose dramatically last year Amid fears of superbugs, the sale of medically important antibiotics given to food-producing livestock rose by 16% overall in the U.S. in 2024 from the year before, an increase that prompted advocates to complain that not enough is being…
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STAT+: Europe’s pharma policy shakeup moves forward toward enactment
STAT+: Europe’s pharma policy shakeup moves forward toward enactment LONDON — European policymakers on Thursday unveiled a compromise framework for the biggest shakeup to E.U. pharmaceutical policy in two decades, as they try to strike a balance between expanding faster access to drugs across the continent while encouraging drugmakers to invest. A key point of…
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STAT+: ACA premium spike looms as Senate votes fail, House bill faces long odds
STAT+: ACA premium spike looms as Senate votes fail, House bill faces long odds WASHINGTON — Senators on Thursday failed to pass legislation aimed at controlling health insurance costs for people with Affordable Care Act plans after dueling partisan bills were voted down mostly along party lines. Four Republicans voted for the Democratic bill, while…
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STAT+: Biosecure Act advances, but extra ACA subsidies are still up in the air
STAT+: Biosecure Act advances, but extra ACA subsidies are still up in the air You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The only nice thing about airport downtime is that I…
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Opinion: RFK Jr.’s vaccine advisory panel is beset by incompetence, bias, and procedural chaos
Opinion: RFK Jr.’s vaccine advisory panel is beset by incompetence, bias, and procedural chaos The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) meetings used to be a geek’s dream: hours of long, maybe dreary presentation of extensive data followed by lengthy discussions that drilled into details of vaccine safety, effectiveness, and the best way to balance…
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RFK Jr.’s vaccine panel is laying the groundwork for more scrutiny of childhood shots
RFK Jr.’s vaccine panel is laying the groundwork for more scrutiny of childhood shots WASHINGTON — Federal vaccine advisers, through a freewheeling, and at times combative two-day meeting, recommended a major change to childhood vaccinations that runs counter to the medical consensus — and began setting the stage for a larger rethink in the future. …
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STAT+: Lawmakers are still far apart on a deal to extend ACA tax credits, and time is running out
STAT+: Lawmakers are still far apart on a deal to extend ACA tax credits, and time is running out WASHINGTON — There was a lot of talk among lawmakers on Thursday about extending the enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits next year. But the prospects of passing legislation still seem dim. The focus on…
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STAT+: FDA removes longtime over-the-counter drugs regulator from her position
STAT+: FDA removes longtime over-the-counter drugs regulator from her position WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration removed the longtime director of the office of over-the-counter drugs from her position on Wednesday, six agency sources told STAT. Theresa Michele, director of the Office of Nonprescription Drugs, has worked at the FDA since at least 2015.…
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STAT+: Top drug regulator Richard Pazdur set to leave the FDA
STAT+: Top drug regulator Richard Pazdur set to leave the FDA WASHINGTON — Top drug regulator Richard Pazdur has filed papers to retire from the Food and Drug Administration at the end of this month, adding to the turmoil atop the agency. Pazdur informed leaders at the FDA’s drug center of his intention to leave…