Category: Politics
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STAT+: Drugmakers promise to stockpile certain drugs as part of new drug pricing deals
STAT+: Drugmakers promise to stockpile certain drugs as part of new drug pricing deals WASHINGTON — Brand drugmakers have agreed to donate bulk ingredients to a national stockpile as part of deals with the Trump administration focused on lowering U.S. drug prices to levels available to other wealthy countries. The administration announced Friday that nine…
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STAT+: Kennedy vaccine adviser to take a new role at CDC on children’s health research
STAT+: Kennedy vaccine adviser to take a new role at CDC on children’s health research WASHINGTON — A vaccine adviser at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with ties to health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is being given a new portfolio that will have him overseeing research into adverse childhood experiences, according to…
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Trump’s marijuana reclassification could boost research, broaden access
Trump’s marijuana reclassification could boost research, broaden access President Trump on Thursday signed an executive order directing the federal government to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule III substance, marking a major milestone in American drug policy and choosing sides in the debate between advocates for more research and drug policy hawks. Under the new classification,…
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STAT+: NIH funding rates for early-career researchers plunged in 2025, new data show
STAT+: NIH funding rates for early-career researchers plunged in 2025, new data show A Trump administration change to how the National Institutes of Health awards grants has reduced early-stage investigators’ odds of securing funding, new data from the agency show. During the 2025 fiscal year, 18.5% of early-stage researchers who applied for grants equivalent to…
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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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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+: 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 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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Free pass or failing grade for saturated fats? Review sets off scientific and political debate
Free pass or failing grade for saturated fats? Review sets off scientific and political debate Saturated fats are having a moment, one that has ensnared researchers in a political debate they never intended to enter. A new systematic review of 17 randomized clinical trials found that reducing intake of saturated fats reduced the chance of serious cardiovascular…
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Experts assess Trump’s declaration of fentanyl as weapon of mass destruction
Experts assess Trump’s declaration of fentanyl as weapon of mass destruction There is no doubt that, in the wrong circumstances, fentanyl can be an agent of mass destruction. In the last decade, the ultra-potent synthetic opioid has caused hundreds of thousands of Americans to die by overdose, shattering families, shortening life expectancy, and destabilizing the…
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STAT+: NIH specifies how grant reviewers should ensure alignment with Trump priorities
STAT+: NIH specifies how grant reviewers should ensure alignment with Trump priorities Signaling a move toward the next phase of change, leaders at the National Institutes of Health have sent new guidance to its staff on how to further move its $39 billion portfolio in alignment with the Trump administration’s priorities. The seven-page guidance, sent…
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STAT+: Trump order blocking state AI laws could slow health AI adoption, leave patients vulnerable
STAT+: Trump order blocking state AI laws could slow health AI adoption, leave patients vulnerable President Donald Trump’s new executive order to block state laws governing artificial intelligence could help the tech industry but hurt health systems looking to adopt AI safely, and leave patients without protection. This order, aimed at maintaining U.S. dominance in…
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STAT+: Acting head of beleaguered mental health agency to depart this week
STAT+: Acting head of beleaguered mental health agency to depart this week Art Kleinschmidt, the official serving as the de facto head of the federal agency overseeing mental health and addiction treatment, is leaving his post on Friday, according to an email reviewed by STAT. Kleinschmidt has led the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services…
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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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Myocarditis is a rare but real Covid vaccine side effect. A new study sheds light on what might cause it
Myocarditis is a rare but real Covid vaccine side effect. A new study sheds light on what might cause it While extensive studies have found Covid-19 vaccines to be safe, effective, and to have saved millions of lives during the pandemic, these shots come with a rare but real risk of inflamed heart muscle, or…
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STAT+: Top HHS official evades discussing Trump plan to block state AI laws
STAT+: Top HHS official evades discussing Trump plan to block state AI laws WASHINGTON — During wide-ranging comments on technology Wednesday, deputy health secretary Jim O’Neill demurred when asked about a controversial proposal to prevent states from enforcing local artificial intelligence laws. “I’ll evade, if that’s alright,” said O’Neill. President Trump on Monday indicated in…
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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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CDC panel recommends delaying birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine
CDC panel recommends delaying birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine A panel that advises on U.S. vaccine policy voted on Friday to recommend a delay in when most babies begin to be vaccinated against hepatitis B, overturning a 30-year-old policy that has contributed to a massive decline in cases of the virus. The Advisory Committee…
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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+: Vinay Prasad, FDA’s vaccine regulator, waves off criticism in closed-door remarks
STAT+: Vinay Prasad, FDA’s vaccine regulator, waves off criticism in closed-door remarks NEW YORK — Vinay Prasad, the Food and Drug Administration’s top vaccines regulator, blamed “misleading media narratives” for the escalating criticism of his leadership amid turmoil and plummeting morale at the agency. Prasad’s remarks, delivered Thursday at a New York investor conference closed…
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A dozen former FDA commissioners decry Prasad memo on vaccine regulation
A dozen former FDA commissioners decry Prasad memo on vaccine regulation Changes to the ways in which the Food and Drug Administration plans to regulate vaccines represent a threat to effective and available vaccines and public health, 12 former commissioners wrote Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine. The changes, as described in a…
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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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As vaccine panel prepares hepatitis B review, CDC and industry experts are excluded
As vaccine panel prepares hepatitis B review, CDC and industry experts are excluded WASHINGTON — The federal government’s vaccine advisory panel is scheduled to review the hepatitis B vaccine this week. But experts on the shot — both in and outside of the government — told STAT they’ve been shut out of the process. Makers…
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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…
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STAT+: ACA tax credits cool, while BIOSECURE heats up
STAT+: ACA tax credits cool, while BIOSECURE heats up 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. MAHA Action has a holiday shop for all your MAHA gift giving needs. Or you can click over…
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STAT+: FDA offers staff ‘agentic AI’ to support premarket reviews, administrative tasks
STAT+: FDA offers staff ‘agentic AI’ to support premarket reviews, administrative tasks The Food and Drug Administration on Monday announced plans to offer its employees a broader set of artificial intelligence tools to use in premarket reviews and for other purposes amid persistent concerns that the technology can behave unpredictably. The agency touts in a…
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Chairman of vaccine committee leaves for new HHS job
Chairman of vaccine committee leaves for new HHS job NEW YORK — U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s controversial vaccine advisory committee will be meeting later this week under a new chairperson, federal officials announced Monday. Martin Kulldorff is leaving the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices to take a leadership role within the Department…
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Experts say top FDA official’s claim that Covid vaccines caused kids’ deaths requires more evidence
Experts say top FDA official’s claim that Covid vaccines caused kids’ deaths requires more evidence The Food and Drug Administration’s top vaccine regulator asserted in an email to staff sent Friday that the Covid-19 vaccine caused at least 10 deaths in children and called for changes to the way the agency regulates vaccines. But experts…
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In Medicare drug negotiations, Trump administration embraces a policy the GOP once despised
In Medicare drug negotiations, Trump administration embraces a policy the GOP once despised WASHINGTON — On Tuesday, the Trump administration celebrated drug price cuts it had secured through a Democrat-created program — despite Republicans’ longstanding antipathy toward the policy. The Inflation Reduction Act, a 2022 law supported solely by Democrats and signed into law by…
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STAT+: Major health insurers like Humana, UnitedHealth are cutting broker commissions to avoid costly Medicare enrollees
STAT+: Major health insurers like Humana, UnitedHealth are cutting broker commissions to avoid costly Medicare enrollees Major health insurers are taking drastic steps to discourage older adults from signing up for their private Medicare plans as they seek to boost profits, drawing the ire of insurance brokers and state regulators. Humana, UnitedHealthcare, Anthem, and Centene,…
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STAT+: Trump weighs plan to extend extra ACA subsidies for two years
STAT+: Trump weighs plan to extend extra ACA subsidies for two years WASHINGTON — In an about-face, the White House is weighing a proposal to extend the Affordable Care Act enhanced subsidies that Democrats have been clamoring for since last year. ACA health insurance enrollees face a spike in premium payments if Congress does not…
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STAT+: CDC moves to end telework for employees, including those with medical needs
STAT+: CDC moves to end telework for employees, including those with medical needs The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has ended full-time telework agreements for reasonable accommodations for many employees, according to multiple employees familiar with the policy. Supervisors in some centers have been told in recent days that they can no longer approve…
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RFK Jr. confirms he ordered CDC website changes on vaccines and autism
RFK Jr. confirms he ordered CDC website changes on vaccines and autism Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. personally ordered the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to alter language on a webpage that said vaccines do not cause autism, he told The New York Times in an interview Thursday. The updated CDC website now…
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STAT+: FDA review staff was excluded from voting on whether to approve first priority voucher drug
STAT+: FDA review staff was excluded from voting on whether to approve first priority voucher drug WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration has promised companies that earn a Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher a one- to two-month drug review, culminating in a one day “tumor board” style meeting where leaders decide whether to approve the drug. …
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STAT+: Cassidy and other Republicans have little to say about change to CDC’s position on vaccines and autism
STAT+: Cassidy and other Republicans have little to say about change to CDC’s position on vaccines and autism WASHINGTON — Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. broke another promise to Senate health committee Chair Bill Cassidy (R-La.) this week. So far, there don’t seem to have been any consequences. To secure Cassidy’s decisive confirmation vote,…
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STAT+: Trump administration lists 16 new CDC initiatives, from hepatitis B testing to bolstering workforce
STAT+: Trump administration lists 16 new CDC initiatives, from hepatitis B testing to bolstering workforce WASHINGTON — Trump administration officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention laid out 16 strategic initiatives this week, many of them bolstering health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s priorities, according to an internal agency memo obtained by STAT.…
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HHS names authors and releases peer-review comments for gender dysphoria report
HHS names authors and releases peer-review comments for gender dysphoria report The Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday re-released its controversial report on gender dysphoria in children, and this time it named the previously anonymous authors and published a handful of peer-review comments after the initial study had been faulted for a lack…
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STAT+: An extension of extra ACA health insurance subsidies looks increasingly unlikely
STAT+: An extension of extra ACA health insurance subsidies looks increasingly unlikely WASHINGTON — Prospects are not looking good for an extension of the extra tax credits that have helped more Americans buy insurance plans in the Affordable Care Act’s marketplaces. Republicans don’t agree among themselves on a proposal, and Democrats don’t like any of…
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STAT+: A revelatory profile of RFK Jr.
STAT+: A revelatory profile of RFK Jr. 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 haven’t read Olivia Nuzzi’s new book, but I dare say my favorite line about her relationship…
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STAT+: Cassidy pitches his alternative to extending extra ACA subsidies
STAT+: Cassidy pitches his alternative to extending extra ACA subsidies WASHINGTON — Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) is pitching Democrats on his compromise to make Affordable Care Act marketplace plans affordable without extending the extra tax credits that currently lower premium payments. Cassidy, the chair of the Senate health committee, is among the team of Republican…
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STAT+: Medicare premiums to jump 10% heading into 2026
STAT+: Medicare premiums to jump 10% heading into 2026 Most Medicare enrollees will face premiums that are 10% higher next year, creating budget anxiety for millions of seniors. Older adults and people with disabilities will pay almost $203 per month in 2026 for their Medicare Part B premium, the Trump administration said late Friday. That’s…
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Creatine-filled swag bags and an embrace from Vance: MAHA marks its ascendance in Trump’s Washington
Creatine-filled swag bags and an embrace from Vance: MAHA marks its ascendance in Trump’s Washington WASHINGTON — Vice President JD Vance lauded the Make America Healthy Again movement as an “incredible part” of the Trump administration’s success at a mostly closed-door event at the glitzy Waldorf Astoria on Wednesday. Dubbed the “Official MAHA Summit,” top…
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STAT+: Richard Pazdur, longtime cancer regulator, named drug center director at FDA
STAT+: Richard Pazdur, longtime cancer regulator, named drug center director at FDA WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday named Richard Pazdur, its longtime overseer of cancer therapies, as its top drug regulator. Pazdur replaces former Center for Drug Evaluation and Research Director George Tidmarsh, who exited the agency earlier this month amid…
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STAT+: At ‘hush-hush’ MAHA summit, RFK Jr. and deputies to mix with biotech leaders
STAT+: At ‘hush-hush’ MAHA summit, RFK Jr. and deputies to mix with biotech leaders WASHINGTON — Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and many top deputies are scheduled to speak alongside industry executives and health activists at a daylong MAHA event on Wednesday that has not been publicly disclosed by administration officials or event organizers.…
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STAT+: Fate of ACA subsidies still clouded after deal to reopen the government
STAT+: Fate of ACA subsidies still clouded after deal to reopen the government WASHINGTON — Democrats failed to achieve their main objective of extending enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits in return for reopening the government. The result is that ACA subsidies will remain front and center into December and possibly next year. With a key…
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STAT+: Trump renews a Republican battle cry: Repeal Obamacare
STAT+: Trump renews a Republican battle cry: Repeal Obamacare Over the weekend, in the face of the longest federal government shutdown in history, a familiar refrain has arisen from President Trump and other Republicans: Repeal Obamacare. Republicans have long said Democrats’ Affordable Care Act is to blame for skyrocketing health care costs and what they…
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STAT+: Cassidy drops into Liver Meeting to talk of shutdown, insurance overhaul and vaccines
STAT+: Cassidy drops into Liver Meeting to talk of shutdown, insurance overhaul and vaccines WASHINGTON — On day 39 of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) said he is still working toward finding bipartisan compromise on health care costs. In a surprise appearance Saturday at the annual American Association for…
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STAT+: Francis Collins issues call to action at Liver Meeting
STAT+: Francis Collins issues call to action at Liver Meeting Francis Collins, the former NIH director, tells liver researcher that the partisanship that has pervaded science “is really a dangerous sign for the future of our society.” Isabella Cueto and Katherine MacPhail Go to statnews
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STAT+: How Children’s Health Defense plans to cement its agenda beyond RFK Jr.
STAT+: How Children’s Health Defense plans to cement its agenda beyond RFK Jr. WASHINGTON — Children’s Health Defense, the vaccine-skeptical organization once led by now-health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is playing the long game. The group has more power in Washington than the group’s CEO, Mary Holland, imagined possible in her lifetime. In an…
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STAT+: States might not get cheaper drugs in Trump’s most-favored nation Medicaid pilot program
STAT+: States might not get cheaper drugs in Trump’s most-favored nation Medicaid pilot program WASHINGTON — When President Trump announced the administration’s deal to cut prices for weight-loss drugs, he proclaimed that “you will pay the lowest price anywhere in the world.” But state Medicaid programs might already be getting lower prices, according to a research…
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STAT+: FDA broadens search for new top drug regulator after early setbacks
STAT+: FDA broadens search for new top drug regulator after early setbacks WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration is struggling to select a new head of its drug center after the sudden and chaotic exit of the previous director, George Tidmarsh. Richard Pazdur, the director of the FDA’s Oncology Center for Excellence, was approached about…
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STAT+: Seven burning questions about Trump’s big deal for cheaper weight loss drugs
STAT+: Seven burning questions about Trump’s big deal for cheaper weight loss drugs WASHINGTON — The Trump administration’s deal to expand access to and lower the cost of weight loss drugs has left industry leaders, public health experts, and patients with a host of open questions. The administration’s agreements with Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk…
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STAT+: Kennedy, a longtime pharma critic, embraces Trump deal to expand access to obesity drugs
STAT+: Kennedy, a longtime pharma critic, embraces Trump deal to expand access to obesity drugs WASHINGTON — Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was uncharacteristically chummy with pharma executives at the White House on Thursday as he cheered the Trump administration’s plan for lowering obesity medication prices. Kennedy has railed against drugmakers in the past, and…
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Federal judge orders Trump administration to fully fund SNAP benefits in November
Federal judge orders Trump administration to fully fund SNAP benefits in November A federal judge in Rhode Island ordered the Trump administration Thursday to find the money to fully fund SNAP benefits for November. The ruling by U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell Jr. gave President Donald Trump’s administration until Friday to make the payments…
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Appeals court judges seem skeptical of Trump administration’s defense of capping NIH overhead payments
Appeals court judges seem skeptical of Trump administration’s defense of capping NIH overhead payments Federal appeals court judges’ questions and comments during a hearing Wednesday suggested they may be skeptical of some of the Trump administration’s central arguments in a lawsuit challenging its proposed changes to research overhead payments. The case revolves around a multibillion…
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STAT+: Trump administration nears deals for cheaper weight loss drugs with Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly
STAT+: Trump administration nears deals for cheaper weight loss drugs with Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is nearing deals with Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to lower the prices of their weight loss drugs and expand access to them, people familiar with the talks told STAT. The companies have been close to…
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STAT+: Children’s hospital lobby shifts strategy amid MAHA’s rise in Washington
STAT+: Children’s hospital lobby shifts strategy amid MAHA’s rise in Washington WASHINGTON — As long-revered health institutions come under new scrutiny in President Trump’s Washington, one powerful group is shifting its strategy. The Children’s Hospital Association, which represents more than 200 hospitals and spends millions on lobbying each year, announced Tuesday a new messaging approach…
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STAT+: UnitedHealth pays its own physician groups 17% more than outside ones, study shows
STAT+: UnitedHealth pays its own physician groups 17% more than outside ones, study shows UnitedHealth Group pays its own physician practices much more than it pays competing practices, a new study finds, reinforcing STAT’s own analysis on the subject and presenting fresh evidence that the conglomerate may be skirting a rule designed to curb health…
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STAT+: Lawsuit against top FDA drug regulator is packed with incendiary texts, emails
STAT+: Lawsuit against top FDA drug regulator is packed with incendiary texts, emails On the day the top drug regulator at the Food and Drug Administration resigned amid an investigation into his conduct, he also faced an explosive lawsuit that includes a series of incendiary texts and emails he is said to have sent to…
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Trump administration says SNAP will be partially funded in November
Trump administration says SNAP will be partially funded in November PROVIDENCE, R.I. — President Donald Trump’s administration said Monday that it will partially fund SNAP after two judges issued rulings requiring it to keep the nation’s largest food aid program running. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, had planned to freeze…
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Trump says he will help ‘Dilbert’ creator get cancer drug
Trump says he will help ‘Dilbert’ creator get cancer drug WASHINGTON — President Trump said Sunday that he planned to help the creator of the satirical comic strip “Dilbert” get access to a prostate cancer drug. Scott Adams, known for his office humor comic Dilbert as well as his controversial opinions live-streamed on YouTube, wrote…
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STAT+: FDA’s top drug regulator placed on leave amid investigation
STAT+: FDA’s top drug regulator placed on leave amid investigation WASHINGTON — George Tidmarsh, the Food and Drug Administration’s top regulator of drugs, has been placed on administrative leave after being accused of using his regulatory authority to inflict financial harm on a former business associate, STAT has learned. FDA Commissioner Marty Makary relieved Tidmarsh of…
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STAT+: Medicare finalizes rule to lower payments for surgeries
STAT+: Medicare finalizes rule to lower payments for surgeries Medicare on Friday followed through with its earlier proposal to reduce payment for surgeries, outpatient procedures, and other services it believes can be done more efficiently starting in 2026. The controversial move represents a significant change to how thousands of physician services are priced under Medicare.…
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Delays and uncertainty around SNAP; health care subsidies expire
Delays and uncertainty around SNAP; health care subsidies expire WASHINGTON — The crises at the heart of the government shutdown fight in Washington were coming to a head Saturday as the federal food assistance program faced delays and millions of Americans were set to see a dramatic rise in their health insurance bills. The impacts on basic needs — food…
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STAT+: States reject Dr. Oz’s claims of Medicaid spending on undocumented immigrants
STAT+: States reject Dr. Oz’s claims of Medicaid spending on undocumented immigrants WASHINGTON — Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz said Friday that “more than $1 billion of federal taxpayer dollars were being spent on funding Medicaid for illegal immigrants” by five states and the District of Columbia in recent months. But…
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Judges order the Trump administration to use contingency funds for SNAP payments during the shutdown
Judges order the Trump administration to use contingency funds for SNAP payments during the shutdown BOSTON — Two federal judges ruled nearly simultaneously on Friday that President Donald Trump’s administration must continue to pay for SNAP, the nation’s biggest food aid program, using emergency reserve funds during the government shutdown. The judges in Massachusetts and…
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STAT+: FDA moves to ease path for biosimilars as Trump seeks to cut drug costs
STAT+: FDA moves to ease path for biosimilars as Trump seeks to cut drug costs WASHINGTON — The Trump administration announced a draft framework Wednesday that officials say will speed cheaper versions of biologic drugs to market with the aim of making medicine more affordable and accessible for patients. The framework will shorten the path…
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Trump team takes aim at state laws shielding consumers’ credit scores from medical debt
Trump team takes aim at state laws shielding consumers’ credit scores from medical debt The Trump administration took another step Tuesday to weaken protections for Americans with medical debt, issuing new guidance that threatens ongoing state efforts to keep that debt off consumers’ credit reports. More than a dozen states, including Washington, Oregon, California, Colorado,…
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STAT+: Eli Lilly, NVIDIA team up to build pharma’s biggest AI supercomputer
STAT+: Eli Lilly, NVIDIA team up to build pharma’s biggest AI supercomputer Eli Lilly announced a partnership with chipmaker NVIDIA on Tuesday to build what it claims will be the “most powerful supercomputer owned and operated by a pharmaceutical company.” Lilly’s technology investment is meant to help the drugmaker tap into the potential of artificial…
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STAT+: Casey Means faces confirmation hearing for surgeon general
STAT+: Casey Means faces confirmation hearing for surgeon general 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 wife and I went to the Rehoboth Beach Sea Witch Festival dressed as a…
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STAT+: How the first nine drug companies won priority review vouchers from Marty Makary’s FDA
STAT+: How the first nine drug companies won priority review vouchers from Marty Makary’s FDA WASHINGTON — Commissioner Marty Makary wants the Food and Drug Administration to move more quickly. The launch of a new priority review voucher program in June was no exception. The agency promised winners a one- to two-month review of their drug…
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STAT+: DeSantis downplays importance of health insurance as the government shutdown drags on
STAT+: DeSantis downplays importance of health insurance as the government shutdown drags 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. You might have noticed that the subject line of Tuesday’s newsletter…
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STAT+: Trump’s IVF deal spurs hopes — and adjustments — across fertility sector
STAT+: Trump’s IVF deal spurs hopes — and adjustments — across fertility sector WASHINGTON — The Trump administration’s push to make in vitro fertilization more affordable is changing the outlook and offerings in the fertility sector, even as some details of its policies remain confidential and others have yet to be released. The administration’s changes…
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Anti-science bills hit statehouses, stripping away public health protections built over a century
Anti-science bills hit statehouses, stripping away public health protections built over a century More than 420 anti-science bills attacking longstanding public health protections — vaccines, milk safety and fluoride — have been introduced in statehouses across the U.S. this year, part of an organized, politically savvy campaign to enshrine a conspiracy theory-driven agenda into law. An Associated Press investigation found that the wave…
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Government shutdown means many CDC experts are skipping a pivotal meeting on infectious disease
Government shutdown means many CDC experts are skipping a pivotal meeting on infectious disease ATLANTA — CDC researchers are being forced to skip a pivotal conference on infectious disease this week due to the government shutdown, missing out on high-level discussions not long after surges in measles and whooping cough hit the U.S. IDWeek, the largest annual meeting…
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STAT+: Kaiser Permanente, DOJ nearing resolution in $1 billion Medicare fraud case
STAT+: Kaiser Permanente, DOJ nearing resolution in $1 billion Medicare fraud case The Justice Department and Kaiser Permanente are nearing a deal in their behind-the-scenes negotiations over the government’s claim that the California health care giant bilked Medicare out of $1 billion. The federal judge overseeing the DOJ’s long-running case against Kaiser on Friday granted…
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Some of CDC’s health statistics employees are still in the dark
Some of CDC’s health statistics employees are still in the dark Confusion rules in one corner of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where the purpose is the pursuit of certainty. The National Center for Health Statistics plans and disseminates research informing public health policies on everything from food to oral health to environmental…
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Watch: Joe Kennedy III explains his split with his uncle, health secretary RFK Jr.
Watch: Joe Kennedy III explains his split with his uncle, health secretary RFK Jr. BOSTON — Joe Kennedy III didn’t make the decision to split with health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. lightly. At the STAT Summit in Boston, Kennedy said he has “great memories” of growing up with his uncle. But the younger Kennedy’s…
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Former NIH leaders lament ‘constant chaos’ at the agency, and caution it’s not over
Former NIH leaders lament ‘constant chaos’ at the agency, and caution it’s not over BOSTON — Jeremy Berg walked on stage sporting a curious look: a red tie patterned with a word cloud drawn from the applications of 197 researchers who vied to be part of a National Institutes of Health initiative aimed at accelerating…
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Trump announces plan to expand fertility treatment coverage alongside latest pharma deal
Trump announces plan to expand fertility treatment coverage alongside latest pharma deal The Trump administration has struck a deal with EMD Serono to lower drug prices — part of a larger push from the administration to expand coverage and improve affordability for fertility services, officials announced at the White House on Thursday. The administration’s plan…
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STAT+: Biotech leaders say uncertainty at FDA threatens drug development
STAT+: Biotech leaders say uncertainty at FDA threatens drug development BOSTON — Replimune Group and Capricor Therapeutics both seemed on track to receive long-awaited drug approvals from the Food and Drug Administration earlier this year. Then, amid tumult at the agency as the Trump administration took power, their applications were rejected. The companies’ CEOs talked…
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STAT+: Medicare payments to doctors paused as government shutdown drags on
STAT+: Medicare payments to doctors paused as government shutdown drags on The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is pausing Medicare payments to doctors, as negotiations tied to the government shutdown drag on. CMS announced the pause in a notice on its website but didn’t say when it would end. It’s happening because Congress needs…
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Doctor groups need to ‘step up to the plate’ as CDC guidance becomes harder to trust, former leaders say
Doctor groups need to ‘step up to the plate’ as CDC guidance becomes harder to trust, former leaders say BOSTON — It’s getting harder to trust guidance coming out of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, creating an opening for physician groups to step up and fill the void, two former top agency officials…
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Democratic governors form a public health alliance in rebuke of Trump administration
Democratic governors form a public health alliance in rebuke of Trump administration A group of Democratic state governors has launched a new alliance aimed at coordinating their public health efforts. They’re framing it as a way to share data, messages about threats, emergency preparedness and public health policy — and as a rebuke to President…
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CDC team running top survey on health and nutrition is laid off
CDC team running top survey on health and nutrition is laid off Protecting the nation’s public health demands data, whether it be new measles cases, a surge in ER visits, or shifting patterns in obesity. The most recent job cuts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention threaten the mostly unseen foundation of that…
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‘It’s a massacre’: CDC battered by government shutdown firings
‘It’s a massacre’: CDC battered by government shutdown firings WASHINGTON — The White House’s mass firing of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention staff on Friday has decimated offices related to injury prevention, respiratory disease surveillance, and chronic disease, according to four people familiar with the cuts. Overall, the White House is expected to cut…
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STAT+: Deep cuts made to CDC’s flagship MMWR publication, a cornerstone of public health
STAT+: Deep cuts made to CDC’s flagship MMWR publication, a cornerstone of public health WASHINGTON — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention staff behind the agency’s flagship publication have suffered deep cuts as part of the firings the Health and Human Services Department has blamed on the government shutdown, according to five people familiar with the situation. Almost the…
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STAT+: AstraZeneca strikes drug pricing deal with Trump
STAT+: AstraZeneca strikes drug pricing deal with Trump WASHINGTON — President Trump on Friday said he struck a drug pricing deal with AstraZeneca aimed at fulfilling his plan to bring U.S. drug prices in line with what other countries pay, the second agreement after Pfizer’s last week. Similar to Pfizer’s deal, the British pharma company…
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STAT+: HHS employees to be fired as White House enacts mass terminations it blames on shutdown
STAT+: HHS employees to be fired as White House enacts mass terminations it blames on shutdown WASHINGTON — Federal health employees on Friday were being fired as the White House followed through on its threat to terminate federal employees en masse as the second week of the government shutdown drags to a close. Between 1,100…
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STAT+: Top Democrat demands more detail from Medicare insurers about their use of AI
STAT+: Top Democrat demands more detail from Medicare insurers about their use of AI Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) is pressing the nation’s largest Medicare Advantage insurers to provide more detail about their use of artificial intelligence tools amid reports that these companies are rapidly increasing their reliance on the technology to help make decisions about…