Category: Politics
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HHS cites list of studies as scientific justification for cancellation of mRNA vaccine contracts
HHS cites list of studies as scientific justification for cancellation of mRNA vaccine contracts WASHINGTON — Federal health officials are citing an extensive list of studies purported to document harms caused by messenger RNA vaccines as scientific justification for canceling hundreds of millions of dollars in investment in the technology. Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy…
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In internal FDA town hall, employees raise concerns about staffing, impromptu expert meetings
In internal FDA town hall, employees raise concerns about staffing, impromptu expert meetings WASHINGTON — Top drug regulator George Tidmarsh assured Food and Drug Administration staff this week that he and other leaders are trying to bring operations back to normal. “I know that I’m coming in here at a challenging time,” Tidmarsh said at…
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STAT+: Kennedy’s rejection of mRNA vaccines thwarts scientific progress — and threatens national security, experts say
STAT+: Kennedy’s rejection of mRNA vaccines thwarts scientific progress — and threatens national security, experts say Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s decision this week to discontinue funding of the development of messenger RNA vaccines has alarmed scientists, who have warned that it will leave the country far less prepared for future pandemics. But it is…
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STAT+: Unpacking Trump’s approach to health care oversight
STAT+: Unpacking Trump’s approach to health care oversight 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 was reminded recently of why I dig mass transit upon overhearing the train conductor and…
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STAT+: Sarepta hired a Trump-connected firm to lobby on Duchenne treatment
STAT+: Sarepta hired a Trump-connected firm to lobby on Duchenne treatment WASHINGTON — Sarepta Therapeutics, which has come under regulatory pressure over its gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, hired a Trump-connected lobbying firm after the death of a teenage boy treated with the drug, according to lobbying disclosure reports. Continue to STAT+ to read…
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Trump administration violated impoundment law by canceling NIH grants, slowing new awards, GAO finds
Trump administration violated impoundment law by canceling NIH grants, slowing new awards, GAO finds In a scathing report issued Tuesday, the Government Accountability Office found that the Trump administration, by abruptly canceling National Institutes of Health grants, had violated a 1974 law blocking presidents from withholding funding Congress has approved. The independent congressional watchdog said…
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STAT+: Health secretary RFK Jr. shuts door on U.S. investment in mRNA vaccine research
STAT+: Health secretary RFK Jr. shuts door on U.S. investment in mRNA vaccine research This is a developing story. It will be updated. Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Tuesday announced that the government’s emergency preparedness agency will no longer fund work on messenger RNA vaccines, delivering a crippling blow to the country’s capacity…
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STAT+: Senators leave RFK Jr.’s MAHA agency out of 2026 budget in apparent snub
STAT+: Senators leave RFK Jr.’s MAHA agency out of 2026 budget in apparent snub WASHINGTON — Senate appropriators seemingly snubbed an effort by health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to reorganize certain primary care and chronic health programs into a new agency known as the Administration for a Healthy America. Instead, a fiscal 2026 budget…
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Trump escalates demands that pharma companies lower their drug prices
Trump escalates demands that pharma companies lower their drug prices President Trump escalated his demands that pharma companies lower U.S. drug prices in line with what other countries pay, sending letters to 17 major drug companies Thursday that called on them to take actions by Sept. 29. He specifically asked the firms to: provide their…
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Opinion: Vinay Prasad is my former student and friend. His departure from FDA is a loss for American medicine
Opinion: Vinay Prasad is my former student and friend. His departure from FDA is a loss for American medicine A version of this piece first appeared in Sensible Medicine. Vinay Prasad, Marty Makary, and Adam Cifu, among others, were founding members of Sensible Medicine. After news came out that Vinay Prasad would be leaving the…
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STAT+: Senate committee endorses NIH budget increase, rebuking Trump administration’s proposed 40% cut
STAT+: Senate committee endorses NIH budget increase, rebuking Trump administration’s proposed 40% cut WASHINGTON — Senators from both parties endorsed a $400 million increase to the budget of the National Institutes of Health on Thursday, in an Appropriations Committee vote that represents a clear rebuke of President Trump’s plan to dramatically reduce the agency’s spending.…
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STAT+: Health care and tech companies promise CMS they’ll make patient data more accessible
STAT+: Health care and tech companies promise CMS they’ll make patient data more accessible On Wednesday, over 60 health tech companies signed a pledge orchestrated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to make health data-sharing easier and to build apps for patients to access and act on their health data. CMS Administrator Mehmet…
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STAT+: Inside the fall of Vinay Prasad at the FDA
STAT+: Inside the fall of Vinay Prasad at the FDA Vinay Prasad had a problem. Several, actually. His staff at the Food and Drug Administration kept leaking to the press. He was under attack by President Trump’s allies after moving to pull a gene therapy off the market. Democrats were not happy with his Covid…
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STAT+: Top White House pandemic preparedness official resigns, officials say, in sign of broader disarray
STAT+: Top White House pandemic preparedness official resigns, officials say, in sign of broader disarray When reports circulated in February that the White House had selected biosecurity expert Gerald Parker as the head of its Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy, there was palpable relief among infectious disease experts. As former commander of the…
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STAT+: Preventive care panel could be restructured ‘imminently’ as RFK Jr. vets new members
STAT+: Preventive care panel could be restructured ‘imminently’ as RFK Jr. vets new members WASHINGTON — Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could “imminently” overhaul a key federal advisory panel that recommends which preventive services insurers must pay for, according to a person familiar with the plans. The person said that federal health officials are…
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STAT+: UC San Diego Health’s Karandeep Singh on how Trump’s ‘woke AI’ executive order weaponizes DEI
STAT+: UC San Diego Health’s Karandeep Singh on how Trump’s ‘woke AI’ executive order weaponizes DEI In late July, President Trump signed three executive orders relating to artificial intelligence as part of the administration’s push to deregulate AI and promote its use. One of those executive orders, titled “Preventing Woke AI in the Federal Government,”…
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STAT+: Pharma firms will face 15% tariffs in Trump’s E.U. trade deal
STAT+: Pharma firms will face 15% tariffs in Trump’s E.U. trade deal WASHINGTON — President Trump’s tariffs on pharmaceuticals coming from the European Union will be set at 15% and will not go into effect until a national security investigation has been completed, according to a White House official familiar with the plans. Once the…
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Kennedy, disability advocates paint very different realities as ADA turns 35
Kennedy, disability advocates paint very different realities as ADA turns 35 Stirring speeches filled the tall, fluorescent room on Monday morning as members of the disability community and federal officials celebrated the 35th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. They spoke at length about how the landmark law birthed critical protections…
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Judge blocks Trump administration’s efforts to defund Planned Parenthood
Judge blocks Trump administration’s efforts to defund Planned Parenthood A federal judge on Monday ruled Planned Parenthood clinics nationwide must continue to be reimbursed for Medicaid funding as the nation’s largest abortion provider fights President Donald Trump’s administration over efforts to defund the organization in his signature tax legislation. The new order replaces a previous…
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Trump targets supervised consumption of drugs and harm reduction in executive order
Trump targets supervised consumption of drugs and harm reduction in executive order President Trump is threatening to withhold funds from supervised drug consumption sites and potentially pursue criminal penalties against them, offering his clearest stance yet against the philosophy of harm reduction and marking a significant escalation of his rhetoric on substance use and addiction. …
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STAT+: HHS orders thimerosal out of all flu vaccines
STAT+: HHS orders thimerosal out of all flu vaccines 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. Alex Hogan did yeoman’s work of taste testing beef-tallow-fried chicken wings and fries, soda pop…
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Safety of fluoride supplements, and freedom of choice, debated at FDA meeting
Safety of fluoride supplements, and freedom of choice, debated at FDA meeting As Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has advocated for the removal of fluoride from water, he has framed it as an issue of medical freedom. “We shouldn’t be demanding that parents accept something for their children and in their homes that is essentially a…
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STAT+: After explosive federal report, Congress fears plummeting trust in organ donation
STAT+: After explosive federal report, Congress fears plummeting trust in organ donation WASHINGTON — Members of a congressional oversight committee said Tuesday that they fear public trust in organ donation has been fractured after a federal report found that an organ procurement organization ignored signs of life in patients when authorizing attempted organ removals. The…
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STAT+: FDA’s new top drug regulator hails from industry
STAT+: FDA’s new top drug regulator hails from industry 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 scream! You scream! We all scream for ice cream without artificial dyes! Tell us…
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STAT+: Basic science publications have been falling for a decade. NIH budget cut would likely accelerate the decline
STAT+: Basic science publications have been falling for a decade. NIH budget cut would likely accelerate the decline The number of basic science papers published by recipients of National Institutes of Health grants has been falling since 2013, the year the agency’s budget was cut by 5%, according to a new analysis. President Trump’s budget…
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STAT+: 10 million expected to lose health insurance under Trump’s tax cut law, CBO says
STAT+: 10 million expected to lose health insurance under Trump’s tax cut law, CBO says WASHINGTON — President Trump’s major domestic policy law will result in nearly 10 million more people going without health insurance by 2034, according to the Congressional Budget Office’s estimate on the final law. The law, which included significant cuts in…
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STAT+: What the GOP’s cuts to public broadcasting have to do with health care policy
STAT+: What the GOP’s cuts to public broadcasting have to do with health care policy WASHINGTON — Congressional Republicans early on Friday morning passed legislation to take back money they had already appropriated for this year, enacting steep cuts to foreign aid and to public broadcasting. And while none of the funding was for domestic…
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STAT+: Kennedy dismisses two top HHS aides
STAT+: Kennedy dismisses two top HHS aides WASHINGTON — Two top aides to Health and Human Services Department Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. were dismissed from their roles this week after just months on the job. Both Heather Flick Melanson, chief of staff, and Hannah Anderson, deputy chief of staff for policy, were let go,…
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PEPFAR keeps millions of people with HIV alive and may be spared from Trump spending cuts
PEPFAR keeps millions of people with HIV alive and may be spared from Trump spending cuts The program known as PEPFAR is one of the most effective and popular U.S. foreign aid projects in history, and the government says it has saved the lives of over 25 million people around the world with HIV. But…
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STAT+: RFK Jr. gives vaccine skeptics plum HHS posts
STAT+: RFK Jr. gives vaccine skeptics plum HHS posts 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. Mr. Medicare Dr. Oz suggests 10 minutes of yoga straight out of bed, preferably with…
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Federal judge reverses rule that would have removed medical debt from credit reports
Federal judge reverses rule that would have removed medical debt from credit reports NEW YORK — A federal judge in Texas removed a Biden-era finalized ruled by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that would have removed medical debt from credit reports. U.S. District Court Judge Sean Jordan of Texas’s Eastern District, who was appointed by Trump, found on Friday…
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U.S. drops charges against doctor accused of throwing away Covid shots, selling fake vaccine cards
U.S. drops charges against doctor accused of throwing away Covid shots, selling fake vaccine cards The federal government on Saturday dismissed charges against a Utah plastic surgeon accused of throwing away COVID-19 vaccines, giving children saline shots instead of the vaccine and selling faked vaccination cards. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a post on the social…
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Opinion: Ending the federal LGBTQ+ suicide prevention line is a public health failure
Opinion: Ending the federal LGBTQ+ suicide prevention line is a public health failure Last month, the federal government announced it would eliminate the national suicide prevention hotline’s specialized services for LGBTQ+ callers — a decision that pulls vital support away from some of the most at-risk young people in America. The end of the service…
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Trump administration cuts undocumented immigrants’ access to range of federally funded programs
Trump administration cuts undocumented immigrants’ access to range of federally funded programs WASHINGTON — The Trump administration on Thursday announced it would further curtail undocumented immigrants’ access to federally funded programs, including health care clinics, early childhood education, and nutritional support. The decision reverses a federal practice that has been in place for decades, and is…
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STAT+: FDA won’t pay 2024 bonuses to workers who are getting laid off
STAT+: FDA won’t pay 2024 bonuses to workers who are getting laid off 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 thought the news would slow down after Republicans passed their…
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STAT+: Kennedy abruptly cancels preventive care committee meeting
STAT+: Kennedy abruptly cancels preventive care committee meeting WASHINGTON — Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has abruptly canceled a meeting of a key expert panel that evaluates the nation’s preventive care recommendations, according to an email viewed by STAT. The email did not cite a reason. The cancellation of the Thursday meeting of the U.S.…
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STAT+: HHS backtracks on pledge to disclose new vaccine advisers’ conflicts of interest
STAT+: HHS backtracks on pledge to disclose new vaccine advisers’ conflicts of interest WASHINGTON — The Department of Health and Human Services is sitting on information about new vaccine advisers’ conflicts of interest, and seemingly backtracking on its vow to make key disclosure documents public. Agency officials previously said they would release ethics forms for…
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Justice Department issues subpoenas to clinics and drugmakers over gender-affirming care
Justice Department issues subpoenas to clinics and drugmakers over gender-affirming care The Department of Justice has issued “nearly 20 subpoenas” to clinics that provide gender-affirming care in relation to “transition-related investigations,” DOJ chief of staff Chad Mizelle said at an event held by the Federal Trade Commission Wednesday. The department has also issued subpoenas to…
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STAT+: How Republicans sidelined the health care industry and pushed through historic Medicaid cuts
STAT+: How Republicans sidelined the health care industry and pushed through historic Medicaid cuts WASHINGTON — Republicans swiftly approved President Trump’s tax cut bill last week, despite a full-court press from doctors, hospitals, and patients to beat back some of the largest health care cuts in American history — more than $1 trillion in all…
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STAT+: Fed-up and demoralized, FDA staff are leaving.
STAT+: Fed-up and demoralized, FDA staff are leaving. 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. Between innings of the July 4 Chesapeake Baysox game against the Richmond Flying Squirrels there was…
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STAT+: HHS devises legal playbook for future grant terminations, internal memo shows
STAT+: HHS devises legal playbook for future grant terminations, internal memo shows As the National Institutes of Health recently paused its campaign to terminate billions of dollars in grants, its parent agency was starting to lay out a more cautious and legally rigorous strategy for canceling research deemed out of step with Trump administration priorities,…
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STAT+: How the tax-cut bill that just passed the Senate would upend health care
STAT+: How the tax-cut bill that just passed the Senate would upend health care WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans passed President Trump’s landmark tax bill Tuesday morning, putting transformational health provisions a major step closer to enactment. The bill slashes health care spending by more than $1 trillion over a decade, cuts that would affect patients,…
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Why this activist is putting her body on the line for Americans with disabilities
Why this activist is putting her body on the line for Americans with disabilities Flanked by her friends as lawmakers debated the future of a 60-year-old health care plan, Latoya Maddox raised her voice, shouting, “No cuts to Medicaid! No cuts to Medicaid!” The chanting, during a meeting of the House Energy and Commerce Committee…
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STAT+: Dr. Oz tries to seal the deal on Trump’s tax-cut bill
STAT+: Dr. Oz tries to seal the deal on Trump’s tax-cut bill WASHINGTON — As GOP leadership pushes to pass President Trump’s tax megabill this week, one administration official has been working hard behind the scenes to close the deal: Mehmet Oz, who oversees Medicare and Medicaid. House Republicans, including those on the fence about…
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Senate passes Trump’s tax-cut bill that would slash Medicaid spending
Senate passes Trump’s tax-cut bill that would slash Medicaid spending WASHINGTON — The Senate passed a $4.5 trillion tax-cut bill after last-minute changes to its health care provisions, as Republicans scrambled to get their party on board. The legislation that passed on Tuesday includes major federal funding cuts to Medicaid that were opposed by hospitals and…
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U.S. judge says HHS layoffs were likely unlawful and must be halted
U.S. judge says HHS layoffs were likely unlawful and must be halted PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A federal judge has ruled that recent mass layoffs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services were likely unlawful and ordered the Trump administration to halt plans to downsize and reorganize the nation’s health workforce. U.S. District Judge Melissa DuBose…
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STAT+: Centene’s stock plummets as health insurance giant scraps 2025 financial outlook
STAT+: Centene’s stock plummets as health insurance giant scraps 2025 financial outlook Centene has withdrawn its financial guidance for the rest of the year after receiving data that showed its health insurance members in Affordable Care Act plans are getting a lot more care than the company had anticipated. The company is also seeing a…
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STAT+: HHS to continue funding cancer prevention, tracking work in states after uncertainty
STAT+: HHS to continue funding cancer prevention, tracking work in states after uncertainty WASHINGTON — The Department of Health and Human Services will renew funding to states for cancer prevention and tracking efforts, alleviating anxieties among local officials about the future of their work. Over 50 notices had gone out as of Monday, an HHS spokesperson…
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STAT+: 11.8 million to lose health insurance under Senate Republican tax bill, CBO projects
STAT+: 11.8 million to lose health insurance under Senate Republican tax bill, CBO projects WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans’ version of President Trump’s tax bill would lead to 11.8 million people losing health insurance over the next decade, according to a new report from the Congressional Budget Office released Saturday night. That projection suggests the Senate’s…
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STAT+: Senate GOP tweaks health care measures in tax bill to win holdouts, please parliamentarian
STAT+: Senate GOP tweaks health care measures in tax bill to win holdouts, please parliamentarian Senate Republicans unveiled late Friday changes to health care policies in tax legislation that they made to win over holdouts in their party and pass muster with budget rules. The changes were made public around midnight, and the long voting…
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Opinion: Proposed cuts could have ‘catastrophic effect,’ 110 biomedical, health sciences industry leaders tell Congress
Opinion: Proposed cuts could have ‘catastrophic effect,’ 110 biomedical, health sciences industry leaders tell Congress As leaders of United States companies positioned in the biomedical/health sciences landscape, we are well aware that our companies are but one component of an expansive and interconnected scientific ecosystem requiring federal, industry, and academic partnership. Government funding of research…
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STAT+: RFK Jr.’s vaccine advisers meet, Monarez gets grilled
STAT+: RFK Jr.’s vaccine advisers meet, Monarez gets grilled 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. After making a brief visit to the hospital due to feeling lightheaded, Senate Minority Leader…
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STAT+: As Trump’s deadline nears, Republicans face substantial disagreement on Medicaid cuts
STAT+: As Trump’s deadline nears, Republicans face substantial disagreement on Medicaid cuts WASHINGTON — With days to go before Congress is set to leave town, lawmakers are still at odds over key Medicaid provisions in the tax bill touted by President Trump. Republicans across the House and Senate are still working out significant disagreements on…
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STAT+: NIH halts grant terminations ‘effective immediately,’ email says
STAT+: NIH halts grant terminations ‘effective immediately,’ email says Days after a federal judge ordered the restoration of more than 1,000 biomedical research grants, the National Institutes of Health is halting further terminations of grants, an internal email shows. Since President Trump’s inauguration in January, the nation’s largest biomedical research funder has terminated an unprecedented…
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STAT+: Trump’s pick to run the CDC walks a fine line on RFK Jr. at Senate hearing
STAT+: Trump’s pick to run the CDC walks a fine line on RFK Jr. at Senate hearing WASHINGTON — There seemed to be one question on the minds of many senators grilling Susan Monarez, President Trump’s pick to run the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at a hearing on Wednesday: If confirmed, would she…
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STAT+: Insurance coverage of vaccines at risk in RFK Jr.’s reshuffling of CDC’s vaccine advisers
STAT+: Insurance coverage of vaccines at risk in RFK Jr.’s reshuffling of CDC’s vaccine advisers The decision by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to remove and replace all members of the government’s independent vaccine advisory committee doesn’t just change how the nation will approach vaccine policy. It could also take money…
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STAT+: Top FDA drug regulator tells staff much is still in flux, as she prepares to retire
STAT+: Top FDA drug regulator tells staff much is still in flux, as she prepares to retire WASHINGTON — Outgoing Food and Drug Administration regulator Jacqueline Corrigan-Curay acknowledged to staff that much is still in flux at the agency, weeks before she retires. “We are leaner and therefore we have to find ways to be…
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Opinion: The Senate’s version of Trump’s tax-cut bill threatens safety-net hospitals like ours
Opinion: The Senate’s version of Trump’s tax-cut bill threatens safety-net hospitals like ours We appreciate President Trump’s steadfast commitment to protecting Medicare and Medicaid and his leadership in standing with America’s working families, seniors, and veterans. As leaders of urban health systems that serve our nation’s most vulnerable — low-income workers, children, and the elderly…
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STAT+: Health insurers promise to reduce barriers to care under pressure from Trump administration
STAT+: Health insurers promise to reduce barriers to care under pressure from Trump administration WASHINGTON — Last week’s pledge from more than 40 health insurers to cut down on prior authorizations came after some behind-the-scenes convincing from the Trump administration. The administration pushed insurers to sign a voluntary pledge to cut back on prior authorizations…
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STAT+: Disagreements over Duchenne therapy, management style may have led to ouster of key FDA official
STAT+: Disagreements over Duchenne therapy, management style may have led to ouster of key FDA official The ouster of the Food and Drug Administration’s chief regulator of cell and gene therapies earlier this week came immediately after a disagreement with her boss over the review of a cell therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, STAT has…
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STAT+: Senate Republicans debate Medicaid options as hospitals move to shape legislation
STAT+: Senate Republicans debate Medicaid options as hospitals move to shape legislation WASHINGTON — The Senate returns next week with critical choices on Medicaid policies that could cost hospitals billions of dollars and lead to millions losing coverage. Hospitals are scrambling to control the damage. Last month, the House passed its version of the One Big…
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STAT+: FDA announces a new priority review program in bid to further administration goals
STAT+: FDA announces a new priority review program in bid to further administration goals WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration is launching a program to reward companies with accelerated drug review and speedy agency feedback, if their actions align with the agency’s national health priorities. Those priorities include addressing unmet public health needs or health…
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STAT+: Republicans lean in to new Medicaid cuts
STAT+: Republicans lean in to new 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. It’s a short, busy week on Capitol Hill. I hope you have Juneteenth off, but I…
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STAT+: CDC interim leaders, in first all-hands meeting, speak of ‘myth-busting’ and ‘resilience’
STAT+: CDC interim leaders, in first all-hands meeting, speak of ‘myth-busting’ and ‘resilience’ In their first all-staff meeting since the start of the Trump administration, the interim leadership of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention attempted to sidestep controversy and rally troops at the storied but demoralized agency on Tuesday. Staff were told CDC…
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STAT+: Senate GOP proposes to rein in states’ tools to boost Medicaid funding
STAT+: Senate GOP proposes to rein in states’ tools to boost Medicaid funding WASHINGTON — To help pay for President Trump’s tax cuts, the Senate is clamping down on tactics that states use to boost federal Medicaid funding, according to legislation released by the Senate Finance Committee on Monday. The text includes harsher restrictions on…
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Medicaid cuts could result in more than 16,000 preventable deaths annually
Medicaid cuts could result in more than 16,000 preventable deaths annually Key health care provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, especially the proposed Medicaid cuts and Affordable Care Act marketplace reforms, would lead to 16,642 preventable deaths every year if implemented, according to a new analysis published Monday in Annals of Internal Medicine. …
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CDC workers fired from prominent STI, hepatitis labs are rehired
CDC workers fired from prominent STI, hepatitis labs are rehired The staff of two world-class laboratories at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that were slated to be closed in a round of cuts announced in April have been informed that their terminations have been canceled. The CDC’s sexually transmitted disease laboratory and its…
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STAT+: Hospitals would be hit hardest by Medicaid cuts in GOP tax bill, report finds
STAT+: Hospitals would be hit hardest by Medicaid cuts in GOP tax bill, report finds WASHINGTON — Hospitals would bear the brunt of federal health care funding cuts in the Republicans’ tax bill, and they’d be hurt hard in states with both predominantly Democratic- and Republican-led governments, according to an analysis by the Urban Institute…
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STAT+: RFK Jr.’s new vaccine panel raises questions of how Kennedy defines conflicts of interest
STAT+: RFK Jr.’s new vaccine panel raises questions of how Kennedy defines conflicts of interest WASHINGTON — When health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismissed the 17 members of the key panel that advises the federal government on vaccine recommendations, he claimed that their ties to the pharmaceutical industry had damaged public trust. However, new members…
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STAT+: Trump administration demands pharma companies begin drug price negotiations, a day after key deadline
STAT+: Trump administration demands pharma companies begin drug price negotiations, a day after key deadline WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is pushing pharmaceutical companies to begin negotiations to bring their drug prices in line with what other countries pay — usually far less than Americans. “Under President Trump’s direction, HHS is demanding that pharmaceutical companies…
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Opinion: I study conflicts of interest. Here’s why RFK Jr.’s approach to the vaccine advisory committee could backfire
Opinion: I study conflicts of interest. Here’s why RFK Jr.’s approach to the vaccine advisory committee could backfire If Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants to “clean up the corruption and conflicts” at HHS, he is going about it the wrong way. I study conflicts of interest at federal agencies. While…
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RFK Jr. names new members of CDC’s vaccine advisory panel
RFK Jr. names new members of CDC’s vaccine advisory panel WASHINGTON — Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday unveiled the names of the eight new members who will sit on the panel of experts that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccine policy, and said they would review the current…
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STAT+: Braced for details on Trump’s ‘most favored nation’ policy, pharma industry is still waiting
STAT+: Braced for details on Trump’s ‘most favored nation’ policy, pharma industry is still waiting WASHINGTON — Executives at pharmaceutical companies have been bracing for more information from the Trump administration this week about how it planned to lower drug prices. That information has not yet arrived, despite the administration’s self-imposed deadline to disclose by…
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HHS reverses hundreds of CDC firings
HHS reverses hundreds of CDC firings WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has reversed the firings of hundreds of staffers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including those who work in divisions that handle cruise ship safety, sexually transmitted infection prevention, and global health. A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services,…
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STAT+: Cassidy is circulating a proposed law to push down U.S. drug prices, backing a key Trump ambition
STAT+: Cassidy is circulating a proposed law to push down U.S. drug prices, backing a key Trump ambition WASHINGTON — Senate health committee Chair Bill Cassidy (La.) is the latest Republican to take an interest in legislation that would tie U.S. brand drug prices to lower prices in other wealthy countries, according to seven people…
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STAT+: Senators push back on Trump’s proposed $18 billion NIH budget cut
STAT+: Senators push back on Trump’s proposed $18 billion NIH budget cut National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya faced sharp questions on Tuesday from Republican and Democratic members of a Senate Appropriations subcommittee about the agency’s 2026 budget, with lawmakers struggling to reconcile his stated commitment to biomedical research with recent grant terminations, funding…
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STAT+: 23andMe leaders grilled on genetic data risks by federal lawmakers
STAT+: 23andMe leaders grilled on genetic data risks by federal lawmakers Since 23andMe filed for bankruptcy in March, 1.9 million of its 15 million DNA testing customers have asked the company to delete their data, interim CEO Joe Selsavage told federal lawmakers on Tuesday. The future of the company’s genetic hoard is uncertain as 23andMe…
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Firing of CDC’s vaccine advisers puts spotlight on RFK Jr.’s promises to Cassidy
Firing of CDC’s vaccine advisers puts spotlight on RFK Jr.’s promises to Cassidy WASHINGTON — On Monday, health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. gutted the panel of experts that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccines. That’s put the spotlight on a key Senate Republican health leader who sharply criticized Kennedy’s views…
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Exclusive: Coalition for Health AI will help The Joint Commission write responsible AI ‘playbooks’
Exclusive: Coalition for Health AI will help The Joint Commission write responsible AI ‘playbooks’ The Joint Commission is forming a partnership with the Coalition for Health AI to develop responsible AI “playbooks,” tools, and a new certification program for health AI, STAT has learned. The partnership brings together the expertise of the health AI trade…
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NIH walks back ban on new grants for universities with DEI programs or Israel boycotts
NIH walks back ban on new grants for universities with DEI programs or Israel boycotts The National Institutes of Health has, for now, walked back a policy requiring universities and other research institutes to certify that they do not have unlawful diversity, equity, and inclusion programs or boycotts of Israel in order to receive research…
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Health secretary RFK Jr. abruptly fires CDC vaccine advisory panel
Health secretary RFK Jr. abruptly fires CDC vaccine advisory panel Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has taken the extraordinary step of firing the expert panel that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on immunizations, saying the action is needed to restore faith in vaccines. “A clean sweep is needed to re-establish public…
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STAT+: GOP senators zero in on Medicaid policy in Trump’s tax bill that has little impact on enrollment
STAT+: GOP senators zero in on Medicaid policy in Trump’s tax bill that has little impact on enrollment WASHINGTON — A handful of Republican senators want to dial back federal funding cuts to Medicaid in President Trump’s tax cut package, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill. But the changes that most of them are…
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STAT+: With U.S. vaccine policy in flux, four members of CDC advisory panel receive termination notices
STAT+: With U.S. vaccine policy in flux, four members of CDC advisory panel receive termination notices Four members of the 19-person expert panel that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccination policy have been informed that their status as special government employees has been terminated — a development that throws into question…
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STAT+: RFK Jr.’s chronic disease agency would eliminate or reduce funding for some prevention programs
STAT+: RFK Jr.’s chronic disease agency would eliminate or reduce funding for some prevention programs Budget documents released by the Trump administration Friday provide the first clear indication of the priorities of a proposed new agency focused on preventing chronic disease. The Administration for a Healthy America would absorb multiple federal agencies and existing programs,…
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STAT+: NIH details how Trump budget would cut support for grants, training, and research centers
STAT+: NIH details how Trump budget would cut support for grants, training, and research centers WASHINGTON — President Trump’s 2026 budget proposes slashing the National Institutes of Health’s central function, supporting research by awarding grants to universities, academic medical centers, and other institutions, by 43% compared to 2025 levels. New documents released by the agency…
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STAT+: FDA reassures rare disease advocates that ‘being flexible’ is plan for gene therapy
STAT+: FDA reassures rare disease advocates that ‘being flexible’ is plan for gene therapy What will the Trump administration mean for gene therapy? Researchers, advocates, and executives got a glimpse of the answer Thursday, as the Food and Drug Administration convened a “Cell and Gene Therapy Roundtable.” It was an unusual event. Multiple panelists told…
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STAT+: Lawmakers lobby doctors to keep quiet — or speak up — on Medicaid cuts in Trump’s tax bill
STAT+: Lawmakers lobby doctors to keep quiet — or speak up — on Medicaid cuts in Trump’s tax bill WASHINGTON — With millions of people at risk of losing health insurance under President Trump’s tax bill, lawmakers have begun lobbying the lobbyists: asking health care interests to keep quiet — or speak up — about…
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10.9 million people would lose health insurance under Trump’s tax cut bill, CBO projects
10.9 million people would lose health insurance under Trump’s tax cut bill, CBO projects WASHINGTON — House Republicans’ tax bill would lead to nearly 11 million people losing health insurance, providing a key source of savings to help finance President Trump’s tax cuts, according to projections that nonpartisan congressional scorekeepers published Wednesday. Another 5.1 million…
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Trump administration revokes guidance requiring hospitals to provide emergency abortions
Trump administration revokes guidance requiring hospitals to provide emergency abortions WASHINGTON — The Trump administration announced on Tuesday that it would revoke guidance to the nation’s hospitals that directed them to provide emergency abortions for women when they are necessary to stabilize their medical condition. That guidance was issued to hospitals in 2022, weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court…
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FDA commissioner evades questions on Covid shot, calls CDC panel a ‘kangaroo court’
FDA commissioner evades questions on Covid shot, calls CDC panel a ‘kangaroo court’ In an interview meant to clarify the federal government’s position on Covid-19 vaccines, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary had few answers. Instead, he urged Americans to consult with their doctors. In a Sunday appearance on CBS News’ “Face the Nation,”…
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STAT+: New HHS document details deep NIH cuts as part of Trump budget request
STAT+: New HHS document details deep NIH cuts as part of Trump budget request The Department of Health and Human Services on Friday released a summary of President Trump’s budget request for the 2026 fiscal year that provides the most detailed look yet at how his administration hopes to reshape the National Institutes of Health…
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25 million cavities and $9.8 billion: Study estimates the costs of removing fluoride from water
25 million cavities and $9.8 billion: Study estimates the costs of removing fluoride from water Even before Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took office as health secretary, he promised to take action on water fluoridation. He would provide “good information” to municipalities, which regulate the water supply, and “fluoride will disappear,” he said in November. In…
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STAT+: RFK Jr.’s latest moves on vaccines
STAT+: RFK Jr.’s latest moves on vaccines 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. NIH is terminating research grants left and right, impeding early career paths and leading some young scientists…