Democrat appropriators decry lack of spending transparency at HHS

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn. sent a letter to the White House budget chief alleging that federal agencies, including the HHS, aren’t adequately disclosing their spending plans.

By Rebecca Pifer • May 29, 2025

Abortion providers could face more prosecution under Trump, experts say

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has indicated she wants to help challenge shield laws that protect clinicians offering abortion care, but the administration has sent mixed messages.

By Michael Brady • May 29, 2025

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Labor

Hospitals are navigating persistent labor shortages with the need to cut costs — a source of contention that could leave patients caught in the middle.

By Healthcare Dive staff

Trump administration threatens states over Medicaid coverage for undocumented immigrants

The CMS told states it plans to go over their Medicaid spending with a fine-toothed comb to ensure federal dollars aren’t covering immigrants in the country illegally.

By Rebecca Pifer • May 28, 2025

Medicaid cuts could threaten healthcare access for young adults: report

Young adults could struggle to navigate government bureaucracy and face other challenges managing work requirements or increased eligibility checks in the safety-net insurance program, the Urban Institute found.

By Emily Olsen • May 27, 2025

FDA sets COVID vaccine formula as RFK Jr. narrows guidance for shots

The agency recommends manufacturers update their vaccines to target the JN.1 strain. At the same time, HHS head Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is removing guidance that healthy children and pregnant women receive COVID shots.

By Delilah Alvarado • Updated May 27, 2025

Trump administration updates price transparency guidance for hospitals and payers

Federal agencies are seeking public feedback on how to improve price transparency around prescription drugs and boost hospital compliance and enforcement.

By Susanna Vogel • May 27, 2025

CMS expands audits to crack down on Medicare Advantage overpayments

The agency said it would increase the number of MA plan audits and complete its backlog of reviews by investing in technology and growing its medical coding workforce.

By Emily Olsen • May 22, 2025

House passes reconciliation bill with massive Medicaid cuts

Speaker Mike Johnson negotiated a number of last-minute changes to the megabill to ensure passage, including moving up the start date for Medicaid work requirements. The House passed the bill 215-214 on Thursday morning.

By Rebecca Pifer • May 22, 2025

Judge denies Florida Blue’s request to bump star ratings

The insurer sued the CMS late last year, arguing that flooding in Broward County should have qualified as an extreme and uncontrollable event relieving Florida Blue from star ratings decreases. A federal judge disagreed.

By Rebecca Pifer • May 21, 2025

FDA sets stricter approval standards for COVID vaccines

The agency will now require randomized, controlled data before approving new COVID shots for healthy children and adults.

By Delilah Alvarado • May 20, 2025

VA looks to increase Oracle EHR deployments

Secretary Doug Collins told lawmakers last week that the agency is hoping to roll out the software to 20 to 25 sites in fiscal year 2027, after largely halting new deployments in 2023.

By Emily Olsen • May 20, 2025

Pennsylvania governor pushes private equity reform following Crozer Health closure

Prospect Medical Holdings’ bankruptcy prompted two hospital closures in Pennsylvania. The closures caused layoffs, disrupted patient care and renewed calls for oversight from lawmakers and Gov. Josh Shapiro.

By Susanna Vogel • May 19, 2025

Judge shuts down drugmakers’ 340B rebate plans, for now

A district court ruled that the HHS does have the power to review drug manufacturers’ plans to pay hospitals rebates instead of upfront discounts on 340B medications. But it left the door open to the controversial reforms.

By Rebecca Pifer • May 19, 2025

Judge rules Trump administration cannot carry out $11B in public health funding cuts

It’s the second time a federal judge has sided with states in their legal battle to stop the Trump administration from slashing funds for public health initiatives.

By Susanna Vogel • May 19, 2025

RFK Jr. calls GOP Medicaid plans ‘not true cuts’

Republicans’ plan to reduce spending on Medicaid would eliminate waste, fraud and abuse, the HHS secretary said in hearings last week. Millions could become uninsured under the proposal.

By Emily Olsen • May 15, 2025

House committees advance reconciliation text with big impacts on healthcare

Republicans in Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means have approved their portions of President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” after marathon markups. Here’s an extensive look at what the legislation means for healthcare.

By Rebecca Pifer • May 15, 2025

AdvaMed CEO Scott Whitaker pleads for tariff relief in Senate hearing

Whitaker repeated a call for “zero-for-zero” reciprocal tariffs between the U.S. and its trade partners in testimony before a Senate Finance Committee panel on critical supply chains.

By Susan Kelly • May 14, 2025

Stopping a ‘moral obscenity’: Senate Judiciary Committee expresses support for PBM reform

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, suggested Congress could once again move to overhaul PBMs’ controversial business practices after legislators pass President Donald Trump’s conservative megabill this summer.

By Rebecca Pifer • May 14, 2025

Women’s health faces growing headwinds, despite jump in venture investment

While venture funding is rising, federal policy upheaval may affect women’s health research more acutely than other fields, one biotech CEO said.

By Delilah Alvarado • May 14, 2025

CMMI revamps strategy to focus on disease prevention, cost savings

“Our system is facing unsustainable cost pressures,” said Director Abe Sutton. “We are pouring resources into treating disease after onset, rather than tackling the root causes and preventing it.”

By Emily Olsen • May 13, 2025

CMS takes aim at provider taxes in proposed rule

The proposal threatens states’ ability to fund state supplemental payment programs for Medicaid, which providers rely on as a boost for revenues.

By Susanna Vogel • May 13, 2025

Trump administration weighs rolling back mental health parity rule

In a court filing last week, the DOJ said the administration will not enforce a regulation designed to improve access to mental health benefits for people with private insurance, and could rescind it altogether.

By Susanna Vogel • May 13, 2025

Trump revives ‘most favored nation’ plan in effort to cut US drug prices

The proposal would see the HHS set price targets other countries pay for certain medicines, kicking off a round of discussions with substantial ramifications for drugmakers. It’s likely to be challenged in court, however.

By Jonathan Gardner , Ned Pagliarulo • May 12, 2025

House Republicans unveil Medicaid cuts including work requirement, provider tax freeze

The House Energy and Commerce Committee is backing more moderate reforms to Medicaid. But Republicans’ policy proposals would still result in millions of Americans losing health insurance.

By Rebecca Pifer • May 12, 2025

Millions could lose coverage under potential GOP Medicaid policies: CBO

The Congressional Budget Office expects states will replace about half of the reduced federal support with their own resources, and then reduce spending by cutting provider payment rates, optional benefits and enrollment.

By Emily Olsen • May 9, 2025