RFK, Jr. Confirmed As Health Chief; Will Chair MAHA Commission
President Donald Trump’s nominee as secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), Robert F. Kenndy, Jr., was confirmed by the Senate today on a 52-48 vote, with Mitch McConnell being the only GOP senator to not vote yes. All Democrats opposed Kennedy.
Trump also signed a new executive order to establish a Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission. Kennedy will chair the task force, focused on investigating the “root causes of America’s escalating health crisis.” The commission first will address childhood chronic diseases.
In other news, HHS assistant secretaries were also named by Trump. One of them is an anti-trust lawyer with deep background in healthcare mergers. This could be a clue that the Biden administration’s healthcare anti-trust agenda may not totally go away.
Additional articles: https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/regulatory/trump-creates-maha-commission-chronic-disease-chaired-rfk and https://insidehealthpolicy.com/daily-news/newly-confirmed-hhs-sec-rfk-jr-lead-maha-commission and https://www.modernhealthcare.com/politics-policy/rfk-jr-full-senate-vote-hhs and https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/rfk-jr-confirmed-hhs-secretary-robert-f-kennedy-jr/740054/ and https://insidehealthpolicy.com/daily-news/trump-nominates-two-hhs-asst-secretaries-general-counsel
(Some articles may require a subscription.)
#rfkjr #healthcare #hhs #maha
https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/regulatory/senate-confirms-rfk-jr-head-hhs-52-48-vote
Rural Hospitals In Peril
Healthcare advisory services firm Chartis finds that the portion of rural hospitals operating with negative margins has dipped slightly from last year. However, the firm finds that the number of facilities most likely to close has increased. It finds that 46% of rural hospitals are operating at a loss while 432 hospitals are deemed to be “vulnerable to closure.” Eighteen rural hospitals either closed or shifted to an operating model excluding inpatient care. Last year’s report said 50% of rural hospitals operated in the red and 418 hospitals were at risk of closure.
#ruralhealthcare #hospitals #margins
Republicans Insist They Simply Want FWA Targeted In Medicaid
House Republicans preparing a budget blueprint argue they simply want to target fraud, waste, and abuse (FWA) in Medicaid. But Democrats argue that $880 billion in targeted healthcare cuts will mean real pain.
In other news, the Kaiser Family Foundation finds that up to $1.9 trillion would be saved over 10 years by cutting the Medicaid expansion percentage of 90% down to regular matching rates, but would mean the loss of coverage for 20 million.
Additional articles: https://www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/press-release/eliminating-the-aca-medicaid-expansion-match-could-reduce-total-medicaid-spending-by-up-to-1-9-trillion-over-10-years-and-end-coverage-for-20-million-people/ and https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/eliminating-the-medicaid-expansion-federal-match-rate-state-by-state-estimates/
(Some articles may require a subscription.)
#medicaid #aca #obamacare #coverage #fwa
https://www.modernhealthcare.com/politics-policy/house-budget-medicaid-cuts
Trump Could Press Big Pharma On Drug Prices
I told you about Donald Trump’s remarks on weight-loss drug pricing in a Super Bowl interview with Fox News. Mainstream healthcare outlets are now covering the news. This has led to speculation that Trump’s CMS could add foreign drug prices into the equation when negotiating maximum fair prices in Medicare drug negotiations. As well, Trump could press for lower prices via trade negotiations.
See my blog on this subject here: https://www.healthcarelabyrinth.com/2027-drug-negotiations-off-and-running/ .
(Article may require a subscription.)
#glp1s #weightlossdrugs #branddrugmakers #drugpricing #ira
https://insidehealthpolicy.com/daily-news/trump-comments-glp-1-prices-add-drug-policy-uncertainty
Centene Asks For Star Suit To Be Dismissed
Centene asked a federal judge to dismiss its 2025 Star lawsuit against the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Centene received increases on seven contracts after UnitedHealthcare won its lawsuit against CMS. The complaints were comparable.
#cms #stars #quality #medicareadvantage #centene #unitedhealthcare
https://www.beckerspayer.com/payer/centene-moves-to-dismiss-star-ratings-lawsuit.html
Johnson Says FFY 2025 CR Could Go Through September
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-LA, left open the possibility that the final continuing resolution for FFY 2025 could go through the end of September – the full year – due to issues with negotiating with the Democrats. Spending would remain at the levels negotiated in the last Congress. This could lead some rightist GOPs to be unhappy. Funding for FFY 2025 ends on March 14. Democrats want parity in defense and non-defense spending and to undo some of the Trump efficiency initiatives.
#spending #governmentshutdown #ffy2025budget #congress #trump
https://thehill.com/business/budget/5142069-johnson-full-year-stopgap-funding/?tbref=hp
— Marc S. Ryan
