2024

Trump Endorses House GOP One-Bill Approach President Donald Trump came out today in favor of the House GOP’s one-bill approach, surprising the Senate which felt he was taking a wait-and-see, go-slow approach on the issue. The one bill approach has steep spending reduction targets in it. Still, the fate of the House bill is uncertain. Speaker Mike Johnson can afford to lose no more than one vote on the reconciliation bill. Several moderates have expressed concerns on healthcare cuts. Some conservatives are complaining cuts are not deep enough. While leaders claim healthcare cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will not disrupt coverage, the savings targets could make that promise difficult to keep. Some conservatives are arguing that reductions in state reimbursement or even how much the federal government contributes should occur, which undoubtedly would impact coverage. Reining in provider taxes could also impact state financing schemes and

Worried About House Vote, Senate Takes Different Path on Budget Reconciliation On a 50-47 vote, the Senate GOP officially started the process of passing a budget reconciliation bill in a bid to enact a portion of President Trump’s agenda.  The Senate is taking a two-bill approach to meet President Trump’s objectives, while the House is moving on one big bill. The Senate fears House Speaker Mike Johnson will not have enough votes on his plan because conservatives are demanding deep cuts and others want more moderate ones. The Senate’s first bill would spend $325 billion to bolster border operations and allow Trump’s deportation plans to be executed as well as boost defense spending and greenlight Trump’s energy plans. The Senate Republicans are planning to use a second reconciliation bill to extend Trump’s 2017 tax cuts. The second bill would include offsetting spending cuts. #budgetreconciliation #trump #congress #healthcare https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5152221-senate-gop-budget-resolution/?tbref=hp Strange Bedfellows Against

Study Shows How Obesity Impacts Employer Healthcare Costs UnitedHealthcare and the Health Action Council have examined how the obesity epidemic has impacted the healthcare costs of employers and how it will continue to do so in the future. About 75% of adults in the U.S. are either overweight or obese, up from 50% in 1990. Obesity rates have grown fastest among younger adults. The obese population accounts for 46% of the employers’ medical spend. Per member per month costs for obese employees are more than double ($973) than those who were not obese ($421). Metabolic conditions are common among people with obesity. For workers in their ’50s, diabetes rates are 2.5 times higher among obese individuals. Hypertension rates were three times higher. Those who were obese also had greater rates of behavioral health illnesses. Study: https://healthactioncouncil.org/media/i5qj3qah/2025-hac-white-paper.pdf #obesity #glp1s #weightlossdrugs #healthcare #chronicconditions #employercoverage https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/payers/unitedhealth-hac-study-examines-how-obesity-impacting-employer-health-costs Trump To Defend Brainwood Using Biden Arguments

Major Staff Cutbacks In Healthcare At Federal Government The Trump administration has directed agencies to begin laying off probationary employees. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and related agencies are firing up to 5,200 probationary employees as of today. About 1,300 are employed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and a sizeable number are with the National Institutes of Health (NIH). There are over 2 million federal employees. Additional article: https://www.modernhealthcare.com/labor/cdc-layoffs-cuts-trump (Some articles may require a subscription.) #hhs #nih #cdc #staffing #layoffs #trump #doge https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/regulatory/mass-layoffs-hhs-cdc-cuts-1300-probationary-workers-reports-say Trump Administration Cuts Exchange Navigator Funding Similar to what happened in its first term, the Trump administration axed Exchange Navigator funding by 90% to just $10 million. The navigator program received $98 million in the 2024 plan year but only enrolled 92,000 consumers, accounting for just 0.6% of selections through federally facilitated exchanges (FFEs) in the open enrollment period. Trump’s