 Health Care | Health Care |
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Federal judge extends block on public health cuts |
A federal judge indefinitely blocked the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from canceling $11 billion in public health grants set for state and local health departments. |
Judge Mary McElroy of the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island ruled Friday to extend a temporary restraining order she issued last month that barred the Trump administration from wiping out pandemic-era funding to Washington D.C., and 23 Democratic-led states. States behind the lawsuit argued that HHS acted unlawfully by abruptly ending the grant funding without any analysis of the move's benefits or consequences. HHS said that the $11.4 billion worth of grant funding was mainly used to pay for testing, vaccines and hiring community health workers to combat COVID-19. And the agency argues since the pandemic is over, state and local health agencies no longer need that money. Although the grants were initially authorized by COVID-19 relief legislation, the funds were allowed to be spent on other efforts like combating the ongoing measles outbreak in Texas. State and local health departments said the funds were already being used for such efforts. McElroy ruled that the agency does not have the legal right to unilaterally withhold the grant funding that has already been allocated to localities, especially in states where that funding has been used to build essential health programs. She wrote in her ruling that the funding cuts would "result in devastating consequences to their local jurisdictions ... would constrain the States' infectious disease research, thwart treatment efforts to those struggling with mental health and addiction, and impact the availability of vaccines to children, the elderly and those living in rural areas." |
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| How policy will be impacting the health care sector this week and beyond: |
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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Friday it had cleared a new test to help diagnose adults with Alzheimer’s disease, the first diagnostic tool that uses a blood draw to check for the illness. The test is called the “Lumipulse G pTau217/ß-Amyloid 1-42 Plasma Ratio” and is developed by the Japanese company Fujirebio Diagnostics Inc. It measures specific biomarkers and proteins associated with … |
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Labor unions say layoffs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) are threatening science even as some employees get their jobs back. In a statement released Friday, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) said the layoffs at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) “gut frontline science and shut down life-saving … |
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Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin (Okla.) says Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) seems to be "cognitively better" today than when he first came to the Senate in 2023 after suffering a debilitating stroke, pushing back on reports that Fetterman is going through a mental health crisis. |
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Branch out with a different read from The Hill: |
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President Trump's legislative agenda is hanging by a thread as House Republican leaders scramble to make last-minute changes to their "big, beautiful bill" and cut deals to appease warring factions of the party. |
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Local and state headlines on health care: |
- Kentucky auditor sues Gov. Beshear for not implementing kinship caregiver law (Lexington Herald Leader)
- Bill requiring air conditioning in all Texas prisons wins House approval (The Texas Tribune)
- Medi-Cal coverage of weight loss drugs on chopping block under governor's proposal (Cal Matters)
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Health news we've flagged from other outlets: |
- Doctors save baby's life with first-ever gene fix for deadly rare disease (ABC)
- Even where abortion is legal, brick-and-mortar clinics are closing (KFF Health News)
- FDA to issue new vaccine approval guidance amid questions over coronavirus shot (The Washington Post)
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Health Safety Net Programs: Will Older Adults Fall Through? Wednesday, May 21 at 8:30 a.m. EDT Join The Hill to discuss how recent shifts in federal health policy are affecting older Americans. From proposed budget cuts to safety-net programs to bipartisan efforts like the EPIC Act, key decisions in Washington could reshape care and access for millions. Speakers include: - Alison Barkoff, Former Director, Administration for Community Living
- Sue Koob, CEO, Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association (PCNA)
- Edwin Walker, Former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Aging, HHS and more.
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Most read stories on The Hill right now: |
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The Supreme Court extended its order temporarily blocking the Trump administration from swiftly deporting alleged Venezuelan gang members being … Read more |
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Opinions related to health submitted to The Hill: |
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