 Health Care |
Health Care |
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House adopts budget resolution. Now eyes turn to Medicaid |
House Republicans on Thursday adopted the Senate's framework that will be used to enact key parts of President Trump's legislative agenda, like an extension of his first term tax cuts. |
Now, both chambers will have to begin the hard part of figuring out how to pay for the legislation, which will likely involve a cut to Medicaid. Until now, the discussions have involved theoretical numbers, with lawmakers avoiding any specifics about Medicaid. They've waved vaguely at the idea of cutting "waste fraud and abuse" without diving into just how big the cuts will be and who will be impacted. That's all likely going to change. The House and Senate have not come to a formal compromise on how much federal spending they want to slash — the House plan calls for $1.5 trillion over ten years, but the Senate would only cut $4 billion over a decade. The hard-liners in the House who want deep cuts voted in favor of the resolution Thursday, claiming they have assurances from House and Senate leaders that significant spending cuts will be included in the final compromise bill. Medicaid has been at the center of most of the conversations about spending cuts. The House resolution instructs the Energy and Commerce Committee, which oversees Medicaid, to reduce government spending by $880 billion over a decade. But some Senate Republicans have expressed unease, and sometimes outright opposition, to any bill that will cut Medicaid benefits. An amendment introduced during the Senate floor debate on the budget resolution would have banned cuts to Medicaid to reach the $880 billion threshold in the House bill. It failed by one vote. There have been mentions of work requirements and about eliminating the enhanced matching rate for the expansion population. It's still unclear which path will be taken. |
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How policy will be impacting the health care sector this week and beyond: |
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The percentage of "thriving" Americans is at a five-year low, according to a Gallup poll. The poll found 48.9 percent of respondents said they are "thriving," staying at a five-year low previously recorded in November 2024 and September 2023. Since December 2020, there has not been a percentage of respondents lower than 48.2 percent that have said they are thriving. The Gallup poll took place Feb. 18-26, about a month into … |
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Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he is considering a "regulatory framework" for Medicare and Medicaid to cover GLP-1 medications to treat obesity. Kennedy said in a CBS News interview that aired Wednesday the high cost of the medication is the biggest hurdle to coverage, but he said he's considering a proposal for Medicaid and Medicare to cover the drug once patients have established they've … |
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The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has launched a "massive testing and research effort" that HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said will determine the cause of rising childhood autism rates in the country. During a meeting of President Trump's Cabinet on Thursday, Kennedy said the process will involve "hundreds of scientists around the world" and answers will come this fall. “By September … |
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Branch out with a different read: |
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Moves against fluoride in drinking water alarm health experts |
As the Trump administration takes steps to discourage the incorporation of fluoride in drinking water, experts warn the moves may have serious consequences for Americans' health. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Monday announced it would "expeditiously review new scientific information on potential health risks of fluoride in drinking water." The move came after a judge last year required the agency … |
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Local and state headlines on health care: |
- Idaho restricts vaccine mandates (Axios)
- Federal public health cuts could cost Texas $700 million (The Texas Tribune)
- A California neurologist spent decades researching dementia. Trump's DEI purge killed his grants, and dozens more (Cal Matters)
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Health news we've flagged from other outlets: |
- Pain pathway in a dish could aid search for new analgesic drugs (NPR)
- RFK Jr.'s purge of FOIA staff at FDA spares people working on Covid vaccine lawsuits (KFF Health News)
- Crucial FDA drug reviews expected to be slowed by job cuts (Stat)
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Most read stories on The Hill right now: |
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The Trump administration swapped out its high-profile acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), FBI Director … Read more |
| President Trump's tariff plans have raised jitters about the stability of the bond market as demand quickly dropped before he implemented his 90-day … Read more |
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Opinions related to health submitted to The Hill: |
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