Health Care — California sticks with WHO as US exits

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View Online Health Care Health Care The Big Story  California sticks with WHO as US exits  Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) affirmed his state's continued departure from current federal health policy by announcing Friday that California will be the first state to join a World Health Organization (WHO) public health network.  © Sean Kilpatrick, The Canadian Press via The Associated Press The announcement came just one day after the U.S. officially withdrew from the organization.   During his visit to the World Economic Forum this week, Newsom's office shared that he had met with the WHO's Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. This U.S.'s withdrawal from the WHO became official one year after President Trump initiated the process.    Trump had moved to withdraw from the WHO during his first term, but this did not pan out when he lost his first reelection bid.    "The Trump administration's withdrawal from WHO is a reckless decision that will hurt all Californians and Americans. California will not bear witness to the chaos this decision will bring," Newsom said in a statement. "We will continue to foster partnerships across the globe and remain at the forefront of public health preparedness, including through our membership as the only state in WHO's Global Outbreak Alert & Response Network."    This action aligns with how California has managed its public health response since the start of the second Trump administration, publicly moving away from federally backed policies and instead joining with independent public health collaborations.    Last year, California joined coalitions of states in launching the West Coast Health Alliance and the Governors Public Health Alliance to lead public health policies that diverge from those of the White House.    Trump cited "unfairly onerous payments" as part of the reason why he moved to withdraw from the WHO last year.    Tedros maintained that the U.S.'s withdrawal marks a "lose-lose" situation.    "It's not really the right decision, I want to say bluntly, because I believe that there are many things that are done through WHO that benefits the U.S., and only the WHO does, and especially the health security issues," he said. "That's why I say the U.S. cannot be safe without working with the WHO."  Welcome to The Hill's Health Care newsletter, I'm Joseph Choi — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Essential Reads  How policy will be impacting the health care sector this week and beyond: Chair of CDC's vaccine panel questions need for polio vaccines, citing personal autonomy Kirk Milhoan, a pediatric cardiologist recently appointed as chair of a highly influential federal vaccine committee, questioned the need for immunizing against illnesses like polio in a podcast interview released Thursday. He argued that public health is not the “first order” of his group. Last month, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appointed Milhoan to be chair of the Advisory Committee …  Full Story US officially leaves World Health Organization After nearly 80 years of membership, the U.S. is officially no longer part of the World Health Organization (WHO). President Trump initiated the removal process in an executive order on Jan. 20, 2025, the first day of his second term. He cited the organization's alleged "mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic" and "other global health crises" ...  Full Story UnitedHealth promises to return ObamaCare profits to customers UnitedHealth Group (UHG), the largest national health care provider in the U.S., is planning to return profits it makes in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace to consumers in 2026. CEO and Chair Stephen Hemsley is expected to announce the idea when he appears before a House Committee on Energy and Commerce subcommittee on Thursday, according to a copy of his prepared testimony ...  Full Story In Other News  Branch out with a different read: Health insurance CEOs point fingers over soaring health care costs Some of the nation's top health insurance executives sought to deflect blame for the soaring cost of health care in the U.S., arguing that rising hospital and prescription drug prices were driving premiums higher and making health care less affordable for Americans. The CEOs of five major health insurers testified before a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on Thursday, the first in a series of back-to-back hearings focused … Full Story Around the Nation  Local and state headlines on health care: Wisconsin health officials ask state legislature to approve more funding for FoodShare program (WKOW)  Lawmakers question criteria for rural healthcare funds in Michigan (9&10 News)  Signups for health insurance down nearly 12 percent in Wyoming after subsidies expired (KHOL)  What We're Reading  Health news we've flagged from other outlets: Key autism committee is being reshaped to support Kennedy's vaccine agenda, researchers and advocates fear (Stat)  These 3 policy moves are likely to change health care for older people (KFF Health News)  Kennedy plan to test a vaccine in West African babies is blocked (The New York Times)  What People Think  Opinions related to health submitted to The Hill: Let states fix backlogs and serve families faster Pro-lifers must not lose momentum in the new year     You're all caught up. See you next week!  Check out The Hill's Health Care page for the latest coverage. Like this newsletter? Take a moment to view our other topical products here 📩 Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  400 N Capitol Street NW Suite 650, Washington, DC 20001 Copyright © 1998 - 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved.

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