Hardliners Make Case For Structural Medicaid Reforms, As WH, Mods Balk

House Republicans will leave for the weekend still in a bind on how to move forward with a reconciliation bill acceptable to swing state lawmakers wary of harming constituents -- and providers who rely on Medicaid -- and also to hard line conservatives in the House Freedom Caucus who are now saying they want to use the fast-track budget process as a way to fundamentally restructure Medicaid.

Site Name: 
InsideHealthPolicy.com
CMS Issue: 
Inside CMS - 05/08/2025
CMS Volume: 
Vol. 28, No. 19
Author: 

Brokers Raise Alarm As Aetna Exits ACA Marketplaces

More than 1 million exchange enrollees will need to find new coverage for plan year 2026 now that CVS Health has announced that Aetna will exit the marketplaces – and brokers are raising concerns about potential disruptions.

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InsideHealthPolicy.com
Author: 

Citing Security Concerns, NIH Blocks Foreign Subawards As First Step In Broader Reforms

As a first step toward an upcoming effort to tighten scrutiny over grants, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced Thursday (May 1) it will prohibit all subawards to foreign institutions, citing concerns over transparency and national security.

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InsideHealthPolicy.com
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Drug Price Negotiation Outreach, Education Funds Chopped In HHS Budget Request

The Trump administration wants to eliminate education and outreach directed at those not directly involved in Medicare drug price negotiations as part of a broader fiscal 2026 budget request that proposes slashing over half a billion dollars from myriad CMS programs and operations the administration says have been carrying out “non-statutory, wasteful, and woke activities.”

Site Name: 
InsideHealthPolicy.com
IDP Issue: 
Inside Drug Pricing - 05/05/2025
IDP Volume: 
Vol. 8, No. 18
Author: 

Trump Revives Most Favored Nation Plan, But Only For Medicaid

The Trump administration is urging congressional Republicans to include a “most favored nation” (MFN) policy in their domestic policy package that would tie Medicaid drug payments to the lowest prices paid in other wealthy countries, a White House official confirmed to Inside Health Policy.

Site Name: 
InsideHealthPolicy.com
CMS Issue: 
Inside CMS - 05/08/2025
CMS Volume: 
Vol. 28, No. 19
Author: 

HHS Quietly Fills Chief AI, Technology Officer Roles With Silicon Valley-Connected Personnel

A Yale undergraduate student with ties to influential venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) and a longtime Palantir employee have filled HHS’ chief artificial intelligence (CAIO) and chief technology officer (CTO) roles respectively, according to media outlets and an Inside Health Policy review of HHS’ public staff directory.

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InsideHealthPolicy.com
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NIH, CDC Funding Would Be Slashed By 40% Under Trump Budget Request

The Trump administration is proposing to cut funding for the nation’s public health research agencies by over 40%, calling for a combined $21.6 billion reduction in funding for National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in its fiscal 2026 budget request unveiled Friday (May 2).

Site Name: 
InsideHealthPolicy.com
FDA Issue: 
FDA Week - 05/09/2025
FDA Volume: 
Vol. 31, No. 19
Author: 

Biotech Companies Tell Cassidy FDA RIF Leaves Agency Overwhelmed

A wide-ranging group of biotechnology industry stakeholders have asked Senate health committee Chair Bill Cassidy (R-LA) to pressure FDA on how its layoffs will impact medical product companies, saying in a letter to Cassidy immediate steps -- like rehiring some staff -- need to be taken to ensure the agency can continue meeting deadlines and making informed decisions on approvals.

Site Name: 
InsideHealthPolicy.com
FDA Issue: 
FDA Week - 05/09/2025
FDA Volume: 
Vol. 31, No. 19
Author: 

Trump ‘Skinny Budget’ Would Cut $33.3 Billion Across HHS, Slightly Less Than Leaked Draft

The Trump White House’s “skinny” budget released Friday (May 2) outlines policy priorities largely in line with those in a leaked draft budget reported earlier by Inside Health Policy, but requests a slightly less steep cut to HHS -- it would fund HHS at $93.8 billion, a 26.2% decrease from the FY 2025, while the leaked draft proposed an approximately 30% cut.

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Site Name: 
InsideHealthPolicy.com
FDA Issue: 
FDA Week - 05/09/2025
FDA Volume: 
Vol. 31, No. 19
CMS Issue: 
Inside CMS - 05/08/2025
CMS Volume: 
Vol. 28, No. 19
Author: 
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