HHS Halts $5B In Public Health Grants. Hours Later, It Reinstates Them.
Bloomberg News reports that the pause was in order to evaluate whether activities were in “alignment with administration and agency priorities." Also: A New York Times report finds that genetic data of more than 20,000 U.S. children that was held at the National Institutes of Health was misused for "race science."
Bloomberg:
HHS Pauses, Then Restores, $5 Billion In State Health Grants
The US Department of Health and Human Services notified states on Saturday that it would pause public health grants worth about $5 billion, then hours later said it would lift the halt. The grants were suspended to evaluate whether activities were in “alignment with administration and agency priorities,” according to an email viewed by Bloomberg News. The temporary pause was for HHS to implement a new review process and to “ensure funds are used for their intended purposes,” said Andrew Nixon, a spokesperson for the agency. He said that states would be notified that the pause had been lifted. (Nix, 1/24)
The New York Times:
Genetic Data From Over 20,000 U.S. Children Misused For ‘Race Science’
Genetic researchers were seeking children for an ambitious, federally funded project to track brain development — a study that they told families could yield invaluable discoveries about DNA’s impact on behavior and disease. They also promised that the children’s sensitive data would be closely guarded in the decade-long study, which got underway in 2015. Promotional materials included a cartoon of a Black child saying it felt good knowing that “scientists are taking steps to keep my information safe.” The scientists did not keep it safe. (McIntire, 1/24)
MedPage Today:
Congress Pressed On NIH Neurology Leadership Change
The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) sounded the alarm after learning that Walter Koroshetz, MD, long-time director of the NIH's National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) was not reappointed for another 5-year term, asking Congress to step in immediately. In an urgent letter, the AAN pressed Senate health committee Chairman Bill Cassidy, MD (R-La.), and other key lawmakers to leverage their authority with HHS to find out why Koroshetz's appointment was not renewed despite support from the NIH review panel, and called for transparency in future leadership decisions and for any leadership change to prioritize evidence-based medicine. (George, 1/23)
On abortion —
Roll Call:
Vance Pledges Anti-Abortion Policies After White House Deemed Soft
Thousands of marchers descended on the National Mall Friday as some of the nation’s most powerful politicians pledged to take the next steps to ending abortion. The annual March for Life rally serves as a key jumping point for abortion-related policy announcements from conservatives. But anti-abortion advocates had warned that the Trump administration has not done enough to advance their cause and that could have political ramifications. (Raman, 1/23)
On Obamacare and Medicare —
The Wall Street Journal:
Americans Face Health Insurance Bills Bigger Than Their Mortgages After ACA Subsidies End
Millions of Americans are starting to see their monthly health-insurance bills rise, a new pressure point for a nation still frustrated with the high cost of living. Many of those facing the most dramatic dollar increases are middle-income Americans who buy health insurance through the marketplaces set up by the government’s Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare. (Ensign, 1/26)
KFF Health News:
KFF Health News’ ‘On Air’: Journalists Mine News For Insights On Tylenol, Obamacare Credits, And Rural Health Funding
Céline Gounder, KFF Health News’ editor-at-large for public health, discussed a year of changes at the Department of Health and Human Services and its Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on NPR’s 1A on Jan. 22. On CBS News 24/7’s The Daily Report on Jan. 16 and CBS Saturday Morning’s HealthWatch on Jan. 17, Gounder also discussed a study that found no link between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and autism or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. She also commented on rising measles cases and decreasing vaccination rates on CBS News 24/7’s The Daily Report on Jan. 15. (1/24)
KFF Health News:
KFF Health News’ ‘An Arm and a Leg’: Charity-Care Nonprofit Scales Up And Doubles Down
As premium payments for Affordable Care Act insurance plans soar and cuts to Medicaid start to affect hospitals and patients, many people in 2026 will need help paying medical bills. And charity care may be a solution. One group working on this is Dollar For, a nonprofit focused on helping people access the financial assistance that hospitals are legally required to offer patients who make less than a certain amount. (Weissmann, 1/26)
KFF Health News:
Sick Of Fighting Insurers, Hospitals Offer Their Own Medicare Advantage Plans
Ever since Larry Wilkewitz retired more than 20 years ago from a wood products company, he’s had a commercial Medicare Advantage plan from the insurer Humana. But two years ago, he heard about Peak Health, a new Advantage plan started by the West Virginia University Health System, where his doctors practice. It was cheaper and offered more personal attention, plus extras such as an allowance for over-the-counter pharmacy items. Those benefits are more important than ever, he said, as he’s treated for cancer. (Jaffe, 1/26)
