Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
HHS Hires Economic Adviser To Oversee Health Care Affordability
Axios: HHS Brings On New Official To Tackle Health Care Affordability Ahead Of Midterms
The Trump administration is bringing on a new official to focus on health care affordability, the Department of Health and Human Services tells Axios. The personnel move suggests the administration is attempting to respond to voters' concerns about health care costs ahead of the midterm elections. (Owens, 4/16)
More on the high cost of health care —
Modern Healthcare: Baylor Scott & White Health Plan Exits Medicaid, ACA Marketplaces
Baylor Scott & White Health Plan is quitting Medicaid and the health insurance exchange, the company announced Tuesday. The insurance division of the Dallas-based health system Baylor Scott & White Health notified members and Texas regulators it would leave the Medicaid managed care program on Aug. 31 and shut down its individual exchange operations at the end of the year. (Tong, 4/15)
Modern Healthcare: The ACA Exchanges Are Shaky. This Insurer Wants In Anyway
Colorado Access President and CEO Annie Lee knows it’s a strange time to enter the health insurance exchanges. The expiration of enhanced subsidies combined with unexpectedly high medical costs and uncertainty over how President Donald Trump’s administration will reshape the Affordable Care Act of 2010 marketplaces hasn’t exactly attracted insurers, she said. CVS Health subsidiary Aetna notably exited the market last year, for example. “Things have become more volatile. There’s not a financial draw,” Lee said. (Tepper, 4/15)
The CT Mirror: Lamont Pushes Health Insurance Tax Credits For CT Employers
Gov. Ned Lamont has got a sweet deal for Connecticut small businesses struggling to provide health insurance coverage to their employees. (Golvala, 4/15)
NBC News: This CEO Wants To Cover Weight Loss Drugs For Employees. They're Just Too Expensive
For Dr. Joseph Cacchione, the math on GLP-1 drugs stopped making sense. The CEO of the Philadelphia-based nonprofit hospital system Jefferson said his organization now spends more on prescription drug coverage — fueled by the soaring use of weight loss medications like Wegovy and Zepbound — than it does on inpatient care. (Lovelace Jr., Herzberg and Thompson, 4/16)
Modern Healthcare: Hospital M&A Ramps Up As Providers Prepare For Medicaid Cuts
Hospital merger and acquisition activity has ramped up as health systems brace for financial pressure from shifting federal policies. Health systems proposed 22 hospital mergers and acquisitions in the first quarter, up from five in the first quarter of 2025 and nearing pre-pandemic levels of deal activity, according to data from consultancy Kaufman Hall. Executives have inked more merger and acquisition agreements this year following a historically slow 2025, and advisers expect the momentum to continue for the rest of the year. (Kacik, 4/15)
Stat: CMS Proposes Rolling Back Breakthrough Device Payment Flexibilities
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is proposing to repeal a pathway that currently allows breakthrough devices to qualify for supplementary payments without proving they provide a substantial clinical improvement over alternatives. (Palmer, 4/15)
