Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
VA Rolls Out Plan To Restructure Veterans Health Administration
Becker's Hospital Review: VA To Reorganize Veterans Health Administration Management
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs plans to reorganize the management structure of the Veterans Health Administration. The department aims to eliminate redundant layers of bureaucracy, ensure consistent application of policies across all facilities and empower local hospital directors, according to a Dec. 15 VA news release. (Kuchno, 12/15)
Reuters: US Veterans Affairs To Remove 25,000 Unfilled Jobs
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs will remove about 25,000 open and unfilled positions, a spokesperson said, adding that they were "COVID-era roles that are no longer necessary." "No VA employees are being removed, and this will have zero impact on Veteran care," department spokesperson Pete Kasperowicz said. (12/15)
More on the federal reorganization —
KFF Health News: Disability Rights Lawyers Threatened With Budget Cuts, Reassignments
The Trump administration is trying to slash access to lawyers who defend the rights of Americans with disabilities, advocates say. Most of the lawyers work either for the Department of Justice or for disability rights agencies that Congress set up in every state decades ago. Many of the Justice Department lawyers quit in 2025 after being reassigned to other duties, their supporters say. And Trump budget officials proposed deep cuts to federal grants supporting the state-based legal groups. (Leys, 12/16)
On MAHA and nutrition —
NBC News: FDA Says It May Relax Warning Label Rule For Dietary Supplements
The Food and Drug Administration is considering a rule change that would cut back on how often dietary supplement warnings must appear on packaging, a move experts say could make them easier to miss. Unlike prescription drugs, the FDA doesn’t review dietary supplements for safety and effectiveness before they hit the market. (Lovelace Jr., 12/15)
The Wall Street Journal: Study Finds Benefits From Cutting Saturated Fats, As RFK Jr. Promotes Them
People susceptible to developing heart issues benefit the most from reducing their consumption of saturated fats, according to a review of research that comes as the federal government prepares to revise dietary recommendations. A paper published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that people at high risk of developing cardiovascular problems saw a reduction in major health issues including heart attack and stroke when they cut back on saturated fats. The picture was different for people without those same cardiovascular risks. (Calfas, 12/15)
Stat: New Study On Saturated Fats Leads To Collision Of Politics, Science
Saturated fats are having a moment, one that has ensnared researchers in a political debate they never intended to enter. (Cooney, 12/15)
The New York Times: Controlling Blood Sugar Cut Heart Disease Risk In Half, New Study Says
People with prediabetes who get their blood sugar under control may cut their risk of death from heart disease or heart failure by half, according to new research. Prediabetes, which is estimated to affect 38 percent of U.S. adults, is a condition in which blood sugar levels are elevated but don’t meet the threshold for diabetes. The research, published Friday in the journal Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, suggested that people with prediabetes whose glucose levels returned to normal — those who reached “remission” — had half the risk of cardiovascular death or hospitalization from heart failure two decades after reaching remission than those who did not. (Agrawal, 12/15)
