Kennedy Confirmed as HHS Secretary
Senate confirms RFK Jr. in a 52-48 vote on February 13, 2025. Every Republican voted in favor of RFK Jr. with the exception of Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).
Brace for Impact: Trump's Next Moves in Healthcare
The Trump administration's return to the White House signals a period of potentially transformative shifts in U.S. healthcare policy, focusing on substantial deregulation, aggressive cost-reduction measures, and a restructuring of key federal healthcare programs.
Medicare Opens Drug Price Negotiation Period
On February 1, drugmakers received initial offers for how much Medicare is willing to pay for their medicines, kicking off drug price negotiations for the first time. Companies have one month to counteroffer.
HHS Announces Medicare Price Negotiation List
On August 29, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced for the first time ever ten drugs selected for Medicare price negotiation. Read the list and HHS’s future plans here.
Medicare to Release Drug Price Negotiation List, Drug Giants Respond
The Biden administration is preparing to announce the first 10 medicines it will target under a program that allows the government to negotiate drug prices with pharmaceutical giants.
Senate HELP Committee Reaches a Deal on Drug Pricing Legislation
The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chair Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Ranking Member Bill Cassidy (R-LA) have reached a bipartisan deal on a slate of drug-pricing bills. The legislative package includes initiatives to spur generic drug approvals, cut fees from pharmaceutical middlemen, and cap the cost of insulin.
Lessons Learned from the Covid-19 Pandemic: A DC Perspective
This week marks the end of the U.S. national emergency to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic as President Joe Biden signed a bipartisan congressional resolution to bring it to a close after three years — weeks before it was set to expire alongside a separate public health emergency. The President signed the measure after having initially opposed the congressional resolutions.
One Year of ARPA-H and its First Funding Opportunity
The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) is seeking funding proposals for research aiming to improve health outcomes across patient populations, communities, diseases, and health conditions. ARPA-H also encourages concepts to advance the objectives of President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot, as well as more disease-agnostic approaches.