Millions drop Obamacare health coverage after subsidies expire and costs rise
Read full article: Millions drop Obamacare health coverage after subsidies expire and costs riseNew federal figures show that about 3 million fewer people had Affordable Care Act health insurance plans in February compared with the same time last year.
Judge temporarily blocks subpoenas in criminal probe of transgender care at New York hospitals
Read full article: Judge temporarily blocks subpoenas in criminal probe of transgender care at New York hospitalsA federal judge has temporarily blocked the Justice Department from executing subpoenas in a criminal probe that sought transgender care records for patients treated at New York hospitals.
The Trump administration expands its use of AI in the hunt for healthcare fraud
Read full article: The Trump administration expands its use of AI in the hunt for healthcare fraudThe Department of Health and Human Services is boosting its use of artificial intelligence to monitor audits from federal grant recipients.
US health officials nix publication of a study on COVID vaccine effectiveness
Read full article: US health officials nix publication of a study on COVID vaccine effectivenessU.S. health officials have stopped the publication of a study on the COVID-19 vaccine's effectiveness in preventing hospitalizations.
A vaccine standoff and other key moments from RFK Jr.'s first congressional hearing in months
Read full article: A vaccine standoff and other key moments from RFK Jr.'s first congressional hearing in monthsHealth Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defended a more than 12% proposed cut to his department's budget and dodged arrows from angry Democrats as he kicked off an expected sprint of seven hearings in Congress over the next seven days.
Judge rules US government overreached with transgender health care declaration
Read full article: Judge rules US government overreached with transgender health care declarationA federal judge has ruled that the government overreached when it declared certain types of gender-affirming care unsafe for young people.
Trump administration launches investigation of states that mandate health insurance covers abortion
Read full article: Trump administration launches investigation of states that mandate health insurance covers abortionThe Trump administration is launching investigations into 13 states that require health insurance plans to cover abortion.
Judge rules Trump administration must keep funding child care subsidies in 5 states for now
Read full article: Judge rules Trump administration must keep funding child care subsidies in 5 states for nowA federal judge says the Trump administration must keep the money flowing for now for programs aimed at helping low-income families with children in five states.
Hundreds of laid-off researchers at US workplace safety center are being reinstated
Read full article: Hundreds of laid-off researchers at US workplace safety center are being reinstatedFederal officials are reinstating hundreds of U.S. health workers who were laid off last year from a small health agency that aims to protect workers.
Trump administration restores federal funding for family planning after ACLU lawsuit
Read full article: Trump administration restores federal funding for family planning after ACLU lawsuitReproductive rights advocates have dropped a lawsuit against the Trump administration after officials agreed to restore millions in federal funding for family planning services.
Judge orders HHS to restore funding for children's health programs as lawsuit continues
Read full article: Judge orders HHS to restore funding for children's health programs as lawsuit continuesA federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to restore nearly $12 million in funding to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Medicaid paid more than $207 million for dead people. A new law could help fix that
Read full article: Medicaid paid more than $207 million for dead people. A new law could help fix thatA new Department of Health and Human Services report reveals Medicaid programs made over $200 million in improper payments to health care providers between 2021 and 2022 for people who had already died.
CDC website changed to contradict scientific conclusion that vaccines don't cause autism
Read full article: CDC website changed to contradict scientific conclusion that vaccines don't cause autismThe Trump administration has revised a website to contradict the scientific consensus that vaccines don't cause autism.
California mpox cases raise concerns. But health officials say the risk remains low
Read full article: California mpox cases raise concerns. But health officials say the risk remains lowInvestigators suspect that two Californians diagnosed with mpox may be the first U.S. cases resulting from the local spread of a different version of the virus.
Federal employees in mental health and disease control were among targets in weekend firings
Read full article: Federal employees in mental health and disease control were among targets in weekend firingsFederal employees working on mental health services, disease outbreaks and disaster preparedness were among those hit by the Trump administration’s mass firings over the weekend.
Trump administration agrees to restore health websites and data
Read full article: Trump administration agrees to restore health websites and dataFederal officials have agreed to restore health- and science-related webpages and data following a lawsuit settlement with doctors' groups and other organizations.
HHS moves to strip thousands of federal health workers of union rights
Read full article: HHS moves to strip thousands of federal health workers of union rightsThe U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has moved to strip thousands of federal health agency employees of their collective bargaining rights.
Judge orders RFK Jr.'s health department to stop sharing Medicaid data with deportation officials
Read full article: Judge orders RFK Jr.'s health department to stop sharing Medicaid data with deportation officialsA federal judge has ordered the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to stop sharing personal data of Medicaid enrollees with deportation officials.
How the federal mRNA vaccine funding shift affects Houston’s medical research landscape
Read full article: How the federal mRNA vaccine funding shift affects Houston’s medical research landscapeDespite 22 active research projects aimed at advancing mRNA vaccines against various diseases, Kennedy claims the technology is ineffective against respiratory infections like COVID-19 and the flu - a stance that contradicts existing scientific evidence.
A judge tells federal agencies they can't enforce anti-trans bias policies against Catholic groups
Read full article: A judge tells federal agencies they can't enforce anti-trans bias policies against Catholic groupsA federal judge has ruled that two federal agencies cannot punish Catholic employers and health care providers if they refuse, for religious reasons, to provide gender-affirming care to transgender patients or won’t provide health insurance coverage for such care to their workers.
Judge pauses much of Trump administration's massive downsizing of federal agencies
Read full article: Judge pauses much of Trump administration's massive downsizing of federal agenciesA California judge has ordered the Trump administration to halt much of its massive downsizing of the federal workforce.
Email mistake reveals secret plans to end research on Head Start and other child safety net programs
Read full article: Email mistake reveals secret plans to end research on Head Start and other child safety net programsA Department of Health and Human Services employee has emailed dozens of people this week, mistakenly including plans to slash research related to child safety net programs.
Draft budget plan proposes deep cuts across federal health programs
Read full article: Draft budget plan proposes deep cuts across federal health programsA draft budget proposal circulating among federal officials would dramatically deepen cuts at the nation’s top health agency, eliminating some public health programs entirely and serving as a roadmap for more mass firings.
Houston Health Department loses $42 million after federal COVID-19 grants canceled in Texas; job cuts expected to follow
Read full article: Houston Health Department loses $42 million after federal COVID-19 grants canceled in Texas; job cuts expected to followThe Texas Department of State Health Services is reaching out to counties using COVID-era grants to stop spending those funds as it evaluates $877 million in grant cancelations by the federal government.
$877 Million in federal COVID-19 grants canceled, Texas counties advised to stop spending
Read full article: $877 Million in federal COVID-19 grants canceled, Texas counties advised to stop spendingThe Texas Department of State Health Services is reaching out to counties using COVID-era grants to stop spending those funds as it evaluates $877 million in grant cancelations by the federal government.
Stanford and 3 U of California campuses face probes as part of Trump's anti-DEI campaign
Read full article: Stanford and 3 U of California campuses face probes as part of Trump's anti-DEI campaignThe Trump administration says it has opened investigations into the admissions policies at Stanford University and three campuses within the University of California system, including UC Berkeley, UCLA and UC Irvine.
Health and Human Services will lay off 10,000 workers and close agencies in a major restructuring
Read full article: Health and Human Services will lay off 10,000 workers and close agencies in a major restructuringA Democratic senator says she's worried about the fallout from a major overhaul and layoffs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Trump administration cuts reach FDA employees in food safety, medical devices and tobacco products
Read full article: Trump administration cuts reach FDA employees in food safety, medical devices and tobacco productsThe Trump administration’s effort to slash the size of the federal workforce reached the Food and Drug Administration this weekend.
A federal utility assistance program favors cold-weather states, giving less money to hot places like Texas
Read full article: A federal utility assistance program favors cold-weather states, giving less money to hot places like TexasThe program helps low-income people with heating and cooling bills, but advocates say it disadvantages Texas and other warm-weather states, even though extreme heat is a key cause of weather-related deaths.
Scientists are testing mRNA vaccines to protect cows and people against bird flu
Read full article: Scientists are testing mRNA vaccines to protect cows and people against bird fluThe bird flu outbreak in U.S. dairy cows is prompting development of new, next-generation mRNA vaccines — akin to the shots deployed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tennessee, Delaware to become first states to offer free diapers for Medicaid families
Read full article: Tennessee, Delaware to become first states to offer free diapers for Medicaid familiesTennessee will soon become the first state in the country to offer free diapers to families enrolled in the state’s Medicaid program after receiving federal approval, state officials have confirmed.
US pledges money and other aid to help track and contain bird flu on dairy farms
Read full article: US pledges money and other aid to help track and contain bird flu on dairy farmsU.S. officials pledged nearly $200 million in new spending and other efforts Friday to help track and contain an outbreak of bird flu in the nation's dairy cows.
Texas transplant patient shares thoughts after Memorial Hermann abruptly shuts down transplant programs
Read full article: Texas transplant patient shares thoughts after Memorial Hermann abruptly shuts down transplant programsMany transplant patients at Memorial Hermann Hospital are looking into different options at local hospitals after its transplant program was abruptly shut down.
Houston Methodist taking on new transplant patients after investigation into competing hospital’s surgeon
Read full article: Houston Methodist taking on new transplant patients after investigation into competing hospital’s surgeonHouston Methodist is currently evaluating nearly 75 patients who were in the care of Memorial Hermann before their liver and kidney transplant programs shut down this month for internal and federal investigations.
UTHealth defends Houston surgeon accused of manipulating information to deny liver transplants at Memorial Hermann
Read full article: UTHealth defends Houston surgeon accused of manipulating information to deny liver transplants at Memorial HermannDr. Steve Bynon is an exceptionally talented and caring physician, and a pioneer in abdominal organ transplantation.
Report: Houston surgeon accused of ‘secretly’ rejecting liver transplants
Read full article: Report: Houston surgeon accused of ‘secretly’ rejecting liver transplantsDays after Memorial Hermann halted its liver and kidney transplants programs, The New York Times has reported that a surgeon working at the hospital has been accused of denying liver transplants to some his patients.
Emergency rooms not required to perform life-saving abortions, federal appeals court rules
Read full article: Emergency rooms not required to perform life-saving abortions, federal appeals court rulesThe Biden administration reminded hospitals of their obligation to perform life-saving abortions under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act after the overturn of Roe v. Wade. Texas sued, arguing it was an overstep that mandated abortions.
New rules aim to make foster care with family easier, provide protection for LGBTQ+ children
Read full article: New rules aim to make foster care with family easier, provide protection for LGBTQ+ childrenThe Biden administration is moving to make it easier for caregivers to take in family members in the foster care system, requiring states to provide them with the same financial support that any other foster home would receive.
Marijuana recommendation from Health Dept. hailed by senators as first step to easing restrictions
Read full article: Marijuana recommendation from Health Dept. hailed by senators as first step to easing restrictionsThe U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has delivered a recommendation to the Drug Enforcement Administration on marijuana policy, and Senate leaders are hailing it as a first step toward easing federal restrictions on the drug.
Alaska report details 280 missing Indigenous people, including whether disappearances are suspicious
Read full article: Alaska report details 280 missing Indigenous people, including whether disappearances are suspiciousLaw enforcement in Alaska has prepared a first-of-its-kind report detailing missing Alaska Natives and American Indians.
The latest victim of the MOVEit data breach is the Department of Health and Human Services
Read full article: The latest victim of the MOVEit data breach is the Department of Health and Human ServicesFederal health officials have notified Congress of a data breach that could involve the information of more than 100,000 people.
Merck sues federal government, calling plan to negotiate Medicare drug prices extortion
Read full article: Merck sues federal government, calling plan to negotiate Medicare drug prices extortionMerck is suing the federal government over a plan to negotiate Medicare drug prices, calling the program a sham equivalent to extortion.
Mother of Honduran migrant teen who died in US custody says he had epilepsy but wasn't seriously ill
Read full article: Mother of Honduran migrant teen who died in US custody says he had epilepsy but wasn't seriously illThe mother of a 17-year-old Honduran migrant who died in U.S. custody says her son had epilepsy but showed no signs of being seriously ill before he left for the United States.
'He wanted to live the American Dream': Honduran teen dies in US immigration custody
Read full article: 'He wanted to live the American Dream': Honduran teen dies in US immigration custodyThe mother of a 17-year-old boy who died this week in U.S. immigration custody is demanding answers from American officials, saying her son had no known illnesses and had not shown any signs of being sick before his death.
President Biden signs law designating TIRR Memorial Hermann as ‘National Rehabilitation Innovation Center’
Read full article: President Biden signs law designating TIRR Memorial Hermann as ‘National Rehabilitation Innovation Center’Legislation passed by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden has designated TIRR Memorial Hermann to be a national rehabilitation innovation center.
Pharmacies can't discriminate on reproductive health scripts
Read full article: Pharmacies can't discriminate on reproductive health scriptsThe Biden administration is warning pharmacies not to discriminate against women who may seek reproductive health prescriptions, including some that might be involved in ending a pregnancy.
U.S. Department of HHS secretary reveals action plan to protect women’s access to reproductive health care in response to SCOTUS decision
Read full article: U.S. Department of HHS secretary reveals action plan to protect women’s access to reproductive health care in response to SCOTUS decisionThe U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra held a press conference on Tuesday to announce an action plan in response to the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Senate confirms health care watchdog assailed by Trump
Read full article: Senate confirms health care watchdog assailed by TrumpThe Senate has confirmed a federal watchdog assailed by former President Donald Trump to the top job battling fraud, waste and abuse at the $1.6 trillion Department of Health and Human Services.
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COVID-19 vaccinations greatly reduced hospitalization rates and deaths, report says
Read full article: COVID-19 vaccinations greatly reduced hospitalization rates and deaths, report saysThe U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said COVID-19 vaccinations have helped prevent roughly 24,000 new infections and 3,600 deaths among seniors in Texas within the first five months.
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Civil rights complaint targets Idaho health care rationing
Read full article: Civil rights complaint targets Idaho health care rationingAn advocacy group for older adults has filed a civil rights complaint against Idaho over state crisis standards of care guidelines for hospitals overwhelmed amid the coronavirus pandemic.
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US threatens legal action against Texas on shelter closures
Read full article: US threatens legal action against Texas on shelter closuresThe Biden administration is threatening to pursue legal action if Texas Gov. Greg Abbott doesn’t rescind his order shutting down federally funded shelters that house migrant children who cross the U.S.-Mexico border without their parents.
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US threatens legal action against Texas on shelter closures
Read full article: US threatens legal action against Texas on shelter closuresThe Biden administration is threatening to pursue legal action if Texas Gov. Greg Abbott doesn’t rescind his order shutting down federally funded shelters that house migrant children who cross the U.S.-Mexico border without their parents.
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Texas push to close shelters for migrant kids alarms groups
Read full article: Texas push to close shelters for migrant kids alarms groupsA move by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to shutter dozens of shelters housing about 4,000 migrant children is threatening to disrupt a national program offering care for minors who cross the U.S.-Mexico border.
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Texas push to close shelters for migrant kids alarms groups
Read full article: Texas push to close shelters for migrant kids alarms groupsA move by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to shutter dozens of shelters housing about 4,000 migrant children is threatening to disrupt a national program offering care for minors who cross the U.S.-Mexico border.
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US to keep migrant families in hotels amid rush for space
Read full article: US to keep migrant families in hotels amid rush for spaceMigrant families will be held at hotels in the Phoenix area in response to a growing number of people crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, another step in the Biden’s administration rush to set up temporary space.
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Texas investigating abuse allegations at migrant facility
Read full article: Texas investigating abuse allegations at migrant facilityTexas child welfare officials say they've received three reports of abuse and neglect at a San Antonio coliseum that is holding more than 1,600 immigrant teenagers who crossed the southern border.
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Trump administration extends health care safety net for uninsured Texans
Read full article: Trump administration extends health care safety net for uninsured TexansIn the final days of President Donald Trump’s tenure, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services agreed Friday to extend for 10 years Texas’ health care safety net for uninsured residents. The federal funding agreement, known as the 1115 waiver, reimburses hospitals for the “uncompensated care” they provide to patients without health insurance. It also pays for innovative health care projects that serve low-income Texans, often for mental health services. But a few months after the signing of the Texas waiver, a U.S. Supreme Court ruling gutted the Medicaid expansion portion of the sweeping federal health law. Three Texas organizations that advocate for expanded health care said in a recent letter to the federal government that the coronavirus pandemic has left even more people uninsured.
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States to receive initial $3 billion infusion for vaccines
Read full article: States to receive initial $3 billion infusion for vaccinesThe U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said $3 billion for vaccine efforts should go out to states by Jan. 19, along with $19 billion of additional aid for coronavirus testing and contact tracing. It will be up to states to decide exactly how to use the money. The vaccine money is being distributed among states through a formula that also allots portions to certain large cities and U.S. territories. The federal law leaves it up to states to decide how much, if any, of the vaccine money to pass on to local health departments. The federal law authorized $8.7 billion for coronavirus vaccine distribution and tracking, with at least $4.5 billion set aside for states and localities.
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Federal officials discuss Operation Warp Speed and COVID-19 vaccine distribution
Read full article: Federal officials discuss Operation Warp Speed and COVID-19 vaccine distributionThe U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Defense gave a briefing with on Operation Warp Speed and COVID-19 vaccine distribution. You can watch the briefing in the video attached to this story.
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Top federal health officials visit Baylor College of Medicine for an update on COVID-19 vaccine trial
Read full article: Top federal health officials visit Baylor College of Medicine for an update on COVID-19 vaccine trialTwo of the country’s top health officials, Eric Hargan, the Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and U.S. Four vaccines are now in Phase 3 human trials, including one at Baylor College of Medicine. Health officials said they won’t support a vaccine’s approval unless the trial includes a large and diverse group of volunteers. Getting a safe and effective vaccine across the finish line, from a research point of view, is only step one of the process. They discovered delivering substantial quantities of a vaccine, which health officials said could happen by the end of the year, will logistically be the hardest vaccine distribution in history.
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2 federally funded COVID-19 testing sites set to begin operating in Harris County Monday
Read full article: 2 federally funded COVID-19 testing sites set to begin operating in Harris County MondayHARRIS COUNTY, Texas The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will open two additional temporary COVID-19 surge testing sites in Harris County come Monday. HHS began operating two testing sites in Houston and Pasadena last week. The two new testing sites will begin operating on Monday in Houston and Kingwood. The testing sites were established through a partnership with HHS Assistant Secretary for Health ADM Brett P. Giroir, MD, the State of Texas, Harris County, and the City of Houston. As we address surges in COVID-19 cases across the state, increasing testing is essential to detecting and mitigating the spread of this virus, said Abbott.
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Virus cases jump in worst-hit trio of US, Brazil and India
Read full article: Virus cases jump in worst-hit trio of US, Brazil and IndiaThe virus is showing no signs of slowing in the worst-affected countries: the United States, Brazil and India. The U.S. reported nearly 59,000 new daily cases, just short of the record 60,000 cases set a day earlier, as President Donald Trump insisted that schools reopen in the fall. Brazil reported nearly 45,000 new cases. The virus has also been spreading rapidly in South Africa, which reported nearly 9,000 new cases in its latest daily update. He complained that his own public health officials safety guidelines are impractical and too expensive.
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Federal government postpones plans to close five coronavirus testing sites in Texas
Read full article: Federal government postpones plans to close five coronavirus testing sites in TexasNational Guard members at a mobile COVID-19 testing site at Uhland Elementary School in Uhland on June 18, 2020. According to a department statement, the extension is in response to requests from state leaders. State, local and federal elected officials from Texas had urged the Trump administration to keep the sites open as cases surge in the state. The seven sites are in Houston, Dallas and El Paso. "These federally-supported testing sites are a vital component of this commitment," Gov.
One shelter for migrant children is trying to distinguish itself from Border Patrol processing centers. But protesters keep coming.
Read full article: One shelter for migrant children is trying to distinguish itself from Border Patrol processing centers. But protesters keep coming.The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the agency running the Carrizo Springs facility for unaccompanied teens, has distinguished its shelters from processing facilities facing worsening conditions. That hasn’t stopped protesters from descending on the town.
Near the border, a former camp for oilfield workers now holds hundreds of migrant children
Read full article: Near the border, a former camp for oilfield workers now holds hundreds of migrant childrenThe emergency shelter in Carrizo Springs has already drawn protests, but the company that runs it says it's providing a better environment for migrants than overcrowded Border Patrol facilities.
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