Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Hoping To Dodge Trump's Tariffs, Small Drugmakers Mull Pricing Deals
The Trump administration is negotiating new drug-pricing deals, now with smaller companies, according to three people with knowledge of the meetings, including a White House official. (Payne, 4/2)
More on the high cost of health care —
Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) are calling on Republican committee leaders to hold hearings with the chief executives of top health insurers in the U.S. as they “continue to get rich” during a time when health care access and affordability are of top concern. Sanders and Wyden wrote to Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), chairs of the Senate Health and Finance committees respectively, asking that they bring in the health care CEOs to testify. (Choi, 4/2)
As Democrats vie to take control of Congress in the midterms this fall, their main message on health care policy is fairly straightforward: Undo Republicans’ Medicaid cuts and restore the health care subsidies that lapsed at the end of last year. But some analysts and lawmakers say momentum is growing for a bigger health care push in 2028. (DeGroot, 4/2)
ýҕl Health News: ýҕl Health News’ ‘What The Health?’: GOP Mulls More Health Cuts
Recent polling finds that health costs are a top worry for much of the American public, while Republicans in Congress are considering still more cuts to federal health spending on programs such as Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court ruled that Colorado cannot ban mental health professionals from using “conversion therapy” to treat LGBTQ+ minors, a decision that’s likely to affect other states with similar laws. (Rovner, 4/2)
ýҕl Health News: Tax Time Brings Surprises For Some Who Receive ACA Subsidies
Tax time can come with big surprises for some people who have Affordable Care Act coverage, including owing money back to the government for premium subsidies received during the previous year. More changes lie ahead that make it important for those getting subsidies in 2026 to track their income and take steps to protect against that kind of financial hit. (Appleby and Jones, 4/3)
Cancer is becoming increasingly common among young people, with cases slowly and steadily rising every year for the past decade. And what type of insurance adolescents and young adults have affects at what stage of cancer they’re diagnosed and how long they survive. (Winegar, Martin and Liu, 4/1)
