Top Stories in Healthcare Policy
Following the mass removal of webpages including health data from federal government websites, a lawsuit has been filed against numerous federal health agencies including HHS, FDA, CDC, and OPM by Doctors for America.
Many news outlets are reporting that Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team has spent time at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) offices this week looking for examples of fraud and abuse. This included searching payment and contracting systems. There are also rumors that some HHS employees will be part of DOGE’s larger government downsizing efforts.
President Trump removed Rohit Chopra from leading the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). This move was expected as Chopra is a Biden Administration holdover. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is now acting CFPB Director. Bessent placed a temporary pause on all pending CFPB activity. This includes indefinitely pausing when the CFPB’s final rule on patient medical debt will take effect.
A new Gallup Poll surveying people on what they value most from the healthcare system. Affordability and access to care were among the highest priorities for the respondents.
Peter Nelson has been tapped by the Trump administration to lead the CMS Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO). CCIIO oversees the health insurance marketplaces. Nelson has been critical of the Biden administration’s implementation of the Affordable Care Act