President Trump used an executive order on Tuesday to direct three federal agencies to enforce the health care price transparency regulations he rolled out during his first term.
The big picture: Trump didn't unveil new pricing policies but the order indicates it's still a priority for him — and it could signal more enforcement against noncompliant hospitals and insurers going forward.
Medicare spending on 10 diabetes drugs, including popular GLP-1s, more than quadrupled over a five-year period and could reach $102 billion next year, an analysis by Health and Human Services' inspector general found.
Why it matters: Medicare doesn't cover the drugs for weight loss, but the watchdog report noted a surge in utilization raises questions about whether the program paid drug claims for unauthorized uses.
The Food and Drug Administration on Monday granted its first approval for a pacemaker-like device for the brain to ease symptoms of Parkinson's disease, which affects nearly 1 million people in the United States.
Why it matters: Medtronic, the device's manufacturer, said this will be the largest-ever commercial rollout of brain-computer interface technology.
As hundreds of researchers, patient advocates and policymakers gather in Washington, D.C., this week for an advocacy fly-in on rare diseases, a notable gap has appeared on their schedule: an annual gathering hosted by the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health.
Why it matters: The annual two-day gathering known as Rare Disease Day is among the agencies' largest public engagements, and its postponement is raising questions about the agency's priorities.
Rising health costs are squeezing states' budgets to the point where some are considering raising premiums for hundreds of thousands of teachers and public employees for the first time in more than a decade.
Why it matters: The potential hikes show that even state workers with generous benefits aren't immune from the cost growth that's been facing commercial insurers and federal health programs.
Justice Clarence Thomas issued a scathing dissent Monday after the Supreme Court declined to hear a case challenging free speech rights around abortion clinics, suggesting he wants to revisit the matter after the court ended the federal constitutional right to abortion in 2022.
The big picture: The high court's move marked a loss for abortion opponents who claimed their First Amendment rights are violated by laws that limit demonstrations near clinics.
Elizabeth Holmes, the founder of failed blood-testing startup Theranos, must complete her 11-year prison sentence, after a U.S. appeals court on Monday upheld her conviction for defrauding investors.
The big picture: This was always a long-shot appeal, with Holmes' attorneys arguing that trial judge had made errors.
Denny's is temporarily adding an egg surcharge at some of its restaurants because of the nationwide egg shortage and increased prices, the chain confirmed to Axios Monday.
Why it matters: The bird flu has ravaged the nation's supply of eggs, leading to shortages and higher prices at grocery stores and restaurants.
Makers of copycat weight-loss drugs and digital health companies that sell them are bracing for upheaval now that the Food and Drug Administration has declared Novo Nordisk's blockbusters Ozempic and Wegovy are no longer in shortage.
Why it matters: The announcement on Friday effectively ends anFDA policy that allowed drug compounders to make less expensive off-brand versions of the semaglutide injections when the brand-name products are in short supply. And it may force patients to pay more to stay on their regimens.
Supplement makers, practitioners of alternative medicine and others in the wellness movement are hoping to capitalize on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s tenure as the nation's top health official.
Why it matters: Kennedy's interest in treating the root causes of chronic illnesses through lifestyle changes could elevate unregulated alternatives and risky pseudoscience while relegating diagnosis and treatment of disease to the back burner, critics warn.
