A think tank with close ties to the Trump administration is making the case for wonky changes to state Medicaid payments that could solve a big problem for Republican lawmakers: They could cut federal spending in the name of simply cracking down on waste and abuse within the program.
The big picture: State-directed Medicaid payments have grown rapidly, and there's been bipartisan support for reining them in.
But slashing or getting rid of the payments would be a big financial hit for providers, and especially hospitals, who vehemently disagree that the payments are wasteful.
When Marty Makary officially became Food and Drug Administration commissioner Tuesday night, he inherited the explosive matter of mifepristone access — an issue that hung over and complicated his confirmation process.
Why it matters: Abortion remains a politically volatile subject for the GOP in a post-Roe world, but whether and how to reset abortion pill dispensing guidelines now that Republicans are in power may turn out to be the most difficult decision the party's made yet.
The demise of 23andMe illustrates the vulnerable state of Americans' health data, as med tech companies vacuum up more personal information with little regulatory oversight.
Why it matters: Fitness trackers, wellness apps, genetic tests and other direct-to-consumer tools that capture personal health information aren't subject to federal health data privacy laws. That could open the door to fraud or discrimination.
