President Trump nominated Chris Klomp for deputy health secretary on Thursday, cementing the influential aide's role as a de facto No. 2 to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Why it matters: Klomp has won praise from health industry leaders and other stakeholders since being elevated from Medicare director to chief counselor of the Department of Health and Human Services in February.
The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that consumers can't use state courts to bring lawsuits against manufacturers that don't warn of hazards surrounding their products.
Why it matters: The case was a major friction point for activists in the "Make America Healthy Again" movement, who have been calling for a crackdown on chemicals like glyphosate, the active ingredient in the weedkiller Roundup, in the food supply.
Growing demand for medical care and high-cost drugs helped drive up national health spending 7.3% last year, to $5.7 trillion, according to new projections federal actuaries released on Wednesday.
The big picture: It marked the third consecutive year that health spending rose above 7% — a trend that's likely to continue this year and intensify affordability concerns.
A flurry of moves by health tech companies to promote more patient data sharing is raising red flags over the way it could expose personal information.
Why it matters: The moment someone pulls data from their doctor's office, it's no longer covered by HIPAA, the landmark privacy law that safeguards personally identifiable health information.
I'm turning 60 this year, and this milestone has me thinking about the value of aging beyond economic power or trendy hair. It's perspective.
The big picture: Like a lot of older Gen Xers, I have stories of buying an annual road atlas, talking for hours on a corded phone in the kitchen and witnessing the first Macintosh appear in my college computer lab.
I remember looking at that "mouse thing" and feeling quite sure it would never catch on.
The Trump administration asked Congress on Wednesday for $87.6 billion in supplemental funding, most of it to cover costs related to the Iran war.
Why it matters: The request is likely to intensify debate over presidential war powers as lawmakers in both parties question whether Congress should have authorized military action against Iran.
Nearly 9.6 million American adults may have traveled abroad to get dental care, according to a new report from CareQuest Institute for Oral Health.
Why it matters: Oral health procedures are generally more expensive in the U.S. than in other countries, making medical tourism a more viable option for some people.
A series of Food and Drug Administration decisions following the departure of former commissioner Marty Makary signal a reset in the agency's relationship with the biopharmaceutical industry.
Why it matters: Global leadership in the sector is at stake with China's rapid ascendance in drug development — and biotech investors and executives had warned that the agency was undermining innovation, not supporting it.
I went to a little "meet and greet" at a doctor's office recently to see if I felt comfortable enough to pay top dollar for premier, high-access care.
Why it matters: 20 minutes in, the concierge primary care doctor declined to take me on as a patient. I was out the door in tears, credit card in hand.
