The Latest

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    Provider, telehealth groups urge Congress to make telehealth flexibilities permanent

    Piecemeal extensions of Medicare coverage for virtual services have impeded access to care, the American Medical Association argued. The policies could expire again on Jan. 30.

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    UnitedHealthcare raises bar for doctors to get paid for radiology services

    The change runs counter to the company’s broader efforts to pare back red tape for physicians amid widespread discontent with health insurers.

    Updated Jan. 9, 2026
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    Brandon Bell/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Overturning of Roe v. Wade

    Tracking state abortion bans in the US

    Abortion is legal in Wyoming after the state’s Supreme Court stuck down two near-total abortion bans on Tuesday.

    Updated Jan. 7, 2026
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    New Jersey healthcare giant poised to acquire another hospital

    RWJBarnabas Health has signed a definitive agreement that would absorb Englewood Health — which operates one of the last independent hospitals in the state — into its larger system.

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    40M users turn to ChatGPT daily for health questions: OpenAI

    Roughly 1.5 million to 2 million questions are sent to the chatbot about health insurance each week, suggesting consumers are increasingly using AI to navigate the healthcare system, according to the report.

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    Permission granted by Oura
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    Q&A

    Ōura’s Ricky Bloomfield proposes new regulatory pathway for wearable health features

    The chief medical officer is interested in an easier path to market for health screening features in wearable devices.

  • U.S. President Donald Trump, accompanied by Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary (L), National Institutes of Health Director Jayanta Bhattacharya (2nd-L), Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (2nd-R) and Domestic Policy Council Director Vince Haley (R), signs an executive order in the Oval Office at the White House on May 05, 2025 in Washington, DC
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    Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
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    CDC, following Trump’s orders, weakens US stance on childhood vaccinations

    In a drastic decision made outside of its typical review process, the agency declared it would recommend 11 childhood shots going forward, down from 17.

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    Top healthcare conferences to attend in 2026

    These are the events healthcare leaders should plan for this year, covering topics like digital health, rural care and financial management.

    Updated Jan. 5, 2026
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    CMS distributes rural health funds for 2026

    States received an average of $200 million to expand rural care access. Texas received the most money, while New Jersey received the least.

  • A teen talks with a therapist over a telehealth appointment from home.
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    DEA, HHS extend telehealth controlled substance prescribing flexibilities for fourth time

    The extension, released shortly before the flexibilities were set to expire at the end of 2025, gives regulators more time to finish permanent policies, the agencies said.

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    Kara Arundel/Healthcare Dive
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    Time’s up: Enhanced ACA subsidies expire

    The expanded tax credits are officially dead after lawmakers failed to secure an extension before the end-of-year deadline. There’s still a chance, though a small one, that they could come back in 2026.

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    Trump administration nixes Biden-era health IT policies, including AI ‘model cards’

    The proposed rules would pare back government guardrails around health information technology software, including some put forward by the Biden administration.

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    Novo Nordisk’s weight loss pill approved by FDA

    The clearance kicks off the next phase of an escalating battle for control of the obesity drug market. 

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    Courtesy of UnitedHealth Group
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    UnitedHealth commits to changes after independent review

    The healthcare behemoth released results of three highly anticipated external reviews that drilled down on a number of areas for improvement.

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    stock.adobe.com/Kay A/peopleimages.com

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    HHS seeks input on speeding AI adoption in clinical care

    The Trump administration has largely taken a deregulatory stance on artificial intelligence in a bid to avoid hampering the technology’s rollout.

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    Alex Wong / Staff via Getty Images
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    9 more drugmakers ink pricing deals with Trump

    President Trump said the agreements would significantly lower the prices of prescription medicines.

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    Trump administration proposes stronger insurer price transparency requirements

    The proposed rule aims to tamp down on unwieldy price data files and change how some prices are reported.

  • A picture of the exterior of the US Department of Health and Human Services. In front of the building is a black sign designating the building's name.
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    Alex Wong via Getty Images
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    Medicare unveils successor to ACO REACH

    The value-based care pilot will be replaced by ACO LEAD, a new model that providers and analysts say seems to address many of the problems posed by its predecessor.

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    JHVEPhoto via Getty Images
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    Deep Dive

    Goliath v. Goliath

    A Medicare Advantage network spat between Optum and Humana in Washington state appears to be benefiting UnitedHealthcare at the expense of its biggest rival. Antitrust experts are alarmed.

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    ChristianaCare, Virtua Health end merger talks

    The providers said they can best serve their communities by operating independently. The deal would have created a health system with more than $6 billion in annual revenue.

  • CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz speaks during an announcement at the Department of Health and Human Services on December 18, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
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    Alex Wong / Staff via Getty Images
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    Trump administration moves to bar hospitals from providing youth gender-affirming care

    Under new proposed rules, hospitals would lose federal funding if they offer treatments including puberty blockers, hormone therapy or surgical procedures to minors. 

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    Kayla Bartkowski via Getty Images
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    House passes Republican health bill without ACA subsidy extension

    The legislation makes no mention of the financial assistance, setting the subsidies up to lapse in just a few weeks.

  • A tan and black monument sign with bold orange "Optum" lettering and the address "11000 Optum Circle" sits on a grassy lawn with low shrubs in front of a large, modern office building with glass windows and beige panels. Bare trees and a cloudy sky are in the background.
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    Alamy
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    Optum Rx says 100% of network community pharmacies in cost-based contracts

    PBMs are pivoting reimbursement models to protect pharmacies from what they say is an unsustainable status quo.

  • U.S. President Donald Trump displays a signed executive order as U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and White House artificial intelligence and crypto czar David Sacks look on in the Oval Office of the White House.
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    Alex Wong via Getty Images
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    Trump AI order introduces ‘unstable regulatory landscape’: analysis

    The executive order opens a “pandora’s box of not only constitutional issues, but also issues pertaining to the EO’s interpretation and scope,” legal analysts said.

  • Two businessmen shake hands over a business deal.
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    Healthcare services M&A could rise in 2026: PwC

    Dealmaking in the sector is poised to increase next year after a lull in 2025, as companies use technology, like artificial intelligence, to attract buyers, according to the report.