Gregg's Top Three Health Policy Articles

If you can only read three things about health policy this week, I suggest...

The Top Three...

The New York Times: Senate Bill Would Make Deep Cuts To Medicaid, Setting Up Fight With House Senate Republicans on Monday released legislation that would cut Medicaid far more aggressively than would the House-passed bill to deliver President Trump’s domestic agenda, while also salvaging or slowing the elimination of some clean-energy tax credits, setting up a fight over their party’s marquee policy package. (Edmondson, Sanger-Katz, Romm and Plumer, 6/16)

Modern Healthcare: GOP Tax Plan Would Cost Healthcare $1T: CBO A new analysis of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 concludes the economic benefits of its tax breaks would be outweighed by its costs over time and confirms the healthcare sector faces a hefty $1 trillion loss. Although cuts to Medicaid, the health insurance exchanges and other programs, and some economic growth would partially offset its $3.7 trillion price tag, the bill would increase the federal budget deficit by $2.8 trillion over 10 years, according to a report the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office and Joint Committee on Taxation issued Tuesday. (McAuliff, 6/17)

Politico: Hospitals Stunned By Senate GOP’s Medicaid Plan One of the most powerful lobbies in Washington is redoubling its efforts to avoid a cut to Medicaid payments in the GOP’s megabill. Hospital executives weren’t happy last month when the House included a provision in its version of the bill freezing a loophole states have used to boost payments to hospitals serving the low-income patients enrolled in Medicaid. Hospitals have long enjoyed deference from lawmakers — since they both care for and employ their constituents. (King, Oprysko, Carney and Chu, 6/17)

For a Deeper Dive...

Fierce Healthcare: AHIP 2025: Insurer Coalition Vows To Fight Trump Budget Bill To Final Hour At AHIP's annual conference, the trade group told reporters they oppose the reconciliation bill moving through Congress because of the impacts it would have on Medicaid and the individual market. AHIP executives said they will continue to work with other prominent healthcare organizations to convince lawmakers to protect federal health programs and help Americans remain insured—both by avoiding the harshest cuts and changes to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act and extending the ACA enhanced premium tax credits. (Tong, 6/18)

KFF Health News: ‘MAGA’ Backers Like Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ — Until They Learn Of Health Consequences Nearly two-thirds of adults oppose President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” approved in May by the House of Representatives, according to a KFF poll released Tuesday. And even Trump’s most ardent supporters like the legislation a lot less when they learn how it would cut federal spending on health programs, the poll shows. (Galewitz, 6/17)

AP: Trump Gives Data Of Immigrant Medicaid Enrollees To Deportation Officials President Donald Trump’s administration this week provided deportation officials with personal data -- including the immigration status -- on millions of Medicaid enrollees, a move that could make it easier to locate people as part of his sweeping immigration crackdown. An internal memo and emails obtained by The Associated Press show that Medicaid officials unsuccessfully sought to block the data transfer, citing legal and ethical concerns. (Kindy and Seitz, 6/14)

Fierce Healthcare: Dems Introduce Bill To Establish Medicare 'Part E' Public Option Democrats in the House and Senate have introduced new legislation that would establish a "Part E" for Medicare, which would allow people to opt into the program. Reps. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., and Don Beyer, D-Va., on Monday put forward the Choose Medicare Act. Under the proposal, a potential Medicare Part E would have the program compete with private insurance. Democratic Sens. Jeff Merkley, of Ore., and Chris Murphy, of Conn., introduced a companion bill in that chamber. (Minemyer, 6/16)

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JAMA: Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices at a Crossroads. EJ Asturias, NT Brewer, O Brook, et al

JAMA: How to Unleash the States to Fix Medicaid Spending. SM Butler

For the Visual Among Us...

A few years ago I started a weekly e-mail for friends and colleagues who want to keep up on major federal health policy developments but did not have time to plod through all the minutiae--they were busy doing important things like running organizations and taking care of patients! Much to my surprise, it became pretty popular. I have now converted to a weekly newsletter format so you can manage your own subscription preferences and forward to others that might be interested.

These summaries represent my judgement on health policy issues that may not on the front pages, but are relevant to clinicians, administrators, and educators. I monitor many news sources and clipping services to identify content for this newsletter and I try hard to be as factual, balanced, and non-partisan as possible. While the articles are written by others (with credit attributed), the choice of what to include is entirely mine. If you are interested in receiving a daily summary of health policy news, you might consider signing up for the KHN Morning Briefing. If you enjoy podcasts, I suggest What the Health? and Tradeoffs.

-Gregg S. Margolis, PhD