Health Care

• Fast zwei Drittel (64 %) der Erwachsenen in den USA sorgen sich darum, die Kosten für die Gesundheitsversorgung bezahlen zu können, wobei 30 % sehr besorgt sind; dies übertrifft die Bezahlbarkeitssorgen im Vergleich zu den Benzinpreisen. • Trotz anderer wirtschaftlicher Belastungen bleibt die Bezahlbarkeit der Gesundheitsversorgung die Hauptsorge der Öffentlichkeit. • Die Umfrage unterstreicht die anhaltende finanzielle Belastung der Haushalte angesichts steigender medizinischer Ausgaben.

• Eine Mehrheit der Amerikaner zeigt sich besorgt über steigende Gesundheitskosten und befürwortet höhere staatliche Steuerausgaben, um diese Herausforderungen zu bewältigen, so der am 17. März 2026 veröffentlichte Axios/Ipsos American Health Index. • Die Umfrage belegt einen überparteilichen Rückhalt für staatliche Maßnahmen zur Verbesserung der Bezahlbarkeit im Gesundheitswesen, was die weit verbreitete Besorgnis der US-Öffentlichkeit über eskalierende medizinische Kosten widerspiegelt. • Zudem zeigen die Amerikaner ein gesteigertes Vertrauen in die staatliche Steuerung von Entscheidungen zu Impfungen im Kindesalter, was auf ein breiteres öffentliches Vertrauen in gesundheitspolitische Interventionen hindeutet.

• The Alabama Department of Corrections terminated its $1 billion health care contract with Tennessee-based YesCare for failure to adequately fulfill contractual duties. • The contract, awarded in 2023 as a 5-year agreement, was dissolved due to the company's inability to meet performance standards for prison health services. • The termination raises questions about oversight of private contractors providing essential health care services within the correctional system.

• CrowdStrike disclosed on April 25, 2026, a sophisticated cyberattack via compromised third-party software affecting 2.5 million patient records at UnitedHealth's Change Healthcare subsidiary. • Attackers, linked to North Korean Lazarus Group, exfiltrated data over 72 hours before detection, demanding $22 million ransom. • Incident highlights vulnerabilities in US healthcare IT supply chains, prompting HHS emergency directives for 500+ providers.

Growing use of AI tech comes at expense of workers’ rights, protections and pay, report warnsBillion-dollar tech platforms are aggressively pushing for deregulation of the “Uber for nursing” industry in an effort to expand gig work in the healthcare sector, according to a report published Tuesday.The report from the AI Now Institute, Uber for Nursing Part II: How Gig Nursing Companies Are Lobbying States to Deregulate Healthcare, examines the use of artificial intelligence to staff hospitals and other healthcare facilities. Continue reading...

• Gallup survey of over 5,500 U.S. adults from Oct-Dec 2025 finds 25% use AI for health info, with 59% researching before doctor visits. • About 14 million adults skipped provider visits in past 30 days after AI advice, though only 4% strongly trust its accuracy. • Low trust levels (33% trust, 34% distrust) raise concerns on AI's role in U.S. healthcare decisions amid access barriers.

Do No Harm activist group alleges ‘racial discrimination’ in program designed to support under-served communitiesSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxConservative campaigners are targeting a decades-old federal scholarship program designed to provide Native Hawaiian students with funding to pursue healthcare careers and place practitioners in the state’s most medically under-served communities.Do No Harm, a Virginia-based advocacy group for healthcare clinicians “focused on keeping identity politics out of medical education, research, and clinical practice”, filed its federal lawsuit challenging the US health department’s Native Hawaiian Health Scholarship Program (NHHSP) last week. Continue reading...

• Golf legend Jack Nicklaus, 86, warns fans to 'look out' following a close call with health issues, shared via social media today. • The Masters Tournament icon emphasizes vigilance amid his ongoing recovery, resonating with sports entertainment followers. • Nicklaus's message underscores aging athletes' influence in US pop culture as Augusta National events approach.

• Florida placed 24th in WalletHub's 2026 children's health rankings, average in overall health and access but 47th in oral health. • Only 71.9% of Florida kids had a preventive dental visit last year, the lowest US rate versus the 80.2% national average. • The state scores better at 17th in nutrition, activity, and obesity metrics, but dental gaps reflect preventive care shortfalls.

• Following the closure of a rural Texas hospital, a local health center has expanded services to prevent care deserts for patients now traveling miles across county lines. • The initiative addresses immediate gaps in primary and emergency care in underserved areas, maintaining access for vulnerable populations. • Rural hospital closures exacerbate public health challenges, with this response demonstrating community health centers' role in continuity.

• A Gallup poll reveals 61% of Americans are 'extremely' or 'very' concerned about rising healthcare costs and insurance premiums, now topping all other domestic issues. • Concern spans parties: 89% of Democrats, 80% of independents, and 72% of Republicans express high worry over healthcare affordability. • The finding surpasses fears about the economy or inflation, highlighting healthcare as a unifying voter priority ahead of elections.

• FBI arrested eight individuals, including three nurses, a chiropractor, and a psychologist, in a Los Angeles healthcare fraud operation targeting over $50 million from the US system. • Gladwin and Amelou Gill allegedly created a hospice in their daughter's name, swindling over $7 million from taxpayers. • Six defendants face initial appearances in US District Court in downtown Los Angeles, with one in Idaho; the scheme ties to broader hospice fraud concerns in LA.

People receive rehab only three to four days a week in hospital – and one to two days once they are discharged, data suggestsThe NHS is failing stroke patients and limiting their chances of recovery because of a shortage of rehabilitation care staff, health leaders have said.More people are surviving strokes than ever before in the UK. But their hopes of getting better are being dashed because of a lack of physiotherapists and other specialist staff, according to the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Neurology. Continue reading...

• Eight defendants, including three nurses, a chiropractor, and a psychologist, have been arrested on federal charges for defrauding the health care system of more than $50 million through sham hospice care facilities. • The scheme involved running hospice operations that billed Medicare by enrolling people without terminal illnesses as beneficiaries, with Valley Pacific Hospice Inc. in Simi Valley having its Medicare enrollment revoked in August 2024. • The arrests were coordinated with the Vice President's Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, with six defendants making initial appearances in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles and one in Idaho.

• US healthcare costs for employers are forecasted to increase more than 9% in 2026, driven by regulatory changes, labor shortages, and rising demand. • Growing use of specialty drugs, particularly GLP-1 medications for weight loss and diabetes, significantly contributes to the cost surge. • Businesses face pressure to redesign benefits packages amid these economic pressures on public health spending.

• A March 29, 2026 survey reveals 57% of healthcare executives rank AI-based clinical tools as their top technology initiative. • Conversely, 57% of patients believe AI is not yet mature enough for doctors to trust in clinical decisions. • Samsung Medison unifies its U.S. medical imaging businesses under Samsung HME America to streamline operations.

• A new analysis identifies Louisiana and Kentucky as among the most stressed US states in 2026, with stress levels significantly influenced by geographic factors. • Rising healthcare costs are forcing residents to skip medical care, contributing to elevated stress levels across affected regions. • The stress disparities highlight how healthcare affordability challenges vary by state, with geographic and economic factors playing key roles in residents' wellbeing and access to care.

• U.S. health care and social assistance sectors added 693,000 jobs in 2025, accounting for all net employment gains and preventing a 570,000 job loss in the broader economy. • Despite the growth, experts warn it conceals a productivity crisis driven by administrative burdens, outdated technology, and inefficient care delivery models. • The commentary urges policy reforms to boost efficiency, as unchecked spending threatens fiscal sustainability amid aging populations.

• HHS and CMS announced new members for the Healthcare Advisory Committee on March 27, 2026, to enhance patient care and modernize U.S. healthcare. • Committee focuses on policy recommendations for efficiency, innovation, and better outcomes nationwide. • Initiative aims to address systemic challenges amid evolving public health needs.

• Patients and providers in Colorado reported rising health care costs due to Trump administration policies including H.R.1 Medicaid requirements and ended ACA tax credits, discussed at a March 25 virtual roundtable with Sen. John Hickenlooper. • Nearly 250,000 Coloradans risk losing Medicaid coverage, exacerbating rural health care deserts where 82% of hospitals operate on unsustainable margins, per Craig Memorial Regional Health CEO Jennifer Riley. • Uninsured patients will seek emergency care at the highest cost level, straining providers and worsening access, especially for women's health services.

Professionals from across Europe urge MEPs to reject plans, saying ‘climate of fear’ could stop people seeking careMore than 1,100 healthcare professionals from across Europe have urged MEPs to reject proposed measures aimed at increasing the deportation of undocumented people, warning they could threaten public health by transforming essential public services, including hospitals, into sites of immigration enforcement.The draft plans, which are due to go to a vote on Thursday, have been in the works since last March, when the European Commission laid out its proposal to target people with no legal right to stay in the EU, including potentially sending them to offshore centres in non-EU countries. Continue reading...

• On March 24, 2026, Reps. Ayanna Pressley and Hakeem Jeffries held a roundtable condemning Republican policies gutting Medicaid and ACA programs, forcing families to choose between medications and rent. • Pressley highlighted Republicans' $2 billion daily war funding while cutting healthcare for tens of millions and supporting ICE abuses. • 'Republicans’ manufactured healthcare crisis is making people sicker, poorer, and less safe,' Pressley stated.

• A new report reveals that rising healthcare costs are forcing approximately 1 in 3 US adults to reduce basic spending on essentials like utilities, transportation, and prescription medications. • The financial strain is most severe among uninsured Americans, with about 62% reporting they have made trade-offs to afford medical costs, while nearly 3 in 10 insured Americans also report cutting back. • The impact spans income levels: approximately half of households earning $48,000 to $180,000 have delayed major life decisions because of healthcare costs, and one-third of those earning $180,000 to $240,000 report similar delays.

• A federal judge in Oregon ruled on March 20, 2026, that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. overreached by issuing a December declaration labeling puberty blockers and surgeries for gender dysphoria as unsafe without proper procedures. • The declaration warned doctors of exclusion from Medicare and Medicaid for providing such treatments, prompting a lawsuit led by New York Attorney General Letitia James alleging coercion and lack of public notice or comment period. • The ruling provides legal clarity for patients, families, and providers, affirming that transgender health services remain available despite major medical groups like the AMA opposing restrictions.

• AMA Board Chair Dr. Aizuss testified before Congress on March 20, 2026, highlighting financial challenges for physician practices impacting patient access to care nationwide. • He identified market consolidation, inadequate payments, prior authorization burdens, coverage instability, and workforce shortages as drivers of rising costs and longer waits. • Recommendations include prior authorization reform, restoring physician-owned hospitals, addressing physician shortages, and ensuring Medicaid sustainability amid changes.

• Democrats laying groundwork for major U.S. health care reforms amid political shifts in Washington. • NIH's Bhattacharya commits to full budget spending; top FDA official announces exit. • Moves signal potential policy battles over research funding and regulatory changes.

Chair Heather Hallett says pandemic had devastating impact due to NHS being in ‘parlous state’ at timeThe NHS “teetered on the brink of collapse” during the Covid pandemic, and only just coped thanks to the “superhuman” efforts of healthcare workers, an official inquiry has concluded.In a damning assessment of how the UK’s healthcare systems coped with the pandemic, the Covid-19 inquiry chair, Heather Hallett, said the impact was “devastating” due to the NHS being in a “parlous state” before the outbreak of the virus.The NHS entered the pandemic with low bed numbers, high numbers of staff vacancies and high bed occupancy, meaning it was already in a “precarious position” and ill-prepared to deal with a pandemic.There was not enough PPE at the start of the pandemic, meaning healthcare workers had to put themselves and their families at risk to care for patients.Infection control in the early stages of the pandemic was flawed as it assumed Covid-19 was spread by physical contact, rather than being airborne.The “stay home, protect the NHS, save lives” public message may have inadvertently led to a decline in hospital attendance of life-threatening emergencies such as heart attacks.80% of healthcare professionals said they acted in a way that conflicted with their values during the pandemic, with some saying they felt they were “playing God” as they were unable to give everyone the treatment they needed. Continue reading...

• On March 3, 2026, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation’s Subcommittee convened a hearing titled 'Less Hype, More Help: AI That Improves Safety, Productivity, and Care' to explore AI's role in enhancing quality of life, jobs, and economic growth. • The hearings underscore Congress's ongoing focus on AI use across sectors, including healthcare, as a major priority for policy. • Recent congressional attention highlights the Administration's interest in regulating AI to balance innovation and safety.

• Governor Abigail Spanberger praised the 2026 General Assembly's passage of bills reducing heating costs (HB2, SB72), establishing a Weatherization Task Force (HB3, SB5), empowering localities on affordable housing (HB4), and improving renter protections (HB15, SB48). • Additional successes include eliminating healthcare premium fees (HB220, SB630), promoting portable solar systems (HB395, SB250), optimizing grid utilization (HB434, SB621), expanding the Eviction Reduction Program (HB527, SB628), limiting prior authorizations (HB736), and boosting healthcare workforce access (HB815, SB405). • Further measures allow communities to adopt affordable housing programs (HB867, SB74), improve power forecasting (HB892), and increase energy storage deployment (HB895, SB448) to lower costs for Virginians.