•A new KFF survey from February-March 2026 shows 23 million ACA marketplace enrollees facing higher premiums after failed bipartisan subsidy extensions, forcing cuts to necessities.
•Orlando resident Priscilla Brown, 48, rations Type 2 diabetes insulin to half or third doses or skips it entirely to manage costs despite insurance.
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75% worry about affording emergency care or hospitalization; 70% blame insurers 'a lot,' over half fault Republicans, Trump, and pharma companies.
•Many switch to lower-tier plans or drop coverage as Congress prioritizes other issues amid unresolved subsidy fight.
• 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.
• The Trump administration launched investigations on March 19, 2026, into 13 states requiring health insurance to cover abortion, citing violations of the Weldon Amendment.
• Targeted states include California, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington, most with Democratic governors.
• HHS Civil Rights Director Paula M. Stannard stated the probes address states' disregard for protections allowing health entities to opt out of abortion coverage on conscience grounds.
• The California Medical Association strongly opposes a proposed statewide ballot initiative that would strip billions of dollars from vital community health centers.
• The measure threatens funding for essential services provided by health clinics serving underserved populations across California.
• CMA urges physicians and stakeholders to mobilize against the 'dangerous' proposal to protect community health infrastructure.
• CMS actuaries forecast U.S. health spending at $5.3 trillion in 2024, outpacing economic growth to hit 20% of GDP by 2033.
• Projections highlight unsustainable trajectory for national health expenditures.
• Policymakers face pressure to address cost drivers in insurance, drugs, and services.
• 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.
• Researchers using AI analyzed death certificates and estimated 155,000 additional unrecognized COVID-19 deaths outside hospitals in 2020-2021, raising the official toll of 840,000 by 16%.
• The study compared symptomology of hospital deaths with those outside care, highlighting dramatic disparities in uncounted fatalities nationwide.
• This undercounting underscores ongoing challenges in pandemic mortality tracking and public health surveillance across the U.S.
• Heartland Forward-commissioned research released March 19 reveals broad U.S. consensus on maternal health priorities and actionable steps forward.
• Conducted in Bentonville, Ark., the poll finds Americans ready to address maternal care gaps nationwide.
• Results point to unified public support for policy and community interventions to boost outcomes.
• Johnson & Johnson has received FDA approval for a new psoriasis treatment pill, expanding therapeutic options for patients with the chronic skin condition.
• The United States smoking rate has quietly reached a historical low, reflecting decades of public health efforts and tobacco control policies.
• These developments represent significant milestones in pharmaceutical innovation and public health outcomes across different therapeutic areas.
• A STAT national survey reveals NIH funding interruptions are causing layoffs, lab closures, and driving early-career scientists away from research careers due to federal budget and priority changes.
• Harvard researcher Josiemer Mattei had her diabetes prevention trial in Puerto Rico terminated in May 2025 when the administration cut over $2.8 billion in grants across the university, forcing her to scramble to relocate the study to avoid losing patients and data.
• The NIH remains committed to fully spending its 2026 budget but lags significantly behind prior years in grant awards and disbursements, with researchers reporting taking 95% pay cuts to avoid staff layoffs.
• State officials are warning that spring break 2026 travel season could facilitate the spread of measles across the United States as travelers move between regions with varying vaccination rates.
• Health authorities are concerned about potential measles transmission during the high-travel period, with implications for public health preparedness and disease surveillance.
• The warning underscores ongoing challenges in maintaining herd immunity and controlling vaccine-preventable diseases during major travel seasons.
• Trump 2.0 policies terminated or overhauled HHS advisory committees, including ACIP with all members replaced in January 2026 by RFK Jr., leading to weakened hepatitis B and COVID-19 vaccine recommendations.
• NIH advisory councils have not met, with the director's committee disbanded for over a year; USPSTF has not met since March 2025.
• Senator Murray criticized leadership for prohibiting NIH grant processes; new ACIP includes controversial figures like an Alzheimer's patient from the withdrawn aducanumab trial.
