John Wilkerson

Arlington

Washington Correspondent at STAT

STAT Washington correspondent covering whatever Congress is up to on healthcare. [email protected]

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Articles

ACA reforms in the GOP’s tax bill were little-noticed. That might change

1 week ago | statnews.com | John Wilkerson

Enrollment in Affordable Care Act marketplace health plans has more than doubled since 2020, and most of that growth has been in states won by President Trump. House Republicans’ legislative agenda could cut that by one-third and make the insurance more expensive.
RFK Jr. cancels Moderna contract, alters Covid shot policy

1 week ago | statnews.com | John Wilkerson

You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. NIH is terminating research grants left and right, impeding early career paths and leading some young scientists to consider becoming plumbers. Hopefully, STAT Wunderkinds is a bright spot amid the gloom. Celebrate early-career researchers by nominating them here.
What’s already been lost from CDC layoffs

1 week ago | statnews.com | John Wilkerson

You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Summer holiday weekends are a challenge. Do I seek a “relaxing” long weekend sitting in traffic on the way to my short-lived vacation spot, or do I stay home, sleep in, and deal with low-grade FOMO while cutting the grass?
Health care's role in House passage of Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill'

2 weeks ago | statnews.com | John Wilkerson

WASHINGTON — The House passed President Trump’s tax-cutting plan early Thursday morning with the attendant health care measures to partially pay for it. Relative to earlier drafts, GOP lawmakers revised the bill to further cut government spending, discourage Medicaid expansion, and potentially restrict coverage of abortion care. It also would impose new restrictions on health care coverage for immigrants, including people in the country legally.
Making sense of the FDA's new Covid vaccines framework, and how we know mRNA shots are safe

2 weeks ago | statnews.com | John Wilkerson

This Memorial Day, you can get 50% off your first year of STAT+ and enjoy unlimited access to award-winning journalism, premium data tools, discounted event tickets, and much more. Tip jar: [email protected] or over Signal at John_Wilkerson.07. The House Rules Committee passed the budget reconciliation bill late Wednesday night, teeing it up for House floor action.
In a significant change, House GOP tax cut bill would start Medicaid work requirements next year

2 weeks ago | statnews.com | John Wilkerson

WASHINGTON — The latest draft of the House tax cut bill calls for starting Medicaid work requirements next year, up from 2029, according to Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas). Roy is among the members of the far-right House Freedom Caucus who fought for starting the requirements sooner. He’s also a member of the House Rules Committee, which started debating the budget reconciliation bill at 1 a.m. At publication time, committee members were still working through the 537 amendments that were submitted.
GOP works through unresolved issues on Medicaid work requirements

2 weeks ago | statnews.com | John Wilkerson

WASHINGTON — Over the weekend, House Republicans discussed squeezing additional savings from Medicaid to pay for President Trump’s tax cuts. Medicaid policy remains one of the main unresolved areas of House Republicans’ budget reconciliation bill. On late Sunday night, Republicans on the House Budget Committee passed a reconciliation bill with more than $700 billion in federal funding cuts to Medicaid.
D.C. Diagnosis: RFK Jr. testifies before Congress, Medicaid markup

3 weeks ago | statnews.com | John Wilkerson

You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Spare a thought for the House lawmakers and staff on two committees who suffered through markups that ran through the night. The Energy and Commerce Committee started at 2 p.m. on Tuesday and ended around 4 p.m. on Wednesday. Tip jar: [email protected] or over Signal at John_Wilkerson.07.
Projected number of uninsured from GOP’s bill is nearing levels not seen since ACA repeal effort

3 weeks ago | statnews.com | John Wilkerson

WASHINGTON — Republicans swore off trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act after failing to get rid of the law in 2017. The projected insurance coverage losses from that effort eight years ago are similar to what’s at stake under Republicans’ health care agenda this year. After 2017, Republicans didn’t return to health care reform in a big way during Trump’s first term, and Trump didn’t articulate a coherent plan for health care during his campaign for second term.
Trump wants to import foreign drug prices. Medicaid cuts unveiled

3 weeks ago | statnews.com | John Wilkerson

You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The HHS secretary on Sunday took a dip in Rock Creek — in his jeans, of course. The creek is apparently teeming with E. coli from the overflow of D.C.’s sewage system. Send fun or serious tips to [email protected] or via Signal at John_Wilkerson.07.