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

Trump’s plans to lower drug prices have echoes of past efforts

1 week ago | statnews.com | John Wilkerson

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has an expansive view for how it can lower drug prices for Americans. It has been here before. The question is whether this time will be different. During his first term, President Trump tried to tie U.S. drug prices to those in other rich nations, but the Biden administration rescinded that “most favored nation” policy after a federal court stopped it from taking effect. A plan to overhaul how doctors buy and bill for drugs never got off of the ground.
Trump to end federal funding of certain non-medical services in Medicaid

1 week ago | statnews.com | John Wilkerson

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration said Thursday that it will no longer help states fund non-medical services that often are aimed at improving housing and nutrition for people in the Medicaid program. The change is a departure from the Biden administration’s efforts to improve the health of Medicaid enrollees by paying for non-medical services.
House conservatives cave on a key demand, decreasing threat of Medicaid cuts

2 weeks ago | statnews.com | John Wilkerson

WASHINGTON — House Republicans’ struggles to pass a tax cut plan could be good news for the Medicaid program. On Thursday, House GOP lawmakers voted 216 to 214 to pass a budget blueprint that sets the stage for a bill later in the year on major tax cuts. The vote on the budget resolution was supposed to be the easy part—instead, House Speaker Mike Johnson had to delay the vote by a day after facing resistance from some far-right lawmakers. No Democrats voted for the bill. Republican Reps.
RFK Jr.'s Senate hearing delayed, living with more measles

2 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. STAT is cutting the price of an annual subscription in half. Click here for details, and send news and tips to [email protected] or via Signal at John_Wilkerson.07. It looks like HHS Secretary Robert F.
RFK Jr.’s Senate hearing on health department cuts to be delayed for weeks

2 weeks ago | statnews.com | Daniel Payne |John Wilkerson

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is likely going to delay his appearance before the Senate’s health committee by several weeks, even as he makes historic changes to the Department of Health and Human Services and contends with a surging measles outbreak. Senate health committee Chair Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and ranking member Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), publicly asked the secretary to appear on April 10. They made the request on April 1, the same day that Kennedy executed major cuts to the federal health workforce.
Abortion opponents expect reversal of Biden policy allowing the procedure at VA facilities

2 weeks ago | statnews.com | John Wilkerson

WASHINGTON — Abortion opponents believe that a repeal is in the works for a Biden administration policy allowing abortions for veterans and their dependents in limited circumstances at Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities.
Trump administration declines to expand Medicare coverage for obesity drugs

2 weeks ago | statnews.com | Bob Herman |Elaine Chen |John Wilkerson

The Trump administration has chosen not to finalize a rule proposed by the Biden administration that would have allowed Medicare to cover blockbuster weight loss drugs. The rule would have brought in tens of billions of dollars in new sales for drugs like Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Zepbound. It also was expected to increase federal spending by $25 billion for Medicare and $15 billion for Medicaid over the next 10 years.
Senate confirms Oz as head of agency that runs Medicare, Medicaid

3 weeks ago | statnews.com | John Wilkerson

WASHINGTON — In a party-line vote of 53-45, the Senate on Thursday confirmed Mehmet Oz to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Oz’s confirmation was expected; he is not as controversial as Health and Human Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. or some other Trump picks to run health agencies within the HHS. However, Democrats did not vote for him because they said they cannot trust him to defend against cuts to Medicaid, which Republicans are expected to use to help pay for tax cuts.
Cassidy gave himself a difficult task. RFK Jr. isn’t making it any easier on him

3 weeks ago | statnews.com | John Wilkerson

WASHINGTON — Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) said he would be Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s keeper, but the physician-turned-politician is struggling to stop the nation’s health secretary from undermining public trust in vaccines. Cassidy has taken the lead for his party on keeping Kennedy in line on immunization policy. During Kennedy’s confirmation hearings to be Health and Human Services Department secretary, Cassidy challenged Kennedy’s false assertions about vaccines directly and forcefully.
HHS layoffs rile Democrats, but Republicans say they trust RFK Jr.'s cuts will not hamper core operations

4 weeks ago | statnews.com | John Wilkerson

WASHINGTON — News of massive layoffs at the Health and Human Services Department was met with anger and predictions of lawsuits by Democratic lawmakers, and with a shrug by Republicans. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a department-wide reorganization on Thursday that calls for laying off about 10,000 employees. Combined with other Trump administration efforts, including early retirement and buyout offers, HHS will lose about 20,000 employees, one-quarter of its staff.