News Clips, 7/17

Selected News Clips on Health Policy and Health Economics

July 17 — Selected news clips on health policy and health economics.

ACA and Medicaid changes hang over health earnings https://www.axios.com/2026/07/17/aca-medicaid-changes-health-earnings

US House panel approves $95B GOP-only budget blueprint
https://missouriindependent.com/2026/07/16/repub/us-house-panel-approves-95b-gop-only-budget-blueprint/

House GOP leaders release budget framework for $95B party-line package
https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/07/15/congress/house-gop-leaders-release-budget-framework-for-95b-party-line-package-00998589

Nursing Home Closures and Access to Long-Term Care
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2850545

A Closer Look at Deficiencies in Nursing Homes
https://www.kff.org/medicaid/a-closer-look-at-deficiencies-in-nursing-homes/

States Start Their Medicaid Cuts
https://kffhealthnews.org/podcast/what-the-health-455-medicaid-cuts-state-budgets-confirmation-hearings-july-16-2026/

KFF Health Tracking Poll: Public Views on Fraud in Government Health Programs
https://www.kff.org/public-opinion/kff-health-tracking-poll-public-views-on-fraud-in-government-health-programs/

Trump Administration Plans to Limit Length of Student Visas
https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/trump-administration-plans-to-limit-length-of-student-visas-00a4f528

White House revives rule to deny green cards to migrants who use safety net programs
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5973044-trump-revives-public-charge-rule/

Insurers set to pay out $759M in 2026 MLR rebates: KFF
https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/payers/insurers-set-pay-out-759m-2026-mlr-rebates-kff

Insurers Hedge on Trump-Backed Pledge To Improve Denials Process
https://kffhealthnews.org/insurance/prior-authorization-insurance-denials-reform-pledge-year-later/

GOP blocks effort to end Medicare test of AI prior authorization
https://www.statnews.com/2026/07/16/medicare-ai-prior-authorization-pilot-wiser-senate-vote/

Senate Republicans block Dem attempt to end AI prior authorization in Medicare
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5972792-senate-blocks-medicare-ai-pilot/

In a major policy shift, Medicare proposes to ban vendors from providing remote monitoring services
https://www.statnews.com/2026/07/15/cms-proposes-ban-medicare-remote-patient-monitoring-vendors/

Medicare wants to shake up how it pays for clinical AI
https://www.statnews.com/2026/07/16/medicare-shake-clinical-ai-rpm-payments-health-tech/

Specialty and Geography of Medicare’s New Residency Positions
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2850454

Can Democrats Win Rural Voters Turning Away From Trump? It’s a Tough Sell.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/14/us/politics/rural-democrats-midterms.html

Bipartisan House bill tying doc pay to inflation earns resounding applause from providers
https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/providers/bipartisan-house-bill-tying-doc-pay-inflation-earns-resounding-applause-providers

Elevance plots a Medicaid retreat as costs remain high
https://www.statnews.com/2026/07/15/elevance-health-shrink-medicaid-portfolio-high-costs/

Medicaid Could Save $$ Under ‘Most Favored Nation’ Pricing, Study Finds
https://www.medpagetoday.com/publichealthpolicy/medicaid/122229

Five Key Facts About Spending and Enrollment for People with Medicare and Medicaid (Dual-Eligible Individuals)
https://www.kff.org/medicaid/five-key-facts-about-spending-and-enrollment-for-people-with-medicare-and-medicaid-dual-eligible-individuals/

Trump admin asks appeals court to roll back Obamacare’s contraception coverage https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2026/07/trump-admin-obamacare-contraception-coverage-court-case-00988947

Blanche pledges action on stopping mail order mifepristone
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5970583-blanche-pledged-stop-mail-mifepristone/

57 Patient Advocacy Organizations Ask Congress To Block Trump OMB Rule
https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2026/07/13/57-patient-advocacy-organizations-ask-congress-to-block-trump-omb-rule/

Caregivers brace for pay cuts, and maybe homelessness
https://www.statnews.com/2026/07/13/health-news-caregivers-brace-for-pay-cuts-maybe-homelessness/

Opinion: Medicaid and SNAP cuts are exacerbating the intertwined problems of hunger and mental illness
https://www.statnews.com/2026/07/16/snap-cuts-mental-illness-hunger-psychiatric-emergency/

Watch: ‘Robust’ Primary Care, Transparency Top Employers’ Reform Wish List
https://kffhealthnews.org/health-industry/employer-health-insurance-elizabeth-mitchell-interview-pbgh/

12 ideas for tackling the U.S. alcohol epidemic
https://www.statnews.com/2026/07/14/alcohol-health-issues-deadliest-drug-series-final-installment-solutions/

Senate HELP committee grills CDC nominee Erica Schwartz on vaccine policy, resistance to political interference
https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/providers/senate-help-committee-grills-cdc-nominee-erica-schwartz-vaccine-policy-restoring-trust

Cassidy to Trump public health nominee: ‘Why would you repeat those damn lies?’
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5969774-cassidy-slams-kaufman-hepatitis-b-vaccine-post/

She Blew It: CDC Director Nominee Tanks in Senate Hearing

The GOP senators Trump disrespected are now interrogating his nominees
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/15/trump-attorney-general-cdc-cornyn-tillis-cassidy-blanche-schwartz-00999854

340B drug purchases hit at least $100B in 2025, administrator reports
https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/providers/340b-drug-purchases-hit-least-100b-2025-administrator-reports

Medicaid Spending Keeps Soaring – WSJ https://www.wsj.com/opinion/medicaid-spending-congress-cbo-entitlements-obamacare-65020f17

What Top-Rated Hospitals, From New York To Idaho, Have In Common
https://www.forbes.com/sites/rachelpeachman/2026/07/14/what-top-rated-hospitals-from-new-york-to-idaho-have-in-common/

North Carolina budget allocates millions for first-ever Rural Emergency Hospital reopening
https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/providers/north-carolina-budget-allocates-millions-first-ever-rural-emergency-hospital-reopening

Studies Document Brain Swelling, Sepsis in U.S. Measles Outbreaks
https://www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdisease/generalinfectiousdisease/122228

Unresolved Cyclospora Parasite Outbreak Raises Questions About CDC Cuts
https://www.forbes.com/sites/victoriaforster/2026/07/13/unresolved-cyclospora-outbreak-raises-questions-over-cdc-cuts/