Department of Health and Human Services
WASHINGTON — The Department of Health and Human Services announced new steps on Wednesday aimed at reducing the inappropriate use of antipsychotic medications in nursing homes. “No nursing home resident should be improperly diagnosed with schizophrenia or given an inappropriate... Read More
The Biden administration has released a new rule that will provide and expand access to quality health care options for millions of consumers. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the proposal, known as the 2024 Notice of... Read More
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is making $350 million available to increase COVID-19 vaccinations at Health Resources and Services Administration-supported health facilities. The funding will support health centers administering updated COVID-19 vaccines through mobile, drive-up, walk-up or community-based vaccination events,... Read More
WASHINGTON — Medicare Open Enrollment begins on Saturday, Oct. 15, and officials with the Department of Health and Human Services are encouraging Medicare recipients to review and compare their options due to beneficial changes stemming from the passage of the... Read More
WASHINGTON — Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and 11 of his colleagues urged federal health care officials to track and address racial disparities in the nation’s public health response to the monkeypox virus. In a letter to the heads of the... Read More
WASHINGTON — The Department of Health and Human Services is launching a new online tool to help communities gauge the extent pollution is contributing to health risks for their residents. It is intended primarily to benefit residents of disadvantaged communities.... Read More
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden signed an executive order Wednesday that directs the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to work with states to use Medicaid waivers to pay the expenses of women who have to cross state lines... Read More
WASHINGTON — Though few likely noticed given the court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court also decided a highly technical case Friday regarding how the Department of Health and Human Services calculates a class of Medicare payments. The... Read More
WASHINGTON — Health experts told a Senate panel Thursday the drop in COVID-19 infections in the past few months should not lull them into complacency as the potentially deadly virus continues to mutate. Without additional preparation, the nation’s health care... Read More
WASHINGTON — The Department of Health and Human Services extended the COVID-19 public health emergency this week beyond the July 15 expiration to October. The eventual expiration of the declaration will lead to changes in certain flexibilities granted to Medicare... Read More
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is preparing states to return to normal eligibility and enrollment operations after the public health emergency expires, with special attention on how the end of the PHE will impact those... Read More
WASHINGTON — The federal COVID-19 public health emergency, first declared Jan. 27, 2020, was set to expire on April 16. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra on Wednesday extended the COVID-19 public health emergency for 90 days. A number... Read More
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Health Resources and Services Administration, awarded $103 million in American Rescue Plan Funds to 45 grantees to help reduce health care provider burnout and promote mental health and... Read More
WASHINGTON — Two new over-the-counter COVID-19 tests intended for home use have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Both of the tests, one manufactured by SD Biosensor and distributed by Roche and the other manufactured by Siemens, are... Read More
WASHINGTON — A record 13.6 million Americans have already signed up for health coverage on the Affordable Care Act insurance marketplaces with a month left to go in the open enrollment period, the Department of Health and Human Services said... Read More
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration rolled out a new COVID-19 vaccine mandate Thursday morning, giving large companies until Jan. 4 to ensure that their workforces are fully vaccinated. In a conference call with reporters Wednesday night, a senior administration official... Read More
WASHINGTON -- The Department of Health and Human Services slashed 30% in Medicaid reimbursement rates to eligible hospitals under the 340B drug discount program. The program, which has existed for 29 years, requires manufacturers of pharmaceutical companies under the Medicaid... Read More
WASHINGTON -- A ban on so-called “surprise” medical bills -- unexpected, exorbitant health care bills for out-of-network care that arrive on insured patients' doorsteps, oftentimes when they are still at their most vulnerable - is on pace to go into... Read More
WASHINGTON -- Identity authentication is taking a front-and-center role in the administration's approach to ensuring robust cybersecurity across the U.S. government, according to Carole House, director of cybersecurity and secure digital Innovation at the White House National Security Council. It... Read More
WASHINGTON -- The Biden administration on Thursday offered the first detailed look at actions the White House may take in conjunction with congressional action to lower prescription drug prices. The 29-page plan, released through the Department of Health and Human... Read More
The Department of Health and Human Services on Thursday announced that it will require more than 25,000 members of its health care workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The new mandate applies to staff at the Indian Health Service and... Read More
WASHINGTON (AP) — Deaths among Medicare patients in nursing homes soared by 32% last year, with two devastating spikes eight months apart, a government watchdog reported Tuesday in the most comprehensive look yet at the ravages of COVID-19 among its... Read More
WASHINGTON -- A Senate committee unanimously approved a sweeping overhaul of federal legislation on Thursday to prevent child abuse and neglect. The House already approved a similar version of the bill, nearly guaranteeing it will reach President Joe Biden’s desk... Read More
A recent report from the Health and Human Services Department finds that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services needs to improve data used to monitor antipsychotic drugs in nursing homes, as insufficient data underestimates the scope of the antipsychotic... Read More
WASHINGTON - This week, Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, introduced legislation in the House to authorize a public advocacy campaign to promote COVID-19 vaccine participation and provide science-backed information to the public. Joined by Reps. Ron Kind, D-Wis., Roger Marshall, R-Kan.,... Read More
WASHINGTON — President-elect Joe Biden has tapped California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to be the next health and human services secretary, a historic choice that would make the former Los Angeles congressman the first Latino to hold the office, according to sources familiar with the decision. Becerra, 62, a... Read More
WASHINGTON — President-elect Joe Biden is preparing to announce several of his administration's health leaders as soon as next week as he considers two governors and a former surgeon general to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, according to people familiar with... Read More
WASHINGTON - The chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee on Tuesday demanded Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar shed light on how his department has handled coronavirus-related reports. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass., sent a strongly worded letter... Read More
NEW YORK (AP) — Pharmacists in all 50 states are now allowed to give childhood vaccinations under a new directive aimed at preventing future outbreaks of measles and other preventable diseases. Alex Azar, the head of the U.S. Department of... Read More
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday requiring the federal government to buy "essential" drugs from U.S. companies, a White House trade advisor said. “If we’ve learned anything from the China virus pandemic, it is that we... Read More
