Health Care Week in Review | House Passes Three-Year Extension of ACA Premium Tax Credits; CDC Updates Childhood Immunization Schedule | Alston & Bird

Spotlight of the Week

This week, the Home accredited a clear, three-year extension of enhanced premium tax credit (EPTCs) for Inexpensive Care Act (ACA) Market plans, and CDC issued a revised childhood and adolescent immunization schedule, lowering the variety of really helpful vaccines.

Rules, Notices & Steerage

• On December 22, 2025, the Facilities for Medicare & Medicaid Companies (CMS) launched steering entitled, Working Families Tax Cuts Act (WFTCA), Section 71302: Guidance for Plan Year 2026.This steering focuses on Part 71302 of the Working Households Tax Minimize Act (WFTCA), which disallows premium tax credit (PTCs) for people who’re ineligible for Medicaid attributable to their immigration standing and those that have annual family earnings beneath 100% of the federal poverty degree (FPL). This steering outlines the influence of this provision on the Inexpensive Care Act (ACA) Exchanges.
• On December 22, 2025, the Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) launched steering entitled, Formal Dispute Resolution and Administrative Hearings of Final Administrative Orders Under Section 505G of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. This steering gives suggestions for business and overview workers on the formal dispute decision (FDR) and administrative hearings procedures for resolving scientific or medical disputes between the Middle for Drug Analysis and Analysis (CDER) and requestors and sponsors of medicine that can be topic to a ultimate administrative order beneath the Federal Meals, Drug, and Beauty (FD&C) Act. This steering finalizes the draft steering of the identical title issued on June 23, 2023.
• On December 23, 2025, the Assistant Secretary for Expertise Coverage and Workplace of the Nationwide Coordinator for Well being Info Expertise (ASTP/ONC) launched a proposed rule entitled, Health Data, Technology, and Interoperability: ASTP/ONC Deregulatory Actions to Unleash Prosperity. This proposed rule focuses on deregulatory actions recognized in Division of Well being and Human Companies (HHS) rules associated to well being data know-how (IT) requirements, implementation specs, certification standards and packages, and data blocking. This proposed rule seeks to cut back burden, supply flexibility to builders and suppliers, and assist innovation via the elimination and revisions of sure certification standards and regulatory provisions. This proposed rule additionally seeks to handle reported misuse and abuse of knowledge blocking definitions and exceptions.
• On December 23, 2025, FDA launched a discover entitled, Medical Devices; Exemption from Premarket Notification: Radiology Computer-Aided Detection and/or Diagnosis Devices and Computer-Aided Triage and Notification Devices. FDA is saying that it has obtained a petition requesting partial exemption from the premarket notification necessities for radiology computer-aided detection or prognosis gadgets and computer-aided triage and notification gadgets. Particularly, the petition requests exemption from the premarket notification necessities for the next generic system varieties when sure circumstances described within the petition are met: (1) radiological computer-assisted diagnostic software program for lesions suspicious of most cancers; (2) medical picture analyzers; radiological pc aided triage and notification software program; and (3) radiological computer-assisted detection and prognosis software program.
• On December 23, 2025, FDA launched a discover entitled, Over-the-Counter Monograph Drug User Fee Amendments—OTC Monograph Order Request Fee Rates for Fiscal Year 2026. The FD&C Act, as amended by the Over-the-Counter Monograph Drug Person Payment Amendments, authorizes FDA to evaluate and gather person charges from qualifying producers of over-the-counter (OTC) monograph medicine and submitters of OTC monograph order requests (OMOR) for fiscal years (FY) 2026 via 2030. On this discover, FDA is saying the OMOR charge charges for FY 2026. FDA plans to announce the FY 2026 OMUFA facility charge charges in a subsequent Federal Register discover.
• On December 23, 2025, CMS launched steering entitled, Exercise of Enforcement Discretion until Calendar Year 2029 for Medicaid Interested Parties Advisory Group. The Middle for Medicaid and CHIP Companies (CMCS) is issuing this CMCS Informational Bulletin (CIB) to announce that, till January 1, 2029, CMS doesn’t anticipate taking enforcement motion towards states with respect to the deadline for the events’ advisory group to initially convene and supply suggestions to the Medicaid company. By way of this CIB, CMS is offering states with further time whereas they work to adjust to the revised Medicaid Advisory Committee (MAC) and new Beneficiary Advisory Council (BAC) necessities, so states could then decide if a standalone events advisory group is acceptable of their state. CMS will use this time to think about proposing adjustments to those necessities in future discover and remark rulemaking.
• On December 23, 2025, CMS launched steering entitled, Prohibition on Termination of Enrollment Due to Incarceration (Division G, Title I, Section 205, of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024). The aim of this CMCS CIB is to focus on statutory adjustments that influence Medicaid and Kids’s Well being Insurance coverage Program (CHIP) eligibility necessities for people who’re inmates of public establishments. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 amended the Social Safety Act to develop the populations for which states are prohibited from terminating Medicaid and CHIP eligibility to all people who’re inmates of a public establishment. Efficient January 1, 2026, states should guarantee they don’t terminate Medicaid eligibility for a person or CHIP eligibility for any focused low-income little one or pregnant lady when solely attributable to their standing as an inmate of a public establishment.
• On December 30, 2025, HHS launched a rule entitled, Fourth Temporary Extension of COVID-19 Telemedicine Flexibilities for Prescription of Controlled Medications. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), collectively with HHS, is issuing a fourth extension of telemedicine flexibilities for the prescribing of managed medicines via December 31, 2026.
• On December 30, 2025, CMS launched steering entitled, 2027 Updates to the Child and Adult Core Health Care Quality Measurement Sets and Mandatory Reporting Guidance. CMS is issuing this annual State Well being Official (SHO) letter to offer the 2027 updates to the Core Set of Kids’s Well being Care High quality Measures for Medicaid and CHIP (Youngster Core Set) and the Core Set of Grownup Well being Care High quality Measures for Medicaid (Grownup Core Set). The SHO letter additionally outlines expectations for 2027 Core Set high quality measure reporting, attributable to CMS by December 31, 2027, and contains updates to the 2026 Core Units.
• On December 31, 2025, FDA launched a discover entitled, Revocation of Two Authorizations of Emergency Use of In Vitro Diagnostic Devices for Detection and/or Diagnosis of COVID-19; Availability. FDA is saying the revocation of the Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs) issued to Pfizer Inc. for the Lucira by Pfizer COVID-19 & Flu Take a look at and Lucira by Pfizer COVID-19 & Flu House Take a look at. FDA revoked the authorizations beneath the FD&C Act as requested by the EUA holder. The revocations, which embody an evidence of the explanations for every revocation, are reprinted on the finish of this discover.
• On January 2, 2026, HHS launched a proposed rule entitled, Restoring Flexibility in the Child Care and Development Fund. HHS and the Administration for Kids and Households (ACF) suggest to amend the Youngster Care and Growth Fund (CCDF) rules to cut back prices and burden for states and territories administering this system. It proposes rescinding the necessities to restrict household co-payments to seven p.c of household earnings, present some direct providers via grants or contracts, pay suppliers based mostly on little one’s enrollment, and pay suppliers prospectively that had been added to the CCDF rules within the March 2024 ultimate rule entitled, Bettering Youngster Care Entry, Affordability, and Stability within the Youngster Care and Growth Fund (CCDF).
• On January 2, 2026, the Well being Assets and Companies Administration (HRSA) launched a discover entitled, Update to the Women’s Preventive Services Guidelines. HRSA printed a Federal Register discover on October 1, 2025, with proposed updates to the HRSA-supported Girls’s Preventive Companies Tips. The proposed updates particularly relate to suggestions for screening for cervical most cancers. Suggestions to replace the rules are developed beneath a HRSA-funded cooperative settlement, the Girls’s Preventive Companies Initiative (WPSI), for consideration by HRSA. Underneath this settlement, WPSI convenes knowledgeable well being professionals to conduct rigorous critiques of the proof and develop draft suggestions for HRSA’s consideration. After consideration of public remark, HRSA has accepted the suggestions as revised and detailed on this discover. Underneath relevant legislation, non-grandfathered group well being plans and medical insurance issuers providing non-grandfathered group and particular person medical insurance protection should embody protection, with out value sharing, for sure preventive providers, together with these offered for within the HRSA-supported tips.
• On January 6, 2026, FDA launched steering entitled, General Wellness: Policy for Low Risk Devices. FDA is issuing this steering doc to offer readability to business and FDA workers on the Middle for Units and Radiological Well being’s (CDRH’s) compliance coverage for low-risk merchandise that promote a wholesome way of life. This steering doesn’t apply to merchandise regulated by different FDA Facilities or to mixture merchandise.
• On January 6, 2026, FDA launched steering entitled, Clinical Decision Support Software. FDA has lengthy regulated software program that meets the definition of a system in part 201(h) of the FD&C Act, together with software program that’s meant to offer resolution assist for the prognosis, therapy, prevention, treatment, or mitigation of ailments or different circumstances. This steering clarifies the scope of FDA’s oversight of scientific resolution assist software program meant for well being care professionals (HCPs) as gadgets.
• On January 9, 2026, FDA launched draft steering entitled, Use of Bayesian Methodology in Clinical Trials of Drug and Biological Products. This draft steering gives steering to sponsors and candidates submitting investigational new drug purposes (INDs), new drug purposes (NDAs), biologics licensing purposes (BLAs), or supplemental purposes on the suitable use of Bayesian strategies in scientific trials. Bayesian strategies can be utilized in varied methods in scientific trials, together with: (1) to manipulate the timing and adaptation guidelines for an interim evaluation in an adaptive design; (2) to tell design parts (e.g., dose choice) for subsequent scientific trials; or (3) to assist main inference in a trial. The first focus of this steering is on the usage of Bayesian strategies to assist main inference in scientific trials meant to assist the effectiveness and security of medicine.
• On January 9, 2026, CMS launched a discover entitled, Notice of Opportunity for Hearing on Compliance of Minnesota State Plan Provisions Concerning Program Integrity and Fraud, Waste, and Abuse With Title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act. This discover publicizes the chance for an administrative listening to regarding the discovering of the CMS Administrator that the State of Minnesota is considerably out of compliance with federal necessities in administering its Medicaid state plan. CMS notes that the Minnesota Medicaid company fails to adequately establish, stop, and tackle fraud, waste, and abuse in its Medicaid program. This discovering would be the foundation for withholding federal monetary participation (FFP) from Minnesota’s Medicaid program. The withholding will finish when the Minnesota Medicaid company absolutely and satisfactorily implements a corrective motion plan (CAP) to carry its program integrity operations into compliance with federal necessities.

Occasion Notices

Please observe that two asterisks (**) previous the merchandise point out a brand new occasion.

• January 12-14, 2026: The Nationwide Institutes of Well being (NIH) announced a gathering of the Nationwide Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Ailments. It is a digital assembly with some classes open to the general public.
• **January 13, 2026: The Division of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced a gathering of the Joint Biomedical Laboratory (BL) and Medical Science (CS) Analysis and Growth Companies Scientific Benefit Evaluate Board. It is a digital assembly with some classes open to the general public.
• January 21, 2026: NIH announced a gathering of the Nationwide Advisory Dental and Craniofacial Analysis Council. It is a digital assembly with some classes open to the general public.
• January 22, 2026: FDA announced a gathering of the Tobacco Merchandise Scientific Advisory Committee. It is a hybrid assembly open to the general public.
• January 22, 2026: NIH announced a gathering of the Nationwide Institute on Deafness and Different Communication Issues. It is a digital assembly open to the general public.
• **January 23, 2026: VA announced a gathering of the Cooperative Research Scientific Analysis Committee. It is a digital assembly with some classes open to the general public.
• January 23, 2026: NIH announced a gathering of the Nationwide Middle for Complementary & Integrative Well being. It is a digital assembly open to the general public.
• January 26, 2026: NIH announced a gathering of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Nationwide Institute of Youngster Well being & Human Growth. It is a digital assembly with some classes open to the general public.
• **January 27, 2026: NIH announced a gathering of the Nationwide Advisory Council for Nursing Analysis. It is a digital assembly open to the general public.
• January 27, 2026: NIH announced a gathering of the Nationwide Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Pores and skin Ailments. It is a digital assembly with some classes open to the general public.
• January 27, 2026: NIH announced a gathering of the Nationwide Advisory Council on Growing old. It is a digital assembly with some classes open to the general public.
• January 28, 2026: NIH announced a gathering of the Nationwide Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Ailments Advisory Council. It is a digital assembly with some classes open to the general public.
• **January 28, 2026: The Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) announced a gathering of the Subcommittee on Procedures Evaluations of the Advisory Board on Radiation and Employee Well being. It is a digital assembly open to the general public.
• January 28, 2026: NIH announced a gathering of the Nationwide Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering. It is a digital assembly with some classes open to the general public.
• January 29, 2026: NIH announced a gathering of the Nationwide Middle for Advancing Translational Sciences. It is a digital assembly with some classes open to the general public.
• January 29, 2026: NIH announced a gathering of the Workplace of AIDS Analysis Advisory Council. It is a digital assembly open to the general public.
• January 30, 2026: NIH announced a gathering of the NIH Medical Middle Analysis Hospital Board. It is a hybrid assembly open to the general public.
• **February 6, 2026: NIH announced a gathering of the Nationwide Advisory Council on Minority Well being and Well being Disparities. It is a digital assembly open to the general public.
• **February 6, 2026: NIH announced a gathering of the Nationwide Most cancers Advisory Board Advert hoc Working Group on Extramural Analysis Ideas and Packages. It is a hybrid assembly open to the general public.
• February 8-10, 2026: NIH announced a gathering of the Nationwide Institute of Environmental Sciences. It is a hybrid assembly with some classes open to the general public.
• February 9-10, 2026: NIH announced a gathering of the Fogarty Worldwide Middle Advisory Board. It is a hybrid assembly with some classes open to the general public.
• February 9-10, 2026: NIH announced a gathering of the Nationwide Library of Medication. It is a digital assembly with some classes open to the general public.
• **February 10, 2026: FDA announced a roundtable dialogue with small tobacco product producers to solicit enter on premarket tobacco product software (PMTA) submissions for digital nicotine supply programs (ENDS) merchandise. It is a hybrid assembly open to the general public.
• **February 11, 2026: NIH announced a gathering of the Nationwide Advisory Neurological Issues and Stroke Council. It is a digital assembly open to the general public.
• **February 13, 2026: NIH announced a gathering of the Nationwide Advisory Eye Council. It is a digital assembly open to the general public.
• March 18, 2026: NIH announced a gathering of the Nationwide Institute of Environmental Well being Sciences. It is a hybrid assembly with some classes open to the general public.
• **March 18, 2026: NIH announced a gathering of the Nationwide Advisory Psychological Well being Council. It is a digital assembly open to the general public.
• April 7, 2026: NIH announced a gathering of the Advisory Committee on Analysis on Girls’s Well being. It is a hybrid assembly open to the general public.
• April 17, 2026: NIH announced a gathering of the Nationwide Middle for Complementary & Integrative Well being. It is a hybrid assembly with some classes open to the general public.
• March 30-31, 2026: NIH announced a gathering of the Nationwide Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Ailments. It is a hybrid assembly with some classes open to the general public.
• March 30-31, 2026: NIH announced a gathering of the Nationwide Institute on Growing old. It is a hybrid assembly with some classes open to the general public.
• Might 4, 2026: NIH announced a gathering of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Nationwide Institute of Youngster Well being & Human Growth. It is a hybrid assembly open to the general public.
• Might 13, 2026: NIH announced a gathering of the Nationwide Institute on Growing old. That is an in-person assembly with some classes open to the general public.
• Might 13, 2026: NIH announced a gathering of the Nationwide Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Ailments Advisory Council. It is a hybrid assembly with some classes open to the general public.
• June 1-2, 2026: NIH announced a gathering of the Fogarty Worldwide Middle Advisory Board. It is a hybrid assembly with some classes open to the general public.
• June 5, 2026: NIH announced a gathering of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Nationwide Institute of Youngster Well being & Human Growth. It is a hybrid assembly with some classes open to the general public.
• September 10-11, 2026: NIH announced a gathering of the Fogarty Worldwide Middle Advisory Board. It is a hybrid assembly with some classes open to the general public.
• September 15-16, 2026: NIH announced a gathering of the Nationwide Advisory Council on Growing old. It is a hybrid assembly with some classes open to the general public.

Stories, Research & Analyses

• On December 22, 2025, the HHS Workplace of Inspector Normal (OIG) launched a report entitled, Nine of Thirty Selected Assisted Living Facilities Did Not Comply With Terms and Conditions and Federal Requirements for Expending Provider Relief Fund Payments. The report examined whether or not 30 assisted dwelling amenities (ALFs) expended taxpayer funds in accordance with federal and Supplier Aid Fund (PRF) program necessities. OIG discovered that seven ALFs claimed a complete of $283,000 in unallowable PRF expenditures, and two ALFs inaccurately reported $11 million in misplaced revenues. These deficiencies occurred regardless of ALFs testifying to the PRF phrases and circumstances and ongoing steering from HRSA. The ALFs made clerical errors when reporting expenditures, misinterpreted HRSA steering, didn’t keep ample documentation to assist reported expenditures, and lacked procedures to confirm the accuracy of misplaced income calculations. OIG made two suggestions to HRSA, together with that it: (1) require the seven ALFs that claimed a complete of $283,000 in unallowable PRF expenditures return any unallowable expenditures and misplaced income quantities to the federal authorities or make sure that the ALFs correctly account for these expenditures and misplaced revenues; and (2) require the 2 ALFs that inaccurately reported $11 million in misplaced revenues establish and return any PRF funds used to offset inaccurately calculated misplaced revenues or exchange them with allowable unreimbursed misplaced revenues or eligible bills. HRSA concurred with OIG’s suggestions.
• On December 23, 2025, OIG launched a report entitled, Medicaid Agencies Made Millions in Unallowable Capitation Payments to Managed Care Organizations on Behalf of Deceased Enrollees. OIG assessed the worth of Medicaid capitation funds made to managed care organizations (MCOs) on behalf of deceased enrollees. Based mostly on a overview of 100 statistically sampled capitation funds, OIG estimated that Medicaid companies made $207,501,380 in unallowable capitation funds to MCOs for deceased enrollees in the course of the audit interval. OIG discovered that 99 of the 100 sampled funds had been made after the enrollee’s demise. For 50 of those funds, Medicaid companies had recovered the overpayments earlier than OIG offered the pattern for overview. The remaining 49 funds had been both not recovered or had been recovered solely after OIG notified the companies. Because of this, OIG estimated that there was roughly $207,501,380 in unallowable capitation funds in the course of the audit interval.

  OIG made two suggestions to CMS, together with: (1) present the Medicaid companies coated by the audit with OIG’s matched Reworked Medicaid Statistical Info System (T-MSIS) information with a purpose to overview the capitation funds and take applicable motion to get well any unallowable funds; and (2) establish alternatives to work with Medicaid companies to make sure that provisions of the One Massive Lovely Invoice Act are correctly applied. CMS concurred with the primary suggestion and didn’t clearly point out concurrence or nonconcurrence with the second suggestion.

• On January 5, 2026, the Authorities Accountability Workplace (GAO) launched a report entitled, Federal Awards: Selected Programs Did Not Fully Include Identified Practices to Enhance Oversight and Fraud Prevention. GAO examined how 5 federal packages oversee and stop fraud, waste, and abuse in grants, contracts, and loans. The overview discovered that 4 packages, together with HHS’ Well being Middle Program, didn’t constantly incorporate all 9 necessities and main practices recognized by GAO. GAO outlined a number of suggestions, together with that the HHS Secretary: (1) finalize HHS insurance policies documenting how typically packages ought to conduct fraud danger assessments; (2) make sure that an agencywide danger profile for HHS is documented; (3) make sure that a program-specific danger profile for the Well being Middle Program is documented; (4) make sure that an anti-fraud technique for the Well being Middle Program is documented; and (5) make sure that procedures to observe fraud danger administration actions for the Well being Middle Program are documented.

Hearings & Markups

• On January 8, 2026, the Home Power & Commerce Committee Well being Subcommittee held a listening to entitled, Legislative Proposals to Support Patient Access to Medicare Services. Witnesses included: Ms. Susan Van Meter, President, American Medical Laboratory Affiliation; Ms. Connie Sullivan, President and CEO, Nationwide House Infusion Affiliation; Mr. Thomas Ryan, President and CEO, American Affiliation for Homecare; and Mr. David Lipschutz, JD, Legal professional and Co-Director of Legislation and Coverage, Middle for Medicare Advocacy. The listening to focuses on a number of payments, together with H.R. 6210, the Senior Financial savings Safety Act; H.R. 6361, the Ban AI Denials in Medicare Act; H.R. 5243, To amend title XVIII of the Social Safety Act to extend information transparency for supplemental advantages beneath Medicare Benefit; H.R. 2902, the Supplemental Oxygen Entry Reform (SOAR) Act of 2025; H.R. 1703, the Decisions for Elevated Mobility Act of 2025; H.R. 2005, the DMEPOS Aid Act of 2025; H.R. 5347, the Well being Care Effectivity By way of Flexibility Act; H.R. 2172, the Preserving Affected person Entry to House Infusion Act; H.R. 2477, the Moveable Ultrasound Reimbursement Fairness Act of 2025; and H.R. 5269, the Reforming and Enhancing Sustainable Updates to Laboratory Testing Companies (RESULTS) Act of 2025.

Different Well being Coverage Information

• On December 22, 2025, CMS introduced a brand new drug pricing mannequin for GLP-1 medicines within the Medicare Half D and Medicaid packages referred to as the Higher Approaches to Life-style and Diet for Complete hEalth (BALANCE) Mannequin. Underneath this mannequin, CMS will negotiate straight with taking part GLP-1 producers on costs for taking part state Medicaid packages and Half D plans. This mannequin will seemingly function the means by which the Administration effectuates Most-Favored-Nation (MFN) drug pricing offers it made with Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk in November.

  Further data could be discovered here.

• On December 29, 2025, the U.S. District Courtroom for the District of Maine issued a preliminary injunction stopping the federal authorities from implementing the 340B Rebate Mannequin Pilot Program till additional authorized proceedings happen. The courtroom dominated that the federal government had seemingly not sufficiently developed the executive document to clear the Administrative Process Act’s necessities. The federal government appealed the courtroom’s injunction to the U.S. Courtroom of Appeals for the First Circuit.

  Whereas the federal government moved each the district courtroom and the First Circuit to remain the injunction pending enchantment, each courts declined to take action. Accordingly, the 340B Rebate Mannequin Pilot Program stays enjoined.

  The district courtroom’s order on the preliminary injunction could be discovered here. The First Circuit’s order denying the movement to remain the injunction could be discovered here. Further data on the 340B Rebate Mannequin Pilot Program could be discovered here.

• On December 29, 2025, CMS introduced that every one 50 states can be receiving funding from the Rural Well being Transformation Program (RHTP) established by the One Massive Lovely Invoice Act. Awards for FY 2026 averaged $200 million per state, with a spread of $147 million to $281 million. CMS additionally introduced that it was establishing the Workplace of Rural Well being Transformation (ORHT) inside CMCS to supervise and implement RHTP. ORHT may even present technical help and coordinate federal and state partnerships in implementing RHTP.

  A press launch could be discovered here.

• On January 5, 2026, a federal appeals courtroom upheld a decrease courtroom resolution to stop the NIH from implementing a coverage capping oblique value charges at 15 p.c of an award’s worth. The courtroom dominated that the coverage contradicted a congressional mandate in an appropriations legislation that prevented the Administration from considerably deviating from negotiated charges.

  The choice could be discovered here.

• On January 5, 2026, CDC introduced that it will be adopting suggestions to extra intently align the U.S. childhood immunization schedule with different “peer, developed international locations.” This contains adopting three distinct classes for immunization suggestions, all of which can nonetheless require insurance policy to cowl their administration with out cost-sharing: (1) Immunizations Advisable for All Kids; (2) Immunizations Advisable for Sure Excessive-Danger Teams or Populations; and (3) Immunizations Based mostly on Shared Medical Determination-Making.

  A full listing of the vaccines included in every class could be discovered here.

  CDC’s press launch could be discovered here. A reality sheet could be discovered here.

• The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Substance Abuse and Psychological Well being Companies Administration (SAMHSA) have prolonged the short-term telemedicine flexibilities for prescribing managed substances via December 31, 2026. This rule permits all DEA-registered prescribers to remotely prescribe Schedules II-V managed substances with out an in-person medical analysis.

  DEA and SAMHSA beforehand finalized new guidelines permitting for the prescription of Schedules III-V managed substances accredited for the therapy of opioid use dysfunction (OUD) through telemedicine, together with an audio-only telemedicine encounter, and for the prescription of Schedules II-V managed substances to VA sufferers if one other VA practitioner has already performed an in-person medical analysis.

  This rule is separate from the Medicare telehealth flexibilities, that are nonetheless set to run out on the finish of this month.

  The total discover extending the flexibilities could be discovered here.

• NIH has reached a settlement in its ongoing litigation with the American Public Well being Affiliation (APHA) to rethink grant purposes that had been denied for causes associated to the Administration’s directive to not fund analysis linked to variety, fairness, and inclusion (DEI) or “gender ideology.” Underneath this settlement, the NIH should have reviewed and made selections for non-competing renewals by December 29, 2025. New award purposes which have been reviewed by a research part and an advisory council should obtain selections by January 12, 2026. Functions reviewed by research sections alone should obtain selections by April 14, 2026, and people not but reviewed by a research part should obtain selections by July 31, 2026. Notably, NIH is just not obligated by the settlement to fund any explicit software neither is NIH’s discretion over funding selections affected.

  The settlement textual content could be discovered here.

• On January 8, 2026, the U.S. Home of Representatives voted 230-196 in favor of a invoice to increase EPTCs for ACA Market plans for 3 years, with 17 Republicans becoming a member of all Democrats in favor.

  Regardless of this progress, the way forward for the EPTCs stays doubtful. The Senate already voted down a three-year extension in December, and the 2026 protection 12 months has begun with out the EPTCs in place. Nevertheless, there are ongoing efforts within the Senate to barter a proposal which will embody a two-year, retroactive extension of the EPTCs together with minimal premium cost necessities and a cap on earnings eligibility. The proposal may additionally embody cost-sharing reductions for ACA Silver plans and expanded entry to well being financial savings accounts (HSAs). A draft of this proposal has but to be launched publicly however is the likelier of the 2 payments to probably grow to be legislation.