An alternative to enhanced ACA subsidies

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) is pitching Democrats on his compromise to make Affordable Care Act marketplace plans affordable without extending the extra tax credits that currently lower premium payments.

The proposal is designed to encourage people to choose high-deductible plans by pre-funding health savings accounts with money that otherwise would've gone toward lowering premiums. The health committee chair told reporters his proposal would bring down health care costs and be easier to adopt than Democrats' plan to extend the enhanced premium subsidies.

I touched on Cassidy's proposal last week, but he has since updated it. Read more.

hhs

A day in the life of RFK Jr.

Since coming to Washington, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made good on his promises to shake up health care — from ordering companies to remove artificial dyes from food to disrupting the way vaccines are reviewed, approved, and recommended.

My colleagues Chelsea Cirruzzo, Casey Ross, and Sarah Todd spent months talking to people in Kennedy's orbit to get a sense of how Kennedy managed to become a surprisingly singular force in the Trump administration. Their reporting revealed how Kennedy demands fealty from his employees, his near-daily calls with President Trump while aides sit on the floor guiding him through discussion items, and his love for all things Kennedy — including regular visits to a local restaurant once frequented by his uncle.

They also dove into Kennedy's habit of cherry-picking data and scientific studies that support his policy decisions, including when he pulled funding for mRNA research. Read more about Kennedy's D.C. life.

vaccines

HHS mulls major vaccine policy shifts

The Trump administration is mulling what could be its most disruptive vaccine policies to date: removing aluminum from vaccines and breaking up the measles-mumps-rubella shot into three individual doses.

Daniel Payne reports that those proposals have alarmed vaccine makers, who say the changes would upend the vaccine market, scramble the childhood vaccine schedule, and pose a historic threat to public health. Removing aluminum and demanding alternatives to the current MMR vaccines could take a decade or more and cost billions of dollars, all to reformulate shots already proven safe and effective.

It's not clear whether companies would be willing to take on that cost. An HHS spokesperson said the administration will protect vaccine access. Read more.

maha

Tracking MAHA's promises

If you recall, when MAHA turned one in September, STAT launched a tracker of the movement's promises.

A few months in, not much has changed. Most of the promises remain in progress or unfulfilled.

However, Isabella Cueto and J. Emory Parker provided some updates to the tracker, including recent changes to opioid labeling, vaccine access, and Cassidy's input on HHS decisions, among other things. It's a handy way to keep up with an administration that has set ambitious goals for itself, and to follow what's still on the docket. Check out the updates.

medicare

10%

That's how much Medicare premiums will increase next year, according to Bob Herman.

Older adults and people with disabilities will pay almost $203 per month in 2026 for their Medicare Part B premium, the Trump administration said late Friday.

Voters are worried about inflation, and higher Medicare premiums could add to that frustration ahead of next year's midterm elections. Read more.

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What we're reading

China's WuXi AppTec, after evading threat of U.S. restrictions, comes out ahead, STAT
NIH funding cuts have affected over 74,000 people enrolled in experiments, a new report says, Associated Press
Opinion: I spent two hours telling a chatbot about mental health problems. Its responses scared me, STAT
RFK Jr.'s cheer squad is getting restless, The Atlantic