The pitch behind California’s billionaire tax proposal is simple: Tax the richest residents in the nation’s wealthiest state to offset steep federal cuts to healthcare, food assistance, and education.

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Since assuming office for a second term, President Trump and officials in his administration have instituted numerous policy actions through the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) affecting public health in the U.S. This resource lists and briefly describes key actions in the order in which they were first issued, reported or announced, with subsequent linked actions and related outcomes also included with each entry. As new policy changes occur, they will be added. 

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The Medicare Advantage market, the private plan alternative to traditional Medicare, is dynamic, and plan offerings can change from year to year. With 28 Medicare Advantage prescription drug (MA-PD) plans available to the average beneficiary in 2027, most people with Medicare have a robust set of MA-PD options.

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As Americans grow increasingly frustrated with their healthcare system, a proposal that has long been kicked around on the Democratic periphery is showing up in debates and on political platforms: “Medicare for All.”

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The high costs of in vitro fertilization (IVF), limited insurance coverage for fertility services, and intersection with state level abortion laws and fetal personhood policies have brought the issue of access to fertility care into the policy spotlight. President Trump has stated that he wants to make fertility care more affordable and said he would institute an insurance coverage mandate as part of his campaign promises.

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Medicaid is the primary program providing comprehensive health and long-term care to 81 million people living in the U.S. (particularly those with low incomes) and accounts for nearly $1 out of every $5 spent on health care. Last year, Congress enacted the 2025 reconciliation law, which made major changes to Medicaid.

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Federal health agencies are testing new applications of AI in health care that move beyond narrow clinical support tasks into more direct patient care typically handled by physicians. Questions about AI accuracy remain, however, and may be complicated by unpredictable outputs and changes in performance over time.

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LANSING, Mich. — Christina Starks-Clay doesn’t know how “Medicare for All” would work exactly, but she’s willing to bet it’d be better than what she has now.

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Amidst challenging fiscal conditions and upcoming national and state elections, states are working to implement major federal changes to Medicaid. The 2025 reconciliation law made major changes to federal revenues and spending. Shortly after enactment, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated the new law would reduce federal spending on Medicaid by $911 billion over the 2025–2034 period and that the Medicaid changes would increase the number of people without health insurance by 7.5 million in the year 2034. 

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The federal government continues to focus on addressing fraud, waste, and abuse in Medicaid, with much of the attention focused on home care services. KFF estimates that over 5 million people use Medicaid home care, which provides help with self-care activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating for older adults and people with disabilities.

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