US Policy Pulse

Cancer research groups and a top GOP appropriator are uniting against an OMB proposal that would let political appointees override NIH peer review and...

• Lawmakers from both parties are rejecting Trump's $600 billion Pentagon increase that would reach a record $1.5 trillion total.
• Twelve House...

• Save MEDICARE Act targets MA overpayments by excluding vulnerable diagnosis codes, limiting chart reviews, and speeding RADV audits
• First-time MA...

With OASI depletion looming in late 2032, lawmakers face starkly different fixes.

• Bipartisan commission bill (H.R. 9187) aims for a 75-year...

Indiana will require 80 hours monthly of work, school or volunteering for able-bodied HIP enrollees ages 19-64 beginning January 2027.

• New...

Wednesday's $16 billion 20-year Treasury auction is 'must-see TV' for investors as the first longer-duration sale since Moody's stripped the U.S. of...

Senate Republicans are awaiting House action on a third budget reconciliation package that could include pieces of the voter ID bill, though strict...

Social Security's trust fund faces depletion in six years, triggering an automatic 22% benefit cut unless Congress acts.

• Rising Part B costs are...

Nineteen major hospital systems including Mayo Clinic have exited Medicare Advantage contracts over low reimbursements, prior-authorization delays,...

• Both states launch 80-hour monthly work requirements January 1, 2027 for adult expansion enrollees
• Arizona faces major IT strain and needs $10M...

Social Security Report Update

• 🔥 2026 Trustees Report: The Social Security trust fund is on track to run out of money in late 2032, three months...

Section 1115 reentry waivers and mandatory youth coverage are reshaping how jails coordinate pre-release Medicaid services, though implementation...

The Social Security trust fund is now on track to run out in late 2032, three months earlier than last year's projection.

Medicaid HCBS waivers create stark geographic inequities, with families explicitly asking which state offers the best long-term services for...

The Federal Budget Reconciliation Bill introduces work requirements and 6-month eligibility redeterminations for Medicaid and SNAP, with exemptions...

Medicare Part B premiums hit $202.90 monthly in 2026, yet four state-run Medicare Savings Programs that cover them remain severely underused.

• QMB...

Improper payments are reported across 16 federal agencies but concentrated in five programs including Medicare, Medicaid, and Unemployment.

The $119 billion Treasury auctions this week face elevated "tail" risks from post-holiday timing and long-end supply, directly threatening higher...

Two new federal reports expose persistent oversight shortfalls in Medicare and Medicaid.

• OIG findings: Medicare Advantage plans denied 65% of...

Indiana's Healthy Indiana Plan will require non-exempt members aged 19-64 to complete 80 hours monthly in work, training, education or community...