Friday Five – Healthcare and the Trump Administration
As President Trump embarks on his second term, his administration is poised to implement significant changes to the U.S. healthcare system. From restructuring federal health agencies to withdrawing from the World Health Organization, these initiatives aim to reshape the nation’s healthcare landscape. In this week’s Friday Five, we highlight some of the healthcare developments emerging from the Trump administration and examine their potential impacts on patients, providers, and the broader health sector.
Trump Administration Freezes Many Health Agency Reports and Online Posts
The Trump administration has put a freeze on many federal health agency communications with the public through at least the end of the month. In a memo obtained by The Associated Press, acting Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Dorothy Fink told agency staff leaders that an “immediate pause” had been ordered on — among other things — regulations, guidance, announcements, press releases, social media posts and website posts until such communications had been approved by a political appointee.
Trump Orders US Exit from World Health Organization
The United States will leave the World Health Organization, President Donald Trump said on Monday, saying the global health agency had mishandled the COVID-19 pandemic and other international health crises. Trump said the WHO had failed to act independently from the “inappropriate political influence of WHO member states” and required “unfairly onerous payments” from the U.S. that were disproportionate to the sums provided by other, larger countries, such as China.
Trump Administration Withdraws FDA Plan to Ban Menthol Cigarettes
The Trump administration has withdrawn a plan to ban menthol cigarettes in the U.S., in a setback to health regulators and activists. The Food and Drug Administration had in April 2022 proposed to ban the sale of flavored cigars and menthol cigarettes after several health advocacy groups said they were highly addictive, and played a role in luring young people to smoking. A Jan. 21 filing, opens new tab by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, a White House agency, showed the proposal has been “withdrawn”.
Trump Uses Executive Power to Reinstate Anti-Abortion Pacts
President Donald Trump on Friday used his executive authority to restore U.S. participation in two international anti-abortion pacts, including one that cuts off U.S. family planning funds for foreign organizations if they provide or promote abortions.
Trump Reverses Some Biden Drug Pricing Initiatives, Potentially Impacting Medicare Costs
On Inauguration Day, January 20, 2025, Trump signed an executive order reversing initiatives aimed at reducing prescription drug costs for Medicare and Medicaid recipients, expanding the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and increasing protections for Medicaid enrollees. However, experts suggest that the changes may have little immediate impact on out-of-pocket (OOP) health care costs for most Americans.
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