From Washington, DC,

• PhRMA points out “August is National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM)—a timely reminder of vaccines’ vital role in protecting our health, especially as preventable disease outbreaks rise and kids head back to school.”

• Per an HHS news release,
  • “Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary today joined Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins to celebrate her signing of six new Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) state waivers to advance the Trump Administration’s priority to Make America Healthy Again. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey joined them on the MAHA Monday event on the National Mall.
  • “MAHA Monday marks the second day of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Great American Farmers Market 2025, a weeklong celebration of food, family, and farming to showcase American agriculture as part of the Trump Administration’s events leading up to the 250th anniversary of America’s founding next year.
  • “The SNAP waivers for West Virginia, Florida, Colorado, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas amend the statutory definition of food for purchase and end the subsidization of popular types of junk food beginning in 2026.”

• The New York Times adds
  • “New research suggests that people can lose more weight by avoiding ultra processed foods, even those that are typically considered healthy.
  • “The study, published today in the journal Nature Medicine, is the largest and longest clinical trial yet to examine the effects of ultra processed foods on weight. Participants lost twice as much weight when they followed diets made up of minimally processed foods, like pasta, chicken, fruits and vegetables, as they did when they followed diets with ultra processed foods that met nutrition standards, such as ready-to-heat frozen meals, breakfast cereals, protein bars and shakes.”

• The Washington Post reports,
  • “The White House does not plan to require health insurers to provide coverage for in vitro fertilization services, two people with knowledge of internal discussions said, even though the idea was one of President Donald Trump’s key campaign pledges.” * * *
  • “A senior administration official, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal talks, said that while expanding IVF access remains a “huge priority” for Trump, the president can’t legally make IVF an essential health benefit without Congress first approving legislation to do so. It is unclear whether the administration plans to ask lawmakers to take up a bill, but the two people said that forcing insurance companies to cover IVF is not currently on the table.”

• Tammy Flanagan, writing in Govexec, explains “How federal employees can check if their retirement estimate is accurate. Estimating your post-retirement income isn’t just math, it’s about getting the right data, understanding your service credit and avoiding costly missteps.”

From the Food and Drug Administration front,

• MedPage Today tells us,
  • “The FDA approved aceclidine 1.44% ophthalmic solution (Vizz) for adults with presbyopia, or age-related blurred near vision, maker Lenz Therapeutics announced on Thursday [July 31].
  • It marks the first aceclidine-based solution to be approved for the condition, which affects an estimated 128 million Americans — almost half the adult population.

• The American Hospital Association News informs us,
  • “The Food and Drug Administration has identified a Class I recall of Philips Respironics V30, A30 and A40 ventilators due to the potential for serious injury or death. The company is updating use instructions due to the risk of failure in the ventilator inoperative alarm, which can cause therapy interruption or loss. The recall involves correcting the devices and does not call for removing them from where they are used or sold.” 
    
• Per an HHS news release,
  • “The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced that Sean Keveney has been appointed Chief Counsel at the FDA. Keveney most recently served as Acting General Counsel of HHS, where he led the Department’s legal team in advancing key administration priorities and ensuring rigorous legal standards across public health programs.” * * *
  • “Robert Foster, the Department’s Principal Deputy General Counsel, will assume the role of Acting General Counsel of HHS. He will remain FDA Chief Counsel for Food, Research, and Drugs. Foster has deep experience in administrative law and public health litigation and has been a trusted advisor to Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. on matters ranging from vaccine regulation to bioethics.
  • “President Trump earlier this year nominated Michael Stuart, a member of the West Virginia Senate and former United States Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia, as General Counsel of HHS. The U.S. Senate Committee on Finance held his nomination hearing on July 31, 2025.”

From the public health and medical research front,

• STAT News relates,
  • “The Gates Foundation said Monday that it would commit $2.5 billion through 2030 to support dozens of different approaches for improving women’s health, from new medicines to prevent maternal mortality to vaccines to curb infections that disproportionately affect women.
  • “The figure represents an increase of about a third in the foundation’s funding for women’s health and maternal health compared to the previous five years, and is a small illustration of the kinds of commitments that Bill Gates, the foundation’s chairman and founder, is making as he seeks to donate the vast majority of his $114 billion fortune before winding down the foundation over the next 20 years. It is the largest funding commitment the Gates Foundation has made in women’s health.”

• The Wall Street Journal reports,
  • “People under age 50 have been appearing increasingly at doctors’ offices in the past few decades, complaining of blood in their stool, abdominal trouble or unexplained weight loss. The diagnosis: colorectal cancer. And by that time, it was often too late.
  • “But that paradigm is finally starting to shift, at least for patients in their 40s. 
  • “There has been a jump in people aged 45 to 49 getting screened for colorectal cancer, after recent medical guidelines lowered the screening age for those at average risk. As a result, the disease is being caught sooner, when it is more curable and the treatment is less grueling, according to new research from the American Cancer Society. 
  • “The recent screening recommendations designed to catch cases sooner appear to be working. 
  • “It’s thrilling to see this,” said Rebecca Siegel, an epidemiologist at the ACS and an author of the new research. “It means fewer deaths and higher quality of life for people who are diagnosed.” 

• Per MedPage Today,
  • “Compared with untreated flu, oseltamivir [Tamiflu] treatment reduced the risk of serious neuropsychiatric events in children.
  • “Prescribing information for oseltamivir carries warnings about abnormal behavior in kids with flu based on case reports.
  • “Concerns about possible side effects may contribute to oseltamivir being underused in kids at high risk for flu complications.”

• Diagnostic Imaging notes,
  • “Emerging research suggests that mammography may play a viable role in detecting pregnancy-related breast cancer (PABC), even among women with extremely dense breasts.
  • “For a retrospective study, recently published in Clinical Imaging, researchers reviewed mediolateral oblique and craniocaudal mammogram views for 167 women (mean age of 37) with newly diagnosed PABC as well as ultrasound imaging for 146 women in the cohort. The study authors noted use of different mammography techniques, including full-field digital mammography (78 patients) and digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) (89 patients).
  • “The researchers also pointed out that 97.6 percent of the cohort had dense breasts with 77 percent having extremely dense breasts. Eighty-two percent of the women were lactating, and 18 percent of the cohort were pregnant.”

• Per the AHA News,
  • “Nearly 57% of mothers did not attend a postpartum follow-up visit three to eight weeks after giving birth, according to a report published July 29 by Cedar Gate Technologies. The rate was higher for younger mothers, as nearly 61% of those aged 20-24 did not attend follow-up appointments. Cedar Gate analyzed a national database of millions of commercially insured patients from July 2022 to June 2023. Previous estimates from the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology suggested nearly 40% of women did not attend postpartum visits.” 

• The American Medical Association lets us know what doctors wish their patients knew about Huntington’s Disease.

• Per Fierce Pharma,
  • “While the JAK inhibitor market for alopecia areata (AA) has grown increasingly crowded in recent years, Rinvoq’s clinical performance in the hair follicle-attacking autoimmune disease could earn AbbVie a prominent seat at the table.
  • “After 24 weeks of treatment, Rinvoq (upadacitinib) at two doses—15 mg and 30 mg—helped 44.6% and 54.3% of adult alopecia patients achieve 80% or more scalp hair coverage, respectively, in a phase 3 trial. That compared to just 3.4% of patients on placebo who achieved the same level of hair growth.
  • “Patients enrolled in the study entered at a baseline of roughly 16% scalp hair coverage, as determined by the severity of alopecia tool (SALT), AbbVie said in a July 30 press release.”

• Radiology Business informs us,
  • “Medical imaging accounts for 4 of the 5 most prevalent low-value healthcare services among Medicare beneficiaries, according to new research published Friday. 
  • “Imaging for plantar fasciitis” was the most frequently delivered unnecessary exam, occurring nearly 84 times per 100 Medicare beneficiaries, experts write in JAMA Health Forum. Low-value imaging for headache (76/100), syncope (72/100) and lower back pain (39/100) also made the top five, with vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty at No. 4. 
  • “The findings are based on a review representing claims from over 3.7 million Medicare beneficiaries treated between 2018 and 2020. Altogether, the payment program spent approximately $484 million on 15 different low-value imaging services, a figure that balloons to nearly $584 million when factoring in beneficiaries’ out-of-pocket costs.  
  • “Findings of this cross-sectional study highlight that reforms aimed at reducing spending for low-value services are feasible to achieve billions in savings without compromising patient health,” David D. Kim, PhD, and A. Mark Fendrick, MD, with the universities of Chicago and Michigan, respectively, wrote Aug. 1.”

From the U.S. healthcare business front,

• Beckers Payer Issues identifies seventeen underrated skills that payer leaders need and further reports,
  • “Bloomington, Minn.-based HealthPartners is launching Simplica NextGen Copay, a health plan with no deductible or coinsurance for in-network care.
  • “With the plan, beneficiaries will also see what they’ll pay upfront before scheduling, according to an Aug. 4 HealthPartners news release. Copay amounts for specific services at each hospital or clinic vary based on the quality and affordability of the care delivered.
  • “The plan is launching on Jan. 1, 2026, and will initially be available to large-group, self-insured employers in the Twin Cities metro and surrounding counties, according to the release.
  • “We developed Simplica in response to the growing demand for more predictable benefits,” HealthPartners president and CEO Andrea Walsh said in the release. “This plan gives members the cost clarity and ease they expect from their health plan and guides them in making informed decisions about where to get the care they need.”

• Modern Healthcare reports,
  • “Brian Pieninck has been tapped as the next president and CEO of GuideWell and its insurer subsidiary Florida Blue, effective Oct. 1.
  • “Pieninck currently serves as president and CEO of CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield and is chair of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association’s board of directors. He will succeed Pat Geraghty, who in March announced his plans to retire Dec. 31, after 14 years with the organization. 
  • “Pieninck joined nonprofit CareFirst, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, in 2015 as executive vice president of the large group strategic business unit before becoming chief operating officer in 2017. In 2018, he was named president and CEO of the company. 
  • “Prior to CareFirst, he held multiple leadership roles during 19 years at Aetna.”
• and
  • “Kelly Munson has been named the next president and CEO of Independence Health Group, effective Oct. 1.
  • “Munson, who currently serves as president and CEO of Independence Health subsidiary AmeriHealth Caritas, will succeed Gregory Deavens, who earlier this year announced his plans to retire. Deavens will remain at the company through December to support the leadership transition, according to a Monday news release. 
  • “In addition to her role at Independence Health Group, Munson will shift into an oversight position at AmeriHealth Caritas.” 

• Beckers Hospital Review calls attention to six planned hospital reopenings and adds that
  • “St. Luke’s Des Peres Hospital in St. Louis officially closed Aug. 1, a spokesperson for the Chesterfield, Mo.-based health system told Becker’s.
  • “The decision follows years of declining patient volumes and mounting financial challenges that made continued operation of the 143-bed hospital as an acute care facility unsustainable.”