From Washington, DC

• The American Hospital Association News reports,
  • “The Senate April 23 adopted a budget resolution by a 50-48 vote, paving the way for a narrow reconciliation bill focused on immigration enforcement funding. Congressional Republicans are seeking to use the reconciliation process primarily to end the partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security. The resolution instructs the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, the Senate Judiciary Committee, and the House Homeland Security and Judiciary committees to write legislation by May 15 that provides up to $70 billion in funding.  
  • “The vote followed a lengthy “vote-a-rama” session overnight that consisted of multiple proposed amendments from Democrats that failed to pass. Both chambers must pass a common budget resolution to move forward with the reconciliation process. Legislative action is expected in the House as early as next week.”  

• STAT News reports,
  • “President Donald Trump’s acting attorney general on Thursday signed an order reclassifying state-licensed medical marijuana as a less-dangerous drug, a major policy shift long sought by advocates who said cannabis should never have been treated like heroin by the federal government.
  • “The order signed by Todd Blanche does not legalize marijuana for medical or recreational use under federal law. But it does change the way it’s regulated, shifting licensed medical marijuana from Schedule I — reserved for drugs without medical use and with high potential for abuse — to the less strictly regulated Schedule III. It also gives licensed medical marijuana operators a major tax break and eases some barriers to researching cannabis.
  • “The Trump administration also said it was jump-starting the process for reclassifying marijuana more broadly, setting a hearing to begin in late June.”

• The Wall Street Journal tells us “What to Know About the Health Risks of Marijuana.”
  • “Studies show the drug can exacerbate anxiety and teen use poses risks for developing brains.”

• STAT News adds,
  • “President Trump heralded a drug pricing agreement with Regeneron on Thursday, closing the last of 17 deals initially sought by the White House last year.
  • “Regeneron, as part of the private deal, will reduce prices on drugs to Medicaid, provide cholesterol medicine Praluent on TrumpRx for $225, and invest $27 billion in drug development in the United States.”

• Tammy Flanagan, writing in Govexec, lets us know,
  • “I was planning to write about the number of TSP millionaires for this week’s column — until I started getting messages from former federal employees, all who retired on September 30, 2025, and are still waiting for their retirement benefit from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to be finalized.
  • “It is not completely surprising that retirement processing has slowed down, and for some former employees, they continue to wait for their retirement benefits to be finalized. But for the employees who have reached out for assistance, many have not received any money since their last paycheck was received in October 2025.
  • “It has been almost six months with very little or, in some cases, no money and little communication to help them understand how long they will have to continue to wait.” * * *
  • “In my experience, retirement processing is less like flipping a switch and more like closing out a file with dozens of tabs. One missing document or unresolved question can stop forward progress.
  • “Common culprits include late or incomplete payroll certifications, missing service history, unposted deposits or redeposits for prior service, unresolved military service credit, periods of leave without pay that need to be documented, name discrepancies, incomplete beneficiary or survivor elections, or court orders that require special handling.
  • “None of these problems are rare, and when thousands of cases arrive at once, the odds go up that more people land in the exception pile.”
  • Tammy then make suggestion on steps to take.

From the Food and Drug Administration front,

• Healthcare Dive reports,
  • “The CMS and the Food and Drug Administration have unveiled a new pathway to speed up Medicare coverage for certain breakthrough medical devices.
  • “The pathway, called the Regulatory Alignment for Predictable and Immediate Device, or RAPID, allows the two health agencies to work together, and with companies, during the device review process to speed up Medicare coverage for certain FDA-designated Class II and Class III breakthrough medical devices.
  • “The approach could enable Medicare national coverage and payment as soon as two months after a device has received market authorization, compared with approximately one year or more under the current system, according to the Thursday announcement.”

• The Wall Street Journal relates,
  • “Children born deaf because of a rare condition can now take a drug to restore their hearing after a gene therapy was approved in the U.S., ushering in a new era for the treatment of an inherited form of hearing loss. 
  • “The Food and Drug Administration approved Regeneron Pharmaceuticals’drug Otarmeni for children born with a faulty gene that plays a role in hearing. It targets a rare condition affecting an estimated 20 to 50 newborns in the U.S. each year and could eventually be expanded to an even wider population if additional studies succeed.
  • “In my wildest dreams I never thought we’d be here in my lifetime,” said Lawrence Lustig, a hearing specialist at Columbia University Irving Medical Center who helped lead the trial.
  • “Regeneron said it would offer the drug free to people in the U.S.”

• MedTech Dive tells us,
  • “Tandem Diabetes Care issued an urgent medical device correction for a software problem with its Mobi insulin pumps.
  • “The malfunction may cause insulin delivery to stop, causing high blood sugar if not addressed, the Food and Drug Administration said in a Wednesday recall notice. 
  • “Tandem sent a letter to customers in October notifying them of the fault and instructing them to update their pump software as soon as possible. Tandem had reported four serious injuries related to the problem as of Nov. 4.”

From the judicial front,

• Modern Healthcare reports,
  • “The Federal Trade Commission has reached an agreement in principle with U.S. Anesthesia Partners to settle the government’s 2023 lawsuit. 
  • “The terms of the preliminary settlement are confidential so USAP can carry out the negotiations necessary to fulfill them, the FTC said in a Thursday news release.
  • “The agency in its original complaint claimed the anesthesiology group allegedly violated antitrust laws and reduced competition for anesthesia services in Texas. The preliminary settlement resolves the charges, the FTC said Thursday.” 
    
• The New York Times points out “A $440,000 Breast Reduction: How Doctors Cashed In on a Consumer Protection Law.”
  • A law meant to end surprise medical billing accidentally created a multibillion-dollar industry that is making doctors richer.”
• FEHBlog observation – This is happening. Why can’t Congress and the regulators fix the problem?

From the public health and medical / Rx research front,

• The Wall Street Journal reports,
  • “Novo Nordisk will seek regulatory approval for its semaglutide pill to treat Type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents after a late-stage trial showed it significantly reduced blood sugar in 10- to 17-year-olds.
  • “The once-daily semaglutide pill is currently marketed as Rybelsus in the EU and U.S. to treat diabetes in adults and will be available in the U.S. as Ozempic pill later in the second quarter. It is not currently approved for use in children or adolescents.
  • “The Danish drugmaker said Thursday that oral semaglutide has the potential to be the first oral GLP-1 to demonstrate a superior reduction in blood sugar levels compared with a placebo in children and adolescents with Type 2 diabetes, while maintaining the well-tolerated safety profile seen across other semaglutide trials.
  • “Over the past two decades, the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes among children and adolescents has increased substantially, yet treatment options for this population remain limited, underscoring a significant unmet need,” said Martin Holst Lange, Novo Nordisk’s chief scientific officer and head of research & development.”

• MedPage Today relates,
  • “An investigational benzamide antipsychotic significantly improved symptoms in hospitalized adults with acute schizophrenia in a phase II trial.
  • “The drug, N-methyl amisulpride, is similar to its predecessor, amisulpride, but has some key differences in dosing and side effects.
  • “Because of the 4-week trial duration, long-term treatment durability wasn’t evaluated.”

• Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News tells us,
  • “Diabetes affects over half a billion people globally. Along with direct consequences to those with the disease, it also contributes to and predisposes affected individuals to a host of other conditions. Specifically, it is a known contributing factor in the development of vascular disease, including peripheral artery disease. While therapies exist, they are not very effective, and peripheral artery disease can lead to restricted blood flow in peripheral limbs, which sometimes leads to amputation. Understanding the mechanism driving the connection at the tissue and cellular level has the potential to improve therapy options and the development of new treatments.
  • “Normal function of the peripheral vasculature requires communication and cooperation between the vascular endothelium and macrophages. “Monocytes patrol the vascular endothelium and remove damaged cells, and intimal-resident macrophages maintain a nonthrombogenic endothelial state,” wrote the authors of a study led by Zhen Chen, PhD, at City of Hope. They explained that under stress, macrophages can modulate vascular remodeling and in certain conditions, like cancer, they “can secrete inflammatory mediators to disrupt endothelial cell tight junctions and increase endothelial cell permeability.”
  • “The team decided to explore the cellular cross-talk between macrophages and endothelial cells, as well as the resulting vascular function, to better understand the mechanisms behind peripheral artery disease induced by diabetes.
  • “They published their work in a paper titled “Diabetes-induced TREM2–endothelial cell signaling impairs ischemic vascular repair” in Science Translational Medicine.“

• Healio tells us,
  • “Influenza vaccination continues to protect children from influenza-related outpatient visits and hospitalizations, according to post-pandemic data published in Pediatrics.
  • “We have had really severe recent seasons for flu, particularly in children,” Samantha M. Olson, MPH, an epidemiologist in the CDC’s influenza division, told Healio in an interview. “This study really adds to the growing body of evidence showing how protective flu vaccines can be for infants, children and adolescents, and this includes even the most severe outcomes.”
• and
  • “People taking GLP-1s had reduced risk for atrial fibrillation, regardless of whether they lost weight or how much they lost, according to findings presented at Heart Rhythm 2026.
  • “We were prompted to undertake this study by some encouraging data that … GLP-1 receptor agonists seem to have a favorable effect on reducing the incidence of atrial fibrillation, particularly in patients with metabolic risk factors,” Kenneth C. Bilchick, MD, MS, professor of cardiovascular medicine at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, who presented the findings, told Healio. “I think the results were expected, but they were even better than we thought they would be.”

• Health Day informs us,
  • For many women, a sudden sneeze or a hearty laugh bring an unwelcome consequence: A small leak of urine. 
    Often dismissed as a normal part of aging or motherhood, new research suggests the real culprit may lie deep within the abdomen.
    A study from the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) in Brazil found that hidden fat stored between internal organs is a major driver of stress-induced urinary incontinence.
    The research — published recently in the European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology — suggests that where a woman carries her weight matters far more than the number on the scale.
    Stress urinary incontinence occurs when everyday actions like coughing, lifting or exercising put too much pressure on the bladder, causing urine to leak.
    “It’s that urinary leakage that occurs when pressure inside the abdomen increases and the pelvic floor can’t hold it in,” Patricia Driusso said in a news release. She’s a professor of physical therapy at UFSCar.

From the U.S. healthcare business and artificial intelligence front,

• Healthcare Dive reports,
  • “Molina benefited from better controlled Medicaid spending in the first quarter, though steeper membership losses than expected raise questions about whether the insurer can keep costs in hand for the remainder of 2026.
  • “Molina posted better-than-expected first quarter earnings on Wednesday afternoon, sending the insurer’s stock up more than 10% in Thursday morning’s trade.
  • “Yet, unlike its peers UnitedHealth and Elevance, which both raised 2026 guidance after keeping medical spending in check, Molina elected to reaffirm its outlook.
  • “Executives said retaining the current 2026 guidance is prudent given it’s early in the year and the cost environment remains challenging. Still, they hinted Molina might update the outlook after the second quarter.”
    
• Fierce Healthcare relates,
  • “Elevance Health’s top brass told investors Wednesday that the insurer is on pace to end the second quarter of 2026 with about 1.2 million members in its individual market plans.
  • “CEO Gail Boudreaux said on the company’s earnings call that the company saw “moderately stronger retention” in the Affordable Care Act segment through Q1, and that it was one of the contributing factors to its better-than-expected results in the quarter.
  • “The membership growth in the individual market plans reflected a shift toward bronze tier coverage following the expiration of enhanced premium tax credits at the beginning of this year, said Chief Financial Officer Mark Kaye. Part of why this trend contributed to lower medical costs is that utilization in these plans is frequently backloaded, he said.” * * *
  • “Kaye said that the company feels good about its position in the ACA market, and the shift to bronze tier plans has been positive in certain markets. However, the company is still taking a prudent approach to forecasting around the ACA market.”

• Beckers Hospital Review identifies “eight health systems that recently had their outlooks upgraded by Fitch Ratings or Moody’s Investors Service in 2026.”

• MedTech Dive tells us,
  • “Boston Scientific slashed its 2026 sales growth and earnings guidance on Wednesday as key businesses are facing challenges and setbacks.
  • “The medtech company expects full-year sales growth in a range of 7% to 8.5%, down from a range of 10.5% to 11.5% given in February. Boston Scientific also lowered its adjusted earnings per share guidance from a range of $3.43 to $3.49 to a range of $3.34 to $3.41.
  • “CEO Mike Mahoney told investors on an earnings call that the lowered guidance reflects challenges in several prominent businesses, including electrophysiology and the company’s Watchman franchise.
  • “This was a guide down that we, quite frankly, are not proud of, but we think it’s the right thing to do, and best reflects the current environment,” Mahoney said.”

• Beckers Health IT informs us,
  • “OpenAI has introduced ChatGPT for Clinicians, offering free use of the tool to all verified U.S. physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and pharmacists.
  • Here are [four] things to know from an April 22 news release and past Becker’s reporting:
    • “1. The AI developer said the solution can help clinicians with tasks like documentation, writing and medical research, freeing up time for patient care.
    • “2. OpenAI has previously launched ChatGPT for Healthcare, an enterprise solution for health systems, and ChatGPT for Health, a tool for users to ask health-related questions.
    • “3. The company also debuted HealthBench Professional⁠, a benchmarking application for three use cases: care consultation, documentation and writing, and medical research.
    • “4. OpenAI said its physician advisors review the AI’s healthcare responses “every few minutes” and before releasing ChatGPT for Clinicians tested nearly 7,000 conversations in their daily work, rating 99.6% of responses as accurate and safe.”

• Healthcare Dive adds,
  • “The American Medical Association is urging Congress to create safety guardrails for artificial chatbots in mental healthcare, as Americans increasingly turn to the technology for health information and advice. 
  • “In letters sent Wednesday to the chairs of three congressional committees on digital health and AI, the major physician lobby said “well-designed, purpose-built” tools could help patients who would otherwise struggle to access mental healthcare, but that the lack of safety protocols poses serious risks.
  • “Privacy concerns, risks of emotional dependency on AI and reports the tools could encourage self-harm signal that “immediate attention is required to ensure these tools do not inadvertently harm individuals seeking mental health support or companionship,” AMA CEO Dr. John Whyte wrote.”