U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson says GOP leaders are 'committed to finding at least $1.5 trillion in savings for the American people' and promised to 'aim much higher' in finding government programs to cut. That's going to be tough promise for Thune to deliver on in the Senate, where a handful of Republican senators have warned they will oppose steep cuts to Medicaid.
Republicans in Congress are hoping to use reconciliation to extend expiring tax cuts and make major changes to federal spending on programs including Medicaid. The first step in that process is for the House and Senate to pass a concurrent budget resolution, providing Congressional committees with reconciliation instructions. In February, the Senate and House each passed separate budget resolutions, and on April 5, the Senate passed a revised resolution attempting to reconcile the differences.
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that pharmaceutical imports will soon be hit with 'major' tariffs as part of his efforts to drive manufacturing back to the U.S. Drug imports evaded the first round of tariffs that Trump imposed on countries around the world, but the president said they will not be spared.
HHS announced a 5.06% average increase in the government's final reimbursement rates for 2026 Medicare Advantage health plans run by private insurers, more than double the increase it proposed in January. The rate the U.S. government pays to private health insurers to manage healthcare under Medicare for people aged 65 and older or with disabilities, influences the monthly premiums they charge, plan benefits they offer and, ultimately, their profits.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and DOGE are reshaping the U.S. health care system, starting with deep cuts to the agencies Kennedy now leads. Kennedy and his allies argue such moves are needed to change federal culture and improve efficiency in the name of long-term health improvements. But critics question how Kennedy's 'Make America Healthy Again,' or MAHA, movement can be successful with a weakened federal health department.
Jefferson Health has reached a new, multi-year agreement with Cigna. All Jefferson hospitals, physician practices, and providers will remain in-network with Cigna. The agreement is retroactively effective from March 15. Details were not released.