Politics

Hospitals are seeing more patients with the flu, even as the government’s revised childhood vaccine schedule no longer recommends flu shots for all children.

R. Shawn Martin, CEO of the American Academy of Family Physicians, talks with us about misinformation, changes in federal guidance and declines in vaccinations.

Erik Wexler, president and CEO of the Catholic health system, talks about the work to improve the system’s financial performance.

The Department of Health & Human Services says it no longer recommends the flu shot and some other shots for all children. The shots will still be available, but critics worry about more confusion and fewer vaccinations.

A judge issued an order temporarily blocking the Trump administration from moving ahead with the program. Hospitals said the rebate model would impose added costs.

These features garnered the most interest from readers in the past year.

Rising costs make it harder for Americans to get care, and variance even in the same market may draw more scrutiny in the coming year.

The federal government has indicated that it expects health systems to make it easier for consumers to understand prices. Carol Skenes of Turquoise Health talks about the growing expectations.

The Education Department excluded nursing from its list of professional degrees, and critics say it could worsen the shortage of nurses. Nearly 150 lawmakers want the department to revise its listing.

The White House has said kids are getting too many shots and has directed the Health Department to examine what other countries are doing. Medical groups worry about the spread of preventable diseases.

Some executives say they’re optimistic about outperforming competitors, but more are uneasy about policy changes in the year ahead.

The Department of Health & Human Services is threatening to block hospitals from Medicare and Medicaid funding if they provide such care.

Charlene MacDonald will take over the trade group representing for-profit hospitals beginning Jan. 1. She brings significant experience in Washington.

After Senate measures fall short, health systems fear the tax credits will lapse, leaving millions unable to afford coverage.

The state signs off on Hartford HealthCare’s purchase of Manchester Memorial and Rockville General hospitals, with some conditions.

Rick Pollack, who has led the organization for a decade, will step down by the end of 2026. He has been praised as the ‘preeminent voice’ for hospitals.

The federal government excluded nursing from a list of degree programs. Jennifer Mensik Kennedy of the American Nurses Association says it could deter some from pursuing nursing careers.

A key advisory panel drops the recommendation for all babies to get the hepatitis B vaccine, and President Trump has ordered a review of the childhood schedule.

ICE may not observe the restrictions that have historically applied to protected areas. But there are certain limitations to ICE action that health systems should know.

A specialty hospital in Portland is shutting its doors, and a community hospital in southern Oregon is ending inpatient services, although it plans to retain its emergency department.

Hospitals welcomed the government’s decision to pull staffing requirements at long-term care facilities. Advocates for seniors had said the rules were critical to protecting residents.

Jennifer DeCubellis, the new president and CEO of America’s Essential Hospitals, says safety net hospitals are underwater. Medicaid cuts will make it harder for some to survive, she says.

The American Hospital Association, the Maine Hospital Association, and four hospitals are hoping to avert the changes in the federal program, which are set to take effect Jan. 1.

Susan Monarez, the former CDC director, says she thinks up to 90% of all care will take place at home in the not-too-distant future.

They are pushing back after Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. changed its guidance, the latest in a host of controversies over federal vaccine policies this year.