# Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) The Department of Health and Human Services HHS — established in statute at 42 U.S.C. Chapter 43 §§ 3501–3515 and successor to the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare HEW created in 1953 — is - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/wiki/department-of-hhs - As of: 2026-11-10 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Domain: government - Category: Federal Agencies & Departments - Page type: topic - U.S. Code anchor: none - Last verified: not recorded ## Article The **Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)** — established in statute at **42 U.S.C. Chapter 43** (§§ 3501–3515) and successor to the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) created in 1953 — is the Cabinet-level federal agency responsible for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for vulnerable populations. For the primary public health research agencies within HHS, see [public health service, NIH, and CDC](public-health-service-nih-cdc.md). For the Medicare and Medicaid programs HHS administers, see [Medicare Part A hospital insurance](medicare-part-a-hospital-insurance.md). With a **FY2024 total budget of approximately $1.7 trillion**, HHS administers more federal spending than any other department — primarily through Medicare and Medicaid, which together account for roughly **$1.5 trillion** in annual outlays. The department's 13 operating divisions range from the **Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)**, which oversees health coverage for over **160 million Americans**, to the **National Institutes of Health (NIH)**, the world's largest public funder of biomedical research at **$47 billion annually**, to the **Food and Drug Administration (FDA)**, which regulates products accounting for approximately **20 cents of every dollar** spent by American consumers. HHS also administers the nation's primary social service programs for children and families — Head Start, TANF block grants, foster care and adoption assistance, child care subsidies — through the **Administration for Children and Families (ACF)**, and oversees community health centers, Ryan White HIV/AIDS programs, and substance abuse and mental health services. The Secretary of HHS serves as the second officer of succession to the Presidency (after the Secretary of State) in the Presidential Succession Act. ## Current Law (2026) | Parameter | Value | |-----------|-------| | Statutory basis | 42 U.S.C. §§ 3501–3515; Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1953 (established HEW); Pub. L. 96-88 (1979, renamed to HHS after Education split off) | | Established | 1953 as HEW; renamed HHS April 1979; effective May 4, 1980 | | Secretary of HHS (2025–present) | Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (confirmed February 2025) | | Deputy Secretary | Acting leadership (2026, per DOGE restructuring) | | Total employees | ~80,000 federal employees (reduced from ~90,000 pre-2025) | | FY2024 total outlays | ~$1.7 trillion (~25% of total federal spending) | | Medicare/Medicaid outlays | ~$1.5 trillion combined | | NIH annual budget | ~$47 billion | | FDA annual budget | ~$6.7 billion | | CDC annual budget | ~$9 billion (pre-DOGE reductions) | | Operating divisions | 13 (see below) | | Offices of the Secretary | 12 principal staff offices | ## Legal Authority - **42 U.S.C. § 3501** — Establishment of Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (now HHS); Secretary vested with all functions, powers, and duties of the department - **42 U.S.C. § 3502** — Establishment of position of Under Secretary of HEW (now Deputy Secretary of HHS); succession and delegation authority - **42 U.S.C. § 3503** — Assistant Secretaries: authorized positions and subject matter responsibilities - **42 U.S.C. § 3505** — Under Secretary for Health (position authority) - **42 U.S.C. § 3508** — General Counsel of HHS (legal authority, advisory function) - **42 U.S.C. § 3513** — Transfer of functions from Federal Security Agency to HEW/HHS (historical continuity provision consolidating public health, social security, and education functions) - **42 U.S.C. § 3515** — Transfer of functions and offices (authority to reorganize component offices within statutory constraints) - **Pub. L. 96-88 (1979)** — Department of Education Organization Act; created separate Department of Education, renamed remaining department "Department of Health and Human Services" - **42 U.S.C. § 202** — Public Health Service Act: Secretary of HHS has the functions, powers, and duties of the former Federal Security Administrator with respect to public health - **Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1953** — Transferred the Federal Security Agency (Public Health Service, Social Security Administration, Office of Education, FDA) to the new HEW ## Principal Operating Divisions **Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)** The largest single component of HHS by budget. CMS administers Medicare (~65 million beneficiaries), Medicaid (~95 million beneficiaries), CHIP (~7 million children), and the ACA Health Insurance Marketplace (~15 million enrollees). The CMS Administrator oversees programs representing roughly 90% of HHS outlays. CMS also regulates clinical laboratories (CLIA) and nursing homes, sets Medicare payment rates that effectively govern healthcare pricing nationwide, and administers quality reporting programs. See: `medicare-part-a-hospital-insurance`, `medicaid-program-overview`, `chip-childrens-health-insurance`, `aca-health-insurance-marketplace`. **National Institutes of Health (NIH)** The world's largest public funder of biomedical research, with a ~$47 billion annual budget supporting over 300,000 researchers at universities, medical schools, and research institutions nationwide. NIH comprises 27 Institutes and Centers, each focused on a disease category or research function (National Cancer Institute, National Heart/Lung/Blood Institute, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, etc.). NIH research has contributed to virtually every major medical advance of the past 50 years. See: `public-health-service-nih-cdc`. **Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)** The nation's public health protection agency, responsible for disease surveillance, outbreak investigation, immunization programs, environmental health, occupational safety research (NIOSH), and global health security. CDC operates the Strategic National Stockpile in partnership with ASPR and publishes the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). See: `public-health-service-nih-cdc`, `public-health-emergency-preparedness`. **Food and Drug Administration (FDA)** Regulates foods, drugs, biologics, medical devices, tobacco, cosmetics, and veterinary products — approximately $2.8 trillion in products sold annually. FDA approval is required for new prescription drugs, biologics, and devices before they can be marketed. FDA also regulates the safety of the U.S. food supply, including imported food. See: `fda-drug-approval`, `generic-drugs-hatch-waxman`, `340b-drug-pricing`. **Administration for Children and Families (ACF)** Administers over 60 programs promoting the economic and social well-being of children, families, individuals, and communities. Major programs: Head Start and Early Head Start (~$13 billion), TANF block grants (~$16.5 billion), Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF/CCDBG), foster care and adoption assistance (Title IV-E), child support enforcement (Title IV-D), Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), and Community Services Block Grants. See: `head-start-program`, `tanf-cash-assistance`, `child-welfare-foster-care`, `ccdbg-child-care-development-block-grant`, `liheap-energy-assistance`. **Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)** Leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation through mental health and substance use disorder services. SAMHSA administers block grants (Community Mental Health Services Block Grant and Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant) to states and territories, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (988), the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic program, and the Treatment Referral Routing Service. See: `samhsa-substance-abuse-mental-health`, `mental-health-substance-abuse-block-grants`. **Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)** Improves health care access to people who are geographically isolated or economically vulnerable. HRSA funds Federally Qualified Health Centers (~30 million patients), administers the Ryan White HIV/AIDS program, oversees health professions workforce training, manages the National Health Service Corps (loan repayment for providers in underserved areas), and administers the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. See: `community-health-centers-fqhc`, `ryan-white-hiv-aids`, `vaccine-injury-compensation`, `health-professions-workforce-programs`. **Indian Health Service (IHS)** Provides health services to approximately 2.7 million American Indians and Alaska Natives, fulfilling treaty obligations through a system of hospitals, clinics, and health stations. IHS is supplemented by tribal health programs and Urban Indian Organizations. See: `indian-health-service`. **Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)** The primary federal agency for patient safety and healthcare quality research. AHRQ produces evidence reports, clinical practice guidelines, and patient safety tools; administers the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS); and runs the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP). See: `ahrq-healthcare-research-quality`. **Administration for Community Living (ACL)** The primary federal agency on aging and disability policy. ACL administers the Older Americans Act programs (Area Agencies on Aging, Meals on Wheels, caregiver support, elder justice) and disability services including the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act programs. See: `older-americans-act`, `developmental-disabilities-assistance-act`. **Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR)** Leads the federal public health and medical preparedness and response system. ASPR oversees the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS), manages Emergency Support Function #8 (Public Health and Medical Services) under the National Response Framework, administers Hospital Preparedness Program grants to states, and oversees the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), which funds vaccine and countermeasure development. See: `public-health-emergency-preparedness`. **Office of Inspector General (OIG)** Investigates fraud, waste, and abuse in HHS programs; issues exclusions from Medicare and Medicaid for violations; publishes compliance guidance for healthcare providers and contractors. OIG oversight of Medicare and Medicaid fraud is one of the largest law enforcement operations in the federal government. **Office for Civil Rights (OCR)** Enforces federal civil rights laws, HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules, and the ACA Section 1557 nondiscrimination provisions in healthcare. OCR investigates complaints against covered entities, conducts compliance reviews, and brings enforcement actions including civil monetary penalties. See: `hipaa-health-information-privacy`. ## Key Numbers - **$1.7 trillion**: HHS total FY2024 budget — the largest of any federal department and approximately 25% of all federal spending - **160 million**: Americans covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP combined - **$47 billion**: NIH annual budget, supporting over 50,000 competitive grants to external researchers - **$2.8 trillion**: Value of consumer products regulated by FDA — roughly 20 cents of every consumer dollar - **30 million**: Patients served annually by HRSA-funded health centers (FQHCs) - **2.7 million**: American Indians and Alaska Natives served by IHS - **13**: HHS operating divisions; 12 principal staff offices of the Secretary - **1953**: Year the department's predecessor (HEW) was established; renamed HHS in 1980 after Education was spun off ## How It Affects You **If you receive Medicare or Medicaid**: CMS within HHS sets every coverage rule, payment rate, and quality standard for your health coverage. Changes to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, Medicaid income limits, CHIP eligibility, and ACA marketplace rules are all CMS decisions — made through notice-and-comment rulemaking published in the Federal Register. If you are denied coverage or payment, HHS's appeals processes (Medicare Administrative Contractors, Quality Improvement Organizations, ALJ hearings) are the primary recourse. **If you work in healthcare**: Your clinical practice is shaped by HHS at every level. FDA approval determines what drugs and devices you can prescribe. CMS determines what services Medicare and Medicaid will pay for and at what rate. OSHA (DOL, not HHS) governs workplace safety, but AHRQ's evidence reports and CMS quality measures shape clinical standards of care. ONC (within HHS) governs the EHR systems you use. OIG exclusions can remove you from all federal health programs. **If you work in public health, research, or health education**: NIH grant programs, HRSA workforce training, CDC surveillance data, and AHRQ patient safety research are the primary federal infrastructure for your work. HHS operates the largest civilian federal employer of scientists, physicians, and public health professionals. **If you're a state government**: HHS is the primary federal partner for state health and human services agencies. Medicaid matching funds (FMAP), TANF block grants, CCDBG child care funds, Head Start grants, mental health and substance abuse block grants, and CHIP all flow through HHS. State Medicaid directors work primarily with CMS Regional Offices. Changes to HHS funding formulas and block grant structures directly affect state budgets. ## Recent Developments The Trump administration's appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary and subsequent DOGE-driven restructuring of HHS constituted the most significant organizational disruption to the department since its 1980 renaming. In early 2025, HHS underwent large-scale workforce reductions across nearly all operating divisions, with particular cuts at CDC (estimated 1,700+ positions), FDA (hundreds of positions across product review centers), NIH (administrative and indirect cost reductions), and SAMHSA. The organizational changes included proposals to consolidate operating divisions into a new "Administration for a Healthy America" and to rename the FDA — proposals that as of mid-2026 remained partially implemented amid congressional resistance and legal challenges. The department's policy direction shifted significantly under Kennedy's leadership toward skepticism of certain vaccines and pharmaceutical products, reduction in chronic disease prevention programs, and focus on food additive and ultra-processed food regulation. Several longstanding vaccine advisory committee positions went unfilled; CDC's ACIP (Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices) process was disrupted. The NIH indirect cost reduction policy — attempting to cap research institution overhead reimbursements at 15% — was blocked by federal courts after virtually every major research university challenged it. Despite the organizational turbulence, HHS's core entitlement programs (Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP) continued to operate through CMS, which retained much of its career workforce and regulatory infrastructure. The operational continuity of CMS is largely driven by statutory requirements and appropriations that the executive branch cannot unilaterally alter. In December 2025, Senate HELP Committee Ranking Member Bernie Sanders and all HELP Committee Democrats sent a letter to Chairman Bill Cassidy calling for an immediate oversight hearing with Secretary Kennedy, citing what they described as an "unprecedented war on science and vaccines." The letter followed a vote by CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to end the decades-long recommendation that all newborns receive the hepatitis B vaccine at birth — a committee that Kennedy had earlier reconstituted with members critics characterized as vaccine skeptics. The senators cited over 1,700 measles infections, surging whooping cough cases, and falling vaccination rates as consequences of Kennedy's tenure, and noted that Kennedy had not testified before the committee in seven months despite a February 2025 commitment to appear quarterly. The letter was co-signed by ten Democratic senators and supported by former CDC directors, former FDA commissioners, six former surgeons general, and major medical associations including the American College of Physicians and the Infectious Diseases Society of America. [Senate HELP Committee, Dec. 9, 2025](https://www.help.senate.gov/dem/newsroom/press/news-sanders-help-committee-democrats-call-on-cassidy-to-have-secretary-kennedy-testify-before-help-committee) On September 17, 2025, Senate HELP Committee Ranking Member Bernie Sanders delivered an opening statement at a committee oversight hearing examining the Trump administration's firing of CDC Director Dr. Susan Monarez, who had been sworn in as the agency's first Senate-confirmed director on July 31, 2025, only to be dismissed on August 27, 2025. Sanders stated that Monarez was fired because she refused to pre-approve recommendations from a reconstituted vaccine advisory panel stacked with members who had expressed anti-vaccine views, and because she declined to fire career scientists including Chief Medical Officer Dr. Houry. The hearing also addressed the broader resignation of senior CDC scientists and what Sanders characterized as Kennedy's "war on science and public health." [Senate HELP Committee, Sept. 17, 2025](https://www.help.senate.gov/dem/newsroom/press/prepared-remarks-sanders-opening-statement-in-oversight-hearing-for-fired-cdc-director) On August 28, 2025, Senate HELP Committee Ranking Member Bernie Sanders formally called for a bipartisan congressional investigation into the firing of CDC Director Dr. Susan Monarez, sending a letter to Chairman Bill Cassidy urging an immediate public hearing and compelling Secretary Kennedy, Monarez, and recently resigned CDC leaders to testify. Sanders alleged that Monarez was removed at Kennedy's request for refusing to support his vaccine policy agenda, and highlighted the concurrent resignation of four senior CDC leaders, two of whom cited political pressure to mislead the public as their reason for departing. The letter characterized Kennedy's actions — including narrowing COVID vaccine eligibility and disrupting the ACIP process — as undermining public trust in science during the largest measles outbreak in over 30 years. [Senate HELP Committee, Aug. 28, 2025](https://www.help.senate.gov/dem/newsroom/press/news-sanders-demands-bipartisan-investigation-into-firing-of-cdc-director) On July 29, 2025, Senate HELP Committee Ranking Member Bernie Sanders and seven Democratic committee members launched a formal investigation into Secretary Kennedy's decision to dismiss all sitting members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and replace them with individuals critics characterized as ideologically opposed to vaccines. The senators' letter to Kennedy cited the new ACIP's announced plans to revisit the childhood vaccine schedule — potentially affecting long-standing recommendations for hepatitis B and polio vaccines — and its invitation of a known vaccine denier to present to the committee. The investigation also sought information on the administration's decision to stop recommending the COVID-19 vaccine for children and pregnant women, and on alleged efforts to suppress scientific staff. The action followed an emergency resolution by the American Medical Association urging the HELP Committee to investigate the ACIP firings, and occurred against the backdrop of the highest total measles case count in 33 years, including three deaths. [Senate HELP Committee, July 29, 2025](https://www.help.senate.gov/dem/newsroom/press/news-sanders-democratic-help-members-launch-investigation-into-secretary-kennedys-dangerous-and-unprecedented-vaccine-committee-firings) On January 28, 2026, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith and Oversight Subcommittee Chairman David Schweikert announced an investigation into allegations that foreign nationals are improperly receiving priority placement on U.S. organ transplant waiting lists ahead of American citizens. The investigation involves demands directed at HHS, which oversees the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Organ transplant allocation policy is governed by the National Organ Transplant Act (NOTA) and administered under contract with HHS. [Ways and Means Committee, Jan. 28, 2026](https://waysandmeans.house.gov/2026/01/28/smith-schweikert-investigate-allegations-of-foreign-nationals-jumping-u-s-organ-transplant-line/) On February 2, 2026, Senate HELP Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy sent a letter to Apexus — the sole 340B prime vendor under an exclusive contract with HRSA since 2004 — seeking detailed information on how Apexus generates revenue and structures its business practices around the 340B Drug Pricing Program. Cassidy cited a lack of transparency that he argued prevents 340B discounts from translating into better access or lower costs for patients, building on a committee report he issued the prior spring. Media reports had found that Apexus generated hundreds of millions of dollars in fees collected on nearly every drug sold under the program, and had expanded its business beyond its core HRSA-contracted role. The inquiry is part of Cassidy's ongoing, multi-year investigation into revenue flows among participants in the 340B program. [Senate HELP Committee, Feb. 2, 2026](https://www.help.senate.gov/rep/newsroom/press/chair-cassidy-continues-investigation-into-340b-drug-program-seeks-information-from-340b-prime-vendor-1) On February 3, 2026, Senate HELP Committee Ranking Member Bernie Sanders released a report alleging that the Trump administration cut or froze $561 million in NIH research funding for major diseases — including cancer, heart disease, and diabetes — while failing to deliver on promises to lower prescription drug prices. The report contends that these reductions threaten future treatment development and harm patients who depend on federally funded research. The release builds on prior Democratic HELP Committee scrutiny of Kennedy-era HHS budget and research policy decisions. [Senate HELP Committee, Feb. 3, 2026](https://www.help.senate.gov/dem/newsroom/press/news-sanders-report-details-how-trump-broke-promises-to-patients-cut-561-million-from-lifesaving-research-while-failing-to-lower-prescription-drug-prices) On January 8, 2026, CMS announced that Nevada Donor Network (NVLV) was selected through a competitive process to assume organ procurement services in the Southern Florida Donation Service Area, covering approximately 7 million people across six counties and the Bahamas. The action followed CMS's September 2025 decertification of Life Alliance Organ Recovery Agency, a division of the University of Miami Health System, for documented noncompliance with federal Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) Conditions for Coverage, including deficiencies in staffing, training, and quality oversight. CMS will maintain enhanced oversight during the transition period, including joint transition meetings, while Life Alliance continues services until NVLV formally assumes operational responsibility. The announcement referenced an HHS reform initiative on OPO performance standards that Secretary Kennedy announced in July 2025. [CMS, Jan. 8, 2026](https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cms-announces-new-provider-organ-procurement-services-south-florida) On January 28, 2026, CMS issued a proposed rule (CMS-3409-P) that would revise Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) Conditions for Coverage to strengthen federal oversight, bolster the re-certification framework, and increase the number of viable organs reaching patients. Key provisions include separating OPO performance evaluations by Donation Service Area (DSA) so that underperforming DSAs can lose designation independently, requiring tier-2 OPOs to compete to retain their service areas, removing a regulatory barrier that had limited certification to OPOs recertified between 2002–2005, and adding new definitions for terms such as "unsound medical practices" and "medically complex donor." The rule also proposes removing pancreata used for islet cell research from the organ transplantation rate outcome measure while retaining them in the donation rate measure to comply with statutory requirements, and solicits public comment on conflicts of interest in organ procurement and on automated electronic referrals from donor hospitals to OPOs. [CMS, Jan. 28, 2026](https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/organ-procurement-organizations-opos-conditions-coverage-revisions-cms-3409-p-proposed-rule) On January 29, 2026, CMS announced that ten health technology companies — including Accenture, Deloitte, Maximus, Optum, and Gainwell — voluntarily pledged more than $600 million in no-cost and discounted technology products and services to help states implement Medicaid community engagement requirements enacted under the Working Families Tax Cut legislation (Pub. L. 119-21). The community engagement requirements, which apply to certain able-bodied adults enrolled in Medicaid, must be implemented by states no later than January 1, 2027. CMS has developed an open-source eligibility tool (EMMY) and is working with the General Services Administration to streamline vendor procurement pathways for states. [CMS, Jan. 29, 2026](https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/medicaid-technology-companies-pledge-600m-savings-support-community-engagement-related-state) On February 9, 2026, CMS published a proposed Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2027 (the ACA marketplace payment rule) that would make significant changes to the Federal and State-Based Health Insurance Exchanges. Key proposals include allowing multi-year catastrophic plans of up to ten years, repealing standardized plan options to give insurers greater design flexibility, restoring state Essential Health Benefits mandates to pre-subsidy cost calculations, and strengthening income verification and agent/broker conduct standards to reduce improper enrollments. The rule also proposes updating Exchange eligibility verification to reflect new immigration-related restrictions on premium tax credit eligibility, and modernizing network adequacy review processes. Public comments are due March 13, 2026. [CMS, Feb. 9, 2026](https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cms-proposes-regulations-lower-health-care-costs-expand-consumer-choice-protect-taxpayers) On February 25, 2026, CMS announced a coordinated anti-fraud initiative involving three major actions: a deferral of $259.5 million in federal Medicaid matching funds to Minnesota pending review of potentially fraudulent or unsupported claims in personal care, home and community-based, and other practitioner services; a six-month nationwide moratorium on new Medicare enrollment for certain Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) suppliers, building on CMS's suspension of $5.7 billion in suspected fraudulent Medicare payments in 2025; and a Request for Information under the new CRUSH (Comprehensive Regulations to Uncover Suspicious Healthcare) initiative, soliciting stakeholder input on additional regulatory tools to prevent fraud across Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and the ACA Marketplace, with comments due March 30, 2026. Secretary Kennedy described the strategy as shifting from a 'pay and chase' model to real-time AI-assisted fraud detection. [CMS, Feb. 25, 2026](https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/trump-administration-prioritizes-affordability-announcing-major-crackdown-health-care-fraud) On March 2, 2026, CMS announced an extension of the application deadline for the GENErating cost Reductions fOr U.S. Medicaid (GENEROUS) Model, a CMS Innovation Center initiative designed to lower Medicaid drug spending by allowing participating state Medicaid programs to purchase drugs at prices aligned with those paid in select other countries. The application deadline for drug manufacturers was extended from March 31, 2026, to April 30, 2026, with the final participation deadline remaining June 30, 2026. CMS cited feedback from drug manufacturers — particularly small and midsize companies — as the basis for the extension. The model was originally announced in November 2025 and is framed as a tool for implementing President Trump's executive order to lower drug prices. [CMS, Mar. 2, 2026](https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cms-lower-drug-costs-improve-care-extending-deadline-generous-model-application) On March 5, 2026, HHS and the Department of Education convened leaders from 53 medical schools across 31 states to announce commitments to require at least 40 hours of nutrition education — or a competency equivalent — for students beginning in the fall of 2026 academic year. The announcement was made jointly by Secretary Kennedy and Education Secretary Linda McMahon, with participation from the presidents of the American Medical Association, the Association of American Medical Colleges, and the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine. HHS will support the initiative with $5 million in NIH funding through a multi-phase nutrition education challenge open to medical schools, nursing residency, nutrition science, and dietician programs. Additionally, Public Health Service officers will be required to complete nutrition-focused continuing education hours as part of their career development beginning in 2026. [HHS/Dept. of Education, Mar. 5, 2026](https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/secretary-mcmahon-and-secretary-kennedy-celebrate-medical-school-commitments-increase-nutrition-training-future-doctors) On February 20, 2026, Senate HELP Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy sent a letter to HHS Secretary Kennedy requesting all communications and documents between former Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral Rachel Levine and staff — including chief of staff Sarah Boateng — and organizations including WPATH, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Endocrine Society from January 20, 2021 through January 19, 2025, as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged political influence over clinical guidelines for pediatric gender transition procedures. Cassidy cited reporting that Levine's office pressured WPATH to remove age minimums for surgical interventions from its 2022 Standards of Care (SOC-8), and requested documents related to the development of HHS rules and guidance on gender-affirming care under the Biden administration. The document requests were due March 5, 2026. Cassidy also noted he had introduced the No Subsidies for Gender Transition Procedures Act to prohibit taxpayer-funded gender transition procedures under Medicaid, Medicare, CHIP, and the ACA. [Senate HELP Committee, Feb. 20, 2026](https://www.help.senate.gov/rep/newsroom/press/chairman-cassidy-investigates-biden-health-officials-allegedly-colluding-with-radical-groups-promoting-gender-mutilation-of-children) On February 17, 2026, Senate HELP Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy and Representative Chris Smith led 58 Republican lawmakers in filing an amicus brief in the U.S. Western District of Louisiana supporting Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill's lawsuit seeking to reinstate mifepristone's in-person dispensing requirement, which was removed during the Biden administration. The brief argues that the Biden administration violated federal law by eliminating the requirement and supports a motion for a preliminary injunction ordering FDA to suspend or withdraw the 2023 Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) for mifepristone while the case proceeds. Cassidy also called on Secretary Kennedy and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary to complete a safety review of mifepristone, which the HELP Committee had examined at a January 2026 hearing with Attorney General Murrill. [Senate HELP Committee, Feb. 17, 2026](https://www.help.senate.gov/rep/newsroom/press/chairman-cassidy-smith-lead-amicus-brief-to-protect-women-and-babies-from-dangerous-abortion-drugs-restore-safeguards) On March 11, 2026, CMS issued new guidance — a Quality, Safety & Oversight (QSO) memo and State Operations Manual (SOM) appendix update — reinforcing the responsibilities of Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs) and donor hospitals to provide complete medical care regardless of a patient's potential donor status, to allow families adequate time to make donation decisions free from coercion, and to prohibit OPOs from influencing the timing of life support withdrawal or death declarations. A significant enforcement change requires surveyors to cite noncompliance with these federal requirements even if the issue is subsequently corrected, increasing accountability across the organ donation system. CMS also published a timeline for continued OPO oversight through 2027, including publication of 2026 OPO performance reports in spring 2026, completion of onsite recertification surveys in summer 2026, and anticipated issuance of the OPO Conditions for Coverage Final Rule (CMS-3409-P) in late 2026. The action is part of a broader HHS initiative — coordinated with HRSA — to modernize the national organ procurement and transplant system serving more than 100,000 Americans currently on transplant waiting lists. [CMS, Mar. 11, 2026](https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cms-strengthens-patient-protections-accountability-organ-donation-system) On March 17, 2026, Senate HELP Committee Ranking Member Bernie Sanders sent a letter to Chairman Bill Cassidy calling for a hearing to correct what Sanders characterized as Secretary Kennedy's misinformation campaign linking vaccines to autism. Sanders cited Kennedy's direction to CDC to publish information on its website suggesting childhood vaccines cause autism — contrary to the findings of more than 40 scientific studies across seven countries involving over 5.6 million people — and Kennedy's reconstitution of NIH's Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) with 21 new non-federal members, several of whom have publicly advanced the debunked vaccine-autism link. The letter also referenced Kennedy's earlier replacement of ACIP's scientific experts with vaccine skeptics and was supported by the Coalition of Autism Scientists, Autism Society of America, Autistic Self-Advocacy Network, and the Autism Science Foundation. [Senate HELP Committee, Mar. 17, 2026](https://www.help.senate.gov/dem/newsroom/press/news-sanders-calls-for-senate-hearing-to-correct-kennedys-dangerous-misinformation-campaign-on-autism-and-vaccines) On March 17, 2026, Senate HELP Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy sent letters to the governors of Oregon, New York, and Michigan demanding accountability for high improper payment rates in federal child care assistance programs — 35.12%, 17.73%, and 12.25%, respectively — as part of an expanded investigation into fraud in the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) administered by HHS's Administration for Children and Families. Cassidy had previously launched a similar investigation into Minnesota's child care fraud under former Governor Tim Walz, leading the full Senate Republican Conference in that inquiry. The HELP Committee has established a task force and held a hearing on the issue. The investigation focuses on federal child care funding administered through ACF and the accountability of states receiving those funds. [Senate HELP Committee, Mar. 17, 2026](https://www.help.senate.gov/rep/newsroom/press/chairman-cassidy-expands-investigation-into-child-care-fraud-demands-accountability-from-governors) On March 20, 2026, CMS published a final rule — the Administrative Simplification: Adoption of Standards for Health Care Claims Attachments Transactions and Electronic Signatures Final Rule — establishing national standards for the electronic exchange of clinical documentation used to support health care claims, replacing fax and mail-based submission methods. The rule also adopts standards for electronic signatures to ensure secure, authenticated transmission of clinical information. CMS projects the rule will save the healthcare industry approximately $781 million annually; it is effective May 26, 2026, with a compliance deadline of May 26, 2028, for HIPAA-covered entities including health plans, clearinghouses, and providers that conduct electronic transactions. [CMS, Mar. 20, 2026](https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cms-rule-phases-out-fax-machines-snail-mail-save-taxpayers-781-98-million-year) On March 26, 2026, HHS and CMS announced the members of a new Healthcare Advisory Committee, a federal advisory body authorized under the Public Health Service Act and operating under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, tasked with providing non-binding recommendations to Secretary Kennedy and CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz on improving care financing and delivery across Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and the ACA Marketplace. The 17-member committee — selected through a competitive process drawing more than 400 nominations — will focus on chronic disease prevention, reducing administrative burden, expanding real-time data use, enhancing care for vulnerable populations, and strengthening Medicare Advantage sustainability including risk adjustment modernization. Members will serve two-year terms, with meetings open to the public; the committee's first meeting is expected later in 2026. [HHS/CMS, Mar. 26, 2026](https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/hhs-cms-announce-healthcare-advisory-committee-members-improve-patient-care-modernize-u-s-healthcare) On April 1, 2026, CMS announced that organizations participating in certain Innovation Center models may begin offering a new Substance Access Beneficiary Engagement Incentive (BEI), through which eligible hemp-derived products containing no more than 0.3% delta-9 THC can be incorporated into patient care plans under clinician guidance. The incentive is currently available to participants in the ACO REACH Model and the Enhancing Oncology Model (EOM), with the Long-Term Enhanced ACO Design (LEAD) Model set to follow in 2027; five ACOs had submitted implementation plans as of the announcement. Participating organizations may furnish eligible products for up to $500 per year per eligible beneficiary, subject to physician-led shared decision-making, third-party product testing, and program integrity safeguards; CMS does not reimburse providers for the products and the initiative does not constitute a Medicare coverage change. CMS stated the initiative aligns with a Trump executive order supporting hemp-derived product research and will be evaluated through the Innovation Center's standard outcomes monitoring process. [CMS, Apr. 1, 2026](https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cms-marks-milestone-expanding-patient-centered-innovation-substance-access-beneficiary-engagement) On March 31, 2026, HHS announced a realignment of its health technology leadership structure, reversing a 2024 reorganization, with the stated goals of advancing data liquidity, affordability, and an AI-enabled health care system. The announcement signals a shift in how HHS coordinates health information technology functions across its operating divisions. This action is separate from the broader DOGE-driven restructuring and represents a targeted organizational change within the department's technology and data infrastructure leadership. [HHS, Mar. 31, 2026](https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/hhs-health-tech-leadership-deliver-data-liquidity-affordability-ai-enabled-health-care-system.html) On March 19, 2026, HHS's Office for Civil Rights announced investigations into thirteen states under the Weldon Amendment, a federal health care conscience protection law that prohibits government entities receiving certain federal funds from discriminating against health care providers that decline to perform, pay for, or refer for abortions. The investigations concern state laws or policies that OCR alleges require health insurance coverage of abortion in a manner that conflicts with the conscience protections the Weldon Amendment affords to insurers and other health care entities. This represents a significant expansion of OCR enforcement activity in the conscience protection area under the Kennedy-led HHS. [HHS Office for Civil Rights, Mar. 19, 2026](https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/hhs-ocr-investigates-thirteen-state-abortion-coverage-mandates-under-federal-conscience-law.html) On March 12, 2026, HHS announced a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the American Urological Association (AUA) to advance women's health, marking a landmark collaboration between the department and a major medical specialty society. The partnership is intended to coordinate research, education, and clinical guidance efforts on urological conditions affecting women. [HHS, Mar. 12, 2026](https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/aua-collaboration-to-advance-womens-health.html) On April 7, 2026, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. published an amended charter for the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), broadening eligibility criteria for committee membership after a federal judge effectively nullified the members Kennedy had previously appointed, finding them unqualified. As of the charter's publication, ACIP had no sitting members. The amended charter is set to take effect imminently, requiring Kennedy to reconstitute the committee under the revised eligibility standards. [The Hill, Apr. 7, 2026](https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5819958-kennedy-revamps-vaccine-advisory/) On April 8, 2026, CMS issued a State Health Official (SHO) letter providing operational guidance to states on implementing section 71109 of the Working Families Tax Cut legislation (Pub. L. 119-21), which limits federal Medicaid and CHIP matching funds for individuals who are not U.S. citizens or nationals, or who fall into specific noncitizen categories identified in statute. The guidance addresses eligibility systems, applications, verification, and claims processing, with the funding restrictions taking effect October 1, 2026. Exceptions preserve federal matching funds for emergency medical condition treatment, and the restrictions do not affect the existing state option to cover lawfully residing children and pregnant women in Medicaid and CHIP, or Health Services Initiatives matching funds in CHIP. CMS stated it will provide technical assistance and use existing oversight tools to support state compliance. [CMS, Apr. 8, 2026](https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cms-issues-guidance-implement-new-limits-federal-medicaid-chip-funding-certain-noncitizens) On April 8, 2026, Secretary Kennedy concluded a multi-day 'Take Back Your Health' tour of Arizona, visiting a residential addiction treatment facility, a Center for Independent Living, Banner Health's sports medicine center, and the Marana Health Center in Tucson. At the Marana Health Center, Kennedy and HRSA Administrator Tom Engels announced more than $135 million in new HRSA funding opportunities for 350 health centers to expand access to nutrition services and food-based interventions within primary care settings, and 15 HRSA grants for new rural residency programs in high-need specialties including family medicine, psychiatry, and OB-GYN. Kennedy also delivered the keynote address at the Tribal Self Governance Conference in Chandler, highlighting a previously announced $1 billion investment to address a 30-year IHS infrastructure backlog and the incorporation of traditional foods into the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. [HHS, Apr. 8, 2026](https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/secretary-kennedy-advances-maha-agenda-arizona-focus-prevention-recovery-tribal-health.html) On April 15, 2026, HHS announced the 2026 KidneyX EMPOWER Prize Challenge, a $4 million national competition administered through the Kidney Innovation Accelerator (KidneyX) — a public-private partnership between HHS and the American Society of Nephrology — to accelerate innovation supporting living kidney donors and patients, targeting barriers in public awareness, donor readiness, and post-donation outcomes. The announcement noted that more than 100,000 Americans are currently on kidney transplant waiting lists and that the number of living donors has remained flat at fewer than 7,000 per year for approximately two decades. Separately, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) will work with the nephrology community to improve data standardization and interoperability across the kidney care ecosystem. The initiative is described as part of broader HHS efforts to modernize the national organ procurement, donation, and transplant system. [HHS, Apr. 15, 2026](https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/hhs-announces-kidneyx-empower-prize-challenge.html) On April 16, 2026, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith delivered an opening statement at a full committee hearing with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., marking the first Ways and Means oversight hearing with Kennedy since his confirmation. Smith's statement addressed healthcare consolidation and vertical integration, fraud in Medicare and Medicaid (citing an alleged $3.5 billion in Medicare hospice fraud in Los Angeles County alone), access to rural health care under the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program enacted in the Working Families Tax Cuts legislation, and the Make America Healthy Again policy agenda. Smith also called on Kennedy and HHS to partner with Congress on implementing the bipartisan Chafee foster care reform legislation and on continued stewardship of rural health transformation funds. [Ways and Means Committee, Apr. 16, 2026](https://waysandmeans.house.gov/2026/04/16/chairman-smith-opening-statement-at-hhs-secretary-kennedy-hearing-americans-are-demanding-better-than-the-health-care-status-quo/) On April 16, 2026, President Trump announced the nomination of Dr. Erica Schwartz — who served as Deputy Surgeon General during his first administration — as his third pick to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The nomination comes more than six months after the firing of Dr. Susan Monarez, who had been dismissed in August 2025 after serving less than a month as the agency's first Senate-confirmed director. Dr. Schwartz's nomination requires Senate confirmation. [The Hill, Apr. 16, 2026](https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5835160-erica-schwartz-cdc-director-trump/) On April 17, 2026, HHS announced the appointment of Casey B. Mulligan, PhD, as Chief Economist and Chief Regulatory Officer. Mulligan, a University of Chicago economics professor, previously served as Chief Economist on the Council of Economic Advisers during Trump's first administration and most recently as Chief Counsel for Advocacy at the Small Business Administration. His portfolio at HHS will include cost-benefit analysis of regulation, econometric modeling, and program evaluation of major expenditures, with a stated focus on health care affordability. [HHS, Apr. 17, 2026](https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/hhs-appoints-casey-b-mulligan-phd-as-chief-economist-and-chief-regulatory-officer.html) On April 17, 2026, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declared a Public Health Emergency for Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands due to emergency conditions resulting from Super Typhoon Sinlaku, which began April 11, 2026. In response, CMS activated blanket waivers and flexibilities for affected Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP providers retroactive to April 11, including 1135 waivers, durable medical equipment replacement allowances, and out-of-network Part D pharmacy access requirements. CMS also activated the Kidney Community Emergency Response (KCER) program and engaged ESRD Network 17 to assess dialysis facility impacts and assist patients in the affected territories. [CMS, Apr. 17, 2026](https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/news-alert/cms-announces-resources-flexibilities-assist-public-health-emergency-guam-commonwealth-northern) President Trump signed an executive order directing his administration to accelerate innovative research models and expedite appropriate drug approvals to increase access to psychedelic drugs as treatments for serious mental illness, framing the policy as a response to a national mental health crisis. The order directly implicates HHS agencies including FDA — which would bear primary responsibility for any accelerated approval pathways — and SAMHSA, which oversees federal behavioral health programs. No publication date was provided in the source. [White House, Apr. 2026](https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/04/accelerating-medical-treatments-for-serious-mental-illness/) On April 21, 2026, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith delivered an opening statement at a full committee hearing titled 'Protecting Patients and Taxpayers: Cracking Down on Medicare Fraud,' citing an estimated $60 billion in annual Medicare fraud, waste, and abuse. Smith highlighted concentrated hospice fraud in Los Angeles County — where 700 of 1,800 hospice companies had displayed fraud red flags and one building allegedly housed 89 separate hospice entities — as well as fraudulent home health, adult day care, and durable medical equipment billing in New York, Minnesota, Michigan, and New Jersey. Smith credited the Trump administration's 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown with saving nearly $15 billion and charging more than 300 individuals, and stated that CMS Administrator Dr. Oz had shut down 450 hospice providers whose payments ceased without complaint, indicating fraudulent operations. The hearing follows CMS's February 2026 anti-fraud initiative, including a nationwide DMEPOS enrollment moratorium and the CRUSH Request for Information. [Ways and Means Committee, Apr. 21, 2026](https://waysandmeans.house.gov/2026/04/21/chairman-smith-opening-statement-at-medicare-fraud-hearing-democrat-governors-like-gavin-newsom-and-tim-walz-allowed-medicare-beneficiaries-to-become-easy-targets/) On April 21, 2026, ARPA-H announced the first set of research teams for its Evidence-Based Validation & Innovation for Rapid Therapeutics in Behavioral Health (EVIDENT) initiative, committing up to $139.4 million to develop objective, FDA-ready clinical endpoints for validating rapid-acting behavioral health therapies including digital interventions, neuromodulation, and psychedelics. At least $50 million is designated to match state government investments in psychedelic research for populations with serious mental illness, in alignment with President Trump's executive order to accelerate medical treatments for serious mental illness. The 13 initial performer teams — drawn from universities including Johns Hopkins, Duke, Yale, and USC, as well as private companies — will generate multimodal, longitudinal data from clinical trials and real-world care settings to build scalable, objective measures of behavioral health treatment efficacy. ARPA-H stated that additional awards under EVIDENT will be made on a rolling basis. [HHS/ARPA-H, Apr. 21, 2026](https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/arpa-h-announces-research-teams-initiative-transform-behavioral-health.html) On April 21, 2026, House Ways and Means Committee Republicans held a full committee hearing with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. focused on rural health care access, Medicare fraud, healthcare consolidation, and the Make America Healthy Again agenda. Kennedy committed to working with Congress to align rural Medicare reimbursements more closely with urban rates, announced that HHS is finalizing a rule to implement the No Surprises Act as written, and stated that the Trump administration had already shut down 500 hospice providers in Los Angeles County — where an estimated $3.5 billion in alleged Medicare hospice fraud has been identified — without receiving complaints, indicating the providers were fraudulent. Kennedy also described ongoing efforts on site neutrality, PBM reform, and the wage area index as tools to address healthcare consolidation and the shift from independent to corporate physician practice. [Ways and Means Committee, Apr. 21, 2026](https://waysandmeans.house.gov/2026/04/21/seven-key-moments-hearing-with-hhs-secretary-robert-f-kennedy-jr/) On April 21, 2026, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declared a Public Health Emergency for the State of Hawaii due to emergency conditions resulting from severe storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides beginning March 10, 2026. In response, CMS activated blanket waivers and flexibilities for affected Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP providers retroactive to March 10, 2026, including 1135 waivers, durable medical equipment replacement allowances, and out-of-network Part D pharmacy access requirements. CMS also activated the Kidney Community Emergency Response (KCER) program and engaged ESRD Network 17 to assess dialysis facility impacts and assist patients in Hawaii. A Marketplace Special Enrollment Period is available to Hawaii residents served by HealthCare.gov who were unable to complete enrollment due to the FEMA-designated disaster. [CMS, Apr. 21, 2026](https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/news-alert/cms-announces-resources-flexibilities-assist-public-health-emergency-state-hawaii) On April 22, 2026, Senate HELP Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy convened a hearing with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to examine President Trump's proposed HHS budget for fiscal year 2027. In his opening remarks, Cassidy emphasized health care affordability, PBM reform, accelerated drug approvals, and generic and biosimilar access — noting that several ideas from his February 2026 report on faster drug approvals were reflected in the administration's budget proposal. Cassidy also called on Kennedy to complete a safety review of mifepristone, reinstate in-person dispensing requirements, and cease defending what he characterized as an illegal Biden-era policy in court, stating that pro-life constituents had been disappointed by the administration's inaction. The hearing marked the first time Kennedy testified before the HELP Committee on the HHS budget. [Senate HELP Committee, Apr. 22, 2026](https://www.help.senate.gov/rep/newsroom/press/chairman-cassidy-delivers-remarks-during-hearing-with-secretary-kennedy-on-hhs-budget) At the April 22, 2026 Senate HELP Committee hearing on the FY2027 HHS budget, Chairman Bill Cassidy publicly fact-checked Secretary Kennedy multiple times over Kennedy's claims that vaccines have not improved mortality outcomes. Kennedy cited two studies to argue that deaths from common infectious diseases declined dramatically before vaccines were widely used, a position Cassidy disputed during the hearing. The exchange marked a notable public disagreement between the Republican committee chairman and the HHS Secretary he had confirmed, adding to ongoing congressional scrutiny of Kennedy's vaccine-related policy positions. [The Hill, Apr. 22, 2026](https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5844049-vaccines-bill-cassidy-kennedy-senate-health-committee/) ## Pending Legislation On March 20, 2026, Ways and Means Committee members introduced a package of six bipartisan bills to modernize the John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood, which provides support to foster youth ages 14–21 and has not seen major reform since its 1999 creation. The proposals — developed in response to a January 2025 GAO report finding that states were returning millions in unused Chafee funds despite unmet youth needs — address housing coordination with HUD voucher programs, expansion of education and training vouchers to cover workforce credentialing and apprenticeships, an increase in the individual education voucher cap from $5,000 to $12,000 annually, improved services for expectant and parenting foster youth, expanded access to legal services, and updated program purposes to emphasize lifelong support networks. The legislation would require HHS to develop a standardized electronic application for education and training vouchers and to issue guidance on implementation in consultation with youth with foster care lived experience. Committee Chairman Jason Smith described the package as potentially the most significant reforms to Chafee since its inception, noting it is consistent with First Lady Melania Trump's foster youth initiative under a related executive order. [Ways and Means Committee, Mar. 20, 2026](https://waysandmeans.house.gov/2026/03/20/ways-means-members-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-modernize-the-chafee-foster-care-program-to-improve-outcomes-for-vulnerable-youth/) On April 15, 2026, First Lady Melania Trump appeared before the House Ways and Means Committee to advocate for the bipartisan Chafee Foster Care Program reform legislation introduced on March 20, 2026, describing new foster care legislation as a "moral imperative." The First Lady highlighted the package's focus on housing instability, educational advocacy, financial barriers, transportation, and access to technology as issues requiring legislative action. Her appearance follows the enactment of the TAKE IT DOWN Act and her November 2025 Fostering the Future Executive Order, and is consistent with her 2021 "Fostering the Future" initiative providing university-level technology education to foster youth at more than 20 institutions nationwide. [White House, Apr. 15, 2026](https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/2026/04/first-lady-melania-trump-champions-new-foster-care-legislation-in-congress/) On April 17, 2026, Senate HELP Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy and Senator Marsha Blackburn introduced the Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act, joined by 17 Republican co-sponsors. The bill would amend the Public Health Service Act to prohibit HHS from awarding federal family-planning grants under Title X to any entity that performs abortions or provides funds to abortion providers, effectively barring Planned Parenthood from Title X participation. The legislation would also require HHS to submit annual reports to Congress identifying grantees that perform abortions under any statutory exceptions. The bill is supported by Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, the National Right to Life Committee, and several other anti-abortion organizations. [Senate HELP Committee, Apr. 17, 2026](https://www.help.senate.gov/rep/newsroom/press/chairman-cassidy-blackburn-lead-legislation-closing-loopholes-allowing-taxpayer-funded-abortion) On April 17, 2026, the Congressional Budget Office published a cost estimate for H.R. 7722, the Child Care Integrity Monitoring Act of 2026, as reported by the House Committee on Education and Workforce on April 6, 2026. The bill would impose new monitoring and integrity requirements on the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), administered by HHS's Administration for Children and Families — the same program that Senate HELP Committee Chairman Cassidy has been investigating for high improper payment rates in multiple states. [CBO, Apr. 17, 2026](https://www.cbo.gov/publication/62361) On April 17, 2026, the Congressional Budget Office published a cost estimate for H.R. 7725, the Stop Child Care Fraud Act of 2026, as reported by the House Committee on Education and Workforce on April 6, 2026. The bill would impose additional anti-fraud requirements on the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), administered by HHS's Administration for Children and Families — the same program that Senate HELP Committee Chairman Cassidy has been investigating for high improper payment rates in Oregon, New York, Michigan, and Minnesota. [CBO, Apr. 17, 2026](https://www.cbo.gov/publication/62360) In the 119th Congress, two bills — H.R. 1435 and S. 3714 — would extend funding for the Family-to-Family Health Information Centers (F2F HICs) program beyond its current mandatory appropriation expiration of December 31, 2026. The program, administered by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) within HRSA, supports 59 nonprofit, family-led centers in all 50 states, six territories, and three tribal communities that provide information and peer support to families of children and youth with special health care needs; it served over 169,000 families and 86,000 health professionals in FY2024. The President's FY2027 budget does not propose further funding for the program, creating uncertainty about its continuation. The extent to which ongoing HHS restructuring proposals may affect the program is unclear. [CRS IN12317, Apr. 20, 2026](https://www.congress.gov/crs-report/IN12317) On April 20, 2026, the Congressional Budget Office published a cost estimate for H.R. 7723, the Safeguarding Taxpayer Dollars in Child Care Act of 2026, as reported by the House Committee on Education and Workforce on April 6, 2026. The bill would impose additional safeguards on the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), administered by HHS's Administration for Children and Families — the same program that Senate HELP Committee Chairman Cassidy has been investigating for high improper payment rates in Oregon, New York, Michigan, and Minnesota. [CBO, Apr. 20, 2026](https://www.cbo.gov/publication/62363) ## Sources - [Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) on PolicyRisk](https://policyrisk.com/wiki/department-of-hhs) ## Related - [public health service nih cdc](https://policyrisk.com/wiki/public-health-service-nih-cdc) - [medicare part a hospital insurance](https://policyrisk.com/wiki/medicare-part-a-hospital-insurance) - [medicaid program overview](https://policyrisk.com/wiki/medicaid-program-overview) - [aca health insurance marketplace](https://policyrisk.com/wiki/aca-health-insurance-marketplace) - [fda drug approval](https://policyrisk.com/wiki/fda-drug-approval) - [samhsa substance abuse mental health](https://policyrisk.com/wiki/samhsa-substance-abuse-mental-health) - [child welfare foster care](https://policyrisk.com/wiki/child-welfare-foster-care) - [head start program](https://policyrisk.com/wiki/head-start-program) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/wiki/department-of-hhs (as of 2026-11-10).