In this week’s Health Care Matters, CMS directs contractors to hold Medicare claims as key payment provisions expire, while the shutdown halts hospital-at-home programs and pressures safety-net hospitals facing DSH cuts. We also look at stabilized Medicare Star Ratings prompting new strategies at Humana, highlight a community initiative improving health through food access, and share resources on rural Medicaid innovation. Don’t miss our latest Pop Health Podcast on how states can align stakeholders for lasting rural health transformation.

In this week’s Health Care Matters, we cover how the government shutdown is disrupting health programs, shifting dynamics in Medicare Advantage ahead of 2026, and new policy action on rising skin substitute spending. Plus, learn about a grant expanding mental health care in Mid-Michigan, upcoming NAACOS events, and our latest Pop Health Podcast on rural health transformation.

In this week’s Health Care Matters, we look at how the government shutdown is affecting health programs, while noting that Medicare Advantage and Medicare prescription drug plans are expected to remain stable in 2026. We cover Evolent’s divestiture of its value-based primary care business and highlight the survival of a key geriatrics training program serving aging Americans. This issue also features an explainer on Medicaid provider taxes, a CMMI resource on preventive care, and a recap of Coral’s annual retreat in Baltimore. Plus, don’t miss our Pop Health Podcast episode on rural health transformation and how states can align stakeholders for lasting change.

In this week’s Health Care Matters, we cover the latest policy debates shaping health care. Highlights include negotiations over ACA tax credits in the government funding talks, a Ways and Means Committee bill to simplify ACO quality reporting, and state actions to cut Medicaid provider payments in advance of expected federal reductions. We also spotlight New Mexico’s pioneering move to offer universal childcare for all families.

In this week's Health Care Matters, we spotlight the launch of CMS’s Rural Health Transformation Program, Innovaccer’s acquisition of Story Health, and the rise of integrative care alongside workforce and payment hurdles. In What We Are Writing, we share insights on CMMI’s GLP-1 model and takeaways from the Heartland Conference. In What We Are Reading, explore new perspectives on primary care, ACO REACH performance results, and how patients choose doctors. Plus, NCQA names new leadership and the Pop Health Podcast tackles drug pricing and access.

In this week's Health Care Matters, we cover MAHA’s push on drug repurposing, No Surprises Act updates, and ongoing scrutiny of the WISeR Model, plus a look at Buffalo F.A.T.H.E.R.S.’ 72-hour outreach. We also explore the Medicare Advantage regulatory outlook, rural health transformation, site-neutral payment research, and more.

In this week’s Health Care Matters, we break down the newly released MSSP Performance Year 2024 results and the latest changes to CMS’s AHEAD model, and highlight the leaders who are stepping up to make a difference in health care. We also spotlight UT Southwestern’s innovative culinary medicine program, share our perspective on the rural health crisis, and look ahead to the NAACOS Fall Conference.

In this week’s Health Care Matters, we highlight CMS’s newly introduced Accountable Care Prospective Trend (ACPT) and review findings from CMS’s first evaluation of the Enhancing Oncology Model (EOM). We also feature a discussion with Coral’s Kate Freeman and Trevor Abeyta, alongside Megan Burns and Carol Sakala, on CMS’s Transforming Maternal Health (TMaH) model.

In this week’s Health Care Matters, we take a closer look at major developments shaping the health policy landscape, from a leaked MAHA report to GoodRx’s new collaboration with Novo Nordisk aimed at expanding access to Ozempic and Wegovy. We spotlight how community health paramedics are transforming care delivery and highlight the upcoming “FDA in Flux” discussion on leadership and policy shifts. You’ll also find timely insights on whether MA risk adjustment is due for a revolution, CMMI’s evolving strategic direction, and the role of AI in primary care

In this week’s Health Care Matters, we cover physician pay declines, looming premium hikes, and innovations advancing women’s health, plus what we’re attending and reading, from caregiver support forums to Medicaid policy shifts. Check out a featured job opportunity and a new Pop Health Podcast on what ACOs and specialists need to know about the 2026 PFS and Ambulatory Specialty Model.

In this week’s Health Care Matters we’re tracking key developments from CMS, including a proposed test to cover weight loss drugs and early steps toward a national provider directory. On the ground, Illinois is training local residents as crisis responders through a community-led initiative. We’re also following what’s next for the GUIDE Model to improve dementia care, and reading up on the latest trends in Medicare VBP participation and caregiving in the U.S. Plus: rural health funding applications open next month, and our latest Pop Health Podcast breaks down what ACOs and specialists need to know about the 2026 PFS and Ambulatory Specialty Model.

In this week’s Health Care Matters, we mark Medicare and Medicaid’s 60th anniversary, examine how AI policy and digital health are reshaping care, and review 2026 Medicare Part D bid updates. Our Look for the Helpers feature highlights a historic Austin hospital reborn as a respite center for people recovering from homelessness. Plus, insights on accountable care competencies, rural health funding, and USofCare’s new AHEAD messaging toolkit.

In this week’s Health Care Matters, we break down a flurry of major Medicare updates, explore the FDA’s new proposal linking drug pricing to review speed, and spotlight a powerful AI program improving end-of-life care conversations. We also share a hiring update from CMMI and highlight new research on rising Medicare spending, Medigap protections, the value of integrated ACOs for duals, and the urgent need to support unpaid caregivers.

In this week’s Health Care Matters, we explore a sharp rise in U.S. health care spending and record-high clinician participation in Advanced APMs. We cover new developments in Medicare drug negotiations and highlight efforts to break down access barriers through school-based care. You’ll also find key takeaways from the CMS Quality Conference, insights into the WISeR model, and a closer look at reform efforts in ACO REACH. Plus, we share recommended reads on clinical guideline equity and the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, and offer a quick pulse check on the latest budget bill.

In this week’s Health Care Matters, we highlight the appointment of Theresa Dreyer as the new Chief Executive Officer of the Health Care Transformation Task Force. This issue also covers recent policy changes under the Trump Administration that will significantly limit Affordable Care Act enrollment and reduce available subsidies. Additionally, we report on AHIP’s new agreement with health insurers aimed at streamlining the prior authorization approval process.

In this week’s Health Care Matters, we cover the Trump Administration’s call for input on regulatory rollbacks and where providers are pushing back against Medicare conditions of participation. You’ll also find more information on the Health Equity And Leadership (HEAL) initiative at Oregon Health and Science four-step relational organizing model that centers on listening to lived experiences and building community power. Rounding out this issue are key reads on state health care cost growth targets, rethinking of the TMaH Model, and upcoming changes to the ACO REACH model for 2026.

In this week’s Health Care Matters, we spotlight Stanford Medicine’s new AI-powered tool, ChatEHR, which enables clinicians to interact with patient medical records through natural language queries. We also cover HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s decision to dismiss all 17 members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Additionally, the issue features a look at memory cafes - community spaces that offer meaningful social support for individuals with dementia and their caregivers.

In this week’s Health Care Matters, we highlight the proposed establishment of the Administration for a Healthy America (AHA) as part of the Department of Health and Human Services’ significant reorganization planned for FY 2026. This restructuring would consolidate several existing agencies, including HRSA and SAMHSA, into the newly formed AHA. The issue also features an innovative rural health care initiative led by Mission Mobile Medical Group. Additionally, we cover the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) announcement regarding the expansion of its audit program for Medicare Advantage plans, increasing the scope from 60 plans annually to 550 eligible plans effective immediately.

In this week’s Health Care Matters, read about CMS’s extension of the Kidney Care Choices Model through 2027, new opportunities and challenges with implementing administrative benchmarks in the Medicare Shared Savings Program, and research showing that strong social bonds can make us happier and healthier. Also included is Andy Slavitt’s appointment as HCPLAN Executive Forum Co-Chair, a study on the impact of community health center closures on county mortality, a report showing that most health care leaders expect value-based care to drive revenue growth in 2025, and an analysis of what defaulting beneficiaries into Medicare Advantage could mean for Medicare and its beneficiaries.

In this week’s Health Care Matters, we highlight HCP-LAN’s renewed commitment to value-based care, new developments from ACO REACH, and the latest on the House reconciliation bill with significant Medicaid implications. You’ll also find insights into new price-setting efforts from HHS and CMS, a feature on community care collaboration in Dallas, and an exploration of regulatory approaches to generic drug repurposing. Rounding out this issue are key reads on gender differences in primary care earnings and community health center infrastructure, a recommended episode of Health Tech Talk Show, and a new playbook to help states advance affordable care in 2025.