There have been several key updates to both federal and state healthcare policies since Sept. 2, covering both financial and clinical issues.
1. The Republican-led House Appropriations Committee has released a spending bill for 2026 that dropped an $18 billion cut to the National Institutes of Health that President Donald Trump proposed earlier this year. The proposed bill, released Sept. 2, calls for $48 billion in NIH funding for fiscal year 2026. This would keep funding levels for the agency in line with that it has received in previous years, in opposition to the 40% cut that Mr. Trump outlined for the NIH in a budget proposal released in June.
The bill does include a proposed $7 billion budget cut to HHS, coming in at about 6% less than 2025 funding levels. It proposed a 19% cut to the CDC, and “streamlining 25 duplicative and controversial programs.” The proposal positions the CDC to focus solely on infectious disease, and would also eliminate the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The proposal puts several billion towards funding primary care, the healthcare workforce and rural health.
2. On Sept. 3, Florida attorney general Joseph Ladapo, MD, PhD, shared plans for the state to eliminate all vaccine mandates.
“Every last one of them is wrong and drips with disdain and slavery,” Dr. Ladapo said during a Sept. 3 news conference, referring to Florida’s vaccine requirements. “Who am I to tell you what your child should put in their body? I don’t have that right. Your body is a gift from God.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said during the press conference that he supports Dr. Ladapo’s move to end state vaccine mandates, which will also require action from the state legislature and department of health.
3. The Trump administration has agreed to restore a range of public health and science webpages that were removed earlier this year following executive orders targeting diversity, equity and inclusion programs. The restoration comes as part of a legal settlement with a coalition of medical and public health groups, which sued the administration in May for what they described as unlawful removal of vital health information. The impacted pages include information and resources in HIV, opioid use, reproductive health and LGTBQ+ care, among areas.
4. More than 1,000 current and former HHS employees issued a Sept. 3 letter to Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and members of Congress, urging his resignation and warning that his leadership “endangers the nation’s health by spreading inaccurate health information.” The letter also urged reaffirmation of the CDC’s “scientific integrity” and called for a safety guarantee of the HHS workforce.
The letter pointed to the Aug. 27 firing of CDC director Susan Monarez, PhD, after she refused to resign from her role over scientific and public health disputes with Mr. Kennedy. Her removal resulted in the resignation of multiple senior CDC leaders. The letter also claimed that Mr. Kennedy has appointed proponents of vaccine misinformation, refused briefings from certain CDC experts on vaccine-preventable diseases, disregarded President Donald Trump’s “Restoring Gold Standard Science in America” executive order, rescinded the FDA’s COVID-19 vaccine authorizations without transparency, denigrated the American Academy of Pediatrics for recommending children the COVID-19 vaccine, spread false claims about hospital and physician liability for following vaccine guidance and disregarded the HHS workforce.
5. On Sept. 2, CMS unveiled further information regarding the Rural Health Transformation Program, which is part of the recently passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act and provides $50 billion over five years to help strengthen healthcare access, quality and outcomes in rural areas.
Of the $50 billion given to states, $10 billion will be available annually from fiscal 2026 through fiscal 2030. Fifty-percent will be distributed equally among the states while another 50% will be provided by CMS based on rural population, rural health facility infrastructure and capacity and other factors to be determined by CMS.
The funds will also support preventative care, chronic disease management, behavioral health and healthcare workforce recruitment, while also investing in innovative care models and technology like telehealth and cybersecurity. Applications will open through a notice of funding opportunity in mid-September and close in early November. Awards will be issued by Dec. 31.
