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Good morning! Just to clarify: Editors can be quite fashionable too! In fact, some of the most stylish members of STAT are editors. Wishing everyone a fantastic second day at the Summit!
Medicare reverses decision on halting doctor payments
Last night, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced that it will not halt all Medicare payments to physicians, despite an earlier statement indicating otherwise. The agency will only delay the processing of claims associated with expired programs, including certain telehealth and rural services.
For context: Initially, the agency had proclaimed that it would stop all payments to doctors as negotiations concerning the government shutdown continued, a move that alarmed clinicians, community health centers, and other healthcare providers. You can read more from STAT’s Daniel Payne and Tara Bannow in their latest report.
Prominent CDC figures, a YouTube star, and an adorable baby
The first day at the STAT Summit in Boston was energetic and engaging. Here are some key takeaways:
- Emma Walmsley, CEO of GSK, played down the company’s involvement in the FDA’s initiative to modify prescribing information for the long-ignored drug leucovorin, intended for a condition frequently linked to autism. GSK no longer produces the drug, yet this update will enable generic manufacturers to revise their labels too. Read more from STAT’s Elaine Chen.
- Former CDC leaders Rochelle Walensky and Dan Jernigan implied a loss of trust in the CDC, citing a decline in confidence in guidance under the Trump administration. They urged physician groups to take the lead in addressing this gap. Read more from STAT’s Chelsea Cirruzzo.
- YouTube star “Doctor Mike” Varshavski echoed these sentiments with critical commentary on the communications strategies of the AMA and other federal health organizations. “You’ve got CDC posts with just three likes on them? That’s essentially equivalent to doing nothing,” he remarked. Varshavski’s critiques align with a growing resistance from physicians against the AMA’s historically subdued advocacy approach. Read more from me.
- Kyle and Nicole Muldoon shared their family’s emotional journey from despair to cautious optimism following their son KJ’s diagnosis of a rare urea cycle disorder and his gene therapy treatment. Their story, highlighted during the Summit, moved many in the audience to tears. “This is what we thought we would never achieve,” Kyle stated. Read more from STAT’s Megan Molteni.
Highlights for Day Two of the Summit
Here are the panels I’m eagerly anticipating today:
- This morning, STAT’s Chelsea Cirruzzo will engage in a conversation with Bobby Mukkamala, the president of the American Medical Association. Given the recent surge of news from HHS, the confusion at CMS, and the critique from Doctor Mike, there’s a lot to discuss.
- Later, STAT’s Anil Oza will interview former NIH leaders along with a data analyst who is monitoring the fallout due to funding cuts at health agencies since the start of the year. For prep, consider reviewing the science team’s piece on the repercussions of the Trump administration’s first 100 days.
- Joe Kennedy III, former congressman from Massachusetts, will converse with STAT’s executive editor Rick Berke about initiatives to safeguard and enhance Medicare and Medicaid, the significance of broader access to mental health care, and the implications of the ongoing government shutdown. Rick has been asking compelling questions from the audience, promising a riveting interaction with Kennedy.
A former vegan restauranteur in Texas explores MAHA
After years serving raw vegan meals to celebrities at his family’s California eateries, including the whimsically themed Cafe Gratitude in L.A., Ryland Engelhart has embraced a new path as a “regenerative” farmer in Texas. As he works to cultivate native plants, Engelhart employs cover cropping to manage weeds naturally while moving a small flock of sheep around to fertilize the land.
Sovereignty Ranch embodies the principles of the Make America Healthy Again initiative: it’s a decentralized, small-scale, family-operated, chemical-free farm. STAT’s Isabella Cueto spent time with Engelhart last month at his ranch and participated in its inaugural “Food is Medicine” summit. Engelhart’s longstanding bond with Kennedy traces back to a sweat lodge experience, illustrating the MAHA ethos. Read Isa’s account to see how Sovereignty Ranch could validate MAHA’s future farming concept.
Major LGBTQ+ health center halts gender-affirming care for patients under 19
Fenway Health, an LGBTQ+ healthcare facility based in Boston, announced on Monday that it will cease offering gender-affirming care to individuals under 19 years old due to new federal requirements effective October 1, 2025. This raises concerns as it may represent the first significant LGBTQ+ clinic to comply with Trump’s executive order from January regarding gender-affirming care for minors, mirroring multiple care interruptions at children’s hospitals nationwide.
Last month, the Health Resources and Services Administration, which funds federally qualified centers like Fenway, stated it would deprioritize funding for programs providing gender-affirming care.
The announcement from Fenway caught many by surprise, causing distress among transgender patients and advocates. “Having previously served on the board of this organization, I’m ashamed at their leadership’s cowardice in yielding to this change,” expressed Alejandra Caraballo, a clinical instructor at Harvard Law School’s Cyberlaw Clinic, in a post on BlueSky.
Our Reading Recommendations
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Democratic governors form a public health alliance to counter RFK Jr., Washington Post
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America’s heavy reliance on China for raw medicine materials, New York Times
- An exploration of euphemisms surrounding animal use in laboratory research, STAT
- From our archives: The prevalence of brain worms is higher than you think. Insights from doctors who have treated them, Boston Globe
- No support for Black transgender youth prompted these parents to take action, The 19th
