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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced 15 high-cost drugs for the third cycle of Medicare price negotiations, including Botox and multiple cancer, autoimmune, HIV and diabetes treatments. Negotiations occur in 2026, with any negotiated prices becoming effective on January 1, 2028.
Medicare named 15 high-cost drugs for a new cycle of price negotiations, including Botox and the diabetes drug Trulicity, with negotiated prices slated to take effect in 2028 and manufacturers required to decide whether to participate by late February.
CMS announced a new list of 15 high-cost drugs chosen for the third cycle of Medicare price negotiations, including the program’s first-ever Part B selections. Negotiations will occur in 2026, with negotiated prices scheduled to take effect January 1, 2028.
Tens of thousands of Kaiser Permanente nurses and other clinicians walked off the job in California and Hawaii, saying chronic understaffing and stalled bargaining have made patient care harder and pushed workers to demand better compensation and safer staffing levels.
Striking nurses in New York City returned to the bargaining table Tuesday as the walkout entered its third week. The New York State Nurses Association said Mount Sinai and NewYork-Presbyterian agreed to maintain current Plan A health benefits, while staffing and workplace violence protections remain central issues.
Thousands of Kaiser Permanente nurses and other health professionals walked off the job in an open-ended strike spanning California and Hawaii. The union says staffing and access problems are harming patient care; Kaiser says it has offered substantial raises and is implementing contingency plans to keep facilities open.
A new study reports that many CDC surveillance databases stopped or delayed routine updates in 2025, potentially leaving the U.S. more vulnerable to outbreaks and other health threats. Researchers say the gaps were concentrated in vaccination and vaccine-preventable disease tracking, raising concerns about how quickly officials can detect, model, and respond to emerging risks.
Thousands of Kaiser Permanente healthcare workers began an open-ended strike, with unions citing pay, staffing, and stalled bargaining. Picket lines formed outside dozens of facilities, adding to a wave of labor pressure across the health system.
The New York State Nurses Association said the largest nurse strike in NYC history moved into its third week as bargaining resumed, with the union highlighting an agreement to maintain health benefits while pressing for safe staffing and violence protections.
Bottled water may increase microplastic exposure compared with tap water, even as many Americans choose it to avoid contaminants like lead or PFAS. Experts recommend practical steps—such as avoiding heat-exposed bottles, testing private wells and using effective filtration—to reduce risk while keeping water safe and affordable.
Ethiopia has declared the end of its first outbreak of Marburg virus disease after a 42-day period with no new confirmed infections. Health authorities and WHO officials said quick surveillance and contact tracing contained the outbreak, while warning that preparedness and infection-control capacity must be sustained.
U.S. health officials said the country has finalized its withdrawal from the WHO after a one-year process, citing disagreements over COVID-era performance, reforms, and political independence. Public health experts warned the decision could affect disease surveillance, vaccine coordination, and global outbreak response.