U.S. consumers across the political spectrum are largely in favor of new legal protections against medical debt, and the majority are laying blame at the feet of the insurance industry rather than other healthcare players like hospitals or drugmakers, according to a new national survey. The poll of 1,319 2024 general election voters, fielded between Aug. 21 and Sept. 2, 2025, found about 35% currently owed money or have debts due to medical and dental expenses.
The American Hospital Association is urging the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to streamline and align federal regulations for artificial intelligence in healthcare, warning that overlapping policies threaten innovation and increase costs. In an Oct. 27 letter to OSTP Director Michael Kratsios, submitted in response to a federal request for information on regulatory reform for AI, AHA Senior Vice President of Public Policy Analysis and Development Ashley Thompson said the association’s nearly 5,000 member hospitals and health systems face growing administrative expenses from redundant rules.
The CMS is bringing its furloughed employees back into office scant days before the beginning of open enrollment for ACA plans begins on Nov. 1, and well after enrollment for Medicare began on Oct. 15. The employees have been at home since the beginning of the government shutdown, currently in its fourth week. Though federal programs like Medicare and Medicaid are mandatory and have largely been unaffected, the shutdown has caused interruptions and delays in agency communications, rulemaking and oversight processes.
Senators open to calls for greater 340B oversight, spending requirements—but remain wary of new provider burdens
Even as they sparred on broader healthcare policy and funding topics fueling the ongoing government shutdown, senators of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee appear to agree that potential reforms to the controversial 340B Drug Discount Program must not harm struggling providers or their communities’ access to care.
Families USA Poll: Voters Most Concerned About Healthcare Costs
On Oct. 22, the Washington, D.C.-based Families USA, the non-partisan advocacy organization focused on healthcare consumers, released the results of a nationwide survey around Americans’ top policy concerns, finding that healthcare costs are the top priority for voters nationwide.
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