Nolberto Jimbo-Niola, 52, died outside in the bitter cold this winter and was found on a Queens park bench with discharge papers from a local hospital. His death was one of more than two dozen from hypothermia so far this year in New York City, as residents faced a weekslong stretch of brutally cold temperatures.
In light of the systemic dismantling of America's public health agencies, these moves essentially create a shadow infrastructure to maintain some of what is being lost. While this is a promising development, it does nothing to stop a troubling trend that has been emerging for some time: The country is quickly becoming fragmented along partisan lines when it comes to public health.
OCR continues to execute its enforcement mission under its statutory and regulatory authorities regarding civil rights, exercise of conscience, and health information privacy and security, and breach notification. OCR continues to investigate complaints filed, to conduct compliance reviews, and to review breaches of unsecured protected health information. OCR will be responsive to the HIPAA trends and compliance issues within OCR's jurisdiction that are affecting the public and the regulated industry.
Part of our efforts to strengthen our mental health care system is ensuring any New Yorker in crisis can access treatment services whenever and whereverthey need them,Hochul said.By expanding psychiatric emergency programs and building more inpatient capacity, we can ensure that anyone who experiences a mental health crisis can get the timely, comprehensive care they can rely on to begin their journey toward recovery.
The 340B program allows hospitals to buy outpatient drugs at steep discounts, with the purported purpose of helping them fund care for low-income and uninsured patients. The now-axed rebate model would have invited drugmakers to participate voluntarily in a rebate-based discount system. Basically, instead of the provider receiving a discount upfront at purchase, the 340B discount would be applied after purchase via rebate - and subject to tedious data submission requirements.
Industry lawsuits quickly blocked most of the regulation, with two federal courts ruling that Medicare exceeded its authority. Following the 2024 elections, Congress barred implementation of the standards before 2034. Last month, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) repealed the rule entirely. Hunter called the move devastating with advocates saying it signals a retreat from oversight. It's clear (CMS) has no interest in ensuring adequate staffing, said Sam Brooks of the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care.
"Today I'm forced to stand here and beg because an insurance company decided that profits matter more than the life of a man who spent his career protecting this city," said Jones's daughter Rachel Jones at the hearing. He ran into burning buildings, inhaled toxic smoke, and put his life on the line again and again, so that others could survive, Rachel Jones continued. Now, when he needs the help the most, the insurance company provided by this city through Blue Shield is denying him the medication his doctors say is necessary to keep him alive.
On Tuesday, California State Assemblymember Liz Ortega (D-San Leandro) introduced AB 1799, a bill that would require nonprofit health plans that receive significant state subsidies like Kaiser Permanente to disclose direct and indirect investments, including holdings tied to for-profit prisons and immigrant detention corporations. Nonprofit health care plans benefit from public subsidies and taxpayer support because of their obligation to put patients and community health first, a statement by United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals said.
You may have missed this amid the current barrage of massed insanity emanating from the White House, but the president, after a decade of working the con in two-week increments, finally released an outline of a concept of a health-care plan. It was, of course, another demonstration of his essential worthlessness as an actual president of the United States. The New York Times was being gentle about it.
In 2026, the US healthcare system is changing. Enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies have expired, causing premiums for marketplace plans to spike - and pricing some families out of health insurance entirely. President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act will reduce coverage for some patients with Medicaid and funding for hospitals, especially those in rural areas. Costs for Medicare and private insurance are also rising: Employer-based healthcare premiums have increased by 9%, the largest rise in more than a decade.
