Suing Uncle Sam
A nurse practitioner sued the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in federal court, claiming it unfairly charged interest and penalties to increase her student loan debt from $30,000 to $216,000.
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Agency Watchdog Slams Ex-HHS Chief Price on Costly Travel
The government wasted at least $341,000 on travel by ousted Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, including booking charter flights without considering cheaper scheduled airlines, an agency watchdog said Friday.
Read moreNew Grant Focus on Abstinence Fought in Court
Planned Parenthood faced a steep battle Thursday as a Trump-appointed judge heard its challenge to new federal grant rules that emphasize abstinence over contraception.
Read moreTrump Focus on Abstinence Prompts Outrage on Grant Money
Medical providers that rely on public funding to offer family-planning services fired off twin federal complaints Wednesday, calling out the Trump administration’s new focus on abstinence education as hopelessly unsound.
Read moreHHS Unlawfully Axed Grants for Teen Pregnancy Programs, Judge Rules
A federal judge Thursday ruled that the Trump administration unlawfully terminated grants awarded for teen pregnancy prevention programs.
Read morePlanned Parenthood
Three regional chapters of Planned Parenthood brought a federal complaint over the termination of congressionally appropriated funding for their Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program, and the program as a whole.
Read moreNew Health and Human Services Secretary Evasive at House Questioning
Facing tense questioning by lawmakers Thursday, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar declined to elaborate on issues involving the Trump administration’s cuts to Medicare and Medicaid or how the department will address correlations between gun violence and mental health care.
Read moreIdaho Insurance Machinations Draw Alarm in Senate
Concerned that insurers are starting to take advantage of health care upheaval in Washington, Democrats raked the secretary of Health and Human Services over the coals Thursday about new Blue Cross plans in Idaho.
Read moreHealth Care Cuts of $1 Billion Push States to Court
Fighting federal cuts to health care subsidies that help nearly 1 million poor New Yorkers and Minnesotans, the states served Trump’s Health Department with a more than $1 billion federal complaint Friday.
Read moreSenate Confirms Alex Azar as Trump’s 2nd Health Secretary
The Senate has confirmed a former drug company executive as President Donald Trump’s second health secretary.
Read moreAdministration Creates New Religious Protections for Health Workers
The Trump administration announced Thursday that it will create new protections for health workers who have religious and moral objections to certain procedures such as abortion or assisted suicide.
Read moreCharity Claims It’s in the ‘Stranglehold’ of Federal Regulation
A nonprofit that helps the indigent pay for health insurance and medication claims in court the Trump administration has placed a “stranglehold” on the charity’s ability to discuss its needs with prospective and current donors, including pharmaceutical companies.
Read moreMemo Shows Official Sought to Block Teen’s Abortion After Rape
A Trump administration official tried to block a detained immigrant teenager from getting an abortion even though he knew she got pregnant after being raped, a government document filed in federal court Thursday shows.
Read moreTrump Nominates Former Bush Official as HHS Secretary
President Donald Trump on Monday nominated Alex Azar, a former George W. Bush administration official and pharmaceutical executive, to serve as the next secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Read moreTrump Taps Eric Hargan as Acting HHS Secretary
President Donald Trump has tapped Eric Hargan to serve as acting Health and Human Services secretary.
Read morePrice Resigns as HHS Secretary After Charter Flight Controversy
Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price has resigned amid mounting outcry over his use of private jets and military aircraft for government business.
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HHS Chief Says He’s Cooperating With Probes of Charter Use
A day after President Donald Trump’s rebuke, health secretary Tom Price promised Thursday to reimburse taxpayers for his cost on charter flights taken while on government business. He issued a public apology as he fought to keep his job.
Read moreAbuse in Nursing Homes Unreported Despite Law
More than 1 in 4 cases of possible sexual and physical abuse against nursing home patients apparently went unreported to police, says a government audit that faults Medicare for failing to enforce a federal law requiring immediate notification.
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Ninth Circuit Finds Medi-Cal Rate Cut Capricious
In a victory for dozens of hospitals, the Ninth Circuit on Monday reversed and remanded the Department of Health and Human Services’ 10 percent rate cut for Medicaid beneficiaries who receive outpatient services in California.
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HHS Secretary Accused of Campaign-Finance Violation
Before the Senate confirmed Tom Price as secretary of health and human services, an election-law group claims, the Georgia Republican’s campaign committee made improper donations to a conservative political group that supported his nomination.
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