Next Week in Public Health, November 6, 2025
We met many interesting people earlier this week at APHA while working with WE in the World. If you hop over to our blog page, you can see a bunch of the recaps that we wrote and a special article about how AI is being used to combat misinformation.
Here’s what else is rising in the literature
And what trends we’re seeing in the news
A Halloween “treat”: CMS issues CY 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have released the calendar year 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule, which includes increased physician payment rates for the first time in six years, alongside significant changes to payment structures based on service locations. CMS’s updates aim to rebalance healthcare payment distributions across different settings and promote telehealth and procedure-based service efficiencies, impacting clinicians’ reimbursements in diverse ways depending on practice settings and specialties.
Big changes are happening in food and health policy
The USDA has promoted Dr. Ben Carson as National Advisor for Nutrition, Health, and Housing, enhancing policy guidance on nutrition and rural health. Simultaneously, the FDA advanced food regulatory reform by revoking outdated standards for 11 foods, aiming to simplify rules and improve consumer honesty.
Red tape and budget constraints: How the White House is undercutting public health
The Trump administration, led by budget director Russell Vought, has been quietly cutting and freezing public health funds, disrupting essential services like HIV care, disease prevention, and maternal health surveys. These budgetary maneuvers have led to delayed outbreak responses and reduced public health efforts, significantly impacting communities in need across the U.S.
Court order restores some (but not all) NIH funding.
A court ruled that the National Institutes of Health’s decision to cut funding for specific topics was arbitrary and unlawful, ordering the restoration of these grants. This decision supports research on crucial public health issues affecting diverse populations, although some aspects are yet to be fully resolved in higher courts.
