Policy Watch
Quick-hitting policy analysis, polling, and updates on the key issues facing the country.
Texas Judge Overturns Controversial Nursing Facility Staffing Rule
On Monday, April 7, Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in the US District Court for Northern Texas ruled to overturn key elements of a Biden administration rule that established the first-ever minimum staffing ratios for nursing facilities.
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What Do Federal Staffing Cuts and HHS Restructuring Mean for the Nation’s HIV Response?
This policy watch examines the impact of federal staff cuts and HHS restructuring on the nation’s HIV response.
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The USAID List of Terminated Global Health Awards – What Does it Tell Us?
This policy watch examines the USAID list of terminated awards, recently sent Congress, to examine the implications for global health programs and outstanding questions.
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Enrollment Growth in the ACA Marketplaces
This analysis of enrollment in Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace health plans finds a record 24.3 million people enrolled in 2025, more than double the total in 2020, with most of the growth occurring in states won by President Trump in the 2024 election. In six states, enrollment more than tripled from 2020 to 2025: Texas, Mississippi, West Virginia, Louisiana, Georgia, and Tennessee.
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Will the Trump Administration Fast Track the Privatization of Medicare?
The privatization of Medicare has been taking place without much public debate – a trend that has implications for the 68 million people covered by Medicare, health care providers, Medicare spending, and taxpayers. It’s not yet clear whether the administration will promote policies to accelerate the privatization of Medicare or focus more on achieving efficiencies and savings within Medicare Advantage, or pursue policies that aim to achieve both. How this plays out will have implications for beneficiaries, health care providers and insurers, and is worthy of serious debate.
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Who Might Lose Eligibility for Affordable Care Act Marketplace Subsidies if Enhanced Tax Credits Are Not Extended?
This analysis looks at the individual market enrollees who make at least four times the federal poverty level who would no longer be eligible for any tax credits if the current ACA Marketplace enhanced subsidies expire at the end of this year. Compared to other people with similar incomes, these enrollees are more likely to be early retirees, self-employed and living in rural areas.
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