The start of the new year has been busy with activity in the health policy world. ACIP has continued to narrow vaccine recommendations, with hepatitis A and B, rotavirus, influenza, meningococcal, and RSV vaccines no longer routinely recommended. The Affordable Care Act premium subsidies were allowed to expire at the end of last year. The House just passed legislation to extend these subsidies for three years, but the legislation is unlikely to move forward in the Senate. NIH funding continues to be threatened, though a federal appeals court recently rejected the Trump administration’s plan to cap NIH indirect cost reimbursements at 15%.
With all these changes and more, it can feel overwhelming to engage with the news in public health, health care policy, and research funding. However, I am grateful to have the JELF and Public Policy Committee communities as a source of support, knowledge, and camaraderie as we face the uphill battle to continue providing care for our patients. This week, JELF members will be learning from Dr. David Hains and Dr. Michelle Starr about how pediatric kidney research is funded. Better understanding these complex processes can help us to advocate more effectively for research support at the local and national level. I will also be joining other members of the PPC in March for an in-person Hill Day in Washington, DC. I am excited to be able to meet with legislators and their staff in person to share how current changes are impacting our patients and our community as healthcare workers. This year, I will also be joining the California Health Benefits Review Program (CHBRP), which brings policy makers, clinicians, and policy analysts together to review the medical, public health, and economic impacts of proposed state health insurance related legislation. I am looking forward to learning more about how state legislation impacts health insurance policy and forming connections with other people in the health policy space.
Author: Lauren Hawkins, MD
Posted: January 26, 2026