Wakely Wire

July 10, 2025

New Insights

Events & More

Newsworthy Findings

Bonus Article

Just for Fun

New Insights

Whitepapers, briefs, press releases and more

By Michael Cohen

Week in Washington 07/10/25

BBB signed President Trump signed into law last week the reconciliation bill. The bill makes large changes on a number of domestic policy areas. In terms of health care, I recommend looking at KFF’s tracker that compares the House and Senate version (the Senate version is the version that ultimately was enacted). A few last-minute ... Read more

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Events & More

Adapting for Success in a Changing Healthcare Landscape

Navigating the New Federal Policy Shifts? Get Grounded with this Year’s Workshops

In a landscape defined by rapid policy shifts, technological disruption, and mounting financial pressures, it’s easy to feel unsteady. With this year’s workshops, you’ll find the firm footing you need—starting with a broad overview of the trends and forces reshaping Medicare, Medicaid, digital health, and behavioral care, and then diving deep into real-world use cases, operational strategies, and peer-driven solutions. These back-to-back sessions are designed to give you both the context and the concrete tools to navigate uncertainty with confidence—and leave you ready to lead change in your organization.

Learn More and Register

Newsworthy Findings

The Trump Administration Wants to Onshore Drug Manufacturing. Technologists Are Answering the Call

Looming threats to the pharmaceutical supply chain have brought fresh attention to onshoring. Experts say innovation is happening, but slowly.

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Editor's Note

The Trump administration has renewed efforts to bring pharmaceutical manufacturing back to the United States through executive action and new federal initiatives, citing national security and supply chain resilience concerns. However, despite growing public-private investment and promising technological advances like continuous manufacturing, high costs, regulatory hurdles, and limited FDA resources continue to challenge widespread onshoring.

Alignment Healthcare Claims Victory in CMS Star Ratings Lawsuit

Medicare Advantage (MA) insurer Alignment Healthcare scored a partial victory in its longstanding lawsuit over 2025 star ratings with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

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Editor's Note

Based on the new CMS calculation, Alignment will earn larger bonus payments and achieve higher scores on quality measures. The insurer serves 217,500 members across five states, including California, where the company is based.

Judge Temporarily Blocks Megabill’s Planned Parenthood Medicaid Funding Ban

The restraining order prevents the Trump administration from enacting a provision of the massive tax and policy law that would cut Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood.

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Editor's Note

Planned Parenthood contends the funding restriction unfairly targets the organization by applying only to nonprofits that primarily provide family planning services and received over $800,000 in Medicaid reimbursements in 2023—a definition that essentially singles them out. The organization argues the provision is a punitive measure, aimed at their longstanding role in providing and advocating for abortion services.

Court Orders HHS to Restore Webpages Related to ‘Gender Ideology’

A federal judge ordered the government to reinstate critical documents as soon as possible, but left the door open for the Trump administration to take a second crack at removing the data.

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Editor's Note

Doctors for America estimated that “hundreds or even thousands” of healthcare documents were wiped from the web after the Trump administration gave federal agencies just 48 hours to remove any materials tied to “gender ideology.” The purge affected not only gender-specific guidance but also documents only tangentially related, including CDC guidance on HIV prevention and contraception. Judge John Bates ruled that the administration had exceeded its authority.

Calendar Year (CY) 2026 End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Prospective Payment System Proposed Rule - CMS-1830-P

On June 30, 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule to update payment rates and policies under the End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Prospective Payment System (PPS) for renal dialysis services furnished to Medicare beneficiaries on or after January 1, 2026. This proposed rule would also update the acute kidney injury (AKI) dialysis payment rate for renal dialysis services furnished by ESRD facilities for calendar year (CY) 2026 and proposes to update requirements for the ESRD Quality Incentive Program (QIP).

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Editor's Note

CMS proposed updates to the ESRD Prospective Payment System for Calendar Year 2026, including a 1.9% payment increase and a new non-labor cost adjustment for facilities in non-contiguous U.S. territories. CMS also proposes changes to quality reporting requirements, seeks feedback on future measures and health IT, and plans to end the ESRD Treatment Choices Model by the end of 2025 due to underperformance.

Bonus Article

Dozens of Whales Saved by Locals After Mass Stranding on Icelandic Beach

From a country that’s typically in the news for hurting whales comes the story of a mass-stranding event with a happy ending. Around 60 pilot whales, known locally as grindhvalur, were found stranded on Ólafsfjörður beach last Sunday. Locals and emergency crews rushed to the remote area in a desperate effort to save the mammals, and by approximately 7:00 p.m. local time, rescue teams had successfully moved the whales from the shoreline back into open water.

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Just for Fun

Math Joke:

Why do plants hate math?

Prior Week

Q: Why did the algorithm go to therapy?

A: It had too many loops and couldn’t unwind.

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