Senators grilled Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on if and how he would reform Medicaid and Medicare during his first confirmation hearing to become the next secretary of Health and Human Services.

President Donald Trump’s Day One executive order rescinding Biden-era Medicare and Medicaid price innovation programs signals sweeping changes to the drug and treatment pricing agency within the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and perhaps a substantive shake-up in two of the largest federal social welfare programs.

RFK Jr.'s second Senate confirmation hearing focused on vaccines, Medicare, diversity, and science. Key Republicans were reticent to show support.

Ozempic and Wegovy, the blockbuster but costly GLP-1 drugs often used for weight loss, are among the 15 medications that will be subject to the next round of Medicare price negotiations, the Biden administration announced Friday.

The Biden administration announced Friday that Ozempic, Wegovy and 13 additional drugs will now be covered under Medicare Part-D for price negotiations, the next round of negotiations under the Inflation Reduction Act passed by President Joe Biden in 2022.

Because it is still awaiting approval, Medicare does not typically cover the use of ketamine infusion for treating mental health conditions. However, they may cover the FDA-approved nasal spray, Spravato, which contains a derivative of ketamine called esketamine.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued two new guidance documents governing details of the Accelerated Approval

Federal officials are targeting the blockbuster drugs as part of their ongoing initiative to lower drug costs.

Medicare Part D prescription drug plans may cover estradiol cream. A person can check with their plan to confirm coverage.

If he is confirmed as Health and Human Services secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. would take over a sprawling bureaucracy with an annual budget that tops $1.7 trillion, with more than 80,000 employees and 13 divisions.

The Trump administration’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has signaled that it will be revamping the process of negotiating prices for certain Medicare Part D drugs with input fro | The agency said it is "considering opportunities to bring greater transparency" and will consider stakeholder feedback on the program.

RFK Jr has long expressed views that conflict with scientific evidence, especially on vaccines, and his nomination has provoked opposition from public health experts. But he has also adopted positions with popular support, scrutinising the use of food additives and urging that the power of big pharma be curbed.