I am deeply concerned about our health and the health care system in the United States right now.Here are a few things you should know about…

This article discusses the implications of federal loan limits for nurses seeking advanced education. We are in a primary care crisis and one tool to assist is to train more nurse practitioners. Workforce needs seem not to have been considered, and I believe there will be severe downstream negative effects.

In addition to rolling back policies for care of older adults in long-term care facilities, this administration has introduced a pilot program that will use artificial intelligence to implement prior authorization requirements for individuals who have traditional Medicare. Medicare calls it WISeR — “Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction.”

Prior authorization is when private insurers review proposed treatments before agreeing to pay for them; it is widely used in Medicare Advantage plans. The states piloting the program are New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, and Washington. Here are two articles that address these issues:

3 Policy Moves Likely to Change Health Care for Older People

Prior Authorization Coming to Traditional Medicare Starting in 2026