Healthcare Policy

Berlin – October 29, 2026 -- Germany's pharmacist federation ABDA is lobbying the Bundesrat to retain the pharmacy-only dispensing requirement. It argues that the emergency care reform passed by the Bundestag on October 15 would let physicians dispense medicines directly and weaken drug safety checks.

Reform allows doctors to dispense drugs in emergency centers and out-of-hours services

The Notfallversorgungsreformgesetz would let physicians hand medicines directly to patients, for example in Integrated Emergency Centers and ambulatory emergency services. ABDA President Thomas Preis says this circumvents the pharmacy obligation, which protects patients from medication errors and misuse.

Preis describes the established pharmacist-physician four-eyes principle as a central safeguard. He says pharmacists are the last control point before a drug is dispensed, responsible for correct intake and dosage.

Frankfurt am Main – October 29, 2026 -- Germany recorded 772 postmortem organ donors from January to September 2026, up 28 or 3.8% on the same period last year, the Deutsche Stiftung Organtransplantation (DSO) said at the opening of its 22nd Annual Congress.

Organs removed in Germany and allocated through Eurotransplant for transplantation at home or abroad totaled 2,373, compared with 2,258 a year earlier, a gain of 115 organs.

DSO says about 8,000 patients still wait for a donor organ

DSO Medical Director Dr. Axel Rahmel said the positive trend from last year continues but remains well short of what is needed for the roughly 8,000 people on German waiting lists. He cited the lack of a documented decision by potential donors as a key reason for low numbers. Most Germans view donation favorably, but few record that stance in writing, and the resulting uncertainty often leads relatives to refuse consent.

Plano, Texas – October 29, 2026 -- Community Hospital Corporation (CHC) will bring in John Henderson, who has led the Texas Organization of Rural & Community Hospitals (TORCH) since 2018, as Senior Vice President of Hospital Operations in January 2027.

Henderson's TORCH record includes $250M in targeted Medicaid rates

Henderson has spent more than eight years advocating for and supporting all 155 rural hospitals in Texas through TORCH. In 2023 he secured $250M in targeted Medicaid rates. During the 2025 Texas legislative session he led advocacy for the rural OB rate enhancement and HB 18.

On TORCH's own finances, he turned an initial loss into seven consecutive years of gains and quadrupled cash and investments.

Nashville – October 22, 2026 -- The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) installed Kisha Davis, MD, MPH, FAAFP, as president, placing a county health chief and former Medicaid adviser at the head of an organization representing 124,500 family physicians, residents and medical students.

Davis brings Medicaid policy and county public health experience to the AAFP presidency

Davis is chief health officer for Montgomery County, Maryland. She previously served as vice chair of the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC), advising Congress, the secretary of Health and Human Services and states on Medicaid policy.

She was also vice president of health equity at Aledade, where she worked to reduce disparities in primary care, and medical director at CHI Health Care in Maryland. As a White House Fellow, she worked to better align the nation's food and health safety nets.

Aurora, Colorado – October 19, 2026 -- Four University of Colorado Anschutz faculty members have been elected to the National Academy of Medicine, the largest group the university has had elected in a single year.

The academy elects up to 100 new members annually: up to 90 regular members and 10 international members. Candidates go through a nomination and selection process that evaluates their professional achievements and contributions to health and medicine.

Four physician-researchers join the 2026 class

The 2026 inductees are Lilia Cervantes, Matthew Wynia, Vik Bebarta and Lauren S. Hughes. Their work spans kidney care, bioethics, combat medicine and rural health policy.

Cervantes is a physician-researcher whose work has documented inequities in kidney care for undocumented immigrants. She combines community-engaged research, clinical care and policy advocacy.

Boston – October 17, 2026 -- The MedTech Conference (#MTC26) in Boston this October will host its first dedicated gathering for chief medical officers, open to CMOs at AdvaMed member companies, according to Bobby Patrick, AdvaMed's SVP of Government Affairs.

Patient Pavilion carries stories from 13 named medtech companies

The Patient Pavilion in the exhibit hall will anchor the patient programming throughout the week. Patients will share experiences with technologies from Abbott, BD, Dexcom, Edwards Lifesciences, Insulet, Medtronic, Philips, Resmed, Siemens Healthineers, Smith+Nephew, Stryker, Solventum, Vantive and other companies. Attendees can see Philips' portable MRI technology up close.

One featured story involves a patient named Brittany, whose severe sleep apnea diagnosis explained years of exhaustion. Treatment restored her energy, confidence and independence.

Chicago – October 15, 2026 -- Sean Kasten, Vice President and National Healthcare and Human Services Practice Director at CSG Government Solutions, has been named to The Consulting Report's Top Healthcare Consultants and Leaders of 2026 list.

The list recognizes consultants and industry leaders who influence how care is delivered, financed, and supported. Awardees were selected on four criteria: depth of specialized experience, advisory impact, industry influence, and leadership within their firm.

UNITED STATES – September 30, 2026 -- ProgenyHealth has appointed Melanie Bella to its Board of Managers and named Alec DiDonato as Chief Operating Officer, moves the maternity and NICU care management company says will support its national expansion.

Bella brings 25 years of Medicaid policy experience to the board

Bella, an Executive Advisor with Cressey & Company, previously chaired the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC). She served as Executive Vice President of Policy and Duals Strategy at Cityblock Health, a value-based provider focused on Medicaid and dual-eligible populations, and was the first Director of the Medicare-Medicaid Coordination Office at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. She also served as Medicaid Director for the state of Indiana and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a bachelor's degree from DePauw University.

Austin, Texas – September 25, 2026 -- A proposed Medicare payment change involving Modifier 25 would reallocate approximately $889 million in annual fee-for-service payments, with private practices and solo physicians absorbing $724.4 million, or 81.5%, of the modeled reductions, according to a new analysis from Jiro Health.

Six specialties bear 82.3% of the total reduction

Jiro's Practice Impact Analysis, titled "Who Pays for CMS's Modifier 25 Proposal?", found that six medical specialties account for roughly $732 million of the modeled impact. Dermatology alone represents $395.4 million, or 44.5% of the total reallocation. Podiatric medicine and surgery, orthopaedic surgery, otolaryngology, ophthalmology and family medicine together account for an additional $336 million.

Milwaukee – September 23, 2026 -- More than 90% of patients carrying a documented penicillin allergy in their electronic medical records can safely take the drug after clinical evaluation, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI), which is marking National Penicillin Allergy Day on September 28 with a push for wider adoption of allergy "de-labeling" protocols.

Inaccurate allergy labels block access to first-line infection treatment

Penicillin remains the most effective therapy for many bacterial infections, yet patients with unverified allergy labels are routinely steered toward alternative antibiotics. The AAAAI states that removing inaccurate labels through evaluation improves patient outcomes, lowers healthcare costs and supports efforts against antimicrobial resistance.