Daniel Payne

How RFK Jr., America's celebrity health secretary, is steamrolling science RFK Jr. is plowing ahead with sweeping changes to U.S. health care that have thrilled supporters, purged opponents, and horrified critics.

A must-read profile of RFK Jr., perhaps the most powerful force in American health care in decades:

www.statnews.com/2025/11/18/r...

How RFK Jr., America's celebrity health secretary, is steamrolling science RFK Jr. is plowing ahead with sweeping changes to U.S. health care that have thrilled supporters, purged opponents, and horrified critics.

A couple excellent stories from my colleagues today. First up, an inside look into how RFK Jr. is managing HHS, from
@chelseacirruzzo.bsky.social, @caseyross.bsky.social, and @sarah-todd.bsky.social: www.statnews.com/2025/11/18/r...

Trump and RFK Jr. are mulling their most disruptive vaccine policies yet — alarming manufacturers Trump and Kennedy are considering removing aluminum from vaccines and breaking up shots that protect against multiple diseases.

New: The Trump administration is plotting what could be its most disruptive vaccine policies yet.

Internally, major vaccine manufacturers are terrified.

www.statnews.com/2025/11/18/t...

Creatine-filled swag bags and an embrace from Vance: MAHA marks its ascendance in Trump’s Washington Creatine-filled swag bags and an embrace from Vance: MAHA marks its ascendance in Trump’s Washington.

Inside the closed-door MAHA Summit, where industry executives, wellness influencers, and policymakers plotted their future in Trump's Washington

w/ @chelseacirruzzo.bsky.social

www.statnews.com/2025/11/12/m...

At ‘hush-hush’ MAHA summit, RFK Jr. and deputies to mix with biotech leaders A who's who of MAHA federal officials will be speaking at an event, stacked with industry executives and activists, organized largely in secrecy.

Come for the 'hush-hush,' stay for the 'eloquent rant,' from Allison DeAngelis and @danielpayne.bsky.social at @statnews.com

www.statnews.com/2025/11/11/m...

At ‘hush-hush’ MAHA summit, RFK Jr. and deputies to mix with biotech leaders A who's who of MAHA federal officials will be speaking at an event, stacked with industry executives and activists, organized largely in secrecy.

In a "hush-hush" MAHA summit, top health officials will mingle with industry leaders and activists

www.statnews.com/2025/11/11/m...

How Children’s Health Defense plans to cement its agenda beyond RFK Jr. Children’s Health Defense is leveraging its ties to HHS to lock in legal and cultural shifts that could shape policy long after RFK Jr. leaves.

Children’s Health Defense, the vaccine-skeptical organization once led by now-health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is playing the long game.
www.statnews.com/2025/11/08/r...

How Children’s Health Defense plans to cement its agenda beyond RFK Jr. Children’s Health Defense is leveraging its ties to HHS to lock in legal and cultural shifts that could shape policy long after RFK Jr. leaves.

How Children’s Health Defense plans to cement its agenda beyond RFK Jr.

@danielpayne.bsky.social on the ambitions of a group that is at once at the pinnacle of its success and fiercely opposed by many in medicine.

www.statnews.com/2025/11/08/r...

How Children’s Health Defense plans to cement its agenda beyond RFK Jr. Children’s Health Defense is leveraging its ties to HHS to lock in legal and cultural shifts that could shape policy long after RFK Jr. leaves.

How Children’s Health Defense plans to cement its agenda beyond RFK Jr. www.statnews.com/2025/11/08/r... via @statnews.com @danielpayne.bsky.social

How Children’s Health Defense plans to cement its agenda beyond RFK Jr. Children’s Health Defense is leveraging its ties to HHS to lock in legal and cultural shifts that could shape policy long after RFK Jr. leaves.

Children’s Health Defense is playing the long game, honing a strategy to cement its agenda beyond RFK Jr.'s tenure.

The public health implications are immense.

www.statnews.com/2025/11/08/r...

7 burning questions about Trump’s big deal for cheaper weight loss drugs Trump's weight loss drug announcement raises questions from the commercial market to Medicare.

There are plenty of open questions about Trump's GLP-1 deal

www.statnews.com/2025/11/06/t...

Trump announces deal with Lilly, Novo to expand access to weight loss drugs, cut prices Novo Nordisk's Wegovy, Eli Lilly's Zepbound to be sold at discounted prices on TrumpRx, covered by Medicare.

Trump announces deal with Lilly, Novo to expand access to weight loss drugs, cut prices

Details here:

www.statnews.com/2025/11/06/t...

The Once and Future Moderna A live look at STAT’s reporting on the unraveling of Moderna with Jason Mast and Damian Garde.

TOMORROW at 1pm ET: STAT reporters @jasonmast.bsky.social and Damian Garde unpack Jason’s recent investigation into how Moderna — once seen as a company that helped save the world — began to unravel.
www.statnews.com/event/modern...

Children’s hospital lobby shifts strategy amid MAHA’s rise in Washington The Children's Hospital Association is expanding its lobbying to champion children's health more broadly.

News: Amid a MAHA insurgence in Washington, one health industry group is changing its approach.

Inside the Children's Hospital Association's new strategy:

www.statnews.com/2025/11/04/c...

Trump administration nears deals for cheaper weight-loss drugs with Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly A deal with Lilly and Novo would be significant for the administration’s push for lower drug prices for Americans.

#Breaking: Trump administration nears deals for cheaper weight-loss drugs with Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly www.statnews.com/2025/11/04/t...

Trump administration nears deals for cheaper weight-loss drugs with Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly A deal with Lilly and Novo would be significant for the administration’s push for lower drug prices for Americans.

Trump administration nears deals for cheaper weight-loss drugs with Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly

www.statnews.com/2025/11/04/t...

FDA’s top drug regulator placed on leave amid investigation George Tidmarsh, the FDA's top drug regulator, has been placed on leave after being accused of abusing his regulatory authority, STAT has learned.

FDA’s top drug regulator placed on leave amid investigation

via @lizzylawrence.bsky.social @adamfeuerstein.bsky.social

www.statnews.com/2025/11/02/f...

States reject Dr. Oz’s claims of Medicaid spending on undocumented immigrants Officials from Colorado, Illinois, Oregon, and Washington say CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz posted incorrect figures about their Medicaid spending on X.

Dr. Oz posted that several states had spent large amounts on Medicaid coverage for undocumented immigrants. Some states are pushing back. www.statnews.com/2025/11/01/d...

States reject Dr. Oz’s claims of Medicaid spending on undocumented immigrants Officials from Colorado, Illinois, Oregon, and Washington say CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz posted incorrect figures about their Medicaid spending on X.

States reject Dr. Oz’s claims of Medicaid spending on undocumented immigrants
Sharp reporting by @danielpayne.bsky.social
www.statnews.com/2025/11/01/d... via @statnews.com

States reject Dr. Oz’s claims of Medicaid spending on undocumented immigrants Officials from Colorado, Illinois, Oregon, and Washington say CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz posted incorrect figures about their Medicaid spending on X.

Dr. Oz said yesterday that states made $1B+ in illegal Medicaid payments.

But several state officials tell me his figures are wrong — and one said CMS has privately acknowledged Oz’s post is incorrect.

www.statnews.com/2025/11/01/d...

Health care takes center stage in this year’s elections, a sign of midterm strategies to come Health care has become a central issue in this year’s elections, a sign of parties' midterm strategies to come.

Health care is set to be a major issue in the midterms.

Democrats and Republicans are already testing new lines of attack.

www.statnews.com/2025/10/31/g...

Under Vinay Prasad, employees at a key FDA center fear speaking out, look for the exits Exclusive: Vinay Prasad has rattled FDA staff by expanding his power and pushing out senior leaders.

EXCLUSIVE: A slow-boiling feud between Vinay Prasad and his staff at the FDA is threatening the future of the center that regulates the nation’s vaccines, biological products, and blood supply. Read more here:
www.statnews.com/2025/10/31/v...

Trump cuts have decimated the federal addiction and mental health agency The Trump administration has dismantled big chunks of the federal agency focused on mental health and addiction treatment, reducing its staff by more than half

Goodbye, SAMHSA?

After the Trump administration's latest layoffs at the federal agency for mental health and addiction treatment, the agency is in shambles.

On the sacking of SAMHSA and what it means for the country's behavioral health, w/ @levfacher.bsky.social www.statnews.com/2025/10/30/s...

Moderna, a hero of the pandemic, charted a course to change medicine with mRNA.

"It has not worked out that way," @jasonmast.bsky.social reports in this must-read.

FDA moves to ease path for biosimilars as Trump seeks to cut drug costs The FDA is aiming to make it easier to get biosimilar drugs approved.

FDA moves to ease path for biosimilars as Trump seeks to cut drug costs

www.statnews.com/2025/10/29/f...

How did these nine companies win priority drug review vouchers? Lizzy has the answers: www.statnews.com/2025/10/24/h...

Trump’s IVF deal spurs hopes — and adjustments — across fertility sector Fertility benefits firms hope Trump's IVF announcement will help them win over more clients.

Trump’s IVF deal spurs hopes — and adjustments — across fertility sector

www.statnews.com/2025/10/23/t...

FDA announces first nine recipients of priority drug review vouchers FDA announced the first nine recipients of priority review vouchers, which offers expedited drug review to products aligned with national health priorities.

And a fast-track drug application is a big point of excitement for the company that went along with this deal.

More on those vouchers here, via @lizzylawrence.bsky.social

www.statnews.com/2025/10/16/f...

New reporting now in this updated story —

EMD Serono had been discussing IVF with the administration for months, even before Trump was sworn in.

Those conversations culminated in a deal this week.

But more is on the horizon, including new U.S. investment announcements from the company.

Trump announces plan to expand fertility treatment coverage alongside latest pharma deal The Trump administration has struck a deal with EMD Serono to lower drug prices — part of a larger push from the administration to expand coverage and improve affordability for fertility services.

Trump announces plan to expand fertility treatment coverage alongside latest pharma deal

www.statnews.com/2025/10/16/t...