Bob Herman

CDC vaccine advisers appear likely to recommend delaying hepatitis B vaccine birth dose A panel that issues advice on U.S. vaccine policy appears prepared to vote Thursday to recommend a delay in when most babies begin to be vaccinated against hepatitis B.

It's hard to predict what the new #ACIP will do, but it looks like it will recommend that the universal birth dose for #hepatitisB be jettisoned. Experts warn even a delay of 2 months before the first dose will lead to chronically infected kids & deaths. www.statnews.com/2025/12/04/c...

Top drug regulator Richard Pazdur set to leave FDA Top drug regulator Richard Pazdur filed papers to retire from the Food and Drug Administration at the end of this month, but could withdraw them.

BREAKING scoop: Top drug regulator Rick Pazdur filed papers to retire from the FDA at the end of this month, according to agency sources. He alerted leaders at the drug center this morning. He could still withdraw the papers. www.statnews.com/2025/12/02/r...

Under RFK Jr., CDC reverses course on stance that vaccines don’t cause autism A CDC website now promotes the debunked idea of a link between vaccines and autism.

"Essentially Cassidy asked for a promise. And all he got was an asterisk." Former CDC senior leader Dan Jernigan on how, after promising not to do so, Kennedy's HHS has rewritten #CDC 's webpage on whether there's a link between #vaccines & autism. www.statnews.com/2025/11/20/c...

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.

As HHS secretary, RFK Jr. has pledged to pursue gold-standard science, preserve access to vaccines, and insist on radical transparency in policymaking.

Here is our examination of his tenure to date:

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

Medicare premiums to jump 10% heading into 2026 Most Medicare enrollees will face premiums that are 10% higher next year, creating budget anxiety for millions of seniors.

Older adults and people with disabilities are facing a gut punch next year: Become a lot poorer by paying $203/month for their Medicare Part B premium, or feel like you have to go into a Medicare Advantage plan when you don’t want to. www.statnews.com/2025/11/14/m...

lol the math here makes absolutely no sense. Are you saying the Medicare Part B premium was expected to be $548/month? That would have been a scandal. Either way, the Part B premium is going up 10%, well above the cost of living. Seniors are getting hammered, again.

Medicare payments to doctors paused as government shutdown drags on The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is pausing Medicare payments to doctors, as negotiations tied to the government shutdown drag on.

Medicare payments to doctors paused as government shutdown drags on

www.statnews.com/2025/10/15/c...

No words www.statnews.com/2025/09/17/m...

STAT 10 Year Anniversary When we named ourselves “STAT’’ 10 years ago, we conceded, “It takes a bit of chutzpah to name a digital-age life-sciences publication after a buzzword

STAT is 10!

Join us in reflecting on a decade of reporting from the frontiers of health and medicine.

We’re proud that since 2015 we’ve delivered urgent, authoritative, and impactful journalism.

Celebrate with us: www.statnews.com/stat-10th-an...
#STAT10 🧵

As MAHA turns 1, a fired-up movement is still figuring out how to fulfill its promises "That is so brilliant. Why didn’t we think of this before?" As MAHA turns 1, STAT examines the growth of the movement and takes stock of its challenges.

MAHA turned 1 over the weekend, and it's hard to believe it's only been one year since Kennedy endorsed Trump and kickstarted this movement.

I talked with nearly two dozen people to try and make sense of all that has happened — or not. Lots to unpack!
www.statnews.com/2025/08/25/r...

AI scribe companies promise to help doctors bill more. Who will pay the extra cost? Like any conscientious health policy Ph.D. student, Paige Nong went to the doctor for her free annual well visit. But as she checked in, the person at the

We think of AI as something that decreases costs and increases revenue. But _for whom_ does it make more $?

AI scribe companies promise that doctors will now get paid for everything they did in a visit. But where is that money coming from?

All of us.

More from me @statnews.com:
🖥️🩺

GLP-1s, cancer care are driving higher employer health care costs in 2026 Health care costs are set to jump again next year, creating a challenge for employers.

New: GLP-1s and cancer care are driving higher employer health care costs in 2026.

Via @tarabannow.bsky.social

www.statnews.com/2025/08/20/h...

Elevance loses lawsuit over Medicare Advantage quality ratings A federal judge rejected Elevance's argument that the government unfair lowered its ratings.

NEW: Federal judge rules against Elevance in lawsuit over Medicare Advantage star ratings. The Trump-appointed judge torched Elevance's arguments, saying the company ignored basic math. Another L for MA insurers. www.statnews.com/2025/08/19/e...

Health care CEOs harvest billions even as industry lags broader stock market STAT dug into the compensation of 275 CEOs across health care.

Don't miss STAT's analysis of health care CEO's compensation in 2024, led by @bobjherman.bsky.social and @jaspar.bsky.social. 91 health care CEOs earned at least $10 million in 2024. BioNTech CEO Uğur Şahin took home more than $300 million.
www.statnews.com/2025/08/18/h...

Health care CEOs harvest billions even as industry lags broader stock market STAT dug into the compensation of 275 CEOs across health care.

The health care industry broadly failed its investors in 2024. That didn't stop those leading blue-chip companies from amassing generational wealth. Read and search through our latest CEO pay analysis, where there's no shortage of huge numbers. www.statnews.com/2025/08/18/h...

Very important work here by @statnews.com reporters on how political oversight is gumming up the process of funding for scientific research.

www.statnews.com/2025/08/15/i...

www.statnews.com/2025/08/14/e...

Inside the research machine that helps UnitedHealth protect its Medicare profits A STAT Investigation: Inside the research machine that helps UnitedHealth protect its Medicare profits.

Medicare Advantage is costing taxpayers $550 billion this year. UnitedHealth Group and a web of business partners have built a research apparatus — replete with flawed studies and papers — to push back against critics and ward off attempts at MA reform. www.statnews.com/2025/08/11/u...

Trump executive order seeks to centralize control of grantmaking under political appointees A sweeping new executive order seeks to transform how the federal government awards billions of dollars in research grants

A sweeping new executive order seeks to transform how the federal government awards billions of dollars in research grants. Story via @mmolteni.bsky.social, @aniloza.bsky.social, @angusrohan.bsky.social and me for @statnews.com
www.statnews.com/2025/08/08/t...

DOJ and UnitedHealth reach settlement on $3.3 billion Amedisys deal The Amedisys deal would add to UnitedHealth's home and hospice-care operations.

It's official: DOJ is allowing UnitedHealth Group to acquire Amedisys, as long as it sells more home health and hospice assets than previously announced. UnitedHealth's care footprint will get a lot bigger. More from @tarabannow.bsky.social: www.statnews.com/2025/08/07/d...

MAGA influencers take a sudden interest in Medicare Advantage reforms, echoing a dark money group It's not clear why right wing influencers are suddenly pushing back against Medicare reforms.

MAGA influencers are attacking Republicans with tweets supporting Medicare Advantage — and some of the language is almost verbatim from a dark money group called the Medicare Advantage Majority. Lawmakers are pissed. @caseyross.bsky.social and John Wilkerson dig in: www.statnews.com/2025/08/01/m...

Inside the fall of Vinay Prasad at the FDA Prasad's departure followed a campaign by a right-wing activist and a controversy over a rare disease drug.

A must-read story into how the outspoken and extremely online Vinay Prasad lasted only 84 days as a top FDA official. Includes a feisty email, obtained by @lizzylawrence.bsky.social, that he sent to FDA staff just days before he left. www.statnews.com/2025/07/30/v...

If you aren't checking out @statnews.com today, you're missing out. Our newsroom is on fire. So many important stories to read. www.statnews.com

Vinay Prasad departs the FDA A top FDA official is out after less than 3 months on the job.

BREAKING: Vinay Prasad is out at FDA www.statnews.com/2025/07/29/v...

A cut to Medicare that could affect millions is buried in Trump’s tax law Trump's tax law adds red tape to Medicare Savings Programs, risking coverage losses for low-income seniors.

Millions of older adults in America who are extremely destitute qualify for a public benefit called Medicare Savings Programs. Trump's tax law will make it more difficult for these people — again, the poorest of the poor — to get these subsidies. www.statnews.com/2025/07/28/m...

NIH, FDA plan to reduce animal testing draws mixed reactions among scientists As the Trump administration reshapes biomedicine, it wants to change how scientists test drug safety: animal research.

FDA and NIH are moving away from animal testing. Scientists are split on whether that's a good idea, @marissa-russo.bsky.social and I report for @statnews.com after talking with 10+ researchers across academia and biotech.
www.statnews.com/2025/07/25/n...

UnitedHealth confirms DOJ investigations into Medicare practices, says it’s cooperating UnitedHealth is facing criminal and civil investigations into its Medicare practices

UnitedHealth Group confirms what has already been widely reported: The Department of Justice has initiated civil and criminal investigations into its "participation in the Medicare program." More from @tarabannow.bsky.social: www.statnews.com/2025/07/24/u...

Venus Williams after becoming the oldest WTA match winner since 2004:

“I had to come back for the insurance, because they informed me this year that I’m on cobra. So it’s like, I got to get my benefits on” 😭😭😭😭

10 million expected to lose health insurance under Trump’s tax cut law, CBO says Trump's law cuts federal health spending by more than $1 trillion over a decade to help pay for tax cuts.

10 million expected to lose health insurance under Trump’s tax cut law, CBO says

www.statnews.com/2025/07/21/c...

Judge dismisses Humana’s case over downgraded Medicare Advantage ratings A federal judge has tossed out a lawsuit from Humana that attempted to reinstate higher quality ratings to its 2025 Medicare Advantage plans.

A federal judge just tossed out Humana's lawsuit over its downgraded Medicare Advantage star ratings. Humana "did not exhaust the appeal process." Another loss for MA plans that have aggressively sued the gov't over star ratings. But Humana could refile. www.statnews.com/2025/07/18/h...