Social issues
Major U.S. health insurers say they will streamline controversial process for approving care
UnitedHealthcare signage is displayed on an office building in Phoenix, Arizona, on July 19, 2023. Patrick T. Fallon | Afp | Getty Images Health plans under major U.S. insurers said Monday they have voluntarily agreed to speed up and reduce prior authorizations – a process that is often a major pain point for patients and […]
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Healthy Returns: What to know about the FDA’s plan to speed up some drug reviews
FILE PHOTO: The headquarters of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is seen in Silver Spring, Maryland November 4, 2009. Jason Reed | Reuters A version of this article first appeared in CNBC’s Healthy Returns newsletter, which brings the latest health-care news straight to your inbox. Subscribe here to receive future editions. The Food […]
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US judge blocks Trump plan to tie states’ transportation funds to immigration enforcement
US President Donald Trump speaks to the press as workers install a large flag pole on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC on June 18, 2025. Brendan Smialowski | Afp | Getty Images A federal judge on Thursday blocked President Donald Trump’s administration from forcing 20 Democratic-led states to cooperate with […]
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FDA approves Gilead’s twice-yearly HIV prevention injection, offering a powerful and convenient new option
The logo of Gilead Sciences pharmaceutical company is seen in Oceanside, California, April 29, 2020. Mike Blake | Reuters The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved Gilead’s twice-yearly antiviral injection for preventing HIV – a milestone that the company and some experts say could help bring the world closer to ending the decades-long epidemic […]
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Supreme Court upholds Tennessee ban on transgender youth medical care
People hold rainbow-coloured umbrellas and flags at a demonstration as the U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments over an appeal by U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration of a lower court’s decision upholding a Republican-backed ban in Tennessee on gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors, outside the court in Washington, U.S., December 4, 2024. Benoit Tessier | […]
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Oura, Maven Clinic team up to bring biometric data into clinical care
Kate Ryder, CEO of Maven, speaking at the CNBC Changemakers Summit in New York on April 18th, 2024. Danielle DeVries | CNBC Women’s and family health platform Maven Clinic is partnering with smart ring maker Oura, a step forward in the integration of the increasing amount of data being collected by wearable devices and clinical […]
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Democrats press Pfizer, J&J and others over low tax bills and lobbying as Senate debates Trump’s plan
The Johnson & Johnson logo displayed on a monitor. Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images Two Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday pressed five of the nation’s largest pharmaceutical companies about their low tax bills and whether they support extending massive tax cuts for the industry in the GOP reconciliation bill. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and […]
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Judge deems Trump’s cuts to National Institutes of Health illegal
A federal judge in Boston on Monday said the termination of National Institutes of Health grants for research on diversity-related topics by President Donald Trump’s administration was “void and illegal,” and accused the government of discriminating against racial minorities and LGBT people. U.S. District Judge William Young during a non-jury trial said the NIH violated federal […]
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The UK insisted unpopular tax rises were a one-off. Economists say hikes are now inevitable
Oxford Street on May 2 2025, in London. Mike Kemp | In Pictures | Getty Images When U.K. Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced her government budget last fall, unveiling a £70 billion ($95 billion) boost to public spending to be funded by higher borrowing and £40 billion in tax rises, which mostly hit British businesses, she […]
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Trump administration tells 500,000 immigrants to ‘self-deport’ after revoking protections
A farmworker works in a strawberry field on June 12, 2025 in Oxnard, California. Anti-immigration crackdowns ordered by US President Donald Trump has seen federal authorities target factories and work sites since June 6, sparking days of angry protests in Los Angeles. Apu Gomes | Afp | Getty Images The Trump administration began sending termination […]
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