WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services this past week unveiled a wave of sweeping health policy actions — from a new artificial-intelligence prize for family caregivers to a high-profile federal review condemning pediatric gender-transition practices — alongside major Medicare reforms aimed at reshaping hospital transparency and reducing costs for seniors.
On Nov. 18, HHS announced a $2 million Caregiver Artificial Intelligence Prize Competition to support the nation’s more than 53 million unpaid caregivers. The initiative, run through the Administration for Community Living, will reward developers building AI tools that ease administrative burdens, improve training, and support family and direct-care workers.
“America’s caregivers carry our nation’s most vulnerable on their shoulders,” Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said. He described the competition as a key step in advancing the Make America Healthy Again strategy by “mobilizing innovation to lighten caregivers’ load.”
The competition builds on longstanding HHS programs supporting caregivers, including the National Family Caregiver Support Program, the Lifespan Respite Care Program, and national councils advising on caregiving and grandparent support.
Just one day later, HHS released Treatment for Pediatric Gender Dysphoria: Review of Evidence and Best Practices, a peer-reviewed report sharply critical of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries for minors. The study concludes that risks — ranging from infertility to long-term psychological effects — are significant and poorly tracked across medical systems.
“The American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics peddled the lie that chemical and surgical sex-rejecting procedures could be good for children,” Kennedy said, calling the findings a turning point for U.S. medicine.
NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya said the report’s evidence “meticulously documents the risks” imposed on vulnerable young people, while Assistant Secretary for Health Brian Christine questioned how families will cope with irreversible outcomes.
The report draws on contributions from physicians, psychologists, ethicists, and academics, including experts from Duke University, MIT, Colorado State University, and the Manhattan Institute. HHS invited the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Endocrine Society to participate, but both declined.
On Nov. 21, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services finalized its 2026 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment System rule — a package of reforms HHS says will modernize care delivery, expand outpatient options, and sharply tighten hospital price transparency.
“This final rule closes the loopholes hospitals exploit to hide real prices,” Kennedy said, asserting the reforms advance President Donald Trump’s push for “radical price transparency.”
CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said the rule strengthens Medicare by “eliminating fraud, advancing innovation, and protecting taxpayer funds.” The rule expands non-opioid pain-management reimbursement, phases out the inpatient-only list, grows the list of approved ASC procedures, and aligns payments between hospital outpatient departments and off-campus facilities.
CMS Deputy Administrator Chris Klomp said the changes will “deliver greater predictability, accountability, and affordability,” while penalizing hospitals with poor safety scores under an updated star-rating system.
CMS estimates the reforms will produce $11 billion in savings for Medicare and beneficiaries over the next decade.
Together, the announcements mark one of HHS’s most consequential policy weeks of 2025, affecting caregivers, minors, hospitals, payers, and millions of Medicare patients nationwide.
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