By: Allen Pinn, Coordinator, Policy

Over the last several weeks, the Trump Administration has issued Executive Orders and other actions that are reshaping the health care landscape. These actions have already had a significant impact on patients, patient advocates, family caregivers, and other organizations aligned with the patient community. The National Health Council (NHC) is actively reviewing these executive actions and working with our partners to assess their impact on our members and the broader patient community.

Special Briefing on Early Executive Actions
In response to concerns and questions surrounding these executive actions, the NHC held a special briefing with political experts on their interpretation of the Administration’s actions and the current political landscape for the patient community. The briefing discussed the rescission of multiple Biden era Executive Orders and rules. In addition to discussing Executive Orders that were rescinded, the briefing also touched upon the Trump Administration’s directives to limit Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives, withdrawing from the World Health Organization, and the overall health care goals of the Administration and Congress.

Recent Actions
Following the special briefing, the Administration, through the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), issued a memo instructing federal agencies to pause all loan and grant disbursements. This sweeping action resulted in immediate litigation and advocacy efforts across the nonprofit community. While there is a temporary order in place to stop this freeze, the impact is being felt by NHC members. Federal grants that support patient organizations are under scrutiny and many organizations could potentially lose federal funding that supports important work.

Additional NHC Activities
Last week, the NHC held its annual Health Leadership Conference with leaders across the health care ecosystem where members convened to discuss the new political landscape and how to navigate. The NHC reiterated the importance of maintaining frequent communication with our members on the newest developments, advocating on behalf of patient organizations, and actively monitoring the Administration’s executive actions, announcements, and orders. We encourage our members to keep the NHC abreast of how the Administration’s actions impact their organization’s activities and operations.

If your organization has questions surrounding the executive actions and other developments, please contact Jennifer Dexter, Vice President of Policy at jdexter@nhcouncil.org.