In my latest MedPage Today column, I look at what the 2026 midterms mean for health policy in 2027 and 2028. Incoming Democrats will soon learn that getting things done is much harder than winning.
For FDA watchers, three things stand out:
- The next commissioner. Dr. Heidi Overton is unlikely to be confirmed. That leaves open who gets nominated and how long Kyle Diamantas will serve as acting commissioner (it might be a while).
- User fee reauthorization as a vehicle. The FDA user fee bill has to pass by September 2027 and has a long history of carrying unrelated policy. Expect efforts to add provisions the Administration opposes.
- A return to bipartisanship. Vaccines, NIH funding, and a strong FDA used to have bipartisan support. They will again, maybe sooner than people expect (i.e., before 2029).
I also cover Secretary Kennedy’s future, investigations into vaccine policy, the $1.2 trillion cost to reverse Medicaid and revive ACA subsidies, and why Medicare for All is a bridge too far.
