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By John Wilkerson, Sarah Owermohle, and Rachel Cohrs Zhang

Dec. 20, 2024

WASHINGTON — At the start of this week, Republicans and Democrats struck a deal on a sizable package of health care policies, from reining in drug-industry middlemen to boosting pay for doctors.

The package was supposed to hitch a ride on a year-end stopgap government funding bill that needs to be passed today to avoid a government shutdown. Instead, President-elect Trump and close adviser Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, killed the three-month government funding bill, taking the health policies with it. 

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When House Republicans returned with a pared-down proposal, the health package included only extensions for basic public health programs. Gone were a long list of health policies, including doctor pay raises and reforms to pharmacy benefit managers.

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  1. John Wilkerson

    Washington Correspondent

    John Wilkerson is a Washington correspondent for STAT who writes about the politics of health care.

  2. Sarah Owermohle

    Washington Correspondent

    Sarah Owermohle reports on the administration’s health care initiatives, federal health policy, and its intersection with politics and the courts. She joined STAT in 2022 after covering health policy at Politico. She is also the co-author of the free, twice-weekly D.C. Diagnosis newsletter.

  3. Rachel Cohrs Zhang

    Chief Washington Correspondent

    Rachel Cohrs Zhang reports on the intersection of health policy and business in Washington. She covers Capitol Hill, lobbying, and federal agencies. Her primary areas of focus are the pharmaceutical and hospital industries. She is also the co-author of the free, twice-weekly D.C. Diagnosis newsletter.