Update: What We’re Watching, Dec. 17, 2025

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Update: What We're Watching, Dec. 17, 2025

Hill to the Heartland: Federal Health Policy Briefing

Hill to the Heartland: Federal Health Policy Briefing is a product series providing regular updates on federal health policy discussions. Sign up here to receive these summaries and more, and also follow KHI on Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram.

Congress is considering bill options related to health insurance. President Trump signed an Executive Order to establish a national policy framework for artificial intelligence and is considering a proposal to reclassify cannabis from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule III drug. Here is some of the health-related news we are watching that could have an impact on Kansas.

The views expressed in the following news stories, news releases or documents are not necessarily those of the Kansas Health Institute (KHI). They are being shared with the intent of keeping Kansans informed of the latest developments related to federal health policy.

1. Affordable Care Act Premium Tax Credits Set to Expire

After the Senate last week failed to advance two health insurance bills -one sponsored by Democrats that would have extended the enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits that are set to expire on Dec. 31, and another sponsored by Republicans that would have deposited funds into health savings accounts for those who enroll in bronze or catastrophic plans on the marketplace - House Republicans announced on Friday, Dec. 12, that they plan to vote this week on H.R. 6703, the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act.

The House bill, which does not extend the enhanced ACA tax credits, includes rules related to the creation of association health plans for small employers and self-employed individuals and authorizes employers to provide funds to employees to help them pay for individual health insurance plans. H.R. 6703 also would restore federal funding for ACA cost-sharing reduction subsidies for certain low-income enrollees beginning Jan. 1, 2027, which could potentially reduce premiums for silver plans offered on the marketplace. It also would require pharmacy benefit managers to provide employers with data related to their processes and operations.

As introduced, the Republican bill does not address the extension of the enhanced tax credits for 2026 or beyond, and earlier Tuesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) announced that no deal had been reached to bring an amendment related to the tax credits to a vote. Any bill passed by the House would need to be approved by the Senate, which is currently not scheduled to vote on health care legislation this week.

Read more from CNN: What's in the House GOP health care bill

Read more from MedPageToday: House Speaker Unveils Healthcare Plan as Divided GOP Scrambles for an Alternative

Read more from Beckers Hospital Review: House floats new healthcare bill after Senate proposals fail

Read text of House bill: H.R. 6703

Read more from NBC News: House Republican leaders ditch vote on ACA funding, all but ensuring premiums will rise

Also on Dec. 12, Senator Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) released details of his Lowering Health Care Costs for Americans Act. The bill would extend the enhanced ACA tax credits for the 2026 plan year and require minimum monthly premiums for all marketplace plan enrollees, along with identity verification. The legislation also would establish health care affordability accounts, similar to health savings accounts, for eligible individuals who purchase ACA marketplace coverage. In addition, it would restore federal funding for ACA cost-sharing reduction subsidies, implement a consumer price transparency plan, and authorize federal payments to states to establish high-risk reinsurance pool programs. As of Tuesday morning, Senate leadership had not announced plans to vote this week on any health care legislation, including Sen. Marshall's bill.

Read text of Sen. Marshall's bill: Lowering Health Care Costs for Americans Act

2. New Executive Order Blocking State AI Regulations

On Thursday, Dec. 11, President Trump signed an executive order (EO) directing the federal government to establish a national policy framework for artificial intelligence, blocking states from setting their own AI laws. The EO asserts that a patchwork approach to AI regulations could prevent the United States from achieving "global AI dominance." The EO aims to create a minimally burdensome national policy framework for AI that would promote innovation. To achieve this, the EO directs the U.S. Department of Justice to create an AI litigation task force to challenge state laws that are determined to conflict with the EO, while explicitly exempting state laws related to child safety protections and state government procurement and use of AI from these litigation efforts. During the 2025 legislative session, Kansas enacted two AI-related laws that fall within these exempted categories, addressing child safety protections and restricting the use of certain AI platforms on state devices and networks. In addition, the EO directs the U.S. Department of Commerce to identify state AI laws that may be inconsistent with federal policy and authorizes the department to consider conditioning certain federal funding to states on alignment with the national AI framework

Read more from the White House: Ensuring A National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence

Read more from AP: Trump signs executive order to block state AI regulations

Read more from the Kansas Health Institute: Update: What We're Watching, Dec. 1, 2025

3. ACIP Votes on Hepatitis B Recommendations

At its Dec. 4-5 meeting, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to recommend narrowing long-standing guidance on hepatitis B vaccination for newborns. The recommendation would continue vaccination at birth for infants born to mothers who test positive for hepatis B or whose status is unknown. It would shift away from a universal birth-dose recommendation and instead emphasize clinical discussion and shared decision-making. This change to the birth-dose recommendation has been reviewed and accepted by the CDC. ACIP also voted to recommend post-vaccination antibody testing to determine whether additional hepatitis B doses are needed, which could result in some infants receiving fewer than the standard three-dose series. This recommendation remains under CDC review. Coverage of the vaccine through public and private insurance programs is expected to continue. More than 70 medical, health and patient advocacy groups issued a joint statement raising concerns about the recommendations, citing a lack of new evidence presented to support the change, potential increases in hepatitis B infection and possible impacts on vaccine access.

Read the recommendations from ACIP: Hepatitis B Vaccine

Read more from NPR: CDC advisors vote to overturn decades-long policy on hepatitis B vaccine for infants

Read the statement: Statement from Leading Medical, Health and Patient Advocacy Groups on CDC Vaccine meeting

Read the CDC press release: CDC Adopts Individual-Based Decision-Making for Hepatitis B Immunization for Infants Born to Women Who Test Negative for the Hepatitis B Virus

4. Update on Potential Marijuana Reclassification

President Trump is considering reclassifying marijuana, or cannabis, from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule III substance under federal law, following a federal review initiated in 2022 under President Biden and subsequent recommendations from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice. Proponents say this could have implications for medical cannabis access, particularly in states without medical marijuana programs, such as Kansas. As of Dec. 1, 2025, Kansas remains one of four states where marijuana is fully illegal.

Read more from CBS News: Trump could reschedule marijuana to Schedule III, promising tax relief but raising new legal and industry concerns

Read more from Axios: Trump signals marijuana pivot. Here's how federal and state cannabis laws work

Read more from the Kansas Health Institute: Update: What We're Watching, Aug. 21, 2025

Stay tuned for further updates on policy shifts that may affect health programs and services in Kansas. For related work on how federal policies could impact Kansans, please check out Hill to the Heartland.

Funding for Hill to the Heartland is provided in part by the Sunflower Foundation: Health Care for Kansans, a Topeka-based philanthropic organization with the mission to serve as a catalyst for improving the health of Kansans. KHI retains editorial independence in the production of its content and its findings. Any views expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect the views of the Sunflower Foundation.