Payers

Morning Brew Inc.

On Sept. 23, the federal government paused new brokers and agents from registering to sell plans on HealthCare.gov, a move it says is meant to curb fraud.

Specifically, brokers and agents who weren’t registered to sell 2026 Affordable Care Act plans can’t register for 2027 until Feb. 1, after the 2027 open enrollment period has ended.

The temporary moratorium comes alongside stressors like insurer market exits, premium increases, and stricter verification requirements. Due to this pause, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) estimates 19,000 fewer brokers and agents will be available when open enrollment starts on Nov. 1. Analysts told Healthcare Brew this could all add up to more uninsured patients.

Insurance trade association the National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals (NABIP) filed a lawsuit against HHS and CMS on Oct. 15, arguing, among other things, HHS didn’t provide a chance for public comment and that this action exceeds the agency’s authority. Another trade association, Health Agents for America, filed suit on Oct. 21, also claiming it exceeds HHS’s statutory authority.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), in a Sept. 22 press release, said it announced this pause because newly registered brokers and agents allegedly had a disproportionately high rate of “unauthorized enrollments and other high-risk activity” in 2026.

In response to Healthcare Brew’s request for additional information, a CMS spokesperson said the agency does not comment on topics that are pending litigation.

Read more about why this change matters here.—CC

      

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Hospitals

Illustration: Morning Brew Inc., Photos: Adobe Stock

Immigration policy doesn’t have to specifically mention hospitals or health systems to become a major multilevel healthcare problem.

Plenty of reports focus on immigrant patients avoiding the health system and the sometimes devastating consequences that follow, but the fallout of harsh immigration rules and ramped-up enforcement go much wider and deeper, as immigrant workers have long been essential for healthcare operations in the US. They’re our doctors and custodial staff, our surgeons and maintenance techs, and our nurses, home health aides, hospice workers, and commercial drivers.

On Sept. 18, the US Department of Homeland Security’s latest public charge rule went into effect, rescinding a Biden-era policy. This latest iteration from the Trump administration gives immigration officers much more power to consider enrollment in programs like Medicaid and CHIP as indicators that certain immigrants, primarily green card applicants and their families, will be too dependent on the government (i.e., a “public charge”). The rule does not apply to many immigrants, but the wide-reaching collateral anxiety will affect the entire industry, from the patient to the providers and hospital staff.

Check out the rest of the op-ed here.—CLD

      

education

Sunabesyou/Getty Images

Few jobs are more taxing than medical residency, which often involves completing shifts as long as 28 hours with few days off.

Nearly 30% of residents who responded to an American Medical Association survey reported being burnt out last year, and studies show that lack of adequate rest significantly increases the risk of medical errors. Further, burnout could worsen healthcare workforce shortages, according to a 2023 study that noted there’s a shortage of an estimated 45,000 to 90,000 physicians across all medical specialties.

For decades, residency programs have had rules in place regulating how many hours a resident gets off between shifts and how many shifts in a row they can work. The aim is to make sure they can occasionally get some rest and thereby reduce risks to patient safety. But proposed changes from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), the organization that sets standards for residency programs, would roll back some of those protections.

Keep reading here.—MA

      

vital signs

Francis Scialabba

Today’s top healthcare reads.

Stat: 45%. That’s how many LGBTQ+ youth reported that family support resulted in lower odds of suicidal ideation. (Trevor Project)

Quote: “The worry is ‘Could the rising cost of healthcare be the next job killer?’”—Russell DuBose, VP of human resources at self-insured Alabama company Phifer, on how rising health insurance costs could affect employers (KFF Health News)

Read: You’ve heard of psychedelics helping treat mental health. Early research is now showing they could address diseases involving inflammation and immune dysregulation. (NPR)