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October 24, 2026

Takeaways from the most recent news in the technology and policies shaping healthcare.

Government

2014 Ebola Leader Warns U.S. Is Less Ready Now

By Healthcare Technology News ·

As a new Ebola outbreak spreads with no known cure, one of the leaders of the 2014 U.S. response is sounding an alarm about how much American capacity has eroded. Susan Reichle, who helped coordinate the 2014 effort and last year co-founded the Aid Transition Alliance to support former USAID professionals, told STAT News that the difference between then and now is stark.

In 2014, the U.S. marshaled a large, coordinated mobilization of money, logistics, and experienced personnel through USAID and partner agencies to help contain the West Africa outbreak. That infrastructure has since been hollowed out. The dismantling of USAID and the departure of seasoned aid workers have stripped away the institutional knowledge and on-the-ground networks that made the earlier response possible, Reichle said.

Her new organization exists in part because so many of those professionals are now outside government. The practical worry: when the next emergency hits, the people and systems that once moved fast may no longer be in place to respond.

Sources

More in Government

Government

FDA Approves First Once-Weekly Insulin for Children

The FDA approved Novo Nordisk's Awiqli, the first once-weekly basal insulin for children 10 and older with Type 2 diabetes.

Why it matters: Weekly rather than daily insulin could improve adherence for a growing number of children with Type 2 diabetes.

Government

Feds Launch False Claims Act Self-Disclosure Pilot

HHS and the DOJ Civil Division have launched a six-month pilot letting healthcare companies self-report potential civil False Claims Act violations and settle through a coordinated civil release.

Why it matters: The pilot reshapes how hospitals and healthcare firms weigh self-reporting against federal fraud enforcement, with real consequences for compliance strategy.

Government

GOP Pushes Fraud Message to Deflect Healthcare Cost Anger

Republicans are elevating healthcare fraud as a midterm message to deflect voter anger over costs, while Democrats say the push targets blue states to justify Medicaid and ACA cuts.

Why it matters: Fraud-focused enforcement could reshape Medicaid and ACA funding, audits, and eligibility for the tens of millions who depend on those programs.