Daniel Payne

Daniel Payne

@danielpayne.bsky.social

Washington Correspondent @statnews.com daniel.payne (at) statnews (dot) com Signal: danielp.100 @politico.com / Ole Miss alum

29.6K followers301 following317 posts

Daniel Payne
@danielpayne.bsky.social

RFK Jr. last night continued his praise of AI to fix U.S. health care, saying the technology is better informed than doctors. But on the ground in rural America, health providers say AI is nowhere close to solving their problems: www.statnews.com/2026/09/10/r...

statnews.comTrump officials say AI will help save rural health care. Some leaders in the field don’t believe itRural health care providers have struggled for years. The Trump administration is pointing to a cutting-edge, if unproven way to save them: artificial intelligence.

Daniel Payne reposted

STAT
@statnews.com

Will reversing Medicaid cuts be possible? Is more drug pricing policy on the way? What’s the future of federal research and health care funding? @danielpayne.bsky.social on the biggest ways midterms could affect health policy this November: https://bit.ly/4xUPnS7

bit.lyDrug pricing, Medicaid, and research funding: The key policy issues at stake in the midtermsBig shifts in health care policy could emerge depending on who wins the midterms, affecting hospitals and pharma companies.
Daniel Payne
@danielpayne.bsky.social

Trump and admin officials said last week that every state was taking their drug pricing deal. But several state leaders tell STAT they're just considering their options — and may not ultimately participate. www.statnews.com/2026/09/24/t...

statnews.comTrump boast on drug pricing policy overstated state-level interest in federal programPresident Trump and his aides boasted that every U.S. state wanted to participate in a drug pricing initiative through Medicaid. Several states said they weren't sure yet.

Daniel Payne reposted

Jason Ukman
@jasonukman.bsky.social

NEW: Before reporters in the White House, Trump and aides claimed every U.S. state wanted to participate in a Medicaid initiative aimed at lowering drug prices. That, @danielpayne.bsky.social reports, isn't quite right. www.statnews.com/2026/09/24/t...

statnews.comTrump boast on drug pricing policy overstated state-level interest in federal programPresident Trump and his aides boasted that every U.S. state wanted to participate in a drug pricing initiative through Medicaid. Several states said they weren't sure yet.
Daniel Payne
@danielpayne.bsky.social

An important theme in our reporting on how Medicaid and ACA cuts are changing the U.S. health system: Washington is increasingly skeptical of hospitals. That reality could have major policy implications as hospitals look to blunt the impact of the cuts.

Daniel Payne
@danielpayne.bsky.social

Facing Medicaid cuts, many rural hospitals are calling larger systems to ask about potential mergers. Consolidation could save some facilities — but it could also mean significant changes to patient care. The latest in our series, Unraveled: www.statnews.com/2026/09/08/r...

statnews.comHospitals pursue deals to ensure survival as Trump's Medicaid cuts loomRural health systems are seeking partnership to survive, fueling a debate over competition and the rising cost of medical care.

Daniel Payne reposted

anil oza
@aniloza.bsky.social

OMB's proposal to remake federal grantmaking was flooded with comments Now, they are withdrawing some from the public record — including some that point out Russell Vought's connection to the federally funded research that led to Trikafta www.statnews.com/2026/08/25/r...

statnews.comComments on OMB research rule mysteriously removed from federal websiteSome comments on a proposed OMB research rule have been mysteriously removed from a public-facing government webpage.

Daniel Payne reposted

Jason Ukman
@jasonukman.bsky.social

Whether you support cuts to Medicaid spending or oppose them, there's no denying that they are already starting to have impacts. @danielpayne.bsky.social took some reporting trips to see them for himself. Via @statnews.com. statnews.com/2026/08/25/r...

statnews.comHow Trump's cuts are reshaping America’s health systemA scramble to prepare for massive federal cuts across the health care system is hitting rural states like Maine particularly hard.
Daniel Payne
@danielpayne.bsky.social

Medicaid cuts aren't just causing hospital closures. They're rewiring America's health care system: from how care is paid for and who owns your local hospital to how AI is used and where you can get care. The first story in our series, Unraveled: www.statnews.com/2026/08/25/r...

statnews.comHow Trump's cuts are reshaping America’s health systemA scramble to prepare for massive federal cuts across the health care system is hitting rural states like Maine particularly hard.

Daniel Payne reposted

Isabella Cueto
@isabellacueto.bsky.social

Exclusive: The American Cancer Society has cancelled its alcohol industry fundraiser, a luxe gala in NYC which was scheduled for the fall. The event came under scrutiny earlier this summer after STAT reported the details of it for the first time. www.statnews.com/2026/08/19/c...

statnews.comAmerican Cancer Society cancels alcohol industry fundraiserThe American Cancer Society had an optics problem: its annual Wine and Spirits Industry's Gala. It decided to do something about it.

Daniel Payne reposted

Jason Ukman
@jasonukman.bsky.social

NEW: New CDC Director Erica Schwartz, evidently mindful of perceptions, told staff in an all-hands meeting that she is prepared to speak "truth to power," according to a recording of the meeting obtained by @statnews.com. www.statnews.com/2026/08/19/c...

statnews.comNew CDC director tells staff she is prepared to speak ‘truth to power’Then new CDC director told staff she is “very comfortable and very confident ... speaking truth to power.”
Daniel Payne
@danielpayne.bsky.social

Amid a historic measles outbreak, Trump says the vaccine that protects against the disease could be "quite lethal." Asked if he has evidence of that, he admits he doesn't — saying it's just something he's heard. Inside an unprecedented vaccine policy: www.statnews.com/2026/08/10/t...

statnews.comTrump returns to controversial vaccine policy with order questioning childhood scheduleThe Trump administration, which had recently avoided public discussions of vaccine policy because of concern around the political repercussions, is changing course.