Executive Orders: Health Care
Last updated May 5, 2025
Below are executive orders related to health care that are most likely to impact the professions and those you serve. Some executive orders rescind executive orders from previous Administrations. ASHA will update this information periodically.
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ASHA is providing this information to its members and others for educational purposes only. The information provided on this webpage should not be construed or relied on as legal advice or opinion. Readers should consult with their own legal counsel before making any decisions regarding this information.
Summary: Executive Order 14221 aims to address the lack of transparency in health care pricing, which has resulted in inflated costs for patients, employers, and taxpayers. It builds on previous regulations requiring hospitals and health plans to provide clear and actionable price information. The policy is designed to ensure patients have the necessary information to make informed health care decisions, by promoting universal access to accurate health care prices and improving enforcement of existing transparency requirements.
To achieve these goals, the Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of Labor, and Secretary of Health and Human Services are tasked with implementing and enforcing health care price transparency regulations. Specific actions include requiring disclosure of actual prices, standardizing pricing information, and updating enforcement policies. The order does not create any new rights or benefits enforceable by law against the United States or its entities.
Impact: Providers in health care settings, starting with hospitals, could be required to ensure pricing information is accurate by disclosing actual prices―not estimates―for services, as well as being easily accessible to patients. This could particularly impact providers who offer items and services for cash pay. The 2019 executive order 13877 [PDF] and subsequent No Surprises Act requires health care entities to provide good faith estimates (GFEs) to patients paying with cash. However, it is unclear how the new executive order will affect current rules related to GFEs. While transparent pricing requirements could mean additional administrative burden for providers and facilities, clear and accurate pricing information can enhance patient trust and satisfaction because patients will be better informed about the costs of their health care services.
Resources: ASHA provides resources related to the No Surprises Act and GFEs.
Status: On February 28, 2025, this executive order was published in the Federal Register [PDF] and is in effect.
Summary: Executive Order 14212 creates the Make American Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission comprised of various federal agency officials tasked with reviewing health issues and initiatives. The Commission’s first mission is related to childhood chronic disease. The Commission is tasked to study the scope of childhood chronic disease and potential contributing causes, provide information for the President to share with citizens, and provide recommendations on ending the childhood chronic disease crisis. Within 100 days of the order the Commission will provide the initial assessment of the issues described in the order and within 180 days provide a strategy to restructure the federal government's response to the childhood chronic disease crisis.
Impact: Although direct impacts won’t be clear until the Commission’s initial report is submitted, there could be potential implications or opportunities related to value-based care, interprofessional collaborative practice, early screening and intervention, cost savings to the health care system, and communication access.
Status: On February 19, 2025, this executive order was published in the Federal Register [PDF] and is in effect.
Summary: Executive Order 14187 seeks to end surgical and chemical transgender medical interventions for individuals under the age of 19. It requires agencies to rescind guidance from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) and “HHS (Health and Human Services) Notice and Guidance on Gender Affirming Care, Civil Rights and Patient Privacy.” HHS is tasked with completing a literature review and providing recommendations for "children who assert gender dysphoria, rapid-onset gender dysphoria, or other identity-based confusion." The order also asks Congress to develop legislation to further the reach of this executive order and asks the Judiciary to prioritize related cases.
Impact: While the order is specific to pharmacological and surgical interventions, the implications are much broader. For example, this could amend current policies outlined in Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which prohibits discrimination in health care and applies to providers who receive federal funds (e.g., practices that receive Medicare or Medicaid payments). It could also impact coverage of essential health benefits under ACA marketplace plans, which include habilitative and rehabilitative services. In addition, the WPATH guidance that agencies must rescind includes a full chapter on voice and communication. Along with several other executive actions, this could eliminate coverage of gender-affirming voice and communication services through federal payers. Noncompliant facilities could lose research funding and the ability to bill federal payers for any and all services. At this time, it is unclear whether facilities will be required to stop all nonsurgical or chemical gender-affirming care even if patients have private insurance or pay cash, but many may choose to do so as a precaution.
Resources: ASHA provides resources related to gender-affirming voice therapy advocacy and essential health benefits under the ACA.
Status: On February 3, 2025, this executive order was published in the Federal Register [PDF] and is in effect.
Summary: Executive Order 14155 outlines the U.S.’ intent to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO), including pausing all future transfers of government funding, support, or other resources to WHO; recalling or reassigning U.S. government personnel or contractors working with WHO; and ceasing negotiations related to the WHO Pandemic Agreement.
Impact: U.S. withdrawal from WHO could impact international cooperation, global health security, and public health programs and initiatives that rely on WHO guidelines and support, including those within the U.S. Health disparities could be exacerbated if programs serving people with disabilities and other underserved communities lose funding and support. In addition, WHO owns the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) and the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), which could impact use of ICF and ICD to support service delivery and health care billing. The U.S. could also potentially lose its access to disease-based data sets owned by WHO.
ASHA currently engages with WHO through its collaboration with the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO), as well as through involvement with the World Rehabilitation Alliance, and World Hearing Day, among other initiatives.
Status: On January 29, 2025, this executive order was published in the Federal Register [PDF] and is in effect.
Summary: Executive Order 14009 [PDF], issued February 2021 by a previous Administration, was intended to protect and strengthen both Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to encourage health care accessibility and affordability.
Impact: This executive order has been rescinded. As a result, we could see elimination of special enrollment periods, reduced ACA subsidies, and increased barriers to coverage through Medicaid and ACA Health Insurance Marketplace plans, which would result in fewer Americans enrolling in these programs. There is also the potential for changes in policies or practices that may undermine protections for people with pre-existing conditions, coverage of habilitative and rehabilitative services as essential health benefits, and the return of policies or practices that may undermine the Health Insurance Marketplace or the individual, small group, or large group markets for health insurance (e.g. lifetime caps on services, per-capita caps/block grants).
Any changes to the Medicaid program at the federal level could result in a lower federal government contribution to state Medicaid programs (known as the Federal Matching Assistance Percentage, or FMAP).
If the FMAP is lowered, there are serious implications for many populations, especially optional populations (e.g., families with income above federally established minimums) and services (e.g., Home and Community Based Services [HCBS)]), including those who live in states that have expanded Medicaid to adult populations. Currently, the federal government covers at least 90% of the total costs for the adult Medicaid expansion population and states pay 10%. "Trigger laws" in some states will automatically cut all benefits to the expansion population if the FMAP dips below a certain threshold.
If Medicaid is limited financially at the federal level, states will face tough choices when budgeting for coverage of mandatory populations. For example, cutting provider reimbursement rates could be one way states meet their federal legal obligations of coverage, but Medicaid providers, and those they serve, would suffer.
Resources: ASHA provides resources related to Medicaid, and essential health benefits under the ACA. ASHA members can also write their members of Congress to urge them to protect access to care for Medicaid beneficiaries. Stay updated on Medicaid advocacy efforts and view ASHA’s on-demand webinar on the potential impact of proposed Medicaid funding changes.
Status: On January 28, 2025, the new Administration issued Executive Order 14148, which was published in the Federal Register [PDF]; thereby rescinding all provisions previously established in Executive Order 14009.
Summary: Executive Order 14070 [PDF], issued April 2022 by a previous Administration, directed federal agencies to identify strategies for expanding health coverage, enhancing quality, strengthening benefits, and increasing enrollment.
Impact: With the rescission of this executive order, changes in enrollment deadlines, eligibility criteria and federal subsidies for ACA plans will likely reduce the number of enrollees in both Medicaid and ACA plans. This could result in potentially reducing the number of people who are able to seek audiology and/or speech-language pathology services.
Resources: ASHA provides resources related to Medicaid and essential health benefits under the ACA. ASHA members can also write their members of Congress to urge them to protect access to care for Medicaid beneficiaries.
Status: On January 28, 2025, the new Administration issued Executive Order 14148, which was published in the Federal Register [PDF]; thereby rescinding all provisions previously established in Executive Order 14070.
