Sec. Kennedy’s Push To Find Cause Of Autism Divides Congress

One year into his first term, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s focus on autism is showing how polarizing Trump administration health policy can be for Capitol Hill.

Some GOP lawmakers say Kennedy’s interest in autism is counterproductive and could cause long-term mistrust in public health as the administration reopens investigations into vaccines as the cause, which numerous studies have debunked.

Others say that any attention on autism is good attention and point to recent increases in federal spending on research into the condition as evidence. Some lawmakers and advocates appreciate the extra attention on autism.

Ohio Bill Would Prevent People from Creating AI Models that Encourage Users to Engage in Self-Harm

At least four Ohio children have used artificial intelligence to write their suicide notes and lawmakers have introduced a bipartisan bill that would prevent anyone from creating an AI model in Ohio that encourages users to engage in self-harm or harm another person. Ohio House Bill 524 would empower the Ohio Attorney General’s office to investigate and prosecute anyone who creates AI models that are responsible for creating technology that encourage self-harm, she said. According to a 2025 report from Common Sense Media, 72% of teenagers have used AI companions at least once, 52% interact with these platforms at least a few times a month, and 12% of teens use AI for emotional or mental health support. Lack of access to mental health resources could be driving people to turn to AI. Out of Ohio’s 88 counties, 75 are mental health shortage areas, according to a recent study from the Health Policy Institute of Ohio.

ACA Enrollment in Ohio Declines

Data released this week by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services shows that 469,616 Ohioans enrolled in Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace coverage in the open enrollment period that ended Jan. 15, a decrease of nearly 114,000 from last year (20%), as illustrated above.
 
Ohio saw the second-largest percentage drop in enrollment of any state in the country following the expiration of enhanced premium tax credits.
 
The national drop in enrollment was 5%, with states running their own exchanges retaining more enrollment than those, like Ohio, that use the federally operated exchange. According to KFF analysis, the drop in enrollment is likely to be even steeper in coming months because “people who have selected a plan or been automatically renewed may not ultimately choose to pay for their plan, thus ‘effectuating’ their coverage.”
 
Marketplace enrollment in Ohio had more than doubled between 2021 and 2025, when COVID-era enhanced subsidies decreased monthly premiums by 41%. The tax credits were at the center of the federal government shutdown last year, with Congress ultimately failing to reach an agreement on extending them.
 
While data on average premium payments in 2026 have not been released, the expiration of the tax credits was expected to increase premiums, on average, by 114% in 2026.
 
In November, HPIO released a policy explainer that provides background about the ACA marketplaces and details how recent changes to the marketplace could impact Ohioans in 2026.

Click here to view the article on the Health Policy Institute of Ohio's website. 

Mental Health Among Leading Causes Of Employee Short-Term Disability Claims

Rising mental health concerns: Mental health has become a leading driver of employee absence, with stress, anxiety, and burnout affecting productivity across industries. Mental health conditions have emerged as one of the primary causes of short-term disability claims across American workplaces, according to Sedgwick's mid-year 2025 workforce absence analysis of disability claim trends. For employees under 45, pregnancy remained the top reason for short-term disability claims. However, mental health and substance use issues now follow closely behind for those younger than 55 years. Among workers aged 35 to 44 years, mental health-related claims were nearly equal to pregnancy claims.

Click here to view the full report.