Health Equity & Access Weekly Roundup: January 30, 2026

Highlighting Gaps in Allergic Rhinitis Care, Allergen Immunotherapy Access

Adults with moderate to severe allergic rhinitis (AR) often endure years of uncontrolled symptoms and fragmented care before accessing effective treatment, particularly allergen immunotherapy (AIT), according to new findings from a qualitative study. Interviews with 25 patients revealed prolonged diagnostic delays driven by misdiagnosis, limited specialist access, costs, and the perception of AR as a trivial condition, despite significant impacts on sleep, work productivity, and quality of life. Most participants cycled through multiple medications with limited relief and concerns about long-term use, whereas awareness of AIT, the only disease-modifying therapy, was generally low until specialist referral. Patients who used AIT were often satisfied but noted that benefits developed gradually, contrasting with treatment-naive expectations of a rapid cure. Major barriers to AIT access included out-of-pocket costs, lack of reimbursement, limited prescriber availability, and logistical challenges.

ICE Presence in Minnesota Health Care Settings Threatens Access to Essential Medical Care

Minnesota physicians say ICE activity in and around hospitals and clinics is discouraging many immigrants, particularly Hispanic/Latino and Somali residents, from seeking needed medical care, leading to missed appointments and worsening health conditions, with some clinics reporting no-show rates as high as 60%. Clinicians described patients delaying or avoiding care due to fear of detention, whereas staff reports added stress and disruptions to patient care. State officials have issued guidance clarifying that private medical spaces are protected under the Fourth Amendment, and research shows unregulated law enforcement presence in health care settings can undermine patient safety and healing. Physicians are calling for clearer policies and stronger safeguards to ensure patients can safely access essential health services without fear.

Experts Warn CDC Childhood Immunization Schedule Revisions Could Reduce Uptake, Erode Public Trust

Experts warn that recent CDC revisions reducing the number of diseases covered under the routine childhood immunization schedule—from 17 to 11—and shifting several vaccines to risk-based or shared decision-making recommendations could confuse parents, lower vaccine uptake, and undermine decades of public health progress. Critics, including pediatric and infectious disease specialists and the American Academy of Pediatrics, argue that the changes bypassed established scientific review processes and may weaken trust in public health guidance, increasing the risk of outbreaks of preventable diseases such as measles, hepatitis B, influenza, and meningococcal disease. Experts also caution that politicization of vaccine policy and altered messaging could have lasting effects on public confidence, making it harder to maintain herd immunity and protect children’s health.

CMS Proposes Nearly Flat 2027 Medicare Advantage Payment Rates

CMS’s proposed 2027 Medicare Advantage (MA) payment update would increase plan payments by just 0.09%, or about $700 million overall, alongside changes to risk adjustment intended to improve payment accuracy and reduce incentives for excessive diagnostic coding. Although CMS says the proposal supports program sustainability and affordable plan choices, insurers and advocacy groups warn that the near-flat payment update, combined with rising medical costs, could lead plans to raise premiums or reduce benefits for the more than 35 million beneficiaries enrolled in MA. Industry groups argue the lower-than-expected increase may limit plans’ ability to invest in care coordination and supplemental benefits, potentially shifting more costs to seniors, whereas CMS maintains the changes will modernize payment methods and better align reimbursements with patients’ health needs.

AAP Breaks With CDC, Maintains Broader 2026 Childhood and Adolescent Vaccine Schedule

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released its 2026 child and adolescent immunization schedule, maintaining routine protection against 18 diseases and rejecting the CDC’s revised schedule that reduced universal vaccine recommendations to 11 diseases. Supported by 12 national health organizations and 28 states, the AAP argues the CDC changes, made after federal efforts to align US policy with other countries, lack new supporting evidence and risk confusing families and lowering vaccine uptake. The AAP continues to recommend vaccines for diseases such as RSV, influenza, hepatitis A and B, COVID-19, rotavirus, and meningococcal disease, emphasizing that its guidance is based on US-specific safety and epidemiologic data. The organization has also filed legal challenges against federal vaccine policy changes, warning that conflicting recommendations could undermine public trust and lead parents to delay or skip vaccinations.