Responding to Regulatory Shifts: Executive Orders and Uncertainty

Summary

A wave of presidential executive orders has upended established practices, introduced legal ambiguity, and created operational challenges for healthcare practitioners.

In recent months, a wave of more than 170 presidential executive orders—essentially one per day during the current administration’s time in office—has introduced a rapidly shifting policy landscape across multiple industries. This includes not only the new policies that were produced but also the elimination of policies instituted under previous administrations.

For healthcare practitioners, these rapid policy shifts can upend established practices, introduce legal ambiguity, and create operational challenges. From clinical protocols to funding streams, practitioners are navigating a more volatile environment with each new executive directive. This volatility also creates challenges for medical professional liability insurers when serving their members.

Healthcare professionals must make clinical, operational, and financial decisions in an increasingly complex environment. Unpredictable legal and regulatory changes can disrupt patient care and bring unexpected risks. Rapid changes to care delivery rules, reimbursement models, and compliance obligations can strain resources and disrupt long-term planning.

Executive orders can add a degree of uncertainty in the regulatory process. While they are a longstanding component of presidential authority, the sheer volume and frequency of them under the current administration—including many that impact health-related areas—poses unique challenges for healthcare practitioners. Many of the orders will require administrative changes and rulemaking to fully implement, before the complete impact is known. Injecting additional uncertainty is the ongoing litigation challenging many of them, resulting in a patchwork of jurisdictional enforcement and unsettled direction to the healthcare community.

Recent executive orders have addressed a broad spectrum of healthcare concerns, with implications for clinicians. Vaccine distribution and public health guidance have been reshaped by directives issued through agencies like the Department of Health and Human Services, including changes to COVID-19 vaccine availability, coverage, and reporting requirements. These shifts can require practitioners to quickly adjust operations, update patient communication protocols, and navigate new legal responsibilities.

Others have addressed areas such as telehealth policy and drug pricing. While these actions may aim to streamline care or improve access, their rapid rollout can leave clinicians grappling with implementation challenges, unclear compliance requirements, and shifting reimbursement structures.

TDC Group actively monitors federal actions and executive orders as well as state policy developments across all 50 states. This effort is focused on taking early action where possible to help protect access to healthcare. We are committed to proactive monitoring and advocacy, ensuring our members are informed and protected. In an era where policy can change with the stroke of a pen, our team’s mission remains steady: to provide stability amid uncertainty and support the healthcare professionals we serve in delivering safe, effective care.

Examples of the executive orders that impact healthcare are listed below. The implementation of these and others are dependent upon rulemaking, guidance, or the outcome of several legal challenges. 

Examples of Healthcare Executive Orders

Executive Order 14155: “Withdrawing the United States from the World Health Organization.” This executive order informed WHO that the United States will no longer fund nor participate in its efforts beginning in 2026.

Executive Order 14158: “Establishing and Implementing the ‘Department of Government Efficiency.’” This executive order paved the way for significant cuts and staff reductions within federal agencies. In addition, this action resulted in terminating grants to several entities, such as the National Institutes of Health. Cuts of this nature are disrupting or ceasing ongoing medical research and healthcare training programs. Adjacent to these cuts are regulatory changes found in the new federal tax law, otherwise known as the Big Beautiful Bill. Approved by Congress and signed by the President, starting July 1, 2026, the law caps federal Grad PLUS student loan borrowing for professional degree students, driving them toward private loans. These cuts may deter students from entering medicine due to high costs and the loss of public service loan forgiveness, because private lenders do not offer this type of loan forgiveness option.

Executive Order 14216: “Expanding Access to In Vitro Fertilization.” This executive order expands access to in vitro fertilization (IVF) by directing recommendations to be developed that address policies that drive up the cost of IVF treatments and ensure reliable access to this care.

Executive Orders 14151, 14168, and 14173: “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferences,” “Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” and “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity.” Among other things, these executive orders caused federal agencies to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and to recognize only two biological sexes. Acting in compliance with the order, CDC and other agencies removed several resources from the public domain, including HIV statistics and prevention resources, the social vulnerability index that helps researchers and public policymakers identify communities that are vulnerable to the effects of disasters and public health emergencies, and AtlasPlus, a tool for analyzing CDC data on HIV, sexually transmitted diseases, tuberculosis, and viral hepatitis. A federal judge later ordered the restoration of some of the removed websites.

Executive Order 14213: “Establishing the President’s Make America Healthy Again Commission.” Under this executive order, the Commission is charged with “investigating and addressing the root causes of America’s escalating health crisis, with an initial focus on childhood chronic diseases.” In addition, its objectives are to enhance open-source data; research why Americans are getting sick; work with farmers to produce healthy, abundant, and affordable food; and encourage beneficial lifestyles and disease prevention. 

Executive Orders on Tariffs: Several executive orders have been issued, paused, and reimplemented regarding tariffs. For the healthcare community, increased costs on imported goods will impact medical supplies, pharmaceuticals, and medical equipment.

Keep up to date on TDC Group’s advocacy efforts and legislation we are tracking in your state by visiting thedoctors.com/advocacy or email the Government Relations team at advocacy@thedoctors.com.

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The Doctor’s Advocate is published by The Doctors Company to advise and inform its members about loss prevention and insurance issues.

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