Health and Media

Reps Walkinshaw (D-VA) and Buddy Carter (R-GA) introduced bipartisan legislation to replace fragmented federal reporting with reliable annual data showing who Medicare telehealth is reaching, where access barriers remain, how patients are faring, and where taxpayer dollars may be at risk. The Telehealth Reporting and Transparency Act of 2026 would require the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to report annually on telehealth utilization, patient access, available health outcomes, provider participation, and program integrity. The annual report would include:

Rep Michael McCaul (R-TX)—founder and co-chair of the Congressional Childhood Cancer Caucus—introduced the 

Products that don’t exist. Meal deliveries that will never make it to the front door. Smoke breaks lacking the most important ingredient. All this and more—or is it less?—is available on so-called dopamine sites, which offer nothing tangible and yet have somehow become wildly popular as people navigate a digital landscape that cultivates consumption. Named for the brain chemical associated with reward seeking, the sites simulate experiences like online shopping that can generate good feelings.

Governor Gavin Newsom signed landmark bipartisan legislation strengthening California’s nation-leading protections for children online and when using artificial intelligence (AI). The new laws strengthen safeguards for companion chatbots, prohibit social media platforms from offering addictive features to users under 16, and expand privacy protections for children. The bills will protect children by:

Veneeth Iyengar, executive director of ConnectLA, has been appointed to the Louisiana Rural Health Transformation Program Advisory Council by Gov. Jeff Landry (R-LA). The advisory council was created as a result of Gov. Landry’s executive order signed in April, establishing the Office of Rural Health Transformation and Sustainability within the Louisiana Department of Health, advancing efforts to strengthen health care access and outcomes for rural communities across the state.

Among the 27% of U.S. adults who use AI systems for social, emotional and personal purposes, a third consider their AI as a friend. Many have other striking views:

• 59% Agreed that “AI gives me the support I need”
• 53% Agreed that they “turn to AI for advice on how to handle difficult situations with other people”
• 50% Agreed that they use AI to “talk through personal problems or feelings”

Just over half of U.S. adults say they spend too much time on their smartphone. About a third of adults say their smartphone use is about right, while just 3% say they spend too little time using these devices. Younger adults stand out for describing their smartphone use as excessive. Seven-in-ten adults under 30 say they spend too much time on it, as do about two-thirds of those ages 30 to 49.

More and more Americans are using AI chatbots, including turning to them for health information. These chatbot health users are motivated by a host of reasons, ranging from making diagnoses to learning about their lab results.

The recent growth in the use of telehealth has facilitated new and expanded access to care for patients, while also raising questions for healthcare providers about laws and regulations regarding payment, use, and delivery of services. This issue brief is the third in a series that aims to address broadband barriers in healthcare, with the first brief exploring why broadband is a ‘super’ social determinant of health and the second brief assessing funding opportunities to improve access to care via broadband-enabled technologies.

The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) projects a consolidated budget of $68.06 million for the federal Universal Service Support Mechanism in 4Q2026. Direct costs for all support mechanisms total $30.53 million. Joint and common costs (including billing, collection, and disbursement activities) total $37.53 million. Universal Service Support Mechanisms include High Cost, Low Income, Rural Health Care, Schools and Libraries, and Connected Care Pilot.