Federal Government Shutdown Ends
On Wednesday, President Trump signed the Continuing Resolution (CR, HR 5371) that funds the federal government following a 43-day government shutdown, the longest in history. The House passed the legislation by a 222-209 vote. The CR restores temporary Medicare provisions retroactive to Oct. 1, 2025 until Jan. 30, 2026, including telehealth waivers, the Acute Hospital Care at Home (AHCAH) waiver, and the work Geographic Practice Cost Index (GPCI) floor of 1.0 – clearing the path for CMS to release held telehealth claims, resume AHCAH services, and address payments affected by the GPCI floor.
  
The CR provides $107.5 billion for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), fully funding benefits for the remainder of the fiscal year. This includes a replenishment of the SNAP and the Women, Infants, and Children program reserves for payments made during the shutdown. The legislation also reverses a loophole created by the 2018 Farm Bill, recriminalizing most hemp-derived THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) products, detailed in the Daily Briefing summary below.
 
More broadly, the legislation funds full-year spending bills to support the Department of Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration, Department of Defense construction projects, Department of Veterans Affairs and the legislative branch. A short-term CR will fund the rest of the federal government until Jan. 30, 2026.

Staff Contact: Lia Daniels
 
Federal Spending Bill Recriminalizes Hemp-Derived Products
The federal government spending bill passed on Wednesday also recriminalizes most hemp-derived THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) products that were previously named under the 2018 Farm Bill as exceptions to a rule that required cannabis and its derivatives to be considered marijuana. The change follows a letter sent on Oct. 24th, 2025 to Congress demanding further regulation of recreational synthetic THC products from 39 Attorneys General (AG), including Illinois AG Kwame Raoul.

The AGs argued that Congress never meant to legalize synthetic THC products in the 2018 Farm Bill and the “industry rests on a foundation of illicit conduct”. 

Requirements will also impact non-intoxicating CBD (cannabidiol) products commonly sold nationwide. Effective one year after the CR’s enactment, hemp will only be federally legal if:

• It contains no more than 0.4 milligrams of total THC per container;
• No cannabinoids that are synthesized or manufactured outside the cannabis plant, and;
• No cannabinoids marketed as having similar effects to THC.

As defined, “total THC” now includes delta-8, delta-10, other isomers, and any other intoxicating cannabinoids, whether naturally occurring or artificially derived. In addition to the definition changes, the US Food and Drug Administration and other relevant agencies must publish a list of allowed versus prohibited cannabinoids within 90 days. According to the US Hemp Roundtable, more than 90% of currently available non-intoxicating CBD products are estimated to exceed the new 0.4 milligram per-container cap created by the legislation, which will result in future product removal from the market.

Staff Contact: Lia Daniels

IDHS Issues Public Notification About SNAP Benefits 
The Illinois Dept. of Human Services (IDHS) announced Thursday it is restoring full USDA Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits now that the federal government shutdown has ended.
 
IDHS anticipates that the remaining benefit payments will be made over the coming days, with all SNAP recipients receiving their full November benefits by Nov. 20. 
 
According to an IDHS news release, the lapse in SNAP funding created hardship for 1.9 million Illinoisans and businesses who rely on this federally funded program.

For more information, click here.

IDPH Director Encourages Illinoisans to Get Flu Shots
Dr. Sameer Vohra, Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), received his annual flu and COVID-19 immunizations this fall respiratory season during a visit to the DuPage County Health Department this week. The Director also spoke on the importance of receiving these seasonal immunizations and the steps IDPH has taken to encourage Illinoisans to get their shots and to preserve access to them.

In September, IDPH issued updated immunization guidance for the fall respiratory season. Director Vohra also issued a standing order allowing Illinoisans who want those immunizations to be able to obtain them from pharmacies and other clinical settings. The guidance issued by IDPH can be found here. 

Last season, flu vaccination reduced the risk of hospitalization by up to 78% for children, COVID-19 vaccines cut hospitalizations among seniors nearly in half, and RSV protection prevented almost 90% of infant hospitalizations, according to IDPH. 

The Infectious Respiratory Disease Surveillance Dashboard from the Illinois Dept. of Public Health (IDPH) provides the latest data on hospital visits, seasonal trends, lab test positivity and demographic data. IDPH also tracks COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus information through the Illinois Wastewater Surveillance System dashboard.

Briefly Noted

UPI reports poverty and indebtedness increase a person's risk of dying young, a pair of new studies say. People with poverty-level family income or increasing debt levels during early adulthood have higher odds of premature death, two studies published in the November issue of The Lancet Public Health suggest. Further, the more time spent in poverty or with increasing levels of debt, the higher the risk of early death, results showed.

Leading the News

12 women making moves in healthcare
Since March 14, the following executive moves made by women have been reported by or shared with Becker’s.

Nearly one third of people worldwide suffer from headaches
Do you have regular migraine headaches? If so, you've got a lot of company.
Nearly 1 in every 3 people worldwide suffer from a headache disorder, affecting almost 3 billion people, researchers will report in the December issue of The Lancet Neurology.

Carle Health names new Executive VP and Chief Legal Officer
Carle Health announced Thursday that Kurt Leifheit was named Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer beginning Jan. 1. Leifheit currently serves as Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, and has been with the organization since 2011, per Carle Public Relations. Carle said that Leifheit has been a key figure in advancing the organization's mission, including guiding the launch of the Carle Illinois College of Medicine at the University of Illinois.