Washington D.C. – Robert F. Kennedy Jr., currently serving as the U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, has announced the repeal of a Biden-era program that financially incentivized hospitals for reporting their staff’s COVID-19 vaccination rates to the federal government. The move, confirmed on August 2, 2025, marks a significant shift in federal health policy regarding vaccine mandates and reporting.
The program, established under the Biden administration’s Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) inpatient payment rule, linked hospital reimbursement to the submission of staff vaccination data. Secretary Kennedy criticized the policy, labeling it "coercive" and asserting that it undermined medical autonomy. "Medical decisions should be made based on one thing: the wellbeing of the person—never on a financial bonus or a government mandate," Kennedy stated in a press release.
This repeal is part of a broader initiative by Secretary Kennedy to re-evaluate and modify federal health policies implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since taking office, Kennedy has emphasized restoring what he terms "medical autonomy" and rooting out financial and regulatory pressures that he believes steer medical decisions away from individualized, evidence-based care.
The decision aligns with Kennedy's previously articulated views on vaccine policy and government mandates. Earlier this year, he also removed all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), a crucial panel advising the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on vaccine recommendations. This action drew criticism from some medical and public health experts who voiced concerns about potential impacts on public health and vaccination rates.
Critics of Kennedy's policies, including various medical associations and public health officials, have expressed alarm over his approach, arguing that it could jeopardize public health achievements and erode trust in established scientific consensus. They contend that policies encouraging vaccination reporting were vital for public health surveillance and protecting vulnerable populations within healthcare settings. The long-term implications of this repeal on hospital operations and public health data collection remain to be seen.