Trump administration announces $1 million initiative to strengthen women’s preventive health care

The Trump administration announced Nov. 6 a new federal funding opportunity of up to $1 million to strengthen preventive health care for women and girls, with a particular emphasis on evidence-based medicine and outreach to underserved communities.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through its Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), unveiled the Women's Initiative for Screening and Health (WISH), which will fund a multidisciplinary coalition to review and update federal preventive health guidelines.

The initiative advances priorities established by President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump under Executive Order 14437, Advancing Women's Health to Improve Outcomes in All Phases of Life, which emphasizes translating scientific research into practical improvements in women's health care.

"Women deserve preventive care grounded in gold-standard science, with clear guidance they and their doctors can trust," said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. "President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have made women’s health a priority at every stage of life. Through this initiative, HHS will turn rigorous research into stronger guidelines that help women and their doctors take action to prevent disease and protect health."

The program will award funding to one organization responsible for assembling a panel of at least 10 experts representing women's health, primary care, preventive medicine, public health, behavioral health, and patient advocacy organizations.

The coalition will review scientific evidence according to standards established by the National Academies, determine whether existing preventive care recommendations should be updated or reaffirmed, and develop educational resources to help women and health professionals apply those recommendations.

A central component of the initiative is expanding access to preventive care among women who may face economic, geographic, or social barriers to medical services.

HHS specifically highlighted the role of community-based and faith-based organizations, including those serving rural and frontier communities, in helping women understand and access recommended health services.

"The latest research only makes a difference when it reaches women and the clinicians caring for them," said HRSA Administrator Tom Engels. "By bringing together clinical expertise and trusted community partners, we can help more women access recommended preventive care nationwide."

Under federal law, most non-grandfathered private health insurance plans are required to cover preventive services supported by HRSA without copayments, deductibles, or coinsurance.

According to a 2022 HHS report, approximately 58 million women had private insurance coverage that included preventive services without cost sharing, although many were unaware of these benefits.

The WISH program builds on the Women's Preventive Services Initiative, established in 2016 to bring together medical professionals, academic institutions and patient organizations to develop and periodically update recommendations for women's preventive health services.

The new initiative seeks to strengthen that process by emphasizing rigorous scientific evaluation and closer collaboration with organizations capable of reaching medically underserved populations.

HHS is accepting applications for the program through Jan. 8, 2027, with funding expected to become available during fiscal year 2027. Organizations interested in applying must register through SAM.gov and Grants.gov and submit their proposals under funding opportunity HRSA-27-072.

Additional information is available through the official federal grant announcement.