Gillibrand and Scott: first-ever menopause hearing and GAO request

Tier 1: Established: peer-reviewed research or government health authority
Publisher: Office of U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand · Published: September 17, 2026 · Accessed: September 17, 2026

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Claims this source supports

• At the Sept 16 2026 hearing, Senators Gillibrand and Scott said expert witnesses testified about the urgent need to improve menopause research, training and care.
• Gillibrand and Scott made a bipartisan request to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) asking it to investigate how the federal government currently coordinates and funds menopause research and care; the request letter is dated 2026.09.16.
• The release states that less than 1% of federal women's health research funding is allocated to menopause, and that 80% of OB-GYN residents report being ill-prepared to discuss menopause.
• The release cites a Mayo Clinic study putting the cost of menopause symptoms to the U.S. economy at $26.6 billion per year, including $1.8 billion in lost work time, and a USA TODAY figure that one in ten women leave the workforce because of menopause.
• Hearing-day output was testimony, member statements and a request for a GAO report; the release announces no change to insurance coverage, formularies, prescribing guidance, or law.