Senate Holds First-Ever Hearing on Menopause Care and Research Gaps

On September 16, 2026, the United States Senate Special Committee on Aging convened the first congressional hearing devoted exclusively to menopause. Titled "Half the Country, Zero Hearings: Meeting the Moment to End the Menopause Care Gap in America," the bipartisan session marked a formal federal acknowledgment of a biological transition that approximately 2 million American women enter each year. Led by Committee Chairman Rick Scott (R-FL) and Ranking Member Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), the hearing culminated in a joint request for the Government Accountability Office to formally investigate how federal agencies currently fund and coordinate menopause research and care.[1][4]

The structural disparities in medical research funding formed the core of the committee's inquiry. According to data presented during the session, the National Institutes of Health allocated $78 million to menopause research in 2025, a fraction of the $768 million directed toward its newly established Men's Health Research category. Overall, less than 1% of federal women's health research funding is dedicated to menopause and midlife women's health. Gillibrand characterized the historical approach to the condition as a systemic failure, stating, "The neglect of menopause research, education, and treatment is a healthcare failure, an economic failure, and a policy failure."[2]

Medical experts testifying before the committee emphasized that the lack of funding directly translates to a lack of clinical evidence. Dr. Jean Wactawski-Wende, a SUNY Distinguished Professor at the University at Buffalo, noted that while 64 million women aged 50 or older in the United States are currently postmenopausal, their specific health needs remain inadequately studied. She argued that clinical trials, which serve as the gold standard of medical evidence, are severely lacking for postmenopausal women, leaving a massive gap in understanding how hormonal changes influence healthy longevity and chronic disease risk.[4]

That research deficit is compounded by a severe shortfall in physician training. Witnesses highlighted that 80% of OB/GYN residents report feeling unprepared to discuss menopause with their patients. Dr. Suzanne Silverman Fenske, a board-certified gynecologist, testified that her own core medical education was heavily focused on reproductive issues and pregnancy, leaving very little room for menopausal training. As a result, women experiencing debilitating symptoms—such as hot flashes, insomnia, migraines, and cognitive changes—often struggle to find providers equipped to offer evidence-based treatments.[1][4]

The hearing also addressed how regulatory barriers and historical misinformation have restricted access to care. Multiple witnesses voiced support for the Department of Health and Human Services' recent decision to remove the black box warning on estrogen hormone therapy. That warning, which had been inaccurately required following the 2002 Women's Health Initiative until its removal in November 2025, deterred countless women from pursuing treatments that could have alleviated severe symptoms and potentially lowered their risk for cardiovascular disease.[2]

Geographic and economic hurdles further isolate women from effective care. Dr. Lynne Coslett-Charlton, representing the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, testified that physician shortages in rural areas and inadequate insurance coverage force too many women to suffer needlessly. Scott echoed this concern, pointing to administrative burdens that contribute to physician burnout and take doctors away from patient care. He urged Congress to identify and eliminate unnecessary regulatory barriers that exacerbate the workforce shortage.[1]

The economic ripple effects of untreated menopause symptoms are substantial. Testimony during the hearing indicated that as many as one in ten women leave the workforce because of severe menopausal symptoms, disrupting careers during what are often peak earning years. Advocates argued that framing menopause solely as a symptom management issue ignores its broader impact on public health and economic stability, pushing lawmakers to view comprehensive care as a necessary workforce retention strategy.[1]

The requested Government Accountability Office report will serve as the next definitive checkpoint for federal action. By auditing current federal expenditures and identifying specific gaps in physician education and treatment access, the report is intended to provide lawmakers with the data necessary to draft targeted legislation. For the millions of women navigating the healthcare system today, the hearing represents a critical pivot from private endurance to public policy.[1][2]