First Edition: Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025

KFF Health News: Medicaid Expansion Debate Will Affect Other Health Policy Issues Before Montana Legislature 
A last-minute change to a 2019 bill put an end date on Montana’s Medicaid expansion program, setting the stage for what is anticipated to be the most significant health care debate of the 2025 Montana Legislature. In recent interviews, legislative leaders predicted a vigorous debate over keeping the Medicaid expansion program, which pays the medical bills of more than 75,000 low-income Montanans at an annual cost of about $1 billion to the federal and state governments. They also expect the topic to seep into other health policy decisions, such as the approval of new spending on Montana’s behavioral health system and regulation of hospital tax-exempt status. (Dennison and O'Connell, 1/8)

KFF Health News: Indiana State Senator Moves To Scrap Hospital Monopoly Law He Helped Create
On the heels of a scuttled hospital merger between rivals in Terre Haute, Indiana, a state senator introduced a bill that would forbid similar mergers in the future. Last year, nonprofit Union Health tried to acquire the only other acute care hospital in Vigo County by leveraging a state law it helped create that allows hospital monopolies. Now, Sen. Ed Charbonneau, a key architect of the 2021 law, which allows what is known as a “Certificate of Public Advantage,” or COPA, wants to repeal it. (Liss, 1/8)

KFF Health News: Listen To The Latest 'KFF Health News Minute' 
This week on the KFF Health News Minute: the incoming Trump administration has signaled it may roll back federal efforts to reduce the burden of medical debt on Americans, and the nursing home industry hopes President-elect Trump will help block a new staffing requirement. (1/7)

AP: 'Obamacare' Hits Record Enrollment But An Uncertain Future Awaits Under Trump 
A record 24 million people have signed up for insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act, former President Barack Obama’s landmark health legislation, as the program awaits an uncertain future under a Republican-controlled White House and Congress. Never have so many people enrolled in health care coverage through the government marketplace, a point of pride for many Democrats but a red flag to some Republicans. (Seitz, 1/8)

The Hill: Biden Administration Achieves Fourth Record-Breaking ACA Enrollment Ahead Of Exit
The past four years of record-breaking enrollment have been credited to enhanced subsidies first passed by the American Rescue Plan Act in 2021 and extended by the Inflation Reduction Act through the end of 2025. “When I took office, I made a promise to the American people that I would bring down the cost of health care and prescription drugs, make signing up for coverage easier, and strengthen the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, and Medicaid,” President Biden said in a statement. (Choi, 1/8)

The Washington Post: Meta Ends Fact Checks, Will Adopt X-Style ‘Community Notes’ In Trump Era 
Meta will dismantle its extensive fact-checking program in the United States, chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said Tuesday, ending a practice that has sought to limit the spread of falsehoods on its platforms but has been assailed as censorship in conservative circles. The company said it would allow its users to add context or debunk claims in notes that appear next to specific posts, a process pioneered by Elon Musk’s X. Meta will also lift restrictions on hot-button topics, such as immigration and gender identity, to focus on illegal or high-severity violations. (Nix, Oremus and Gregg, 1/7)

The New York Times: Meet the Next Fact-Checker, Debunker and Moderator: You
The announcement signals the end of an era in content moderation and an embrace of looser guidelines that even Mr. Zuckerberg acknowledged would increase the amount of false and misleading content on the world’s largest social network. (Thompson and Conger, 1/7)

Politico: Is Zuckerberg Kneeling To Trump? It's Not So Simple. 
While moderation decisions make for high-profile congressional hearings and effective fodder for culture-war debates, what actually gets seen on social media platforms is still ultimately decided at the algorithm level, mostly outside the realm of political debate. (Robertson, 1/7)

ABC News: Johnson Says No Cuts To Social Security And Medicare To Fund Trump's Agenda 
House Speaker Mike Johnson said Tuesday that cuts to Social Security and Medicare won't be part of the legislative package being worked out to fund President-elect Donald Trump's agenda. "No, the president has made clear that Social Security and Medicare have to be preserved," Johnson replied when asked if he was open to cutting the programs as part of the spending plans being worked out between House and Senate Republican leaders. "We have to look at all spending while maintaining… The Republican Party will not cut benefits." (Murray, Jones II, Peller and Pecorin, 1/7)

NBC News: Speaker Mike Johnson Maintains House Transgender Bathroom Ban
Transgender people will not be permitted to use single-sex bathrooms that align with their gender identities near the House Chamber, under a policy from Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., that was renewed Friday. The ban was included in a list of Johnson’s policies for the 119th Congress, which were reflected in the Congressional Record, a daily account of Congress’ proceedings. The policy was not officially included in the House rules package that passed Friday during the House’s first session. (Yurcaba, 1/7)

Modern Healthcare: Trump's Tariff Threat Troubles Medtech Industry
Medtech companies are bracing for massive tariffs that could drive up costs, temporarily stifle innovation and force them to rethink supply chain strategies that protect their bottom lines. One of the first actions President-elect Donald Trump has said he plans to do upon taking office this month is impose a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico and a higher tariff on goods from China. (Dubinsky, 1/7)

The Washington Post: Democrats’ New Push To Stop RFK Jr.: Highlight Samoa’s Measles Outbreak 
In June 2019, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. traveled to the small Pacific island nation of Samoa, where he met with activists calling for Samoans to skip measles vaccines and opt for alternatives instead. Now that visit — and the country’s subsequent measles outbreak — are receiving new political attention, as Democrats and advocates seek to block Kennedy’s confirmation as America’s top health official. Five months after Kennedy’s visit, Samoa declared a measles emergency, with leaders warning that vaccination levels had declined precipitously. Thousands of Samoans were infected during the outbreak, and 83 people died of the vaccine-preventable disease — an episode that Democrats say could foreshadow a future American crisis, should Kennedy be elevated to a Cabinet position and sow doubts about vaccines here. Most of Samoa’s measles deaths were in young children. (Diamond, 1/7)

The Hill: Surgeon General Offers 'Parting Prescription' For US
Outgoing U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy offered a “parting prescription” to the U.S. in a document released Tuesday. “As I finish my tenure as Surgeon General, this is my parting prescription, my final wish for all of us: Choose community,” Murthy said in the document, which People magazine first reported on. Murthy has served as the surgeon general in the Obama, Trump and Biden administrations, but he was fired by President-elect Trump in 2017. At the time, the firing of Murthy sparked an accusation from Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) that then-President Trump was politicizing the surgeon general position. President-elect Trump has picked former Fox News contributor and medical doctor Janette Nesheiwat as his nominee for surgeon general in his next administration. (Suter, 1/7)

AP: Florida Grand Jury Investigating COVID-19 Vaccines Finds No Evidence Of Criminal Activity
A statewide grand jury convened at the request of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to investigate “any and all wrongdoing” concerning COVID-19 vaccines did not find any evidence of criminal activity, according to a report unsealed on Tuesday. “(N)ot finding any indictable criminal activity does not mean we did not find any problems. On the contrary, there are profound and serious issues involving the process of vaccine development and safety surveillance in the United States,” the grand jury wrote in its final report. (Payne, 1/7)

CIDRAP: WHO: No Unusual Patterns Seen In China’s Respiratory Infection Surge 
The WHO said it is in contact with Chinese officials and that it has not received any reports of unusual outbreak patterns. “Chinese authorities report that the health care system is not overwhelmed and there have been no emergency declarations or responses triggered,” the WHO added. (Schnirring, 1/7)

The Hill: India Confirms First HMPV Cases Amid Surge In China
India confirmed its first cases of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) infections in children, with a total of seven cases reported as of Tuesday. The Indian federal government urged states to increase surveillance and spread awareness to prevent transmission of the virus, but officials also urged the public not to panic. Many experts have stressed that HMPV has been around for decades and is not as fatal as COVID-19. (Fortinsky, 1/7)

CIDRAP: France Reports First Clade 1b Mpox Case 
France’s health ministry today reported the country’s first clade 1b mpox case, which involves a person from Brittany who hadn’t traveled abroad, but was in contact with two people who had returned from Central Africa. The case from France marks the eleventh country outside of Africa to detect clade 1 mpox, which is different than the clade 2 virus circulating globally. (Schnirring, 1/7)

Modern Healthcare: IU Health Data Breach Compromises Patient Data
Indiana Health University said Tuesday that some personal information, including Social Security numbers, was compromised in a recent cyberattack. IU Health detected unusual activity on an employee's email account on Nov. 8, and upon further investigation with a third-party forensics firm, found that an unauthorized recipient had access to the account between Aug. 27 and Oct. 2, according to a news release. (Hudson, 1/7)

The Hill: Luigi Mangione Trial: Could Fandom Cause Jury Nullification?
Increasing public sympathy for Luigi Mangione, the man accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, could pose the possibility of jury nullification despite the overwhelming evidence mounted against him, some legal experts say. Mangione faces multiple counts of murder, including murder as an act of terrorism under federal and state charges in New York and Pennsylvania, after allegedly gunning down Thompson as he was walking to an investor conference in Midtown Manhattan on Dec 4. (Ali, 1/7)

Modern Healthcare: Private Equity In Healthcare Worsens Outcomes, Senate Report Finds
Private equity investment makes the healthcare system worse, according to the findings of a bipartisan Senate Budget Committee investigation published Tuesday. Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) issued the report, which zeroes in on Apollo Global Management and Leonard Green & Partners and their healthcare holdings. (McAuliff, 1/7)

Modern Healthcare: Hospital Mergers Face New State Laws, Restrictions In 2025
Hospital mergers and acquisitions are poised to rebound in 2025, but new state oversight laws will likely temper that activity. The number of announced hospital deals dipped 13% over the 12-month period ended Nov. 15, according to data from consultancy PricewaterhouseCoopers. While activity is expected to tick up, health systems' focus may shift from hospitals to outpatient facilities due to the threat of longer regulatory reviews under newly empowered state watchdogs, advisers and attorneys said. (Kacik, 1/7)

The CT Mirror: Saint Francis Hospital, Hartford HealthCare Reach Legal Settlement
Hartford-based Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center has reached a settlement in a lawsuit it filed two years ago against Hartford HealthCare, alleging the larger health system engaged in anticompetitive behavior, according to a January 2 filing in federal court. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed in the filing. (Golvala, 1/7)

Health News Florida: Sarasota Memorial Hospital Opens Expanded Emergency Department In Venice 
Sarasota Memorial Health Care System is expanding to meet increased demand for services in the southern part of Sarasota County. It opened an updated emergency department at its Venice hospital last month that more than doubles capacity for urgent care. The $90 million expansion increases the number of exam rooms from 28 to 61. It also includes four additional resuscitation suites to care for patients with life-threatening conditions, upgraded imaging facilities and a third centrally located CT scanner. (Colombini, 1/7)

Modern Healthcare: Providence Spins Off Venture Capital Arm Into Allumia Ventures 
Providence has spun off Providence Ventures, its venture capital arm, 10 years after its formation. The Renton, Washington-based health system said Tuesday it will remain involved with the newly named Allumia Ventures as a limited partner and has committed $150 million to Allumia over the next 10 years. (Perna, 1/7)

Modern Healthcare: Stryker To Acquire Inari Medical For $4.9B 
Stryker plans to acquire Inari Medical in a deal valued at $4.9 billion and designed to strength its position in the peripheral vascular market. The deal, announced Monday and approved by both companies’ boards, is expected to close by the end of the first quarter. Stryker will purchase Inari's common stock for $80 per share. (Dubinsky, 1/7)

Military.Com: Tricare West Region Woes: Reserve Members Mistakenly Told They Owe Up To $1,200 More Each Month  
Military reserve members across the Tricare West Region mistakenly were told they must pay monthly premiums of more than $600 to $1,500 to retain their health benefits in 2025. TriWest Healthcare Alliance, the new Tricare contract manager for 26 states, sent letters late last month to an undisclosed number of reservists and their families with updates to their monthly health premiums for 2025. (Kime, 1/7)

Modern Healthcare: Talkspace Expands Telehealth Services To Tricare Military Members
Talkspace has entered agreements with Tricare East and West regional contractors to provide in-network virtual therapy services to an estimated 9.5 million military members and their families. The contracts are the latest expansion for the telehealth company, which began offering its services to Humana Military members in August. In the past year, Talkspace also has signed contracts with Amazon, the American Federation of Teachers and Charlie Health.  (DeSilva, 1/7)

The New York Times: Army Doctor Pleads Guilty To Sexually Assaulting Dozens Of Patients 
An Army doctor pleaded guilty in a military court on Tuesday to sexually assaulting dozens of his patients, bringing one of the military’s largest sex abuse cases closer to resolution. The doctor, Maj. Michael Stockin, who is currently serving at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington State, was accused of touching or viewing the genitals of 41 of his male patients under the guise of medical treatment between 2019 and 2022, according to court documents. (Selig, 1/7)

Stat: FDA's Califf Sees Gains In Drug Approvals And Food Regulation — And Trouble Ahead
In a wide-ranging interview, Robert Califf, the departing commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, defended the FDA’s record under his leadership, praised the progress that has been made in changing the way the agency regulates food, and worried about the impact of the coming Trump administration. (Herper, 1/8)

Stat: Generic GLP-1 Drugs May Help Medicare Negotiate Semaglutide Price
The advent of the first generic GLP-1 drugs could help Medicare negotiate a lower price for the highly sought after diabetes and obesity medication semaglutide, according to experts familiar with the price-negotiation program and STAT’s review of documents from the first round of negotiations. (Wilkerson, 1/7)

Stat: Johnson & Johnson Says Drug Extended Survival In Lung Cancer 
The standard option for many patients with non-small cell lung cancer today is AstraZeneca’s targeted therapy Tagrisso. A year and a half ago, data showed this drug could provide patients with what Yale Cancer Center deputy director Roy Herbst at the time called an “extraordinary” 51% reduction in the risk of death. Now, scientists at Johnson & Johnson think they have a drug combination that can take survival for these patients even further. (Chen, 1/7)

The New York Times: Drug Company To Share Revenues With Indigenous People Who Donated Their Genes
Variant Bio, a small biotech company based in Seattle, is using genetic information from Indigenous people to develop drugs for obesity and diabetes. (Borrell, 1/7)

Stat: JPM Conference 2025: Will Patent Cliff Spur Big Pharma Deals?
Next week brings the return of the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, and with it another fabled opportunity for companies in the industry to court possible mergers, acquisitions, and licensing deals. This year, there will be even greater pressure to make a good match, as the pharmaceutical industry, which drives more than $1 trillion in economic activity and thousands of jobs, faces one of the largest patent cliffs in recent history. Between now and 2033, the patents on dozens of brand-name medications will expire, allowing generic drugmakers to begin selling cheaper versions. (DeAngelis and Feuerstein, 1/8)

San Francisco Chronicle: In Major Turnaround, California Will Have A Surplus, Newsom Says
California likely will not have a budget deficit next year, but incoming President Donald Trump’s agenda portends an uncertain road ahead for California’s budget, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Monday. The budget outlook Newsom describes is a major turnaround from the $47 billion deficit last year and the $32 billion shortfall the year before. Newsom and the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office, which makes budget projections for the Legislature, both attribute the improvement to stock market gains by the state’s wealthiest taxpayers and cuts in previous years. But, Newsom cautioned, the steep cuts to federal government spending that Trump has promised could darken the bright picture he painted of California’s economy. (Bollag, 1/6)

The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer: Dr. Amy Acton Launches Democratic Campaign For Ohio Governor In 2026
Dr. Amy Acton, who became a statewide celebrity of sorts as state health director during the early days of the coronavirus crisis, filed paperwork Tuesday to run for Ohio governor in 2026. (Pelzer, 1/8)

St. Louis Public Radio: Supporters Pack Hearing For Webster Groves Mental Health Hospital
Supporters of a plan to build a pediatric mental health facility in a residential part of Webster Groves packed city hall during a public hearing before the city council Tuesday evening. The proposed 77-bed inpatient hospital and additional outpatient facility has drawn opposition from some residents concerned about traffic and security, but speakers in favor of the plan, many wearing, “I support children’s mental health” stickers, outnumbered those opposed by about six to one at the meeting. (Fentem, 1/8)

St. Louis Public Radio: Rolla Rebukes Groundbreaking Anti-Abortion Ordinance, For Now
Rolla City Council on Monday rebuked an attempt by one of its aldermen to make the city the first in Missouri to adopt an ordinance that would make it a so-called "Sanctuary City for the Unborn." (Ahl, 1/7)

The Colorado Sun: Homelessness Among Colorado Families Grew By 134%
Colorado saw one of the biggest increases in the nation in the number of families who were homeless in 2024 — a 134% jump from the previous year, according to a federal report that painted the state’s homelessness crisis in a harsher light than previous regional counts. (Brown, 1/7)

Stat: Scientists Find Links Between Alzheimer's, Herpes, And Head Trauma 
Decades of epidemiological data have shown that infections with herpes simplex virus type 1, or HSV-1 can raise the risk of Alzheimer’s disease in certain people. So can a history of head injury. The new research, published Tuesday in Science Signaling, is the first to connect the dots between them, and adds to mounting evidence that this most common form of dementia can be caused by an everyday microbe. ... The results suggest that athletes, military personnel, and other people suffering concussions could be triggering the reanimation of latent infections in the brain that can lead to Alzheimer’s later in life. (Molteni, 1/7)

The Guardian: Daily Glass Of Milk May Cut Bowel Cancer Risk By Fifth, Research Finds
Having a large glass of milk every day may cut the risk of bowel cancer by nearly a fifth, according to the largest study conducted into diet and the disease. An extra daily 300mg of calcium, about the amount found in half a pint of milk, was associated with a 17% lower risk of bowel cancer, researchers said, with non-dairy sources of calcium such as fortified soy milk having a similar protective effect. (Sample, 1/8)

The Guardian: Coffee Drinkers Reap Health Boost – But Only If They Do It In The Morning
People who get their coffee hit in the morning reap benefits that are not seen in those who have shots later in the day, according to the first major study into the health benefits of the drink at different times. (Sample, 1/8)