First Edition: Friday, Aug. 1, 2025

KFF HEALTH NEWS ORIGINAL STORIES

KFF Health News: Deep Staff Cuts At A Little-Known Federal Agency Pose Trouble For Droves Of Local Health Programs
A little-known federal agency that sends more than $12 billion annually to support community health centers, addiction treatment services, and workforce initiatives for America’s neediest people has been hobbled by the Trump administration’s staffing purges. The cuts are “just a little astonishing,” said Carole Johnson, who previously led the Health Resources and Services Administration. She left the agency in January with the administration change and has described the sweeping staff cuts as a “big threat” to the agency’s ability to distribute billions of dollars in grants to hospitals, clinics, nonprofits, and other organizations nationwide. (Tribble and Larweh, 8/1)

KFF Health News: This Test Can See A Heart Attack In Your Future 
A long list of Lynda Hollander’s paternal relatives had heart disease, and several had undergone major surgeries. So when she hit her mid-50s and saw her cholesterol levels creeping up after menopause, she said, “I didn’t want to take a chance.” A cardiologist told Hollander that based on factors like age, sex, cholesterol, and blood pressure, she faced a moderate risk of a major cardiac event, like a heart attack, within the next 10 years. (Span, 8/1)

KFF Health News: KFF Health News’ ‘What The Health?’: Next On Kennedy’s List? Preventive Care And Vaccine Harm
In his ongoing effort to reshape health policy, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. reportedly plans to overhaul two more government entities: the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. Ousting the existing members of the task force would give Kennedy a measure of control in determining the kinds of preventive care that are covered at no cost to patients in the United States. (Rovner, 7/31)

PRESCRIPTION DRUG COSTS

The Hill: Trump Demands Pharma Companies Slash Drug Prices In Next 60 Days
President Trump sent letters Thursday to 17 of the world’s largest drug companies, telling them to take more steps to slash the prices of prescription drugs to match the lowest price in certain foreign countries. The letters represent an escalation of the administration’s push for lower drug prices by launching a “most favored nation” model, which ties the prices of prescription medicines in the U.S. to the lowest found among comparably wealthy nations. (Weixel, 7/31)

Modern Healthcare: HRSA To Launch Voluntary 340B Drug Rebate Pilot Program In 2026
The federal government has cracked open the door to what could be a transformation of the 340B Drug Pricing Program. The Health Resources and Services Administration is launching a voluntary program to test drugmakers paying rebates after purchase to safety-net providers that participate in 340B rather than discounting prices upfront, the agency announced Thursday. (Early, 7/31)

VACCINE POLICY AND COVID

Bloomberg: CDC Cuts Experts Out Of Panels That Develop Vaccine Policy
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told physician groups, public health professionals and infectious disease experts that they will no longer be invited to help review vaccine data and develop recommendations, according to an email viewed by Bloomberg. The move marks an escalation in Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s efforts to assert control over the CDC’s vaccine advisory process. (Cohrs Zhang and Nix, 8/1)

CBS News: Former Vaccine Panel Ousted By RFK Jr. Says Scientific Rigor Is "Rapidly Eroding"
All 17 experts who were ousted from a government panel on vaccine recommendations last month are speaking out against what the panel has become under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s leadership. In a commentary published in the New England Journal of Medicine Wednesday, titled "The Path Forward for Vaccine Policy in the United States," the former members of the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices described a "seismic disruption" to the vaccine recommendation process in the U.S. (Moniuszko, 7/31)

The Hill: FDA's Marty Makary Again Floats COVID-19 Lab Leak Theory
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Marty Makary again promoted a conspiracy theory about the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, accusing the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Wednesday of funding the lab that created the virus. Makary, when asked by NewsNation’s Connell McShane about the longevity of the Trump administration’s changes to federal health agencies such as the FDA, blasted the previous NIH leadership while floating the theory. (O’Connell-Domenech, 7/31)

Bloomberg: Moderna To Cut 10% Of Staff To Offset Slowing Covid Business
Moderna Inc. is cutting about 10% of its workforce, part of an effort by the struggling biotech company to reduce spending as sales of its Covid vaccine decline. In a note to employees, Chief Executive Officer Stéphane Bancel said the company was “aligning our cost structure to the realities of our business.” (Smith, 7/31)

MedPage Today: COVID's Gut Punch: Some GI Disorders Rose Post-Pandemic
Disorders of gut-brain interaction -- such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) -- rose significantly in both the U.S. and the U.K. following the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a population-based survey study. Surveys revealed that the proportion of adults meeting criteria for at least one such disorder increased from 38.3% in 2017 to 42.6% in 2023 (OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.09-1.31), Imran Aziz, MD, of the University of Sheffield in England, and colleagues reported in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. (McCreary, 7/31)

FUNDING AND RESEARCH CUTS

Los Angeles Times: Trump Freezes $200 Million In UCLA Science, Medical Research Funding, Citing Antisemitism Allegations
The Trump administration has frozen hundreds of science, medical and other federal grants to UCLA worth nearly $200 million, citing the university’s alleged “discrimination” in admissions and failure to “promote a research environment free of antisemitism.” The decision to pull funding comes after Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi and the Justice Department said this week that UCLA would pay a “heavy price” for acting with “deliberate indifference” to the civil rights of Jewish and Israeli students who complained of antisemitic incidents since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, Israel’s ensuing war in Gaza and campus protests the events spurred last year. (Kaleem, 7/31)

Stat: Jay Bhattacharya Moves From Disparity Researcher To DEI Enforcer 
The April announcement of National Institutes of Health director Jay Bhattacharya’s appointment and his public profile at Stanford University, where he was a professor of health policy, both state that his work has focused on vulnerable populations, and he’s published at least five papers on racial health disparities. In June, he specifically lauded sickle cell research as an NIH success, highlighting it as the kind of work “that advances the health and well-being of minority populations,” and that the NIH should continue supporting. “It absolutely must,” he told podcaster Andrew Huberman. (Oza, McFarling and Boodman, 8/1)

The War Horse: List Of Positions At VA That Took Deferred Resignations
It’s been six months since a now-infamous email presented millions of federal workers with a pivotal decision: They could reply “resign” to give up their job and receive full pay and benefits through the end of September. Or they could stay in their positions and hope they didn’t get laid off in the ensuing chaotic months of the second Trump administration. Perhaps no agency was impacted more than the Department of Veterans Affairs, which runs by far the largest federal payroll outside of the military, with more than 467,000 employees providing health care and benefits to 9.1 million veterans. (Rosenbaum, 7/31)

MORE ON THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

NBC News: Trump Revives Presidential Fitness Test
The Presidential Fitness Test is coming back. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday afternoon reinstating the national fitness assessment implemented in public schools from 1956 until 2013. The role of administering the test will fall to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has been vocal in his concern about childhood obesity and whose “Make America Healthy Again” report in February attributed the issue, in part, to sedentary lifestyles. (Bendix and Haake, 7/31)

CAPITOL WATCH

Stat: Senate Committee Rejects NIH Cuts, Boosts Budget By $400 Million 
Senators from both parties endorsed a $400 million increase to the budget of the National Institutes of Health on Thursday, in an Appropriations Committee vote that represents a clear rebuke of President Trump’s plan to dramatically reduce the agency’s spending. (Wosen and Russo, 7/31)

MEDICARE

Modern Healthcare: Medicare Pay For Nursing Homes To Increase 3.2% In 2026
Medicare reimbursements to skilled nursing facilities will rise 3.2% in fiscal 2026 under a final rule the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services published Thursday. The agency proposed a 2.8% Medicare rate increase for nursing homes in April. In addition to the higher payments, the final rule includes billing code updates and modifications to quality measurement programs. (Early, 7/31)

Modern Healthcare: Medicare Pay For Inpatient Hospitals To Increase 2.6% In 2026
Medicare payments for inpatient hospital services will increase 2.6% in fiscal 2026 under a final rule the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued Wednesday. CMS offered hospitals a slightly higher boost than the 2.4% raise it proposed in April. The agency also finalized policies to streamline quality measurement and made tweaks to the Transforming Episode Accountability Model, a mandatory initiative known as TEAM that kicks off Jan. 1. (Early, 7/31)

Stat: MAGA Influencers Rise Up For Medicare Advantage 
In early June, a MAGA influencer named Chuck Callesto launched a social media assault on Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican who had apparently crossed a line by proposing to reform Medicare plans run by private insurers. In a sharply worded tweet, Callesto labeled Cassidy a RINO (Republican In Name Only) and accused him of undermining President Trump, who had pledged to avoid cutting Medicare in the massive tax and spending package known as the “big beautiful bill.” (Ross and Wilkerson, 8/1)

HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY

Minnesota Public Radio: U Of M Medical School Opens In St. Cloud
A new medical school in St. Cloud aims to help address a severe shortage of physicians serving rural Minnesota. The University of Minnesota Medical School’s CentraCare Regional Campus is the first expansion of the U’s medical school in more than 50 years, since the Duluth campus opened in 1972. (Marohn, 7/31)

Granite State News Collaborative: Genesis HealthCare Declares Bankruptcy, Prompting Concerns Of 'Instability' At Its NH Nursing Homes 
Genesis HealthCare, one of the nation’s largest nursing home owners — and operator of 16 skilled nursing facilities in New Hampshire — has filed for bankruptcy protection. No facilities are expected to close due to the bankruptcy proceedings, a spokesperson for Genesis told VTDigger. (Burch, 7/31)

The Wall Street Journal: CVS Earnings: Q2 Shows Signs Of Recovery, Beats Wall Street Expectations
CVS Health reported earnings that beat Wall Street’s expectations and upgraded its projection for 2025, as its health-insurance business showed signs of recovery. The healthcare giant’s results underscore a split among health insurers. On one side are companies struggling this year with a surprise financial squeeze from higher-than-expected medical costs, a list that includes Centene, Molina Healthcare and the industry bellwether, UnitedHealth Group. (Wilde Mathews, 7/31)

Modern Healthcare: UnitedHealth Credit Outlook Downgraded By Fitch
UnitedHealth Group’s credit outlook has been downgraded to “negative” from “stable” by Fitch Ratings. Fitch, one of the largest credit rating agencies, said in a Wednesday news release the downgrade is tied to UnitedHealth’s second-quarter earnings report released Tuesday and the company’s diminished outlook for operating performance in 2025. (Hudson, 7/31)

Modern Healthcare: Trinity Health's Mike Slubowski Invests In Ambulatory Centers
Trinity Health is looking for physician partners to boost ambulatory services, President and CEO Mike Slubowski said. Despite looming federal funding cuts, Trinity Health is making investments in surgery centers and imaging sites. The nonprofit health system is also pursuing joint venture opportunities and implementing efficiency efforts to help manage costs, Slubowski said. (Hudson, 7/31)

WUSF: Celebrity Chef Gives TGH Patient Menu A Five-Star Makeover
Let’s be honest. Hospital food? It stinks. Always has. Always will. Except maybe not anymore. Because Tampa General Hospital — the place with the helicopters, 1,000 beds on a downtown island and that blessed AquaFence to keep the hurricanes out — just partnered with an Iron Chef to fix the menu. (Mayer, 8/1)

PHARMACEUTICALS

The Hill: GLP-1 Weight Loss Drugs May Help Boost Testosterone, Study Shows
GLP-1 weight loss medications like Ozempic and Wegovy could increase testosterone levels and help prevent erectile dysfunction in men, according to a new study. While more data is needed, researchers from St. Louis University Hospital saw significant increases in testosterone levels for men with obesity or Type 2 diabetes while taking GLP-1 medication. Men who experience obesity or have Type 2 diabetes often have lower levels of testosterone, which can impact sexual function, muscle mass and bone density. (O’Connell-Domenech, 7/31)

REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH

Axios: OB-GYN Group Won't Take Federal Funds Over Trump Policies
The leading professional association for gynecologists is cutting financial ties with the federal government, citing Trump administration policies it says prevent it from providing evidence-based guidance. (Goldman, 8/1)

Newsweek: Study Finds Increased Miscarriage Risk After Exposure To This Chemical
A new study has found that exposure to certain frequently used chemicals that are classified as human carcinogens may increase the risk of recurring miscarriage. The researchers found that exposure to four different types of PFAS chemicals, also known as "forever chemicals," were associated with higher risks of "unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion"—meaning recurrent miscarriage where the cause is unknown. (Laws, 8/1)

STATE WATCH

San Francisco Chronicle: 2,300 DACA Recipients In California To Lose Health Insurance
More than 2,300 Californians enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program will lose their health insurance next month due to a change in federal policy, state officials announced Thursday. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently revised its rules to exclude DACA recipients from the definition of “lawfully present” under the Affordable Care Act. As a result, they are no longer eligible for coverage through federal health insurance programs. (Vaziri, 7/31)

The Washington Post: Wildfire Smoke And Unhealthy Air Fills The Midwest Before Spreading To The East 
Air quality alerts cover much of Minnesota, all of Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan and portions of surrounding states on Thursday as the latest round of wildfire smoke out of Canada wafts over the region. Both Minneapolis and Chicago made it into the top three large cities for worst air quality on the globe, according to IQAir. Detroit wasn’t far behind at number six. (Livingston, 7/31)

St. Louis Public Radio: St. Louis City To Lift 5-Year Water Shutoff 
St. Louis residents unable to pay their water bills haven’t had to worry about their water being cut off since 2020, but the moratorium issued during the pandemic is now being lifted. (Wimbley, 7/31)

The Washington Post: Prisoner Can Be Executed Without Turning Off Pacemaker, Tennessee High Court Rules
A death row prisoner in Tennessee can be executed despite having an implanted heart device that his lawyers say is likely to prolong his suffering, the state Supreme Court ruled Thursday in a first-of-its-kind legal battle. A lower court had ruled that Byron Black could not be executed while his cardiac implantable electronic device — which acts as a pacemaker and a defibrillator — was on, because it could deliver painful shocks to his heart to try to revive him during a lethal injection. The Thursday ruling overturns that decision and allows Black’s scheduled execution Tuesday to proceed. (Bellware, 7/31)

Daily Southtown: Young 60 Plus Club Offers Social Outlet For People With Dementia
A handful of older adults in Matteson are always on the go. They’re bowling, having their nails done and sometimes they’re just chilling out to gospel music therapy at an adult day service designed just for them. The Young 60 Plus Club, as its name indicates, is for anyone aged 60 and up, and caters to those with some degree of mental decline. And it has been growing in popularity since it opened in Matteson a year ago. Some days the storefront center is booming with clients. (Neumann, 7/31)

PUBLIC HEALTH

CIDRAP: More Measles Cases In US As Infections In Canada Balloon
In its weekly update yesterday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the United States has 14 more measles cases, raising the national total to 1,333 cases. The cases have been reported in 40 jurisdictions, and 87% of confirmed cases (1,156 of 1,333) are outbreak-associated. There have been 25 outbreaks (three or more related cases) this year in the United States. (Soucheray, 7/31)

MedPage Today: Study Reveals Link Between Junk Food And Lung Cancer Risk
High consumption of ultraprocessed food was associated with an increased risk of lung cancer, according to an observational study. Based on the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial, individuals in the highest quarter of self-reported, energy-adjusted ultraprocessed food consumption were 41% more likely to be diagnosed with any type of lung cancer over a decade later (adjusted HR 1.41, 95% CI 1.22 -1.60) than those in the lowest quarter, reported Yongzhong Wu, MD, PhD, of the Chongqing Cancer Hospital in China, and colleagues. (Bassett, 7/31)