First Edition: Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025

KFF HEALTH NEWS ORIGINAL STORIES

KFF Health News: South Carolina’s Measles Outbreak Shows Chilling Effect Of Vaccine Misinformation
Near the back corner of the local library’s parking lot, largely out of view from the main road, the South Carolina Department of Public Health opened a pop-up clinic in early November, offering free measles vaccines to adults and children. Spartanburg County, in South Carolina’s Upstate region, has been fighting a measles outbreak since early October, with more than 50 cases identified. Health officials have encouraged people who are unvaccinated to get a shot by visiting its mobile vaccine clinic at any of its several stops throughout the county. But on a Monday afternoon in Boiling Springs, only one person showed up. (Sausser, 11/26)

KFF Health News: After Shutdown, Federal Employees Face New Uncertainty: Affording Health Insurance
Larry Humphreys, a retired Federal Emergency Management Agency worker in Moultrie, Georgia, says he and his wife won’t be traveling much next year after their monthly health insurance premium payment increases more than 40%, to $938. Humphreys, 68, feels betrayed by the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. “As federal employees we sacrificed good salaries in the private sector because we thought the benefits from government would be better now, in retirement,” he said. (Galewitz, 11/26)

KFF Health News: Trump Almost Unveils A Health Plan 
Republicans remain divided over how to address the impending expiration of more generous Affordable Care Act plan tax credits, which will send premiums spiraling for millions of Americans starting in January if no further action is taken. The Trump administration floated a proposal over the weekend that included a two-year extension of the credits as well as some restrictions pushed by Republicans, but the plan was met with strong pushback on Capitol Hill and its unveiling was delayed. (Rovner, 11/25)

KFF Health News: Listen To The Latest 'KFF Health News Minute' 
Sam Whitehead reads the week’s news: Some American cities such as L.A. and Houston have more traffic fatalities than homicides, and though most children and adults would benefit from annual covid shots, few are getting them. (11/25)

PRESCRIPTION DRUG COSTS

The Washington Post: Weight-Loss, Cancer Drugs Among 15 To Get Lower Medicare Pricing, U.S. Says
The Trump administration on Tuesday said it will pay lower prices for 15 prescription drugs for people on Medicare, including GLP-1 medications Ozempic and Wegovy, inhaler Trelegy Ellipta and cancer drugs Xtandi, Pomalyst and Ibrance. The announcement followed the second round of negotiations with pharmaceutical manufacturers under a new system implemented by the Biden administration as part of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. The act allows Medicare to directly negotiate with pharmaceutical companies over the price of medications it covers. (Vinall, 11/26)

HEALTH CARE COSTS AND COVERAGE

Politico: Trump Opens The Door To Obamacare Subsidy Extension
President Donald Trump on Tuesday suggested he was open to extending Obamacare subsidies that are set to expire at the end of the year if it would give Congress time to make changes that he supports to the federally run health care plan. “Some kind of an extension may be necessary to get something else done, because the unaffordable care act has been a disaster,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One, referring to Obamacare’s official name, the Affordable Care Act. (Haslett and Gardner, 11/25)

Politico: The Big Sticking Point In The White House's Health Care Proposal
The White House’s silence on how its health care plan deals with abortion is causing a headache for Republicans on Capitol Hill. For many GOP members, an expansion of abortion restrictions in Obamacare is a must-have. But the White House’s decision to leave the issue out of its tentative framework caught Republicans off guard, leaving them in the dark about whether the president would ultimately stake out a position publicly, according to two aides granted anonymity to disclose private discussions. (Ollstein, Carney and Haslett, 11/25)

The New York Times: Once Foes Of Obamacare, Some Republicans Push To Protect It 
Representative Jen Kiggans, Republican of Virginia, once called for eliminating the Affordable Care Act. Representative Mike Lawler, Republican of New York, has repeatedly called it “a disaster.” But the two are part of a small group of G.O.P. members of Congress — most of them facing tough re-election races next year in competitive districts — who have broken with their party to push for a temporary extension of a crucial piece of the law: subsidies, currently slated to expire at the end of the year, to help Americans afford their premiums. (Jimison, 11/25)

The Washington Post: Why Health Savings Accounts Aren’t A Substitute For Real Insurance
Republicans facing voter ire over spiking health premiums are resurrecting one of their favorite ideas: give people power to pay for medical care on their own, with tax-free dollars in individual health savings accounts. The GOP is toying with the idea of taking federal subsidies that currently help people buy Affordable Care Act insurance and diverting some of the money into individuals’ HSAs, although passing legislation without help from Democrats is a tall order with Republicans’ slim Senate and House majorities. (Winfield Cunningham, 11/25)

Axios: What's Next For ACA Tax Credits? 5 Scenarios For The Subsidy Drama
President Trump's trial balloon for extending the Affordable Care Act's enhanced subsidies has been shot down, but the real moment of truth for him and Congress may come in the run-up to the next government funding cliff, in late January. (Sullivan, 11/26)

Stat: Health Insurers Trying To Avoid Costly Medicare Enrollees Draw Scrutiny 
Major health insurers are taking drastic steps to discourage older adults from signing up for their private Medicare plans as they seek to boost profits, drawing the ire of insurance brokers and state regulators. (Herman, 11/25)

CDC LEADERSHIP

The New York Times: Doctor Critical Of Vaccines Quietly Appointed As C.D.C.’s Second In Command
Dr. Ralph Abraham, who as Louisiana’s surgeon general ordered the state health department to stop promoting vaccinations and who has called Covid vaccines “dangerous,” has been named the second in command at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Department of Health and Human Services did not announce the appointment, and many C.D.C. employees seemed unaware of it. But the C.D.C.’s internal database lists Dr. Abraham as the agency’s principal deputy director, with a start date of Nov. 23. The appointment was first reported by the Substack column Inside Medicine. (Mandavilli, 11/25)

MORE ON THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

The Hill: Trump EPA Seeks Court To Overturn Joe Biden's Soot Limits
The Trump administration on Monday asked a federal court to overturn a Biden-era rule limiting deadly soot pollution. In a court filing, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) argued that the Biden-era rule tightening limits was procedurally flawed and therefore should be vacated. It said that the Biden administration took a “shortcut,” making the rule stricter “without the rigorous, stepwise process that Congress required.” (Frazin, 11/25)

CNN: The US Has Released An ‘America First Global Health Strategy.’ Health Experts Warn It Is Risky 
Health experts are warning that the Trump administration’s new “America First Global Health Strategy” could further damage public health systems already reeling from billions of dollars in foreign aid cuts following the destruction of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), and while some say the new system could bring benefits, there is agreement it marks a radical change in approach from decades of US policy. (Kent and Hansler, 11/26)

Bloomberg: How Trump’s Fight Against Fentanyl Turns To India From China
As US-India relations began to sour earlier this year, drug-control experts briefed officials in the Trump administration on how the South Asian nation fit into the murky trade in chemicals used to make fentanyl. Among the topics of discussion was whether India’s growing role in supply chains of the deadly opioid could be used to justify new tariffs on the nation’s goods, according to people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified because the consultations were confidential. The White House didn’t respond to a request for comment on those discussions. (Strumpf and Palepu, 11/26)

Bloomberg: USDA’s Top Economist To Leave For Missouri Policy Institute
The US Agriculture Department’s top economist is departing from the agency to lead the University of Missouri’s food and agricultural policy institute. Seth Meyer has been the USDA’s chief economist since 2021, helming an office whose responsibilities include the market-moving monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report. Meyer will be leading the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute starting Jan. 1, succeeding Pat Westhoff, who is retiring in March, the University of Missouri said in a Tuesday release. (Peng, 11/25)

The New York Times: Transportation Chief Wants Healthier In-Flight Snack Options
Sean Duffy, the transportation secretary, has been urging people for the past week to dress and comport themselves better as a way of restoring “civility” to air travel. On Tuesday, he added another item to his list of concerns: the quality of the snacks handed out on commercial flights. In an interview posted Tuesday on the conservative news site Blaze Media, Mr. Duffy said he would prefer that airlines offered options that are not heavy on butter, sugar or what he described as “crap.” He finds the standard choices of cookies or small bags of pretzels lacking, he said. (Walker, 11/25)

The New York Times: Signs Of Fatigue: Trump Faces Realities Of Aging In Office 
President Trump has always used his stamina and energy as a political strength. But that image is getting harder for him to sustain. (Rogers and Freedman, 11/25)

ON CAPITOL HILL

Becker's Hospital Review: Federal Bill Would Mandate “Safe Discharge” Plans For Patients In Labor 
A federal lawmaker plans to introduce a new bill to Congress that would require hospitals to develop and implement “safe discharge” plans for patients in labor. Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill., will formally introduce the Women Expansion for Learning and Labor Safety Act, or WELLS Act, when the House is back in session after the Thanksgiving holiday, her office said in a Nov. 25 news release. (Cerutti, 11/25)

AP: Bond Set At $60K For Congresswoman Accused Of Stealing $5M In COVID-19 Funds
A federal judge in Miami set a $60,000 bond Tuesday for U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, who made her first appearance in court on charges of conspiring to steal $5 million in federal disaster funds meant to slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. The Florida Democrat is facing 15 federal counts that accuse her of stealing funds that had been overpaid to her family’s health care company, Trinity Healthcare Services, prosecutors alleged. The company had a contract to register people for COVID-19 vaccinations. (Frisaro and Payne, 11/25)

INFANT HEALTH

Axios: Infant Formula Safety: FDA Doesn't Require Botulism Test
More than 30 infants have been hospitalized for suspected or confirmed botulism in an outbreak linked to ByHeart baby formula — a product made with whole milk and prebiotics, and marketed as closely mimicking breast milk, the FDA says. (Mallenbaum, 11/26)

Undark: Infant Formula Needs Evidence-Based Oversight. Will MAHA Step Up?
In 2017, a headline on a local TV news website asked a distressing question: “Are dangerous chemicals lurking in your baby food?” The associated broadcast, citing “an alarming study,” reported that 80 percent of infant formulas and several other popular baby food products had tested positive for arsenic, a toxic heavy metal. Such products had also tested positive for the heavy metals lead and cadmium. (Andrey Smith, 11/26)

OUTBREAKS AND HEALTH THREATS

CIDRAP: Third Infant In Kentucky Dies Of Whooping Cough As National Cases Stay High For Second Year In A Row
An infant in Kentucky who was unvaccinated against pertussis, or whooping cough, has died, marking the third death from the deadly bacteria in the state this year. Kentucky had last recorded an infant whooping cough death in 2018. State officials said Kentucky is seeing the most pertussis activity since 2012 and expects more in the coming weeks. So far this year, Kentucky has reported at least 566 cases. (Soucheray, 11/25)

ABC News: US Cases Of Norovirus On The Rise With Double The Rate Of Positive Tests Since August
Cases of norovirus are rising across the United States, doubling over the last few months, according to updated data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Nearly 14% of tests came back positive for norovirus during the most recent week ending Nov. 15, compared to roughly 7% about three months ago. Test positivity is a metric used to identify how many people are confirmed to have norovirus after an illness is suspected. (Benadjaoud, 11/25)

MedPage Today: Some Older Adults Could Use An RSV Booster Shot, Study Suggests
Real-world effectiveness with the recommended single dose of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination dipped in older adults over the first 18 months, a finding that could support boosters for high-risk groups such as the immunocompromised, according to researchers. (Rudd, 11/25)

The New York Times: Is It Cold, Flu Or Covid? What To Know About Symptoms And Testing. 
With similar symptoms, it can be difficult to tell which illness is which. Here’s what to know. (Blum, 11/25)

CIDRAP: Estimate: US City-Level COVID Indoor Vaccine Mandates Had Uneven, Marginal Effects
An analysis published in Contemporary Economic Policy suggests that COVID-19 indoor vaccine mandates in major US cities didn't increase weekly vaccination rates or reduce infections and deaths in adults or children, despite their success in countries such as Canada and France. (Van Beusekom, 11/25)

HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY

Modern Healthcare: Medicare Advantage Star Ratings To Be Revamped In CMS Proposal
Federal regulators are proposing paring back the Medicare Advantage Star Ratings program. The draft regulation issued Tuesday by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services also invites public input on how the administration should overhaul risk adjustment and other Medicare Advantage-related policies. It additionally includes tweaks to the Medicare Part D prescription drug program. The proposed rule could offer insurers a bit of breathing room amid increasing pressure on prior authorization, marketing and audits. (Early, 11/25)

Fierce Healthcare: Humana To Appeal Loss In MA Star Ratings Lawsuit
Humana will appeal a court loss over the Medicare Advantage star ratings, according to a filing issued Tuesday. The insurer filed a notice that it will appeal the District Court ruling to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. The filing doesn't offer further details on the grounds to appeal. (Minemyer, 11/25)

Modern Healthcare: AI-Related Medicare Claims Are On The Rise: Manatt Health
Medicare claims tied to artificial intelligence have increased dramatically in the past seven years and the healthcare industry needs to plan for the continued growth of AI-associated care, according to a report from consulting firm Manatt Health. AI-enabled care increased by 4,000% between 2018 and 2023, according to Manatt, based on the most recent data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. In raw numbers, the number of Medicare beneficiaries that received AI-enabled care was 2,582 in 2018. By 2023, that number had swelled to 104,769 beneficiaries. There was little difference in the use of AI-enabled care between Medicare fee-for-service and Medicare Advantage members, the study found. (DeSilva, 11/25)

Newsweek: CMS Removed Mission Hospital From Immediate Jeopardy 
Mission Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina, has been removed from immediate jeopardy by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), according to the health system. This was the third time Mission Hospital was placed under immediate jeopardy since it was bought by HCA Healthcare in 2019. Back in October, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) recommended Mission Hospital be put in immediate jeopardy for practices that resulted in an unsafe environment for patients after conducting an investigation. (Giella, 11/25)

Modern Healthcare: Encompass, Vanderbilt Health Partner On Inpatient Rehab Hospital
Vanderbilt Health and Encompass Health announced plans to build a 40-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital near Nashville, Tennessee. The facility, set to open in 2028, will be the second joint venture between the two organizations.A spokesperson for Vanderbilt Health could not provide financial details about the joint venture. Encompass Health did not respond to requests for comment. (Eastabrook, 11/25)

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: BJC Health System, Aetna Remain At Odds In Coverage Talks
BJC Health and health insurer Aetna have yet to reach coverage agreements for the upcoming year, leaving St. Louis-area patients in limbo. Without a new agreement, BJC Health will be out of Aetna's coverage network employer-sponsored commercial plans, starting Jan. 1. (Suntrup, 11/25)

The Boston Globe: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute To Receive $20 Million Grant From Facebook Cofounder’s Foundation
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has been awarded $20 million from a foundation started by Facebook cofounder Eduardo Saverin and his wife, Elaine. The funding from the Elaine and Eduardo Saverin Foundation will be used to advance metastatic breast cancer research and care, according to an announcement posted on Dana-Farber’s website. (Sweeney, 11/25)

The Baltimore Sun: Kennedy Krieger Nets Anonymous $5.5 Million Gift For Pediatric Cancer
Two researchers at the Kennedy Krieger Institute will share a $5.5 million anonymous gift, which will support their research efforts to improve the brain health of children with brain tumors. (Hille, 11/25)

PHARMACEUTICALS

Stat: FDA Approves Otsuka Therapy To Treat Autoimmune Kidney Disease
The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved the first drug from an emerging class of medicines for patients with chronic, autoimmune kidney disease, according to a notice on the agency’s website. (Feuerstein, 11/25)

CIDRAP: Common Antibiotic Linked To Risk Of Acute Respiratory Failure In Kids, Young Adults
A new study of adolescents and young adults has found a commonly used antibiotic for skin infections, urinary tract infections, and acne is associated with an increased risk of respiratory failure. The study, conducted in Ontario, found that the risk of a hospital visit with acute respiratory failure was nearly three times higher in healthy 10- to 25-year-olds who received trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) than those who received either amoxicillin or cephalosporin antibiotics, though the overall risk was low. The findings were published yesterday by a team of Canadian researchers in JAMA Network Open. (Dall, 11/25)

MedPage Today: Popular Heart Burn Drugs Linked To Worse Survival In Another Cancer Type
The use of potent aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 A1 (ALDH1A1)-activating proton pump inhibitors (PA-PPIs) was associated with inferior survival outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma, according to a retrospective meta-analysis. Among nearly 3,000 patients, those treated with PA-PPIs such as omeprazole (Prilosec) or pantoprazole (Protonix) had worse progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), reported Emilie Le Rhun, MD, PhD, of University Hospital and the University of Zurich, and colleagues in JAMA Network Open. (Bassett, 11/25)

Bloomberg: Novo Says New Diabetes Shot Spurs 14.5% Weight Loss
Novo Nordisk A/S’s next-generation diabetes shot lowered patients’ blood sugar and helped them lose weight in a study that may be a positive sign for the embattled drugmaker’s future portfolio. When given as a weekly injection, the compound called amycretin helped people lose as much as 14.5% of their body weight over 36 weeks. People who took it as a once-daily oral drug shed up to 10.1% of their weight, Novo said on Tuesday. After losing its lead in the booming obesity market to US rival Eli Lilly & Co., Novo needs next-generation drugs to improve its competitive position. Amycretin is a crucial piece of that puzzle, combining two mechanisms for weight loss into a single molecule. (Kresge, 11/25)

NPR: Obesity Pills Are Coming. Here Are 5 Things To Know About Them
Millions of people use injectable drugs like Wegovy to reach a healthier weight. But the weekly injections aren't for everybody — or every wallet. That's why experimental pills that could achieve similar results are drawing so much attention. The medicines haven't yet won approval from the Food and Drug Administration, but the first one could get the green light by the end of the year. (Lupkin, 11/25)

The Wall Street Journal: The Americans Skipping Ozempic To Indulge At Thanksgiving
For many Americans taking a weight-loss drug, Thanksgiving presents a conundrum: Take the weekly dose that staves off hunger, or push it off so they can feast? Taryn Langer is skipping her weekly dose. “My sister-in-law usually puts out pepperoni bread, deviled eggs and cheese plate. I don’t want to have to miss that, or just be satisfied with that, and not be able to eat dinner,” says Langer, of Glen Ridge, N.J., who has lost 65 pounds while taking the drug Mounjaro. (Loftus and O'Brien, 11/26)

The Hill: Walgreens Nasal Spray Recalled Over Bacteria Contamination
If you purchased a nasal spray from Walgreens, you might want to check the bottle. A recall has been initiated for 41,328 bottles of Walgreens Saline Nasal Spray with Xylitol due to a possible bacterial contamination. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the 1.5-ounce (45mL) bottles of the nasal spray may be contaminated with pseudomonas lactis, a bacterium that causes dairy products to spoil. Authorities didn’t say what may have caused the contamination. (Mitchell, 11/25)

STATE WATCH

The New York Times: SNAP Recipients Plan Thanksgiving, Down To Their Last Cent 
Mary Schiely relies on SNAP benefits, as do many customers at the small grocery store where she works. The nation’s day of feasting is not the easiest for them. (Williams and Burch, 11/26)

The New York Times: Robert L. Dear Jr., Who Killed 3 At Colorado Planned Parenthood, Dies In Prison
Robert L. Dear Jr., who opened fire at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado in 2015, killing three and wounding nine others, died in federal prison over the weekend, according to inmate records. Mr. Dear, 67, died Saturday at a medical facility for federal prisoners in Springfield, Mo., according to a statement from the Federal Bureau of Prisons. (Kirk, 11/25)

AUTISM

MedPage Today: Untreated Chronic Thyroid Dysfunction In Moms Tied To Autism In Kids
Adequately treated chronic hypothyroidism in pregnant women was not associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in offspring, but persistent hormonal imbalance across trimesters was tied to elevated ASD risk, a retrospective study of Israeli births suggested. (Monaco, 11/25)

LIFESTYLE AND HEALTH

The Baltimore Sun: Marijuana Sales Reduce Opioid Prescriptions By 16%, Research Shows
Having a marijuana dispensary in your town will likely cut down on prescription opioid use, according to several studies published this year. The researchers designed their large data studies to help establish cause and effect from opening new dispensaries. (Hille, 11/25)

CNN: Breast Cancer: Missing The First Mammogram Is Linked With Increased Risk Of Death, New Study Finds 
Women who miss their first screening appointment for breast cancer could have a 40% higher long-term risk of dying from the disease, according to a new study. (Hetter, 11/25)