Latest KFF Health News Stories
Slashing Medicaid Would Force States To Cut Provider Pay, Analysis Finds
States would have to find ways to cushion the blow from lost funding. House GOP moderates are warning that the Senate version of the bill cuts too deep for them to support. Meanwhile, a key GOP senator says Medicaid cuts could cause the GOP to lose control of the House and Senate in 2026.
International Doctors Can’t Start Medical Residencies Due To Visa Woes
Hundreds of foreign doctors find themselves in limbo just days from when they should be starting their medical residencies at U.S. hospitals. In other news: States sue the Trump administration over grant cuts; Colorado is buying overdose reversal kits; and more.
Oz Signals Administration Looking To End Complicated Drug Rebate System
In a comment made Tuesday, CMS chief Mehmet Oz pushed for the elimination of the payments drugmakers send to pharmacy benefit managers after prescriptions are filled. Other industry news is about a sutureless peripheral nerve repair device, medical device recalls, and more.
First Edition: Wednesday, June 25, 2025
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
As States Sizzle And Heat-Related Illnesses Rise, Federal Response Falters
The Trump administration is slow-walking rules proposed during the Biden years that would protect workers from extreme heat. “We have a lot of reason to believe that it’s going to take a dire toll on people’s health,” one scientist says. More news is about #SkinnyTok, sobriety, and microplastics.
Medical Debt Would Surge 15% Under Bill’s Medicaid, ACA Cuts, Report Says
Think tank Third Way estimates the Republicans’ Big, Beautiful Bill will cause an extra 5.4 million people to incur medical debt by as much as $22,800. Meanwhile, hospitals are urging Congress to protect their funding. So far, GOP senators are waving off their concerns, Modern Healthcare reports.
GOP Sen. Cassidy Criticizes Vaccine Advisers, Says They Shouldn’t Meet Yet
In a post on X late Monday, Louisiana’s Bill Cassidy, a physician, said the new members of ACIP — handpicked by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — “do not have significant experience studying microbiology, epidemiology, or immunology.” Cassidy also said a CDC director should be in place to approve any recommendations. The previous CDC director, Mandy Cohen, left office in January.
Telehealth Scripts Contribute To Continued Rise In Abortion Numbers
A recent report finds that 2024 saw a rise in abortion numbers across the country despite restrictions and outright bans in multiple states. Telehealth-prescribed pills account for a quarter of all abortions. Also, NBC reports on a crisis pregnancy center support group that has advised its members to avoid giving ultrasounds to women suspected of having ectopic pregnancies.
VA To End Last Medical Research Project Involving Primates This Month
The VA’s spinal cord research project involving monkeys is wrapping up, marking the culmination of efforts by activists and lawmakers alike to end studies that harm dogs, cats, and primates. Also in the news: a drug to treat lung cancer, diabetes drugs and loss of vision, and more.
Texas Opts Out Of Federal Summer Lunch Program For Low-Income Kids
The Summer EBT program, which would have given qualifying families $120 per child to pay for summertime lunches in 2027, has been vetoed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who cited federal funding uncertainty. Other news comes from New York, Missouri, North Carolina, and Georgia.
First Edition: Tuesday, June 24, 2025
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Opinion writers weigh in on these topics and others.
Senate Official Halts GOP’s Plan To Make States Share Cost Of SNAP
The Republicans’ megabill became much clearer over the weekend after the Senate parliamentarian — the rules referee — clarified which parts of the bill could stay or had to go. A 10-year moratorium on enforcing state and local AI laws was retained; the moratorium is a condition for receiving billions in federal funds for broadband expansion, a critical need in rural areas lacking telehealth services.
Medical Groups Mobilize As A Check On RFK Jr.’s New Vaccine Advisers
Medical organizations and experts are collaborating on ways to protect vaccine integrity and ensure insurance coverage should ACIP’s recommendations deviate from long-standing public health practice. Plus, a look at the conundrum facing insurance companies.
Despite Healthy Status, Georgia Man Dies Within 30 Days Of ICE Arrest
The Guardian tracks the case of a Mexican-born detainee whose family has raised concerns about the baffling circumstances surrounding the father’s death. Plus, news outlets examine the repercussions of federal funding and research cuts.
Health Insurers Pledge To Trim Prior Authorization Process Over 18 Months
They aren’t ending prior authorization, but they are vowing to take half-a-dozen steps they say will make it less onerous, including setting up a standard electronic request form for doctors and reducing the scope of services for which it is needed, The Washington Post reported.
Once there, they didn’t receive the services they needed because they weren’t adequately screened, and many couldn’t argue for their transfer, disability advocates told The Texas Tribune. The ruling stems from a class-action lawsuit filed in 2010.
A Dose Of Upbeat And Inspiring News
Today’s stories are on type 1 diabetes, lupus, breast cancer, hearing aids, and more.
White House Shortens ACA Sign-Up Period, Boots Dreamers From Rolls
Also, the administration will scrap “sex-trait modification” as an essential health benefit, require income verifications, and end a monthly special enrollment period for poverty-stricken people.