Latest KFF Health News Stories
Providers, Patients Will Have Instant Access To Drug Costs Come Oct. 1
A final CMS rule requires providers to make digital requests during appointments with patients. Separately, Gilead Sciences aims to raise prices for its HIV medicines that are distributed by state AIDS Drug Assistance Programs.
HHS Will Restore Webpages With DEI; More CDC Budget Cuts On The Table
Under a court settlement, health data on those pages will be reset to reflect how they appeared as of Jan. 29, 2025. Axios has reported that a statement posted on those pages says, “Any information on this page promoting gender ideology is extremely inaccurate and disconnected from truth. This page does not reflect reality and therefore the Administration and this Department reject it.”
RFK Jr. Touts CDC’s Measles Response As Justification For Agency Shake-Up
In an op-ed, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. writes of the need to restore trust in the agency. But the director of the Dallas County Health Department disputes whether CDC policies helped end the outbreak, noting: “The accessibility and availability of CDC now is nothing like it has been in the past, or should be, and to claim that now this is the model for CDC is really — it’s just not true.”
First Edition: Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Unprecedented Damage Being Done To The CDC; Childhood Vaccines May Be On Chopping Block
Opinion writers tackle these public health issues.
Top Vaccine Panel To Meet This Month To Debate Covid Shots, Others
But Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) has asked that the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices postpone its meeting until “serious allegations … about the meeting agenda, membership, and lack of scientific process” can be investigated. Plus, more about the limitations on the covid vaccine.
Congress Divided Over Strategy To Avoid Federal Government Shutdown
Republicans will need Democrats’ support to clear the filibuster threshold in the Senate. Meanwhile, Democrats are still angry at the White House’s move to cut nearly $5 billion in foreign aid without congressional approval. More news is on veterans’ health care.
Studies: Beta-Blockers Are Ineffective — And Also Dangerous For Some
The drugs have been shown to have no benefit for the majority of patients. Also, researchers found an increased risk of death in some women, according to lead author Dr. Borja Ibáñez, scientific director for Madrid’s National Center for Cardiovascular Investigation.
White House Tells 40 States To Nix LGBTQ+ Topics From Sex Ed
States were told they have 60 days to change the lessons or they risk losing federal funding, AP reported. Other health news is from Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Delaware, Florida, and Nevada.
2 Die In Louisiana After Eating Oysters Tainted With Flesh-Eating Bacteria
State health officials report 22 people have been hospitalized with Vibrio vulnificus infections. Plus: A Salmonella outbreak tied to eggs has sickened people in 18 states; it is now optional for the CDC to report illnesses caused by Campylobacter, Cyclospora, Listeria, Shigella, Vibrio, and Yersinia; and more.
Medicare To Test Prior Authorizations In 6 States As Part Of A Pilot Program
The program will use AI to review cases, which some experts say could lead to inappropriate denials of care. Also in the news: more on prior authorization, Medicare Advantage, the impact of Medicaid cuts on maternity care, aging alone, and more.
Trump Calls On Drug Companies For Vaccine Data Amid CDC Shake-Up
In the first public recognition of the upheaval at the CDC, President Donald Trump has demanded that pharmaceutical companies share their covid vaccine data with the public as a means to “clear up this mess.” Also, CDC resignations, a new acting CDC head, and more.
First Edition: Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Editorial writers tackle these public health issues.
Survey: Shortage Of Qualified Doctors Expected To Worsen Over Next Decade
Two-thirds of participants surveyed say there are not enough qualified doctors to fill available positions, in part due to medical school enrollment not keeping up with demand. Qualified applicants for nurse and physician assistant positions are up from the prior three years.
Judge Rebuffs Maine Family Planning’s Plea To Restore Medicaid Funding
In his ruling, U.S. District Judge Lance Walker says he does not hold sway over “Congress’s power of the purse.” The provider sued after the One Big Beautiful Bill law stripped funding from health care entities that provide abortions.
Bipartisan Legislation Aims To Help US Sunscreen Market Catch Up
Lawmakers from both parties are trying to lower market barriers and catch up with other nations, who have more recently introduced new sunscreen ingredients. In related news, the Independent reports on how sunscreen became the subject of troubling conspiracy theories. Also: the first pig-to-human lung transplant, benefits of the Mediterranean diet, and more.
Higher THC Concentrations Linked To Psychosis, Schizophrenia, Addiction
Studies looking at therapeutic use linked to cancer showed mixed results in treating anxiety and depression, but over half the nontherapeutic studies showed links to unfavorable outcomes among healthy people. Plus: college students’ mental health; mental health and cellphone use; and more.
HHS Puts Kibosh On Minority Biomedical Research Support Program
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says the program, which provided mentorship and lab salaries to up-and-coming scientists, doesn’t align with President Trump’s ban on DEI efforts.
Panning MAHA Plan, Farm Action Says It’s ‘A Far Cry From The Bold Promises’
The watchdog organization supported HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in his plan to make the nation’s food supply healthier but now says his strategy is severely lacking. Plus, the movement’s influence on food makers, MAHA boxes, supplements, birth control, and IVF.