Latest KFF Health News Stories
Viewpoints: RFK Jr. ‘Reviewed The Science’ And Got It Wrong; Stem Cell IVF Will Open Pandora’s Box
Opinion writers discuss these public health issues.
After Using AI To Help Spot Cancer, Doctors’ Own Skills Faded, Study Finds
Researchers found AI tools helped professionals to spot precancerous colon growths more easily, but when the AI tool was removed, their abilities to find tumors fell about 20% compared with rates before they used AI. Meanwhile, a report says AI adoption is racing far ahead of health system governance.
Combination Therapy For Weight Loss, Alzheimer’s Could Be Next Big Thing
Multiple pharmaceutical firms are researching whether their blockbuster weight loss drugs can also help treat early Alzheimer’s. Plus: The FDA has approved the first treatment for non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis in people 12 and older.
Missouri Set To Close 12 Schools For Children With Severe Disabilities
The State Board of Education on Tuesday approved a plan to close the schools, citing issues of declining enrollment, staffing struggles, and deferred maintenance. Other states making news: New York, Wyoming, Florida, California, and Texas.
Poll Finds Americans Aren’t Drinking: Alcohol Consumption Hits 90-Year Low
Gallup’s annual Consumption Habits survey found only 54% of U.S. adults drank alcohol in 2025. Separately, research shows that autism is being diagnosed earlier in young children, but girls still wait longer than boys. Also in the news: dementia, cancer, and warnings about the herbal tonic “Feel Free.”
UCLA Science Research Grants Must Be Restored, Federal Judge Rules
The federal government has until Aug. 19 to comply with the order or explain why it couldn’t. Only NSF grants are covered by this order. Grants from the NIH and Energy Department are not affected. “UCLA should have considerably more leverage … in resisting Trump administration demands that wrongly take research hostage for political dealmaking,” a lawyer representing researchers said.
Monarez: CDC Will Be Guided By ‘Rational, Evidence-Based Discourse’
The CDC director spoke with staffers about the dangers of misinformation and rebuilding trust in the agency. Meanwhile, authorities confirmed vaccine mistrust motivated the gunman to attack the CDC campus — a day after HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declined to discuss a motive.
ACA Market May Be In For Turbulent Ride, CMS Data Suggest
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services noted it found inconsistencies in the number of claims on exchanges. “As you pull … subsidized dollars out of the system, it means margins will be lower and people are going to be paying higher premiums,” one health care strategist says.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Opinion writers tackle these public health issues.
As Kennedy Visits Bullet-Riddled CDC, Critics Insist He Stop Vaccine Rhetoric
The HHS secretary also met with the widow of officer David Rose. Meanwhile, the agency says it is adding safety and security measures before it brings back employees, who are reeling from the trauma and have the option of working remotely this week. “I think most of us would very much like the next message we hear from [Kennedy] to begin with ‘I hereby resign,’” one staffer said.
NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, who opposed most covid mandates, said on Steve Bannon’s podcast Saturday that “a large fraction of the population” distrusts mRNA shots and that the technology is “promising but not yet ready for prime time for vaccines.” The mRNA vaccines for covid are widely credited with saving millions of lives.
For Two Companies, State Department Resumes Nutrition Aid Orders
Some famine experts are optimistic about the government’s decision to ship U.S.-made ready-to-use therapeutic food — it’s a start — but one notes: “What we haven’t seen yet … is any indication that programs and funding that were meant to address long-term food security will be resumed.”
Doctors Are Working Harder For Less Pay, Report Shows
Stalled reimbursements from both private and public insurers — which means less net revenue — and an increase in practitioners’ workload since the start of the pandemic could mean less access for patients. Also in the news: rural ERs; Blue Cross’ antitrust deal; and more.
In Promising Trial, Pancreatic Cancer Vaccine Helped Patients Live Longer
As NBC News reported, people with pancreatic cancer survived for an average of 29 months and lived recurrence-free for more than 15 months post-vaccination — far longer than the rates of resectable cancers. A randomized phase 2 trial is being held to test the durability of the vaccine.
Telehealth Has Unlocked Abortion Access In South And Midwest: Study
A study released Monday in JAMA found that the rates of telehealth abortion were notably highest in states with abortion bans. Also: news on birth control, in-utero procedures, and more.
Buoyed By MAHA, Anti-Sunscreen Fad Emerges — To Dermatologists’ Dismay
Social media influencers skeptical of sunscreen ingredients are advocating for natural alternatives, but health experts maintain sunscreen is one of the most effective tools for preventing skin cancer. “Ultraviolet radiation is a known carcinogen,” said Adam Friedman, a professor of dermatology.
First Edition: Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Ousted Vaccine Regulator Vinay Prasad Is Back At FDA
It is not clear whether Prasad will still serve as the agency’s chief medical and scientific officer, Stat reports. Meanwhile, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research staff grill top drug regulator George Tidmarsh about the challenges they face.
Supreme Court Is Formally Petitioned To Reverse Same-Sex Marriage Ruling
The appeal, which comes 10 years after the historic Obergefell case, is being brought by Kim Davis, the former Kentucky county clerk who was jailed for refusing marriage licenses to a same-sex couple.