Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Trump-Linked Law Firm Passes On $150M Offer To Represent Migrant Children
AP: Texas Law Firm With Trump Ties Declines $150M Migrant Contract
A small law firm with ties to the Trump administration declined a $150 million contract to represent migrant children who traveled alone to the U.S., authorities said Wednesday, while another group whose former chief executive was dogged by allegations of misconduct was awarded work worth up to $244 million to advocate for them. The rapid-fire developments came amid long-term questions about who will represent children in court amid President Donald Trump’s push for mass deportations. (Gonzalez and Foley, 8/13)
AP: ICE's Plan To Give Shock Gloves To Officers Raises Fears Of Misuse
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s plan to give officers gloves that deliver painful electric shocks faced criticism Wednesday from Democratic elected officials and civil rights advocates, who called it unnecessary and cruel. ICE plans to spend between $10 million and $20 million to outfit officers and agents with “conductive distraction and de-escalation devices,” according to a notice published Monday and revealed first by The Associated Press. (Foley, 8/13)
On veterans' health care —
NOTUS: The VA’s Race To Shrink Its Backlog Is Leading To ‘Egregious’ Mistakes
Paul Rushing had a stroke at age 54 and a pulmonary embolism without any of the typical underlying issues. He has a hard time walking 100 yards without having to rest. In Rushing’s estimation, the issues stem back to his time in the Army when he was exposed to toxic chemicals while serving at Fort Polk in Louisiana, later found to have unsafe levels of “forever chemicals” in its groundwater. Earlier this year, the Department of Veterans Affairs denied Rushing’s claim. The department’s justification confounded him; it said a doctor had found that his illness was not connected to his service, something his doctor had never even evaluated. The denial letter mentioned medical issues entirely unrelated to his situation. (Katz, 8/12)
Military.com: Why Combat-Injured Veterans Aren't Receiving Full Benefits
More than 300 members of the House support it. More than three-quarters of the Senate support its companion bill. Republicans support it. Democrats support it. Major veterans organizations support it. Yet thousands of combat-injured veterans have spent years waiting for Congress to fix a problem nearly everyone seems to agree should be fixed. (Lindsay, 8/13)
Regarding healthcare costs —
Modern Healthcare: No Surprises Act Payment Methodology Struck Down By Appeals Court
A federal appeals court struck down a key methodology related to the implementation of the No Surprises Act. At issue in the case is how to determine the qualified payment amount, or the median rate insurers pay for a service in a specific market. Under the No Surprises Act, the rate is used as a benchmark to calculate cost-sharing and settle disputes for out-of-network claims. On Tuesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit affirmed portions of a district court order siding with provider plaintiffs and vacating the government’s process for determining qualified payment amounts. (Hudson, 8/12)
KFF Health News: People With Disabilities Say Medicaid’s Limits On Income Stifle Career Advancement
Erica Carter is passionate about her job, and she has seven acres of flowers and vegetables to show for it. Carter’s specialty is reeling in grants to support students in the Omaha Nation school district, where she is a finance manager. One paid for the garden that sits next to the district’s campus. Another allowed the school system, in one of Nebraska’s lowest-income counties, to pay students to maintain it. “They’re out in the sun. They’re watering plants,” she said. “It’s the first time they get a paycheck in their life.” (Krebs, 8/13)
Bloomberg: US Employers Abandon Group Health Insurance As Price Hikes Bite
As US employers brace for the largest price hikes on employee health plans in 15 years, a growing number are opting out of group insurance altogether. Instead of providing medical benefits directly, more than 20,000 companies entered Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRA) in 2026. That’s an increase of 53% from last year, according to a new report by advocacy group the HRA Council. (Rogers, 8/12)
Fierce Healthcare: Claims Data Transparency Spurs Employers To Act On Affordability
Employers that have access to key data on their healthcare spending and costs are more likely to take steps to address affordability and pharmacy benefit transparency, a new survey shows. (Minemyer, 8/12)
KFF Health News’ ‘Letters To The Editor’: Readers Speak Out On Work Requirements, Federal Data Grab, Opioid Payback Cash
KFF Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories. (8/13)
In related Trump administration news —
Fortune: Gates Foundation's $540M Gift To Science Comes As The Federal Government Pulls Back On Funding
As the federal government has continued to slash funding for scientific research, clean energy, social services, public safety, and education, billionaire philanthropists have stepped in to fill the void. Take MacKenzie Scott, for example, who has used her $26 billion philanthropy to rescue organizations like The Trevor Project, the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, and HBCUs in danger after the Trump administration’s funding cuts. (Lake, 8/12)
AP: USAID Cuts Increased Pregnancy Complications And Deaths In Nepal
The young mother’s breath had grown ragged. Inside her mud home in rural Nepal, she hunched over in agony, pain pummeling her pregnant belly, her swollen legs scarcely able to support her. Kabita Mukhiya was in the midst of an emergency, but didn’t know it. For weeks, she’d suffered at home, because there was nobody around to tell her to rush to a hospital. The aid workers who once regularly visited her village to help pregnant women had stopped coming, after foreign aid cuts by the United States shuttered a program aimed at saving mothers’ and babies’ lives. (Gelineau, 8/13)
