First Edition: Friday, Aug. 8, 2025

KFF HEALTH NEWS ORIGINAL STORIES

KFF Health News: Even In States That Fought Obamacare, Trump’s New Law Poses Health Consequences
GOP lawmakers in the 10 states that refused the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion for over a decade have argued their conservative approach to growing government programs would pay off in the long run. Instead, the Republican-passed budget law that includes many of President Donald Trump’s priorities will pose at least as big a burden on patients and hospitals in the expansion holdout states as in the 40 states that have extended Medicaid coverage to more low-income adults, hospital executives and other officials warn. (Chang and Whitehead, 8/8)

KFF Health News: KFF Health News' 'What The Health?': Kennedy Cancels Vaccine Funding 
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s announcement that the federal government will cancel nearly $500 million in mRNA research funding is unnerving not only for those who develop vaccines, but also for public health experts who see the technology behind the first covid-19 shots as the nation’s best hope to combat a future pandemic. And President Donald Trump is demanding that major pharmaceutical companies offer many American patients the same prices available to patients overseas. It isn’t the first time he’s made such threats, and drugmakers — who scored a couple of wins against Medicare negotiations in the president’s tax and spending law — are unlikely to volunteer to drop their prices. (8/7)

The Guardian: Senators Seek UnitedHealth Records On Push To Curb Nursing Home Hospitalizations
Lawmakers are asking UnitedHealth Group, the nation’s largest healthcare conglomerate, to disclose internal documents about its efforts to reduce hospital transfers for nursing home residents and the bonuses it has given to nursing homes which help it to do so. In an Aug. 6 letter, Democratic senators Ron Wyden and Elizabeth Warren asked UnitedHealth’s CEO, Stephen Hemsley, to hand over a trove of company records about a partnership program it has with nursing homes across the country, which aims to decrease hospitalizations and thereby coverage expenses for the conglomerate. The document demand letter follows a Guardian investigation into the initiative. (Joseph, 8/7)

Stat: DOJ, UnitedHealth Reach Agreement On Amedisys Deal 
The Department of Justice and state officials have reached a proposed settlement agreement with UnitedHealth Group and Amedisys that would allow the companies to complete their $3.3 billion combination so long as they agree to sell 164 home health and hospice locations across 19 states. (Bannow, 8/7)

MEDICARE AND MEDICAID

The Hill: 2 More Cases Challenging Medicare Negotiation Rejected In Federal Courts
Federal judges in Texas and Connecticut on Thursday ruled against arguments challenging the constitutionality of the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program, delivering two more blows to the pharmaceutical industry this week after an appeals court upheld the dismissal of a similar case. In Connecticut, the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a decision granted by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea last year against pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim. The company’s diabetes medication Jardiance was among the first 10 drugs chosen for Medicare negotiations, and two more of its products were chosen for the following round of negotiations. (Choi, 8/7)

San Francisco Chronicle: Bay Area County Could Raise Taxes To Offset Trump Medicaid Cuts
In response to recent federal legislation that cuts billions of dollars to Medicaid, Santa Clara County supervisors on Thursday unanimously voted to add a ballot measure to November’s special election that would increase local sales tax by five-eighth cent (0.625%) for five years to try to backfill some of the projected lost federal revenue. The federal legislation HR 1 was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Trump in July. It includes the biggest cuts to Medicaid, the joint federal-state health insurance program for low-income Americans, in the program’s history. (Ho, 8/7)

North Carolina Health News: Medicaid Program That Provided Economic Boost To Rural NC Communities On The Chopping Block
North Carolina’s first-in-the-nation Healthy Opportunities Pilot, which sought to address the nonmedical health needs of rural residents on Medicaid, faces a bleak future after state lawmakers failed to extend funding for the program in their stripped-down “mini budget” passed last month. (Baxley, 8/8)

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

ProPublica: Funding For Landmark Maternal Health Program, ERASE MM, Is At Risk
Seven years ago, when President Donald Trump signed the Preventing Maternal Deaths Act into law, it was hailed as a crucial step toward addressing the nation’s maternal mortality crisis. The law pumped tens of millions of dollars a year into a program to help fund state committees that review maternal deaths and identify their causes. The committees’ findings have led to new protocols to prevent hemorrhage, sepsis and suicide. Federal money has allowed some states to establish panels for the first time. (Jaramillo, 8/8)

Stat: HHS Cuts Could Threaten Watchdog Groups For Navajo Mental Health 
Benita McKerry’s job at the Native American Disability Law Center mostly involves driving to far-off parts of the Navajo Nation, an area larger than the size of West Virginia, and checking in on the reservation’s group homes and facilities for people with disabilities. The Diné woman rarely listens to music or podcasts on these drives, instead soaking up the miles by reflecting on the countless kids and adults she’s come to know. (Broderick, 8/8)

Stat: Grant Cuts To Stop 'Wasteful Spending' Can Have The Opposite Effect
N. Mueller wasn’t sure whether the air purifiers in his living room and bedroom were real. That was the point. The Navy veteran had signed up to have them whir away in the background of his life, either filtering or just pretending to, while he submitted to regular blood draws, nostril scrapes, and breathing tests, to help figure out whether the working machines improved chronic obstructive pulmonary disease beyond the placebo effect. (Boodman, 8/8)

MedPage Today: Trump Plan For Tariffs On Imported Drugs Draws Criticism On All Sides 
President Trump's plan to levy tariffs on imported pharmaceuticals is drawing criticism from all sides of the political spectrum. "Domestic manufacturing matters, but doing it by taxing patients through tariffs is the wrong move," Natasha Murphy, MSPH, director of health policy at the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning Washington think tank, said in an email to MedPage Today. "These costs won't be eaten by drugmakers and instead will be passed on to families in the form of higher premiums and tighter formularies ... This is Trump's tariff-first playbook at work, and it puts affordability and access at risk." "All tariffs are a bad idea," Michael Baker, MS, director of healthcare policy at the American Action Forum, a right-leaning Washington think tank, said in a phone interview. (Frieden, 8/7)

Politico: Federal Judge Orders Two-Week Construction Pause At ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ 
A federal judge Thursday ruled construction must temporarily stop at “Alligator Alcatraz” as hearings challenging the Everglades-based detention center’s environmental impact continue. District Judge Kathleen Williams ordered the state to, at the very least, stop installing additional lighting, infrastructure, pavement, filling or fencing and to halt excavation for 14 days. She called the request for the temporary restraining order from the plaintiffs, which represent environmental groups, “pretty reasonable” to prevent further interruption to the ecosystem. The judge, an Obama-era appointee, said the plaintiffs had introduced evidence of “ongoing environmental harms.” (Leonard, 8/7)

'MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN'

CNN: Beating MAHA To The Punch, The American Heart Association Releases Its Guidelines On Ultraprocessed Food 
Step aside, MAHA. The country’s largest heart-health organization has just released its long-awaited guidelines for the consumption of ultraprocessed foods, or UPFs. The new scientific advisory statement from the American Heart Association comes just days before the arrival of the second “Make America Healthy Again” or MAHA Commission report, spearheaded by US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (LaMotte, 8/7)

CNN: Former FDA Chief Challenges Agency To Bar Certain Ultraprocessed Food Ingredients 
In a petition filed Wednesday, the former FDA commissioner, Dr. David Kessler, argued that the agency has the authority to declare that certain sweeteners, refined flours and other additives are not “generally recognized as safe.” Removing that designation, known as GRAS, would force makers of ultraprocessed foods to remove products from the market and reformulate recipes — or try to prove that those ingredients are not harmful. (Owermohle and LaMotte, 8/7)

VACCINES

Stat: Kennedy’s MRNA Decision Poses National Security Risk, Experts Say 
Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s decision this week to discontinue funding of the development of messenger RNA vaccines has alarmed scientists, who have warned that it will leave the country far less prepared for future pandemics. But it is also a matter of national security. (Branswell, 8/7)

Roll Call: Cassidy Says Canceled Vaccine Research Needed To Fight Pandemics 
The chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee denounced a decision by the federal government to phase out mRNA vaccine development, warning that could hurt pandemic preparedness. Others say it the harm will go beyond that, to potentially damage domestic biosecurity. (Cohen, 8/7)

The New York Times: On Vaccines, RFK Jr. Has Broken Sharply With The Mainstream 
Even before Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took office in February as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, some public health experts worried he might use his influence to carry out an anti-vaccine agenda he’d spent decades promoting. In the worst-case scenario, they said, he might dismiss experts on whom the government relies to make sound decisions about immunizations and enact policies restricting access. He might cancel important research that would be needed in a future pandemic. In less than six months, Mr. Kennedy has done all that and more. (Mandavilli, 8/7)

The Wall Street Journal: GSK To Receive $370 Million In U.S. Patent Litigation Settlement
GSK said it would receive $370 million as part of a U.S. patent settlement between CureVac and BioNTech related to messenger mRNA-based Covid-19 vaccines. The U.K. pharmaceutical giant said Friday that, under the terms of an existing license agreement with CureVac, it would receive an upfront payment of $320 million in cash, with the rest of the money through an amendment to the deal with CureVac. It will also receive a 1% royalty on future U.S. sales of influenza, Covid-19 and other related combination mRNA vaccine products made by BioNTech and Pfizer. (Goriainoff, 8/8)

WEIGHT LOSS DRUGS

The New York Times: Pill Causes Major Weight Loss In Eli Lilly Trial’s Results 
People who were overweight or had obesity lost a substantial amount of weight after taking a daily pill made by Eli Lilly, the company reported on Wednesday. The pharmaceutical manufacturer will be applying to the Food and Drug Administration by the end of this year for marketing approval for the medication, which would provide an alternative to injectable drugs that produce weight loss and are already on the market. Eli Lilly plans “a large investment,” in manufacturing the drug, orforglipron, said Kenneth Custer, executive vice president at Lilly and president of Lilly Cardiometabolic Health. (Kolata, 8/7)

The Wall Street Journal: Why A Weight-Loss Pill Is Still A Big Deal 
Lilly’s pill could be a commercial breakthrough, not because it is more potent, but because it is more accessible. A once-daily oral drug that requires no refrigeration and is easier to manufacture could dramatically expand the market. It could be prescribed more readily by primary-care doctors, shipped like any other medication and used in global regions where injectables remain impractical. It might also attract patients who avoid needles or those with milder obesity looking for a simpler, longer-term maintenance option. (Wainer, 8/8)

HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY

The Baltimore Sun: UMMC Residents And Fellows Ratify First Union Contract
Residents and fellows at the University of Maryland Medical Center voted unanimously Thursday to ratify their first-ever union contract, after months of negotiations. (Schumer, 8/7)

Wyoming Public Radio: A Hospital Opens In Rural Wyoming Amid State, Federal Budget Cuts 
Before this week, every county in Wyoming had a hospital – except Sublette County. But as of this week, that’s changed. On Monday morning, the doors to the Sublette County Hospital unlocked. (Tan, 8/7)

St. Louis Public Radio: New VA Clinic Is Coming To Rolla 
A new Veterans Administration health clinic is under construction in Rolla with the goal of improving health care for veterans throughout the region. The new clinic will be 75,000 square feet, nearly 10 times as big as the facility in St. James it will replace. It will be able to accommodate 20,000 patients a year. (Ahl, 8/8)

Military.com: VA To End Bargaining Agreement Contracts With Most Unions
The Department of Veterans Affairs announced Wednesday it was ending collective bargaining agreements with most federal unions -- a move that affects roughly 80% of its total workforce. Members of the American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO, the National Association of Government Employees, the National Federation of Federal Employees, the National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United and the Service Employees International Union will no longer have the labor protections negotiated by their organizations. (Kime, 8/7)

Becker's Hospital Review: The Health Systems Betting Big On Centralized Pharmacy Hubs
A growing number of health systems are investing heavily in centralized service centers to help reduce costs, address drug shortages and streamline operations. In March, Indianapolis-based Eskenazi Health opened a $10 million, 32,000-square-foot central fulfillment center designed to fill 60% of the health system’s prescriptions over the next five years. The facility relies on automation to handle high volumes of prescriptions and aims to reduce staff burdens by routing non-urgent prescription fulfillment away from in-store pharmacists. (Murphy, 8/7)

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Becker's Hospital Review: OpenAI Releases New Model With Health Focus
On Aug. 7, OpenAI released GPT-5 — its latest AI model — which the company says includes significant improvements in addressing health-related questions. The model performs considerably better than previous versions on HealthBench, a benchmark that uses real-world scenarios and physician-defined criteria, according to OpenAI. (Diaz, 8/7)

Fierce Healthcare: Altman Touts Benefit Of GPT-5 For Healthcare
OpenAI released its most advanced reasoning model, GPT-5, which it touts as its most useful model for healthcare. The application of ChatGPT for healthcare played a leading role in the company’s Summer Update meeting on Thursday, during which it did live demos of the upgraded model. (Beavins, 8/7)

STATE WATCH

WLRN Public Media: Federal Investigation Of South Florida Pill Mill Ring Raises Questions About State Oversight 
More than a decade ago, Florida legislators passed laws to regulate so-called pill mills that once dominated the state and fueled the opioid crisis across the country. The regulations slashed the number of pain clinics operating in the state. But a recent federal investigation into a South Florida opioid distribution ring highlights potential gaps in the state's oversight. (Shore, 8/8)

Los Angeles Times: A Proposed California Bill Aims To Safeguard HIV-Prevention Coverage
State lawmakers are considering a bill meant to protect access to HIV prevention drugs for insured Californians as threats from the federal government continue. Assembly Bill 554 would require health plans and insurers to cover all antiretroviral drugs used for PrEP and PEP regimens. The drugs just have to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration, and would not require prior authorization. The bill would also prevent health plans from forcing patients to first try a less expensive drug before choosing a more expensive, specialty option. (Beason, 8/7)

St. Louis Public Radio: Missouri Constitutional Amendment Could Reinstate Sick Leave 
Missouri workers have 21 days left until a voter-approved law mandating paid sick leave goes away. In November, Missouri voters passed Proposition A, which raised the minimum wage and allowed employees to earn paid sick leave. It passed with nearly 58% of the vote. (Kellogg, 8/8)

The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer: Ohio Woman Gives Birth To Quintuplets 
An Ohio couple just saw their family’s numbers take a big jump. Betsy Santiso gave birth to quintuplets Monday at OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, according to a news release from OhioHealth healthcare system. (Pinckard, 8/8)

The Colorado Sun: Nearly One-Third Of Colorado Kids Say They Can Access A Loaded Gun
Nearly one-third of kids in Colorado say they could access a loaded firearm without adult permission, according to a new study by researchers at the Colorado School of Public Health. (Ingold, 8/8)

OUTBREAKS AND HEALTH THREATS

WUSF: 'Flesh-Eating Bacteria' Causes A Second Death In Bay County, Health Department Reports 
A second person in Bay County has died this year from Vibrio vulnificus, the so-called “flesh-eating” bacterium, according to the Florida Department of Health. The death, recorded within the past three weeks, brings the state total to five. On July 15, the agency’s website lists one death each in Bay, Hillsborough, Broward and St. Johns counties. (Mayer, 8/7)

San Francisco Chronicle: TB Exposure At Cache Creek Casino Prompts Health Alert
Cache Creek Casino Resort in Yolo County issued a public health alert after confirming a case of contagious tuberculosis linked to its property. In coordination with the California Department of Public Health and the Yolo County Health and Human Services Agency, the resort said it is conducting contact tracing to identify and notify people who may have been exposed. (Vaziri, 8/7)

The Wall Street Journal: Measles Treatments Once Deemed Unnecessary Are Research Focus As Vaccine Rates Fall 
As a record number of people in the U.S. are sickened with measles, researchers are resurrecting the search for something long-deemed redundant: treatments for the viral disease. After the measles vaccine was introduced in the 1960s, cases of the disease plummeted. By 2000, federal officials had declared measles eliminated from the U.S. This success led to little interest in the development of treatments. But now, as vaccination rates fall and infections rise, scientists are racing to develop drugs they say could prevent or treat the disease in vulnerable and unvaccinated people.  (Mosbergen, 8/8)