First Edition: Friday, Feb. 21, 2025

KFF Health News: GOP Takes Aim At Medicaid, Putting Enrollees And Providers At Risk
Medicaid is under threat — again. Republicans, who narrowly control Congress, are pushing proposals that could sharply cut funding to the government health insurance program for poor and disabled Americans, as a way to finance President Donald Trump’s agenda for tax cuts and border security. Democrats, hoping to block the GOP’s plans and preserve Medicaid funding, are rallying support from hospitals, governors, and consumer advocates. (Galewitz, 2/21)

KFF Health News: KFF Health News’ ‘What The Health?’: Medicaid In The Crosshairs, Maybe
President Donald Trump has said he won’t support major cuts to the Medicaid health insurance program for people with low incomes, but he has endorsed a House budget plan that calls for major cuts, leaving the program’s future in doubt. Meanwhile, thousands of workers at the Department of Health and Human Services were fired over the holiday weekend, from the National Institutes of Health, the FDA, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with possibly more cuts to come. (Rovner, 2/19)

The Washington Post: CDC Vaccine Advisory Panel Meeting Postponed Indefinitely
The Trump administration has directed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to indefinitely postpone a public meeting of its vaccine advisory panel, a key forum for the nation’s discussion of information about vaccine safety and effectiveness. The decision came Thursday from officials at the Department of Health and Human Services, CDC’s parent agency, led by anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. who has long criticized the panel and the CDC. (Sun and Nirappil, 2/20)

Fierce Healthcare: Trump Cuts Long COVID, Health Equity Committees In New EO
President Donald Trump has terminated two advisory committees within the Department of Health and Human Services, one on long COVID and another on health equity at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The advisory committees were cut in an executive order released late Wednesday night, Commencing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy," that broadly seeks to cut “unnecessary” programs to decrease government waste and lower inflation. The order targets advisory committees and programs across federal agencies. (Beavins, 2/20)

Politico: RFK Jr. Prepares Shake-Up Of Vaccine Advisers
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is preparing to remove members of the outside committees that advise the federal government on vaccine approvals and other key public health decisions, according to two people familiar with the planning. Kennedy plans to replace members who he perceives to have conflicts of interest, as part of a widespread effort to minimize what he’s criticized as undue industry influence over the nation’s health agencies, said one of the people, who were granted anonymity to speak freely. (Cancryn, Gardner and Lim, 2/20)

Bloomberg: Lawyer Kyle Diamantas Will Become Top Food Regulator At FDA
Attorney Kyle Diamantas is expected to be announced as the new deputy commissioner for human foods at the US Food and Drug Administration following his predecessor’s resignation earlier this week, sources familiar with the decision said. Diamantas is registered as an attorney in Florida, and is currently listed as a special assistant in the FDA commissioner’s office, according to the Department of Health and Human Services’ employee directory. (Cohrs Zhang, Shanker and Edney, 2/20)

Stat: Trump NIH Research Cuts: What's At Stake In Friday's Court Hearing 
A federal judge will hear arguments on Friday in the first hearing on three separate lawsuits filed to block the Trump administration’s plan to sharply cut the amount the National Institutes of Health pays universities and other research institutions for overhead costs. (Oza, 2/20)

Politico: DOGE Cancels Federal Contract For 9/11 Research
News that the Trump administration canceled a $257,000 federal contract for research on 9/11-related diseases drew widespread condemnation Thursday among New York Democrats. The contract would have paid for data processing work to compare cancer incidence rates among firefighters exposed to the World Trade Center toxins to firefighters in three other U.S. cities who were not exposed. (Kaufman, 2/20)

MedPage Today: Researchers Refuse To Alter Patient Safety Papers To Comply With Trump Orders
Some researchers who have published on a government patient safety website are refusing to alter their reports to comply with Trump administration executive orders around language, leaving them offline. Gordon Schiff, MD, of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, is the author of a 2022 case report and commentary on suicide risk assessment that includes a line noting several groups at high risk of suicide, including the LGBTQ community. Rather than remove the line, the piece remains off the Patient Safety Network site, which is part of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). (Henderson, 2/20)

Stat: National Academies Replacing Words In Pending Reports, Some Members Say
The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine is scrubbing pending reports of words such as “health equity,” “marginalized populations,” and “restorative justice” and replacing them with vaguer terms in an effort to appease the Trump administration, according to a letter protesting the actions sent to the organization’s leaders and obtained by STAT. (McFarling, 2/20)

AP: Kids’ Disability Rights Cases Stalled As Trump Began To Overhaul Education Department
It was obvious to Christine Smith Olsey that her son was not doing well at school, despite educators telling her to leave it to the experts. The second-grade student stumbled over words, and other kids teased him so much he started to call himself “an idiot.” Though her son had been receiving speech and occupational therapy, Smith Olsey said his Denver charter school resisted her requests for additional academic support. She filed a complaint with the state and then, in September, the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights. In January, her son’s case came to a halt. (Hollingsworth, Binkley and Ma, 2/20)

ABC News: Drug Overdose Deaths Fall In 2023 For 1st Time Since Pandemic Began: CDC
Rates of drug overdose deaths decreased in the United States for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began, according to new federal data published early Thursday. The rate of overdose deaths fell from 32.6 deaths per 100,000 people in 2022 to 31.3 per 100,000 people in 2023, a 4% decrease, according to the report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics. (Kekatos, 2/20)

Modern Healthcare: DOJ Charges Marketers With $162M Exchange Fraud Scam
The U.S. Justice Department alleges two insurance marketers defrauded the federal government of $161.9 million by improperly signing up low-income consumers in subsidized health insurance exchange plans. Federal investigators charged Cory Lloyd, 46, of Stuart, Florida, and Steven Strong, 42, of Mansfield, Texas, with conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and commit wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud and two counts of money laundering, the agency announced in a news release Thursday. If convicted, Lloyd and Strong could face up to 35 years in prison, according to the release. (Tepper, 2/20)

The Baltimore Sun: Luigi Mangione Due In Court Friday As New Website Raises Questions About His Defense Strategy
When last seen publicly in December in a Manhattan courtroom, Luigi Mangione both pleaded not guilty to murder and spawned a sellout of the burgundy sweater he was wearing. Since then, the 26-year-old Towson native and 2016 Gilman valedictorian accused of killing Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, has been the silent center of a much-watched case, an outlaw hero to some who share his apparent rage at the health insurance industry. But the silence is lifting. Not only is Mangione due in court again on Friday for a pretrial hearing, his defense lawyers last week launched a website to deliver a statement from him, provide links to the criminal cases against him in three different courts (along with maps to the courthouses for upcoming hearings) and answer questions such as how to contribute to his defense fund (GiveSendGo) or send him photos (Shutterfly and FreePrints). (Marbella, 2/20)

Modern Healthcare: CVS Health, Emory Expand MinuteClinic Primary Care Services
CVS Health's MinuteClinic is collaborating with Emory Healthcare Network to extend primary care services to more patients in Georgia. With the new partnership, MinuteClinic now offers in-network primary care services at all 35 clinics in the state to most payers through Emory's integrated network. Patients also have access to Emory's network of acute care, specialty care, labs, radiology and diagnostic services, according to a Thursday news release. (Hudson, 2/20)

Modern Healthcare: HCA, Community Health Systems Battle High Specialist Fees
The high cost of employing third-party specialists is expected to create more financial headaches for health systems this year, despite ongoing work to mitigate the impact. Health systems often enlist third-party staffing companies and independent practices to fill openings for hospital-based physicians in specialties such as emergency medicine and anesthesiology. (Hudson, 2/20)

Axios: Global Warming Has Deadly Toll On Hospitals, Study Says
Heat waves can gum up hospitals enough to bring deadly consequences even beyond patients directly afflicted, a new study finds. It's the first estimate of extreme heat that "unpacks the direct from the indirect effects that arise due to hospital congestion," it states. (Geman, 2/20)

St. Louis Public Radio: Trial To Decide Missouri’s Abortion Ban Set For Next Year 
A judge in Kansas City has scheduled a trial for early next year that could permanently overturn Missouri’s abortion ban. Late last week, preliminary orders from Jackson County Judge Jerri Zhang put a temporary hold on licensing restrictions, clearing the way for abortions to resume in Missouri. Zhang had previously put a hold on the state’s ban after Missourians in November passed a ballot initiative to protect the right to an abortion. But a full trial – now scheduled for January 2026 – is still needed to make those changes permanent. (Fentem, 2/20)

Health News Florida: Florida Bill Would Create Medicaid Exception To 'Step Therapy' For Psychiatric Medications 
A Senate committee Wednesday approved a proposal that supporters said would help Medicaid beneficiaries with mental illnesses get prescription drugs they need. The Senate Health Policy Committee unanimously approved the proposal (SB 264), which Sen. Gayle Harrell, R-Stuart, has filed for the legislative session that will start March 4. (2/20)

News Service of Florida: Florida Lawmakers Could Open Door For 'Granny Cams' In Nursing Homes
Amid debate about issues such as privacy and protecting vulnerable seniors, a House panel Thursday approved a proposal that would require nursing homes and assisted living facilities to allow video cameras and other electronic monitoring devices in residents’ rooms. Some nursing homes and assisted living facilities already allow family members and other representatives of residents to install what are often known as “granny cams” in rooms. (Saunders, 2/21)

The Hill: New York Sues Major Vape Companies For Targeting Kids, Teens
New York is suing some of the largest vape distributors for allegedly fueling the country’s youth vaping epidemic. New York Attorney General Letitia James announced the lawsuit against 13 major e-cigarette manufacturers, distributors and retailers for illegally marketing and selling popular flavored vape brands like Puff Bar and Elf Bar to minors. Selling flavored nicotine vapes has been banned in New York since 2020, but the products can still be found in corner stores and smoke shops in the city. (O’Connell-Domenech, 2/20)

The New York Times: Will New York Force More Mentally Ill People Into Treatment?
It is a nightmare that plays out on the streets and subways every few months: A homeless person with a history of mental illness or violence falls through the cracks or wanders away from the system intended to help him, surfaces in a psychotic rage and attacks a random New Yorker. Though they make up a tiny fraction of crimes, the unpredictable attacks feed perceptions that the city is unsafe and stir demands for action. (Oreskes and Newman, 2/21)

CBS News: Colorado Bill Protecting Disabled People From Institutionalization Advances
Protection from institutionalization for disabled people is a right that has been federally guaranteed since a 1999 Supreme Court case. Now, Colorado disability advocates are one step closer to getting that right enshrined into state law, with a bill that passed a Colorado House of Representatives committee this week. (Young, 2/20)

AP: Workers And Labor Unions Take A Stand For The Right To Sit Down
Standing for long periods can lead to low back pain, fatigue, muscle pain and leg swelling, and it can increase the risk of cardiovascular problems and pregnancy complications, according to a review conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. ... Being on one’s feet for an extended time also can lead to chronic venous insufficiency, a disease in which damaged veins impact blood circulation, according to the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses, which represents operating room nurses. (Bussewitz, 2/20)

The New York Times: Dairy Workers May Have Passed Bird Flu To Pet Cats, CDC Study Suggests 
Two dairy workers in Michigan may have transmitted bird flu to their pet cats last May, suggests a new study published on Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In one household, infected cats may also have passed the virus to other people in the home, but limited evidence makes it difficult to ascertain the possibility. (Anthes and Mandavilli, 2/20)

The Washington Post: Women Have A Higher Risk For Long Covid. Estrogen May Play A Role
Women have a higher risk of developing long covid than men, depending on their stage of life and whether they have experienced menopause, according to a new nationwide study from RECOVER, the long covid research initiative funded by the National Institutes of Health. The research, published in January, studied over 12,000 adults and found that overall, female participants had a 31 percent higher risk of developing long covid after an infection with the coronavirus than male counterparts. (Morris, 2/20)

NPR: As Measles Cases Rise In The U.S., Some Adults May Need A Vaccine Booster
A measles outbreak in West Texas is continuing to spread. And with kindergarten vaccination rates dipping across the country, more communities may be at risk of outbreaks. But it's not just kids who should be vaccinated. Infectious disease experts say some adults may need to get revaccinated, too. Measles can spread incredibly fast — it's one of the world's most contagious diseases, more than flu, polio, Covid, or just about any other infectious disease. (Godoy, 2/21)

Stat: Anti-Vaxxer Politics See A Surge Among European Populist Parties, Too
Countries with high uptake of the HPV vaccine, which protects against a virus that causes certain tumors, have seen dramatic reductions in cervical cancer. It’s why, in Austria, for example, providers are trying to offer it to as many people as possible. But at a cancer prevention event in the country’s capital over the weekend, there was a particular sense of urgency to administer free shots. An initiative to provide the vaccines to people under 30, when usually they’re available to people under 21, is set to lapse at the end of the year. (Joseph, 2/21)

CIDRAP: WHO: Global Cholera Cases Declined 27% In January
The number of new cholera cases is down worldwide to start the year, despite a new outbreak in Angola, according to the latest update from the World Health Organization (WHO). As of January 26, a total of 34,799 new cholera cases were reported in 19 countries across three WHO regions, marking a 27% decrease from December 2024. (Dall, 2/20)

Newsweek: Blind Children See After 'Remarkable' Rare Eye Disorder Breakthrough
Children with a rare form of eye disorder who were born blind can now see thanks to a "remarkable" gene therapy breakthrough. Researchers from London's Moorfields Eye Hospital, biotech firm MeiraGTx and University College London have demonstrated that their therapy is both safe and effective in improving the vision of and slowing retinal deterioration in young patients born with "LCA-AIPL1." This previously untreatable genetic disorder, which affects some 2–3 of every 10 million newborns, leads to profound visual impairments and legal blindness. (Randall, 2/21)