First Edition: Friday, March 13, 2026

KFF HEALTH NEWS ORIGINAL STORIES

KFF Health News: Medicare Advantage ‘Dark Money’ Group Attempts To Win Higher Payments For Insurance Companies 
Judging by more than 16,400 comments recently posted on a federal government website, you’d think there was a groundswell of older Americans demanding that federal officials hike payments to their Medicare Advantage health insurance plans. Yet about 82% of the comments are identical to a letter that appeared on the website of a secretive advocacy group called Medicare Advantage Majority, a data analysis by KFF Health News has found. (Schulte, Rosenfeld and Hilzenrath, 3/13)

KFF Health News: Doctors Warn Of A Deadly Complication From Measles Outbreaks
The first sign came when Deepanwita Dasgupta was 5 and started stumbling more while playing at her home in Bangalore in southern India. The girl was always up to something, so her parents figured extra bumps and bruises were just symptoms of an active childhood. Maybe, they thought, it was ill-fitting shoes. Relatives described the unicorn-loving child as smart, affectionate, and occasionally rascally. Before she learned the alphabet, she had figured out how to find her favorite show, Blippi, on a phone. She was known to sneak butter from the fridge to enjoy a few finger licks. (Bichell, 3/13)

KFF Health News: Families Scramble To Pay Five-Figure Bills As Clock Ticks On Promised Preauthorization Reforms
Sheldon Ekirch is used to being disappointed by her health insurance company. That’s why Ekirch, 31, of Henrico, Virginia, was stunned when she learned Anthem would finally have to pay for life-changing medical treatment. For two years, she had battled the company to cover blood plasma infusions called intravenous immunoglobulin, or IVIG. The treatment has been shown, in some cases, to improve symptoms associated with small-fiber neuropathy, a condition that makes Ekirch’s limbs feel like they’re on fire. (Sausser, 3/13)

KFF Health News: 'What The Health? From KFF Health News': RFK Jr.’s Very Bad Week 
It’s been a tough week for Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. In addition to Kennedy having surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff, personnel issues continue to plague the department: The nominee to become surgeon general, an ally of Kennedy’s, may lack the votes for Senate confirmation. The controversial head of the Food and Drug Administration’s vaccine center will be resigning next month. And a new survey finds Americans have less trust in HHS leaders now than they did during the pandemic. (3/12)

VACCINES

CIDRAP: FDA Vaccine Advisers Recommend Adding Subclade K To Fall Shots 
Although the United States officially left the World Health Organization (WHO) in January, US scientists have continued to collaborate with international researchers to track the evolution of influenza viruses. [On Thursday,] the Vaccine and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) unanimously endorsed the WHO’s recommendation for viral strains to include in flu shots starting this fall. The final decision will be made by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Martin Makary, MD, MPH. (Szabo, 3/12)

MedPage Today: CDC Studies Suggest Slumping Flu Shot Protection 
This season's influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE) rates against outpatient visits and hospitalizations may be lower than last season's, pushed in part by a viral mismatch between the vaccine virus and circulating strains, according to an interim CDC analysis. Based on U.S. surveillance network data from September 2025 to February 2026, estimated VE rates against influenza A- and B-related outpatient visits for adults ranged from 22% to 34%, and 30% to 41% for those ages 65 and older specifically, while rates against hospitalizations reached 30% and 31%, respectively, reported Patrick Maloney, PhD, of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, and colleagues. (Rudd, 3/12)

Stat: Are Vaccines A Political Winner? A Look At The MAGA, MAHA Divide 
White House officials are steering the Trump administration away from vaccine reform, fearing the political consequences of emphasizing a relatively unpopular issue in a key election year. But the Make America Healthy Again movement, led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — a health secretary with a history of anti-vaccine activism — isn’t going along without a fight. (Payne and Cirruzzo, 3/13)

MEASLES

Wired: The South Carolina Measles Outbreak Is Slowing Down 
A large measles outbreak in South Carolina is finally showing signs of slowing down as the total number of cases in the state nears 1,000. For several weeks now, the state has experienced a downward trend in new infections, with approximately 10 cases being reported per week. At its peak in mid-January, the state was reporting around 200 new cases a week. (Mullin, 3/11)

The Colorado Sun: Measles Outbreak In Colorado Now Up To As Many As 10 Cases
The measles outbreak tied to two schools in Broomfield is now up to as many as 10 cases, with two new confirmed infections and one suspected infection reported Thursday. (Ingold, 3/12)

KOIN: Oregon Health Authority Warns Of New Measles Exposure At Portland Area Grocery Store
Another measles case has been confirmed—this time at a popular grocery in Gresham. The Oregon Health Authority and Multnomah County health officials are urging anyone who was at WinCo Foods at 2511 SE 1st St. in Gresham between 2 and 5 p.m. on March 7 to contact a healthcare provider, as they may have been exposed to the measles virus. (Rhoades, 3/12)

ABC News: A Teen Girl's Harrowing Journey With Measles Highlights How Serious The Virus Can Be For The Immunocompromised 
Makayla Skjerva, a North Dakota 14-year-old, contracted measles after being exposed at school in February. Makayla, who is immunocompromised, fell seriously ill. (Kekatos, 3/13)

The Seattle Times: How One WA County Is Racing To Curb The Spread Of Measles 
Three cases became six, then 10, then 12. Here's an inside look at what's been happening to track exposures, test residents and persuade people to quarantine. (Takahama, 3/11)

ON CAPITOL HILL

Politico: Trump’s Silence Leaves Housing Affordability Bill In Limbo 
A Senate bill aimed at making housing more affordable should be a slam-dunk for Republicans’ affordability message. Instead, it’s exposing GOP disarray on the very cost-of-living issues voters care most about in an election year. The bipartisan legislation sailed through the Senate Thursday, but its future in the House remains uncertain amid demands from GOP hard-liners for major changes. President Donald Trump could step in to break the impasse between the two chambers by expressing support for the Senate’s work — but so far has shown little interest in helping advance a centerpiece of the party’s efforts to address rising costs ahead of the midterms. (Hapgood and Carney, 3/12)

HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY

Stat: Medicare Advantage Overpayments To Hit $76 Billion This Year
This year, the federal government is expected to pay 14% more to cover people in a Medicare Advantage plan than if those same people were enrolled in traditional Medicare — a $76 billion surplus for health insurance companies, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission said in its new annual report released Thursday. (Herman, 3/12)

WUSF: Health Insurance Costs Spark Interest In Religious Cost-Shares 
Enrollment in religious, cost-share ministries is on the rise. The groups, which are typically backed by small Mennonite churches, pool their money to cover medical costs for members. Joann Volk, a research professor who studies the health care insurance market at Georgetown University, said the alternative plans tend to be popular among patients seeking a more affordable option than health insurance. (Paul, 3/13)

Chicago Tribune: Lurie Reveals Location Of New Downers Grove Hospital
Lurie Children’s Hospital is planning to build its new pediatric hospital on now-vacant land in Downers Grove near the intersection of I-88 and I-355, hospital leaders revealed at a community meeting Thursday evening. (Schencker, 3/12)

Kansas City Star: KU Med Lawsuits Allege Deaths Linked To Contaminated Open-Heart Surgery Devices
Ron Wood’s open-heart surgery at The University of Kansas Hospital to replace an aortic valve in 2019 couldn’t have gone better. “It went fantastic,” said his wife, Thelma. “He felt just as good as he’s felt in any day of his life ... he could really walk a long way without getting out of breath or having any kind of complications.” But in 2021, his condition began to deteriorate. (Thomas, 3/10)

The New York Times: Two People Die After Paid Plasma Donation At Clinics In Canada 
Canada health officials are investigating the deaths of two people who donated plasma at for-profit clinics in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The deaths occurred just over three months apart. One person was a 22-year-old international student studying to become a social worker, while the other’s identity was not known. Health Canada, the federal department that regulates plasma clinics, said it had received reports from the clinics where the donations took place about deadly adverse reactions after procedures in October 2025 and January 2026. The clinics are required to report such events. (Isai and Rabin, 3/11)

The Wall Street Journal: Microsoft’s New AI Health Tool Can Read Your Medical Records And Give Advice
Microsoft is betting on healthcare as a path to become more competitive in artificial intelligence. The company’s biggest push yet: a new tool it describes as an AI concierge doctor—one that can access your medical records and health data, with your consent. The company on Thursday unveiled Copilot Health, a feature within the Copilot app that lets the chatbot dispense personalized healthcare advice informed by the user’s disease history, test results, medications, doctors’ visit notes and biometric data as recorded by wearable devices. (Herrera, 3/12)

Healthcare Dive: Developers Stand To Lose IT Certification If Found Information Blocking 
Ease of health data exchange is a top priority for the nation’s health IT regulator, and the agency is taking steps to sanction companies that block the free flow of information, according to Dr. Thomas Keane, assistant secretary for technology policy and the national coordinator for health information technology. The ASTP/ONC is in the process of issuing notices of nonconformity to IT developers accused of information blocking who participate in the agency’s health IT certification program, the first potential enforcement action in nearly a decade since Congress banned information blocking. (Olsen, 3/12)

HEALTH CARE WORKERS

The New York Times: Culture At Columbia Shielded Sexual Assault By Physician, Report Finds 
Two prominent doctors from Columbia University and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital stepped down on Tuesday after a report found that staff members were discouraged from reporting abuse committed by Robert Hadden, who sexually assaulted hundreds of patients while employed at both institutions. One of the executives, Dr. Mary D’Alton, a leader of the obstetrics and gynecology programs at Columbia and NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia, was Mr. Hadden’s supervisor and vouched for his character even after he was accused of assaulting a patient in 2012 and detained by the police. (Meko and Otterman, 3/10)

Boston.com: Massachusetts Neurologist On Probation After Lewd Behavior In His Office
A Springfield neurologist was slapped with a five-year probation after fellow employees at Baystate Health saw him masturbating inside his office, according to recently unredacted records from the state’s medical board. (Patkin, 3/12)

WLWT5: First Responders Recognized For Helping Woman Who Collapsed During President Trump's Event
Assistant Fire Chief Chris Black was among those who helped when a woman fainted just behind the president. "After we removed the first patient out to the ambulance, we got about four back-to-back medical calls," he said. Dr. Mehmet Oz went along with them. "Dr. Oz said, 'Take me with you to the next one.' So, we bounced around different calls, and he was extremely helpful," Black said. After the event, as responders were getting ready to leave, another surprise, Dr. Oz brought them with him to meet the president. (Kershaw, 3/12)

The Wall Street Journal: What Will Happen When All The Male Therapists Are Gone? 
When Martin Seligman, bestselling author, professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and one of the most influential figures in the field, became a psychologist in the mid-1960s, the ratio of men to women in the field was 80 to 20. Today, that ratio has flipped. “The main consequence of the feminization of psychology is the topics that are worked on,” says Seligman. “From the 1960s through the 1980s, it was aggression, conflict and trauma, but not love, meaning, friendship or cooperation.” Then, in the ‘90s, the prevailing areas of research flipped, becoming less violent and more humane. (Paul, 3/12)

ORGAN TRANSPLANTS

ABC News: Woman With Stage 4 Cancer Has 'No Evidence Of Disease' After Life-Changing Transplant 
A woman with cancer that spread to her liver is getting a second chance at life after receiving a partial liver transplant from a living donor. Amy Piccioli told "Good Morning America" doctors have told her she currently has no evidence of the disease three months after she underwent transplant surgery at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago. (Yu, 3/11)

MedPage Today: Organ Donation Guidance From CMS Warns Against Coercion, Rushed Decision-Making
CMS is looking to improve accountability and protections for patients in the U.S. organ donation system. On Wednesday, the agency issued guidance aimed at organ procurement organizations (OPOs) and donor hospitals that reinforces existing federal regulations and strengthens federal oversight. CMS noted in a press release that there have been reports of some OPOs rushing certain aspects of organ donation and procurement, "pressuring families to make decisions during moments of grief." (Henderson, 3/12)

WEIGHT LOSS DRUGS

FiercePharma: Lilly Warns Of 'Impurity' In Some Compounded Tirzepatide Drugs
Eli Lilly warned it has “uncovered significant levels of an impurity” in certain compounded tirzepatide products that include vitamin B12. (Kansteiner, 3/12)

The New York Times: When Weight-Loss Drugs Don’t Work 
Drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound have been hailed as miracle treatments. But one in 10 people are what scientists call “non-responders.” (Bajaj and Blum, 3/12)

STATE WATCH

MedPage Today: Florida Close To Licensing Naturopaths
Florida looks to be the latest state to license naturopathic doctors (NDs), albeit not without serious concerns from medical organizations. Legislation to license and regulate NDs has moved through the Florida Legislature, passing its Senate floor vote (33 to 3) last week and its House floor vote (85 to 22) on Wednesday. (Henderson, 3/12)

Iowa Public Radio: Disabled Iowans Say Medicaid Income Caps Limit Their Ability To Work. But Efforts To Remove Barriers Keep Failing
Erica Carter’s job is her passion. For more than a decade, she has worked as a finance manager for the Omaha Nation School District in Nebraska. It’s in one of the lowest income counties in the state. (Krebs, 3/12)

The Texas Tribune: Texas Students With Disabilities Struggle To Qualify For Extra School Voucher Funds
Henry Herzog struggles with ADHD, anxiety and hypersensitivity to crowds and noise. The 7-year-old has a physician’s note to prove it. The medical diagnosis will give Henry priority when Texas decides which students may receive private school vouchers for the 2026-27 school year. (Edison, 3/12)

ProPublica: Nevada Issues Fines For Peptide Injections At RAADFest, Where Two Women Fell Ill
Nevada regulators have fined three people who played a role in offering peptide injections last year at a Las Vegas anti-aging conference where two women became critically ill following treatment. Last month, the Nevada Pharmacy Board levied $10,000 fines against a doctor and a pharmacist who are licensed in California but who don’t have permission to practice in Nevada. It imposed a $5,000 fine against a third man who describes himself as an “integrative health coach” but who doesn’t appear to be a licensed health care practitioner. (Damon, 3/13)

The Hill: California's Zero-Emission Vehicle Law Challenged By Trump Administration In New Lawsuit
The Trump administration announced Thursday the departments of Transportation and Justice have filed a suit against the state of California that argues the state’s zero-emission vehicle and tailpipe greenhouse gas emission rules are superseded by federal law. (Spears, 3/12)

Politico: Newsom Opens Commanding Lead Over Harris In 2028 California Primary Poll 
Gavin Newsom is trouncing Kamala Harris in their home state in a new presidential primary poll by POLITICO and its partners. The California governor leads Harris, the former vice president, 28 percent to 14 percent among voters leaning toward voting in California’s Democratic presidential primary, the UC Berkeley Citrin Center for Public Opinion Research-POLITICO poll found. (Jones, 3/12)

GUN VIOLENCE EPIDEMIC

The Washington Post: Islamic State Sympathizer Opens Fire At Old Dominion University In Virginia, Killing One
A man who once tried to assist the Islamic State opened fire Thursday in a classroom at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, killing one person and injuring two others before students subdued him, according to the FBI, which said the shooting was being investigated as an act of terrorism. The university’s police chief said officers found the suspect dead when they arrived minutes after reports that people were being shot inside Constant Hall, where business classes are held. Officials did not describe how the man, identified as Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, died. (Hermann and Daniels, 3/12)

Austin Current: Surviving A Deadly Shooting: An Austin Mother And Daughter Learn How Trauma Lingers
Ashley Fairleigh sat on her couch in the Sunday morning light, scrolling through the headlines on her phone. National news. State news. Story after story slid past her thumb. Suddenly, she froze. Her stomach lurched. It was March 1. Around 2 a.m. that morning, Fairleigh read, a shooter drove to Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden and fired into the crowds. Two people died at the scene. More than a dozen were injured. Police killed the suspected shooter. (Ball, 3/12)

The Texas Tribune: Texas Firm Pitches Drone Response To School Shootings
On an overcast day in Central Texas, drones buzzed through the halls of an otherwise quiet Champion High School. In place of students, who were still on winter break, the school was filled with law enforcement officials — police officers, sheriffs, state troopers, first responders and even federal officials who gathered to take part in emergency response training with a new technology aimed at preventing mass shootings. (Hartman, 3/12)

PUBLIC HEALTH

The Hill: Viagra Drug Found In ‘Wellness’ Supplement Prompts Nationwide Recall
A New Mexico-based company is recalling one of its supplements after a lab found it to contain the erectile dysfunction drug sildenafil, according to a Wednesday news release from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Sildenafil is the active ingredient in Viagra, which is FDA approved and used by millions of patients – but was not listed on the label of Primal Supplements Group LLC’s product “Volume,” the FDA says. (Tanner, 3/12)

Stat: Cancer Researchers Identify Potential New Target For Solid Tumors 
Jim Wells, a biologist at the University of California San Francisco, was studying proteins on the surface of cancer cells when he noticed one that wasn’t supposed to be there. This protein, called Src, should only be tucked inside cells. (Chen, 3/12)

NBC News: David Protein Bar Founder Pushes Back After Lawsuit Alleges Company Undercounted Calories
A lawsuit alleging that David protein bars misrepresent their calorie and fat content is drawing comparisons to the movie “Mean Girls.” A class action lawsuit filed in January alleges that the popular bars have more than 400% more fat and 80% more calories than advertised. It has prompted a flurry of recent social media posts referring to the film’s queen-bee character Regina George, who finds out that the “healthy” diet bars she was given are actually making her gain weight, not lose it. Others likened the situation to the “Seinfeld” episode in which the “nonfat” yogurt that everyone’s obsessed with is — spoiler alert — full of fat. (Bennett, 3/12)