First Edition: Friday, May 2, 2025

KFF HEALTH NEWS ORIGINAL STORIES

KFF Health News: Government Watchdog Expects Medicaid Work Requirement Analysis By Fall
The country’s top nonpartisan government watchdog has confirmed it is examining the costs of running the nation’s only active Medicaid work requirement program, as Republican state and federal lawmakers consider similar requirements. The U.S. Government Accountability Office told KFF Health News that its analysis of the Georgia Pathways to Coverage program could be released this fall. (Whitehead and Rayasam, 5/2)

KFF Health News: Montana Lawmakers Approve $124M To Revamp Behavioral Health System
Montana’s frayed behavioral health care system, still recovering from the effects of past budget cuts, will get a shot in the arm after state lawmakers approved sweeping changes to upgrade and expand facilities, increase community services, and revise commitment procedures. Lawmakers backed the bulk of Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte’s multimillion-dollar vision to bolster and expand the system, which has experienced waitlists for care and has been working in recent years to reverse the loss of community-based mental health services and regain federal certification of the state psychiatric hospital, lost in 2022 after a spate of patient deaths. (O'Connell, 5/2)

KFF Health News: Covered California Pushes For Better Health Care As Federal Spending Cuts Loom
Faced with potential federal spending cuts that threaten health coverage and falling childhood vaccination rates, Monica Soni, the chief medical officer of Covered California, has a lot on her plate — and on her mind. California’s Affordable Care Act health insurance exchange covers nearly 2 million residents and 89% of them receive federal subsidies that reduce their premiums. Many middle-income households got subsidies for the first time after Congress expanded them in 2021, which helped generate a boom in enrollment in ACA exchanges nationwide. (Wolfson, 5/2)

KFF Health News: KFF Health News’ ‘What The Health?’: 100 Days Of Health Policy Upheaval
Members of Congress are back in Washington, and Republicans are struggling to find ways to reduce Medicaid spending without cutting benefits. Meanwhile, confusion continues to reign at the Department of Health and Human Services. (Rovner, 5/1)

LGBTQ+ HEALTH

The New York Times: Federal Report Denounces Gender Treatments For Adolescents
Federal health officials published a report on Thursday declaring that the use of hormonal and surgical treatments in young people with gender dysphoria lacked scientific evidence and expressing concern about long-term harms, a stark reversal from previous agency recommendations and the advice of top U.S. medical groups. The report instead prioritized the role of psychotherapy, a divisive intervention to treat gender dysphoria that many advocates and physicians have equated with so-called conversion therapy. (Ghorayshi and Harmon, 5/1)

ProPublica: A Gutted Education Department’s New Agenda: Roll Back Civil Rights Cases, Target Transgender Students
The Trump administration is subverting the traditional priorities of the department’s decimated civil rights office by making discrimination investigations practically impossible — instead enforcing its own anti-diversity campaign. (Richards and Cohen, 5/2)

MEASLES

CBS News: RFK Jr. Asks CDC For New Measles Treatment Guidance Amid His Unfounded Claims
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will ask the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to develop new guidance for treating measles with drugs and vitamins, an HHS spokesperson said. The move comes as Kennedy has faced criticism during this year's record measles outbreaks for remarks misleading people into thinking that measles infections are easily curable and inflating myths about measles vaccines. Vaccination is the only way to prevent the highly infectious disease that can cause serious health complications or death in some cases. (Tin, 5/1)

CBS News: Chicago Public Health Officials Stress Importance Of Vaccines After 2 Cases Confirmed In Cook County
Doctors in the Chicago area are keeping a close eye on measles cases, checking to make sure more aren't reported, after the first two cases of the year were confirmed this week in Cook County. One local agency is stepping up their efforts in the fight against the potentially deadly disease. The Chicago Department of Public Health is increasing the use of public health nurse educators who go to Head Start programs and daycare centers in the city to educate parents and staff about the importance of the measles vaccination. (Le Mignot, 5/1)

MORE FROM THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

AP: Email Discloses HHS Plans To Cut Research Of Child Welfare Programs
The Trump administration could gut research on the effectiveness of child welfare programs, with plans to terminate dozens of university grants studying improvements to Head Start and child care policy, according to a spreadsheet mistakenly made public this week. The document listed more than 150 research projects under consideration for termination by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It covered grants funded by the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, which says it “builds evidence to improve lives” by helping policymakers evaluate programs that help low-income children and families. (Foley, 5/2)

AP: FDA To Rehire Fired Staffers Who Booked Inspection Trips, But Other Workers Remain In Limbo
For the second time in recent months, the Food and Drug Administration is bringing back some recently fired employees, including staffers who handle travel bookings for safety inspectors. More than 20 of the agency’s roughly 60 travel staff will be reinstated, according to two FDA staffers notified of the plan this week, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss confidential agency matters. Food scientists who test samples for bacteria and study potentially harmful chemicals also have been told they will get their jobs back, but have yet to receive any official confirmation. (Perrone, 5/1)

Stat: NIH Halts Funding For Research Projects With Foreign Collaborators 
The National Institutes of Health announced Thursday it will no longer allow subawards to foreign institutions, as part of a national security-minded overhaul to how the agency manages its $47 billion research funding portfolio. The change is likely to cause immediate disruptions to research projects around the world. (Molteni, 5/1)

MedPage Today: Mixing Science And Politics Leads To Trouble, Former NIH Director Says
"When you mix politics and science, you just get politics." Former NIH director Francis Collins, MD, PhD, made that comment Tuesday at an event here sponsored by The Atlantic as he reflected on the lessons he learned from his early experiences during the COVID pandemic. And although the country's political polarization became more evident during that time, the seeds were sown even earlier, during the Obama administration, Collins said. (Frieden, 5/1)

Modern Healthcare: HHS Must Restore Public Comment Policy, Senate, House Dems Demand
Congressional Democrats are intensifying public pressure on the Health and Human Services Department to restore transparency to a swathe of policymaking decisions. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced in February that the department would stop giving public notice or accepting public comments on a wide array of policies. The sudden shift reversed the so-called Richardson waiver policy in place since 1971, under which HHS sought feedback on most of its actions. (Early, 5/1)

ON CAPITOL HILL

Fierce Healthcare: Senators Introduce RPM Access Act To Increase Rural Payment Rate
Wednesday, Senators Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Mark Warner, D-Va., introduced a bill that would increase reimbursement for remote monitoring in rural areas. Representatives David Kustoff, R-Tenn., Mark Pocan D-Wis., Troy Balderson, R-Ohio, and Don Davis, D-N.C., also introduced the Rural Patient Monitoring Access Act in the House, which would expand access to remote patient monitoring in rural areas, where low payment rates discourage providers and RPM companies from providing services. (Beavins, 5/1)

The Hill: House Conservatives Call For Controversial Medicaid Changes In Reconciliation
A group of House conservatives is calling for significant “structural reforms” of Medicaid as part of the Republican reconciliation legislation, illustrating the seemingly intractable differences across GOP factions. In a “Dear Colleague” letter led by Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) and signed by 19 others, the lawmakers said the GOP conference must pursue “meaningful reforms” in reconciliation, including eliminating the enhanced federal matching funds for states that expanded Medicaid. (Weixel, 5/1)

Politico: The White House Wants To Avoid Medicaid Cuts. To GOP Hard-Liners, They’re Essential.
The fate of Republicans’ sweeping domestic policy bill is snagged on a crucial question: Are deep cuts to Medicaid, the federal health care program covering nearly 80 million Americans, something to be avoided? Or are they the whole point of pursuing the legislation? That clash — with the White House on one side and GOP hard-liners in Congress on the other — is now playing out in closed-door meetings and in the hallways of Capitol Hill as the party rushes to write the megabill and potentially cut more than a half-trillion dollars from the safety-net health program over the coming decade. (Cancryn, Leonard and Lee Hill, 5/1)

AFFORDABLE CARE ACT

Stat: Aetna To Abandon Affordable Care Act Insurance Marketplaces, Again 
CVS Health will not sell its Aetna health plans in the Affordable Care Act’s individual marketplaces in 2026, marking the second time in the past decade that Aetna has given up on ACA coverage. (Herman, 5/1)

Fierce Healthcare: CMS Sets Up Fraud Center While Contractor Rolls Out New Tool
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has launched the Fraud Detection Operation Center (FDOC) to fight waste, fraud and abuse, the agency announced this week. Listed on a new webpage are a list of “recent success stories.” They include taking action against improper enrollment in Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans, cracking down on false billing of wound care services and scrutinizing “problematic activities” regarding hospice claims. (Tong, 5/1)

HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY

CBS News: As Crozer Health System Prepares To Shut Down, Patients And Employees Are Devastated
The end is near for Delaware County's largest health system. Thursday was the last full day that Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland was open. Hallways, patient rooms and operating rooms, are now empty as the hospital prepares to shut down permanently at 8 a.m. on Friday. Patients are trying to figure out where to go now to get care. "It's somber," Melanie McKendry, the lead medical assistant at the gynecologic-oncology unit at Crozer Chester Medical Center, said. "It feels like we're at our own funeral, basically." (Wright and Holden, 5/1)

Modern Healthcare: Banner Health Acquires VillageMD Clinics
Walgreens-backed VillageMD is exiting Colorado. Banner Health said Thursday it acquired seven Village Medical primary care clinics and two walk-in sites in the state. Forty-six providers and more than 150 support staff will join Banner, according to a news release. The clinics will be rebranded and integrated into the health system in the coming months, the release said. (Hudson, 5/1)

CBS News: Boston Medical Center Health System Renames Good Samaritan And St. Elizabeth's Hospitals
You will soon see the name Boston Medical Center on two more hospitals in Massachusetts. Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton is being renamed Boston Medical Center - South (BMC South) and St. Elizabeth's Medical Center in Brighton will become Boston Medical Center - Brighton (BMC Brighton). Boston Medical Center Health System made the announcement Thursday. It assumed operations of both hospitals last October after St. Elizabeth's was seized by the state of Massachusetts using eminent domain. (D, 5/1)

Fierce Healthcare: Jill Biden, Milken Institute Team Up For Women's Health Network
The Milken Institute is launching a Women’s Health Network chaired by former first lady Jill Biden.  The network will engage research institutions, startups and entrepreneurs, corporations and businesses, investors, payers, policymakers, patient and community organizations, health systems and philanthropists to advance women's health.  They aim to make headway on understanding and treating conditions that disproportionately impact women such as Alzheimer’s disease, menopause, endometriosis and heart disease. (Beavins, 5/1)

ABC News: Luigi Mangione Attorneys Seek Dismissal Of State Murder Case
Defense attorneys for alleged CEO killer Luigi Mangione said Thursday in a new court filing that the murder indictment a state grand jury returned against him should be dismissed due to double jeopardy and other alleged violations. The indictment should be dismissed "because concurrent state and federal prosecutions violate the Double Jeopardy Clause, the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause and Mr. Mangione's constitutional rights against self-incrimination, to meaningfully defend himself, to a fair and impartial jury and to the effective assistance of counsel," defense attorneys wrote. (Katersky, 5/1)

PHARMA AND TECH

Bloomberg: Obesity Drug Price Wars Heating Up As CVS Picks Novo Over Lilly
The obesity drug price wars are finally starting. After being publicly lambasted for the high cost of their weight-loss shots, two of world’s biggest drugmakers — Eli Lilly & Co. and Novo Nordisk A/S — are racing to lock up deals with drug benefit managers that control which prescriptions many Americans get and popular telehealth companies that sell directly to consumers. Investors are worried about how low prices will go. (Langreth, Muller, and Swetlitz, 5/1)

FiercePharma: Moderna Targets More Cost Cuts Amid Uncertainty Under RFK Jr.
Moderna is extending its cost savings program into 2027 and targeting a cash breakeven point sometime in 2028 as the larger U.S. vaccine market faces new uncertainties under the Trump administration. Moderna aims to reduce its GAAP operating costs by 1.4 billion to $1.7 billion between 2025 and 2027, the company announced Wednesday. The Massachusetts biotech now targets $4.7 billion to $5 billion in GAAP costs in 2027, versus $7.2 billion last year. (Liu, 5/1)

Chicago Tribune: Baxter Expects Tariffs To Cost It $60 To $70 Million This Year
Tariffs will likely cost Deerfield-based Baxter International $60 million to $70 million this year, the company’s chief financial officer said in an earnings call Thursday. Baxter expects to see most of the impact from increased tariffs in the second half of the year, said Joel Grade, Baxter executive vice president and chief financial officer. Baxter makes IV fluids, a number of pharmaceuticals and other hospital products. (Schencker, 5/1)

Becker's Hospital Review: FDA Probes Compounding Pharmacies Over Quality Concerns
The FDA plans to gather information from 250 compounding outsourcing pharmacies amid safety and quality concerns. In a May 1 notice, the agency said it will survey outsourcing facilities about challenges and opportunities related to market and business viability, compliance, quality production and interactions with the FDA. (Twenter, 5/1)

MedPage Today: Nasal Powder For Acute Migraine Gets FDA Nod
The FDA approved dihydroergotamine (DHE) nasal powder (Atzumi) 5.2 mg to treat acute migraine with or without aura in adults, Satsuma Pharmaceuticals announced Wednesday. The product is the only DHE nasal powder for acute migraine, Satsuma said. It uses the Simple MucoAdhesive Release Technology (SMART) platform which combines proprietary powder and device technology to simplify DHE delivery. (George, 5/1)

Modern Healthcare: Seca Launches MBCA Alpha Body Composition Scanner
Medical weighing and measuring technology company seca launched the first compact, portable body composition scanner designed for primary care on Thursday. The mBCA Alpha scanner generates a detailed assessment of a patient’s body composition in 24 seconds, which includes percentages of fat, bone and muscle. Clinicians can use the information to spot early signs of excess body fat, age-related muscle decline and the impact medications like GLP-1s can have on the body, among other factors. (Dubinsky, 5/1)

STATE WATCH

Politico: New York Makes It Easier To Commit People With Severe Mental Illnesses
Gov. Kathy Hochul shored up her public safety agenda this week when state lawmakers agreed to loosen the legal standard for involuntary commitment of the mentally ill — a major victory for the Democrat and a sign that political winds on the issue are shifting to the center. Under the agreement, the state will fund pilot programs that dispatch unarmed first responders to mental health emergencies and will convene at least four panels to review incidents in which responders are accused of using excessive force. (Kaufman, Cordero and Beeferman, 5/1)

CBS News: Medical Malpractice Bill Passes Florida Senate, Possibly Opening Door For People To Pursue Cases Involving Deaths Of Family Members
A day after the issue appeared stalled, the Florida Senate on Thursday gave final approval to a bill that would open the door to some people pursuing medical-malpractice lawsuits over the deaths of family members. The Senate voted 33-4 to pass the bill, which would repeal a long-controversial 1990 law. The House passed the bill (HB 6017) in late March, meaning it is now ready to go to Gov. Ron DeSantis. (5/1)

The Texas Tribune: Vaccine Exemption Bill Advances In Texas House
A Republican-backed bill that could make vaccination exemptions easier to obtain in Texas made it out of the House Public Health Committee on Thursday in a 7-6 vote along party lines. (Langford, 5/1)

CBS News: 1.8 Million Texans Could Lose Current Health Insurance Provider If State Lawmakers Don't Act
More than 125,000 North Texas families could soon lose their current health insurance provider if state lawmakers don't act. In March 2024, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission announced plans to drop the Cook Children's nonprofit Health Plan, along with Texas Children's and Driscoll Children's plans, and award Medicaid contracts to several national, for-profit insurance companies instead. (Vandergriff, 5/1)

CNN: Texas Attorney General Targets Toothpaste Companies Amid Increased Scrutiny Of Fluoride 
The public health practice of adding fluoride to drinking water is facing heavy scrutiny from the Trump administration, and toothpaste companies are being pulled into the fray now, too. The Texas attorney general announced Thursday that he has launched an investigation into two major toothpaste manufacturers – the Colgate-Palmolive Co. and Proctor & Gamble Manufacturing Co., which makes Crest – for “illegally marketing” their products “to parents and children in ways that are misleading, deceptive, and dangerous.” (McPhillips, 5/1)

North Carolina Health News: Federal Cuts Threaten To Derail State Public Health Lab Upgrades 
Work on a major renovation of the State Public Health Laboratory screeched to a halt in late March when the administration of President Donald Trump notified states that the federal government was halting some $11 billion in post-pandemic aid that was scheduled to be distributed to the states. (Hoban, 5/2)

AP: Animal Sedative Medetomidine Is Showing Up In The US Illegal Drug Supply, CDC Says
The animal sedative medetomidine is increasingly showing up in the U.S. illegal drug supply, according to three reports released Thursday. Medetomidine, which is used to sedate pets and is somewhat similar to xylazine, was first detected in illegally manufactured opioids in North America in 2022. Investigators say the drug is being mixed in with other illicit drugs, mainly fentanyl, the synthetic opioid behind most overdose deaths. On Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published three reports about recent clusters of medetomidine cases in Chicago, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. (Stobbe, 5/1)

COVID AND BIRD FLU

Politico: Tulsi Gabbard Is Out To Prove Covid Came From A Lab
National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard’s office is working with NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to investigate the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic. In an interview Thursday on former Fox News host Megyn Kelly’s podcast, The Megyn Kelly Show, Gabbard also said she wants to end so-called gain-of-function research in which scientists alter pathogens to make them more transmissible or deadly so they can study them. (Schumaker, 5/1)

The New York Times: Upheaval In Washington Hinders Campaign Against Bird Flu
The campaign to curb bird flu on the nation’s farms has been slowed by the chaotic transition to a new administration that is determined to cut costs, reduce the federal work force and limit communications, according to interviews with more than a dozen scientists and federal officials. ... In its first months, the Trump administration has fired teams of scientists crucial to detecting the spread of the virus, canceled important meetings, and limited access to data even for federal scientists. (Mandavilli, 5/1)