Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
First Edition: Friday, Nov. 13, 2026
KFF HEALTH NEWS ORIGINAL STORIES
KFF Health News: Fed Up With The Healthcare Industry, This Red State Capped Insulin Prices For Patients
The Kritzberger family has farmed in the Red River Valley for more than a century. They once had livestock. Now they grow sugar beets, soybeans, and grains. Like many farmers, they labor to balance the books. “We’re in an incredible amount of debt,” Ang Kritzberger said as she walked the farm on a recent fall morning. For the past 10 years, the Kritzbergers have had another worry. Their daughter Nina has Type 1 diabetes. That’s landed the family in a national debate about how to protect patients from high insulin costs. (Levey, 11/13)
KFF Health News: Medicaid Work Rules Don’t Apply To Native Americans. They Could Still Lose Coverage
Two months before the deadline to implement new Medicaid work requirements, states had yet to receive detailed guidance from federal health officials on how to exclude Native Americans from those rules, leading to a patchwork of eligibility checks that pose challenges for qualified enrollees trying to keep their health insurance. President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act excluded Native Americans from having to meet the work requirements to keep their Medicaid eligibility. (Jones, Houghton and Orozco Rodriguez, 11/13)
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
The Washington Post: U.S. To Invest Millions In Psychedelics Research On Ibogaine, Psilocybin, Ketamine
The Department of Health and Human Services will invest millions to research and develop psychedelic drugs as mental health treatments, a growing interest for the Trump administration, officials announced Wednesday. The department’s Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, which funds high-risk, high-reward research projects, will invest up to $4.9 million in ibogaine, a psychedelic that has been touted for its potential to treat military veterans with traumatic brain injuries. (Wu, 11/12)
MEASLES
Bloomberg: Senate Democrats Open Probe Into RFK Jr.’s Measles Statements
Democratic Senators Ron Wyden and Angela Alsobrooks are leading an investigation into whether Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. lied to Congress about a trip to Samoa and statements he made around measles-related deaths, according to a letter sent Wednesday. (Silva, 11/12)
The New York Times: Kennedy’s Future: Will Democrats Try To Impeach Him, Or Actually Work With Him?
Most Democrats abhor the health secretary’s stance on vaccines, but some see an opportunity to win voters from his MAHA movement by joining with him on food and environmental issues. (Stolberg, 11/12)
Stat: Sen.-Elect Abdul El-Sayed On The State Of Public Health And RFK Jr.
Abdul El-Sayed will soon become the first epidemiologist in the Senate at a moment that would keep anyone with a public health background up at night. More than 5,000 Americans have been sickened by the measles this year and the United States is expected to lose its formal measles elimination status by the end of the month. Dengue fever is spreading in Florida, respiratory virus season is underway, and the United States just weathered a foodborne illness outbreak that sickened more than 20,000. (Florko, 11/13)
Bloomberg: CDC Director Backs Vaccine As Measles Deaths Mount Across US
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is promoting the measles vaccine as the country is on the precipice of losing its global status for eliminating the disease, Director Erica Schwartz said Thursday. Schwartz said the US “may or may not lose” measles elimination status after a scientific meeting at the Pan American Health Organization this week assesses whether the virus has spread continuously for a year. (Cohrs Zhang and Nix, 11/12)
CANCER
Stat: Prostate Screening Guidelines Updated By American Cancer Society
In a major change to screening guidelines, the American Cancer Society recommended on Thursday that American men between ages 50 and 69 at an average risk of prostate cancer should test their prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood levels every two years. The prior guidelines, released in 2010, left testing for average-risk men to their discretion, after assessing cancer risk with a physician. (Merelli, 11/12)
The Hill: Joe Biden Says He Didn't Hide Cancer Diagnosis While President
Former President Biden said in an interview published Wednesday he did not hide his aggressive stage 4 prostate cancer diagnosis while he was in the White House, adding he would not have sought a second term had he been diagnosed early. People magazine released an interview with the 46th president ahead of the release of his upcoming memoir, “Promise Me, America,” set to be published by Hachette Book Group on Nov. 17. The outlet asked Biden about what he described as the public’s “cynical twist” of his diagnosis — referring to how some people accused him of hiding his illness while in office. (Mancini, 11/11)
Newsweek: Ovarian Cancer Is Often Found Late—Scientists Uncover Hidden Early Warning
Researchers have found a way to detect an early warning sign of advanced ovarian cancer which is typically invisible to normal imaging methods. Experts at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian found that one blood marker could help clinicians identify whether a patient has serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma, a microscopic, non-invasive lesion that develops in the lining of the fallopian tube, which is an early sign of high-grade serous ovarian cancer. (Laws, 11/12)
Iowa Public Radio: UI Study Finds Pesticides In Water, Leaves And Indoor Dust
A University of Iowa study provides new insights into the ways pesticides move through Iowa’s environment. The researchers detected common farm chemicals in samples from streams and rivers in northeast Iowa. They also found pesticides in leaves from Iowa City and indoor dust from homes across the state. A growing body of research suggests exposure to certain pesticides increases risks for adverse health outcomes, including cancer, neurological disorders and hormone disruptions. (Cramer, 11/12)
REPRODUCTIVE AND INFANT HEALTH
The 19th: Texas Democrats Could Change Abortion Laws In The State
After capturing control of key leadership positions, Texas Democrats intend to push for a repeal of the state’s near-total abortion ban, which has been linked to the death of multiple women. (Luthra, 11/12)
CIDRAP: Congenital Syphilis Rates Soared In US Newborns From 2012 To 2022
Congenital syphilis rates among US newborns increased nearly sixfold from 2012 to 2022, according to a study published yesterday in Clinical Infectious Diseases. The data show rising rates across all demographics and income levels, with the sharpest increases among Native Americans. Congenital syphilis occurs when a pregnant woman with untreated syphilis passes the infection to her baby. The infection can cause organ damage, skeletal abnormalities, neurodevelopmental impairment, stillbirth, and infant death. (Bergeson, 11/12)
DISABILITIES
The Washington Post: College Students With Disabilities May Soon Face Less Red Tape
Students with disabilities may soon have an easier transition from high school to college if federal lawmakers move bipartisan legislation that aims to remove barriers for one of the fastest-growing populations in higher education. This week, the Senate passed the Respond, Innovate, Succeed and Empower (RISE) Act, which lets college students use existing documentation from their K-12 schools — such as an individualized education program or a 504 plan — to qualify for accommodations, rather than undergo new diagnostic testing. (Douglas-Gabriel, 11/12)
The 19th: Caregivers Of Disabled Children See A Lifeline In Democrats’ Midterm Wins
Yasmina Halim approached this year’s midterms with “a sense of dread.” On election night, the 44-year-old went to bed early after Republicans won the major statewide races in Florida, where she lives with her family. Her 13-year-old daughter, Lily, is dying from a neurodegenerative condition called juvenile Tay-Sachs disease, and Halim works full-time caring for her. That sense of dread stemmed from looming cuts to Medicaid, as well as attacks on the right to inclusion for people with disabilities like her daughter. (Luterman, 11/12)
The CT Mirror: Advocates Concerned Lamont May Revisit Cuts To Disability Services
Disability rights advocates gathered Thursday to call on the Lamont administration to safeguard funding for programs serving people with disabilities, including a critical one that makes it possible for people to receive care of their choosing in their own homes, known as Community First Choice. (Tillman, 11/12)
HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY
Fierce Healthcare: CMS Extends Paused Medicare Enrollments For Hospice, Home Health
The Trump administration is extending its moratorium on new Medicare enrollments from hospice and home health agencies. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said Thursday that it will extend the moratorium by six more months as part of its efforts to combat fraud, waste and abuse in the Medicare program. (Minemyer, 11/12)
Modern Healthcare: CMS, ONC Open Electronic Prior Authorization Test Sprint
The federal government is inviting health insurance companies, hospitals and electronic health record companies to test their readiness for upcoming electronic prior authorization requirements. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, the Health and Human Services Department and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced Thursday they will hold voluntary 10-12 week testing sprints for the industry to ensure their systems are prepared for looming interoperability standards. (Tepper, 11/12)
Modern Healthcare: Texas Drops Part Of Epic Systems Antitrust Lawsuit
Texas is dropping a portion of its lawsuit against Epic Systems. The suit was first filed by Attorney General Ken Paxton in Texas state court in December. It alleges the electronic health record company violates the Texas Free Enterprise and Antitrust Act by holding a monopoly in the acute-care hospital market. It also alleges Epic restricts parents from viewing their children’s medical records.Epic has denied the allegations. (Famakinwa, 11/12)
Fierce Healthcare: UHG Releases Audit Of Its Medical Policy Development Practices
Over the past year, UnitedHealth Group has conducted a series of independent reviews of its practices as part of a broader turnaround effort at the company. The healthcare giant released the last of these analyses on Thursday, digging into the processes it uses to establish medical policies. The reviews were conducted by FTI Consulting and Rubrum Advising, a provider-led firm with expertise in medical coverage policies. (Minemyer, 11/12)
Chicago Tribune: Doctors At Vista Medical Center East Ask State For Help
Doctors at Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan are asking the state for $9 million to help them shift control of the troubled hospital and its sister hospital near St. Louis, in a bid to keep the facilities open and eventually turn them into nonprofits. (Schencker, 11/12)
Axios: Doctors Want Liability Shield From AI Mistakes
The rapid deployment of artificial intelligence in hospitals and clinics is leading the nation's biggest physicians group to lobby for new legal protections if AI harms patients. (Bettelheim, 11/13)
ABC News: Indefinite Strike Averted After Brigham And Women's Hospital, Nurses' Union Reach Tentative Deal
Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) in Boston and a union representing about 4,000 registered nurses reached a tentative deal late Wednesday, averting an indefinite strike. "We are pleased that Brigham and Women's Hospital has reached a tentative agreement with the Massachusetts Nurses Association and the MNA has called off its scheduled indefinite strike," the hospital said in a statement. (Kekatos, 11/12)
PHARMA AND TECH
NBC News: For Alpha-Gal Patients, Allergy Drug Could Cut The Severity Of Reactions To Red Meat
There’s emerging evidence that the allergy drug omalizumab may reduce severe allergic reactions for alpha-gal syndrome, a red meat allergy triggered by a tick bite. In a study presented Thursday at the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, researchers found that 95% of participants using the drug experienced meaningful reductions in the frequency or severity of their allergic reactions. The study included 64 people with confirmed alpha-gal diagnoses who took omalizumab for an average of 23 months. The findings haven’t yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal. (Cox, 11/12)
Bloomberg: Merck KGaA Drops Heart Drug As Novartis Trial Flop Sows Doubts
Merck KGaA plans to drop an experimental heart drug it’s acquiring through the takeover of Silence Therapeutics Plc in the wake of the failure of a similar treatment by rival Novartis AG. Adding to doubts about a once-promising treatment approach, Merck said it will not pursue an advanced study of zerlasiran, which is designed to lower lipoprotein(a), a cholesterol-carrying particle that is a known cardiovascular risk factor. (Wind and Muller, 11/12)
Stat: What To Know About Biogen's Big Looming Lupus Study Readout
More than two years have passed since Biogen announced results from a Phase 3 study in lupus. The drug was dapirolizumab and the outcome was positive, in case you were wondering. In the first half of December, Biogen will hope for a repeat, and once again, it’s another lupus drug, litifilimab, that is being evaluated in twin Phase 3 studies. (Feuerstein, 11/12)
Stat: Map Of Brain’s ‘Grand Central Station’ Offers Path To New Treatments
A massive scientific collaboration meant to unravel the mysteries of the human brain has produced the most detailed map yet of the basal ganglia, a region closely associated with a wide array of psychiatric and neurologic disorders. (Wosen, 11/12)
STATE WATCH
The Texas Tribune: Feds Axe $29 Million In HIV Prevention Funding For Texas
The federal government has cut $29.2 million from Texas health organizations that test thousands of people for HIV directly in their communities, the latest in a series of public health funding cuts statewide. (Draeger-Mazer, 11/12)
The Washington Post: San Francisco Approves First Gay Bathhouse Since AIDS Epidemic
San Fransisco had as many as 20 gay bathhouses at their peak in 1982. Today there are none, but that may change soon. (Kirkpatrick, 11/12)
The Marshall Project: Ohio Lawmaker Calls For Monitors For Children In Treatment Centers
An Ohio lawmaker who has proposed giving the state greater authority to shut down troubled residential treatment centers for children says that kids locked away need access to a professional who is ready to report abuse and neglect to police and state regulators. (Hailer, 11/11)
Florida Phoenix: Florida Department Of Veterans Affairs Wants More Money For Veteran Nursing Homes
The Florida agency that helps aging American veterans in the state is asking for tens of millions in extra funding in the coming year from the Florida Legislature. The money is needed to help the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs staff and run veterans nursing homes around the state. The budget request suggests the agency is dealing with a growing population at its locations along with more extensive health care needs for veterans who reside in the homes. (Sexton, 11/12)
North Carolina Health News: NC House Democrats Outline Health Care Priorities For 2027
For the first time in 15 years, Democrats are poised to control the North Carolina House of Representatives — a political shift that should reshape the state’s approach to health policy. (Fredde, 11/13)
MPR News: Medicare Advantage Plans Differ By County. Now Minnesota Seniors Are Navigating Unexpected Cost Increases
Steve Myhro, 71, and his wife, Sarah, 68, moved from Rochester to Nisswa a year and a half ago to be closer to family. He is a retired history and government teacher and she is a professional violinist. But the couple's new life in Crow Wing County has brought an unexpected financial twist: changes to Medicare coverage that could increase their annual health insurance costs by thousands of dollars. (Zurek, 11/13)
GUN VIOLENCE AND MENTAL HEALTH
Becker's Hospital Review: DC Shooting Suspect Identified As Physician, Health Tech Executive
Matt Lambert, MD, a 55-year-old emergency medicine physician and longtime health technology executive, has been identified by police as the gunman who killed one person and wounded four others Nov. 12 in Washington, D.C. Jeffrey Carroll, the Metropolitan Police Department’s interim chief, said during a press conference that just before 8 a.m., officers responded to a report of a shooting at the Vida Fitness center at the 1500 block of 15th Street NW in the Logan Circle neighborhood. (Scheetz, 11/12)
GLOBAL WATCH
The New York Times: Microsoft Struggles to Repair Worldwide Outage
The outage, which affects software used by hundreds of millions of users, has caused headaches around the world. The company said its efforts to repair the problem were “not taking as expected.” (Hassan and Desai, 11/13)
