Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
First Edition: Friday, Oct. 2, 2026
KFF HEALTH NEWS ORIGINAL STORIES
KFF Health News: Patient Dies By Suicide After ‘Insurance Issue’ Delayed Medicine For Lung Disease Flare-Ups
Kenney Blewett was diagnosed with lung disease more than a decade ago but started experiencing flare-ups this year that made him feel like he couldn’t breathe. Blewett described those flare-ups as “the scariest thing in the world,” said his wife, Cindy, adding that while the episodes typically lasted no more than a few minutes, they had become more frequent. (Sausser, 10/2)
KFF Health News: Midterms Have Revived Universal Healthcare Debate. These States Are Ahead Of Everyone
Democratic congressional members and candidates are already planning to use any midterm election gains to expand health coverage, including boosting Affordable Care Act subsidies, reversing Medicaid cuts, and lowering the Medicare eligibility age. But Democratic strongholds across the country — including Oregon, California, New York, and Washington — have more ambitious goals: single-payer, universal healthcare systems. (Hawryluk, 10/2)
KFF Health News: KFF Health News’ ‘What The Health?’: The MAHA Metamorphosis
The big “Make America Healthy Again” summit at a glitzy Washington, D.C., hotel this week highlighted a split in the movement between moms who want pesticides and artificial ingredients out of their kids’ food and wellness entrepreneurs who want to promote their products to government regulators. Meanwhile, as the new fiscal year begins, the Trump administration is refusing for the second year in a row to spend hundreds of millions of dollars Congress approved for the Department of Health and Human Services — and daring lawmakers or the courts to try to do something about it. (Rovner, 10/1)
BOTCHED EXECUTION
The New York Times: Tennessee Botches One Execution After Another, Despite Repeated Warnings
The failed attempt with Christa Pike has intensified bipartisan concerns about Tennessee’s ability to effectively carry out lethal injections. (Rojas, 10/2)
The Hill: Sen. Marsha Blackburn Calls On Tennessee To ‘Bring Back’ Electric Chair After Botched Christa Pike Execution
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) on Thursday called on Tennessee to reintroduce the electric chair for executions after death-row prisoner Christa Pike survived two lethal injections the day before. Blackburn, who is the GOP nominee in the Volunteer State’s gubernatorial race, called the botched execution “tragic” and said it prolonged the grief process for victims in this case. (Davis, 10/1)
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
Fierce Healthcare: HHS Awards Nearly $250M In Addiction Treatment, Overdose Prevention Grants
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded nearly $250 million in grants Friday aimed at expanding access to mental health services and addiction treatment across the nation. The $247.9 million in funds were distributed through HHS’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The projects receiving the highest amount of grant money are Medication-Assisted Treatment – Prescription Drug and Opioid Addiction ($69.4 million); Project AWARE ($54.9 million) National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative – Category III Community Treatment and Service Centers ($41.8 million) and First Responders - Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act ($34.6 million). (Gleeson, 10/1)
Healthcare Dive: HRSA Discloses Manufacturers Approved For Revised 340B Rebate Pilot
The Trump administration has released a highly anticipated list of 10 drugmakers that it will allow to shift discounts on drugs from upfront savings to back-end rebates in a controversial federal program. Starting Jan. 1, major pharmaceutical companies including AbbVie, Merck and Pfizer will only have to pay savings to providers participating in the 340B drug discount program after they verify the transaction qualifies, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration, the HHS subagency that oversees 340B. (Parduhn, 10/1)
Stat: As CDC Redesigns Annual Health Survey, It Removes Questions About Disabilities
A proposed redesign of the federal government’s annual health survey would result in significant undercounting of Americans with intellectual and developmental disabilities, according to advocates for the vulnerable population. (Broderick, 10/1)
The New York Times: Housing Official, Who Targeted Trump Foes, Cuts Watchdog Office
Bill Pulte, President Trump’s director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, moved this week to slash the inspector general’s office that scrutinizes his actions, prompting calls from congressional Democrats for his resignation. It was the second time that Trump administration officials have taken steps to limit scrutiny of the federal regulatory agency run by Mr. Pulte, who has become one of the administration's most contentious figures because he prides himself on carrying out investigations into Mr. Trump’s rivals. (Broadwater, 10/1)
The Washington Post: TSA Officers Must Now Stand Up On The Job
The agency announced this week that it is removing chairs at this position in airports throughout the country, requiring staff members to stand for their shift. In a statement, TSA explained the reason as twofold: to ensure its employees meet its fitness standards and to create an amiable environment for travelers. In a Facebook post, the American Federation of Government Employees TSA Council 100, the union that represents the officers, expressed concern over the agency’s “consequential decision.” The ergonomic chairs, the union argued, provide safety and support for officers who stand and walk on hard surfaces for extended periods. (Sachs, 10/1)
ON CAPITOL HILL
The New York Times: Congress Leaves With A Whimper, As The G.O.P. Braces For Midterm Pain
Republicans lined up a series of doomed votes in their final hours, hoping to portray Democrats as obstructionists. But some conceded that their party was more likely to be punished. (Gold and Hulse, 10/1)
Roll Call: Bill Easing Seniors’ Wheelchair Upgrade Costs Clears Senate
Legislation reversing a decade of Medicare payment policy that made it too expensive for many seniors to buy ultra-lightweight manual wheelchairs is on its way to President Donald Trump’s desk after the Senate quietly cleared it late Wednesday night. (Cohn, 10/1)
Roll Call: Lame-Duck Effort Brewing To Protect NIH Grantmaking
Senate appropriators from both parties are workshopping language that could be added to a spending bill to prevent the White House from exerting political influence on medical research grants. The provision would go into the Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill that lawmakers hope to pass before stopgap funding expires Dec. 11. (Cohen, 10/1)
The Hill: GOP Senators Call For DOJ Probe Into Chinese Role In Illegal Hemp, Cannabis Networks
Four GOP senators who opposed the delay of a ban on intoxicating hemp products are calling on the Justice Department to investigate the role of Chinese criminal networks in America’s cannabis and intoxicating hemp markets. In a Wednesday letter to Attorney General Todd Blanche, the senators said Chinese criminal networks “are exploiting vulnerabilities in federal law to operate expansive illicit drug enterprises that threaten our communities and national security.” (Weixel, 10/1)
NBC News: Abdul El-Sayed Tries To Woo MAHA Voters As Democrats Seek Inroads With RFK’s Supporters
A Democrat in one of the most competitive Senate races is making a play for the MAHA vote as some in the party seek to win over supporters of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s movement in the run-up to November’s elections. (Smith, Bendix and Tsirkin, 10/1)
IMMIGRATION CRISIS
The Washington Post: Supreme Court Agrees To Review ICE Mandatory Detention Policy For Immigrants
The Supreme Court on Thursday said it would review the legality of the Trump administration’s novel policy of denying bond hearings to immigrants swept up in its immigration crackdown. The case is one of the first the high court has accepted since its summer recess ended, and it promises to be among the most consequential of the term that officially begins next week. (Mark and Nakamura, 10/1)
The Washington Post: Renée Good’s Family Sues Trump Officials, Saying Death Was ‘Not An Accident’
The family of Renée Good, who was shot and killed by a federal immigration officer during the Trump administration’s enforcement surge in Minneapolis earlier this year, has sued the United States and officials for her death. The family filed two civil lawsuits Thursday seeking accountability for what they described as a wrongful use of force that resulted in Good’s death and a broader effort to undermine the rights of Minneapolis residents. (Foster-Frau, 10/1)
OUTBREAKS AND HEALTH THREATS
Bloomberg: Health Worker Contracts Ebola In Congo, Evacuated To Netherlands
A Doctors Without Borders worker contracted Ebola while helping fight the Democratic Republic of Congo’s largest-ever outbreak of the disease and is being evacuated to the Netherlands for treatment. The staff member tested positive for Bundibugyo virus disease and is being evacuated under strict medical protocols in coordination with Congolese and Dutch health authorities, Doctors Without Borders, also known as Médecins Sans Frontières, said in a statement Thursday. (Gale, 10/2)
San Francisco Chronicle: SF Reports First Flu Death Of Season
San Francisco health officials Thursday reported the city’s first flu-related death of the respiratory virus season. The person was an adult, but the health department did not disclose their age, vaccination status or whether they had underlying health conditions. (Ho, 10/1)
CIDRAP: Monoclonal Antibody For COVID Meets Safety Endpoints In Phase 3 Trial
US biopharmaceutical company Invivyd said this week that its investigational monoclonal antibody (mAB) for COVID-19 was found to be safe and tolerable in a phase 3 randomized clinical trial. (Dall, 10/1)
LGBTQ+ HEALTHCARE
Los Angeles Times: 988 Crisis Line Restores LGBTQ+ Youth Specialized Support
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline has restored the “Press 3” option connecting LGBTQ+ youth to targeted support services, more than a year after the Trump administration cut off the program. Starting Sept. 30, people who call or text 988 can once again be connected directly with counselors trained to support young LGBTQ+ people. The lifeline began offering the Press 3 option in 2022 in partnership with the Trevor Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to suicide prevention for queer and trans youth. (Purtill, 10/1)
LGBTQ Nation: Gavin Newsom Signs 6 Pro-LGBTQ+ Bills In Response To Trump's 'All-Out Assault' On The Community
One bill protects trans medical records in the face of the Trump administration's efforts to obtain them from hospitals across the country. The other bills ban conversion therapy for minors; strengthen protections and resources for LGBTQ+ college students; limit out-of-state entities from accessing state data on LGBTQ+ people; reduce hurdles for insurance companies to cover HIV prevention medication; and, in response to the administration’s trans miliary ban, help military veterans who “received a discharge solely as a result of a specified executive order” to upgrade to an honorable discharge and prioritize those “who are able to demonstrate their less than honorable characterization of service was connected to a mental health condition, traumatic brain injury, sexual assault or harassment, or sexual orientation or … gender identity.” (Sprayregen, 9/29)
REPRODUCTIVE AND MATERNAL HEALTH
CNN: Unsafe Sleep Factors Found In Most Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths
Sudden unexpected infant death claimed the lives of about 3,400 babies in the United States in 2024. Despite decades of public health efforts to promote safer sleep, these deaths remain a major cause of mortality during infancy. A new report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that nearly three-quarters of these deaths examined from 2020 through 2024 involved unsafe sleep factors. (Hetter, 10/1)
CIDRAP: Sepsis Rates Much Higher For Black Moms In Mississippi, Analysis Finds
Black moms in Mississippi are more than twice as likely to develop sepsis after giving birth than White mothers, according to an analysis published yesterday in JAMA Network Open. Maternal sepsis, the third most common cause of maternal death globally, occurs when an overactive immune response to infection during pregnancy, or after childbirth or abortion, causes the body to attack its own organs and tissues. (Boden, 10/1)
MedPage Today: More New Moms Are Starting GLP-1 Drugs
Starting a GLP-1 receptor agonist after giving birth is becoming more common, an analysis of claims data showed. The percentage of women who initiated a GLP-1 medication within 6 months of delivery rose more than 20-fold, from 0.08% in early 2018 to 1.9% by early 2025, reported Sih-Ting Cai, PhD, of the Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, and colleagues. (Robertson, 10/1)
HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY
Stat: Medicare Advantage Plans: Higher Deductibles, Fewer Benefits In 2027
People who have a Medicare Advantage plan — and wind up needing care and prescriptions next year — are in for a rude awakening. (Herman, 10/1)
Bloomberg: UnitedHealth, Humana Drop Medicare Advantage Plans To Boost Profit
At least one million US seniors will be forced to switch health plans next year as the largest Medicare Advantage providers cut benefits and discontinue some offerings in the wake of rising medical costs and heightened government scrutiny. About 390,000 people are part of UnitedHealth Group Inc. plans that are shutting down, a company spokesperson said. Humana Inc. has said that it will cut plans covering about 600,000 people. CVS Health Corp.’s Aetna and Centene Corp. are also shrinking their Medicare Advantage options, according to Wall Street analysts who reviewed government data published this week. (Swetlitz, 10/1)
WFSU: FSU And Tallahassee Memorial Finalize FSU Health Agreement
The operating agreement between FSU Health and Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare is finally completed. Both parties announced they are in agreement on lease and operating agreements and other documents outlining their academic and clinical structure. (Wood, 10/1)
Modern Healthcare: Bayada, Addus HomeCare Expand For Value-Based Care Contracts
Large home health companies are expanding their operations as one bargaining chip in the battle for value-based care contracts. A recent spate of acquisitions helped multistate operators move into more regions, giving them a possible advantage in negotiating value-based arrangements with private insurers, some of which are looking to reduce the number of home health providers they use. The agreements can include bonuses, shared savings or risk based on patient outcomes. However, they can be a tough sell in the price-competitive and fragmented home health industry, said Andrew Bates, an independent home care consultant. (Eastabrook, 10/1)
Stat: Journal Science Devotes Issue To Women's Health. Here's Why
Ovulation. Endometriosis. And especially: menopause. These once taboo words — among others — have become part of our daily vocabulary and conversations, a sign of greater interest in, and knowledge of, women’s health. (Merelli, 10/1)
PHARMACEUTICALS
CNN: Eating Sugar While Taking Antibiotics Might Harm Gut Bacteria
Sugary foods combined with antibiotic treatment can damage the gut microbiome in ways that could leave people vulnerable to dangerous infections, a new study shows. (Goodman, 10/1)
STATE WATCH
AP: Arizona Loses Bid To Delay Start Of Takeover Of Healthcare Operations In State Prisons
The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected Arizona’s eleventh-hour bid to block the upcoming start of a court-ordered takeover of healthcare operations in its prisons after the state was found to have provided constitutionally inadequate care to incarcerated people and dragged its feet for over a decade in making required improvements. Justice Elena Kagan denied the state’s request Thursday, leaving an outside corrections professional set to take over healthcare management for 25,000 incarcerated people on Oct. 19. Arizona had asked the courts to delay the takeover while it appealed that decision and the appointment of former Ohio corrections director Annette Chambers-Smith to lead the effort. The state sought the delay from the Supreme Court after lower courts rejected by the request. (Billeaud, 10/1)
North Carolina Health News: NC Health Plans Form Task Force To Fight Medicaid Fraud
North Carolina’s four Medicaid contractors have joined forces on what they say is the state’s first joint task force dedicated to rooting out cases of fraud, waste and abuse in the Medicaid program. (Baxley, 10/2)
The Washington Post: Larry Nassar Among Thousands Of Sex Offenders Removed From Michigan Registry
More than 20,000 sex offenders, including Larry Nassar, the disgraced former sports physician who abused female gymnasts, have been wiped from Michigan’s public registry after a ruling by the state Supreme Court. The removals come after the Michigan Supreme Court ruled in September that offenders cannot be forced to register under new versions of the sex offender registration law if the crimes occurred before the current law took effect. (Jira, 10/1)
AP: States And Cities Sue To Strike Down Repeal Of Rule That Limits Power Plant Pollution
States and cities sued the Trump administration Thursday for repealing rules that limit planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions from power plants fueled by coal and natural gas. Twenty-one states, led by New York, are challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s power plant rule. The Democratic-led coalition also includes Pennsylvania’s governor, the District of Columbia, New York City, Chicago and the city and county of Denver. They argue that “gutting one of the country’s most significant climate protections” will set the nation back decades and worsen the climate crisis. (Daly and McDermott, 10/1)
AP: Massachusetts Men Avoid Jail After Harvard Fireworks Incident
Two Massachusetts men avoided jail time on Thursday after they earlier had pleaded guilty to setting off fireworks at an empty Harvard Medical School building, an incident that sparked a huge law enforcement response and increased anxiety on the college campus. Federal officials say 19-year-old Logan David Patterson and 21-year-old Dominick Frank Cardoza were in the Boston area for college Halloween parties last year when they broke into Goldenson Building, set off a firework before dawn and then fled. No one was injured. (Casey, 10/1)
The New York Times: Parents Are Charged After Toddler Pulls Out Loaded Gun At Day Care
The parents of a 3-year-old were charged with misdemeanors on Thursday after the child pulled a loaded handgun out of a backpack at a day care center in Michigan, where it was passed around to other children, the authorities said. No one was injured in what the police described as a shocking episode that was captured on video cameras inside the Childrens World Early Learning Center in Canton, Mich., on Monday. The authorities have not said who brought the backpack into the center but said the gun, a Glock pistol, was registered to the child’s mother. (Levenson, 10/1)
AGING
CNN: Can Aging Be Treated Like A Disease? Scientists Are Starting To Find Out
As research into longevity advances, scientists are finding new ways to test a once-speculative idea: that aging itself could become a target of medicine. Researchers are investigating whether, instead of doctors waiting for age-related diseases to appear, it could be possible to measure and influence the biological changes that happen as we age. (Glgova, 9/30)
