First Edition: Monday, April 21, 2025

KFF HEALTH NEWS ORIGINAL STORIES

KFF Health News: Why Cameras Are Popping Up In Eldercare Facilities
The assisted living facility in Edina, Minnesota, where Jean Peters and her siblings moved their mother in 2011, looked lovely. “But then you start uncovering things,” Peters said. Her mother, Jackie Hourigan, widowed and developing memory problems at 82, too often was still in bed when her children came to see her midmorning. “She wasn’t being toileted, so her pants would be soaked,” said Peters, 69, a retired nurse-practitioner in Bloomington, Minnesota. “They didn’t give her water. They didn’t get her up for meals.” Her mother dwindled to 94 pounds. (Span, 4/21)

KFF Health News: California Halts Medical Parole, Sends Several Critically Ill Patients Back To Prison
California has halted a court-ordered medical parole program, opting instead to send its most incapacitated prisoners back to state lockups or release them early. The unilateral termination is drawing protests from attorneys representing prisoners and the author of the state’s medical parole legislation, who say it unnecessarily puts this vulnerable population at risk. The move is the latest wrinkle in a long-running drive to free those deemed so ill that they are no longer a danger to society. (Thompson, 4/21)

KFF Health News: On Autism, Kennedy Turns Against Science And Reality
During his first news conference as Health and Human Services secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on April 16 ticked off things he thinks kids with autism will never do, including paying taxes, holding a job, and going on a date. Kennedy’s comments go against science and reality. (Lofton, 4/18)

AFFORDABLE CARE ACT

NBC News: Obamacare Free Preventative Care Rule In Flux As Supreme Court Reviews Case
The Supreme Court on Monday is set to hear arguments in a case challenging a provision of the Affordable Care Act that requires private insurers to cover health care screenings, tests and checkups for free. Experts say the court’s ruling in the case, called Kennedy v. Braidwood Management, could have sweeping consequences for patient access to preventive health care across the United States. (Lovelace Jr., 4/18)

CNN: Trump Is Defending Obamacare At The Supreme Court. A Win Could Boost RFK Jr.’s Influence
President Donald Trump’s Justice Department is defending the Affordable Care Act before the Supreme Court – a notable contrast to his first term, when his administration sought to repeal the law in Congress and then refused to defend it in a major challenge brought by GOP-led states. But a win for the federal government in the current case, concerning the law’s mandates that certain preventive services are covered cost-free, could boost the power that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has in shaping those requirements. (Sneed, Luhby and Owermohle, 4/20)

MEDICAID AND MEDICARE

The Hill: Trump Swears-In Mehmet Oz As CMS Administrator
President Trump on Friday swore in Mehmet Oz as administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), granting the former TV host vast influence over the nation’s largest public health insurance program. At the swearing-in ceremony held in the Oval Office, Trump lauded Oz as an “internationally acclaimed heart and lung surgeon,” quipping “how convenient” it was that Oz attended Harvard University. The Trump administration has been engaged in an escalating back-and-forth with the university over its refusal to heed the White House’s demands in exchange for federal funding. (Choi, 4/18)

MedPage Today: Leaked HHS Budget Draft Deletes Federal Spending For SHIP Counseling Programs
The leaked "pre-decisional" HHS budget for fiscal year 2026 would eliminate some $55 million in discretionary funding for the State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIP), whose counselors help seniors navigate and understand their incredibly complex array of Medicare plan choices. That, of course, does not necessarily mean that federal money for the SHIP program will stop. The 64-page budget document circulating this week dated April 10 is just a draft, and the final budget must be approved by Congress. (Clark, 4/18)

The Wall Street Journal: Hospital Chains’ Medicaid Profits Are A Juicy Target For GOP Budget Hawks
Universal Health Services has a billionaire controlling shareholder and a lucrative Medicaid cash stream. That plays into the hands of congressional Republicans eyeing large budget cuts while looking to show they aren’t just targeting the poor. The stakes, and downside risks, are enormous for UHS investors. (Weil, 4/20)

The Hill: Medicaid Cuts Risk Worsening Black Maternal Health Crisis
Advocates are warning lawmakers that the proposed cuts to Medicare and Medicaid will leave millions of pregnant Black women at a heightened risk of death, worsening the maternal mortality crisis and its racial disparities. Last month, the House budget resolution proposed up to $880 billion in cuts to Medicaid over a decade, which would also lead to cuts to Medicare. But advocates say Medicaid is a vital resource for cutting into the maternal mortality disparities. (Daniels, 4/20)

Modern Healthcare: UnitedHealth's Medicare Advantage Troubles Stoke Anxiety
UnitedHealth Group is treading through a rough 2025 already, potentially signaling broader trouble for health insurers that have already experienced a volatile stretch. UnitedHealth Group, Humana and CVS Health, which all own major health insurance operations, have poured money into growing their historically lucrative Medicare Advantage businesses over decades. But the sector has faced turbulence in recent years as Medicare Advantage members seek more costly care and insurers navigate lower federal reimbursement and tighter regulatory oversight. (Berryman, 4/18)

TARIFFS AND PHARMACEUTICALS

Bloomberg: Lilly Promises To Make Weight-Loss Pill In US In Reshoring Push
Eli Lilly & Co. plans to manufacture its new weight-loss pill in the US for patients around the world as President Donald Trump presses companies to move production back to American shores. (Muller, 4/18)

Stat: In Ireland, A Global Hub For Pharma, Trump Tariffs Are A Source Of Deep Worry
The hulking factories are tucked away off the roads around the village of Ringaskiddy — operated by the likes of Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, and BioMarin, whose plant featured signs last week touting a new facility “coming Q1 2027.” (Joseph, 4/21)

Stat: Novo Nordisk Mounts Unusual Challenge To Medicare Price Negotiation Program
When should six drugs count as one? That question is at the heart of an unusual challenge that the pharma company Novo Nordisk is pursuing against the federal government. And the answer could have major ramifications for the Medicare drug price negotiation program, a signature accomplishment of former President Biden that President Trump has also embraced. (Wilkerson, 4/21)

Chicago Tribune: Illinois Looks To Rein In Drug Intermediaries Over High Pricing
New patients have recently begun streaming into Del-Kar Pharmacy — an independent, 65-year-old drugstore in North Lawndale — after nearby Walgreens stores closed. The new customers would be a blessing for many businesses, but for Del-Kar it means losing money on many prescriptions. The reimbursements the drugstore receives for filling orders are often less than the cost of filling them, said second-generation owner and pharmacist Edwin Muldrow. (Petrella and Schencker, 4/20)

Axios: Arkansas PBM Law Could Spur Lookalike Restrictions
At least half a dozen states are weighing new restrictions aimed at limiting pharmacy benefit managers' ability to influence drug prices, including prohibitions on steering business to affiliated pharmacies. With Congress gridlocked on PBM legislation, more states are taking the lead in addressing industry practices that critics say drive up costs and are pushing independent pharmacies out of business. (Reed, 4/21)

MORE FROM THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

The New York Times: Trump-Allied Prosecutor Sends Letters To Medical Journals Alleging Bias
A federal prosecutor has sent letters to at least three medical journals accusing them of political bias and asking a series of probing questions suggesting that the journals mislead readers, suppress opposing viewpoints and are inappropriately swayed by their funders. The letters were signed by Edward Martin Jr., a Republican activist serving as interim U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C. He has been criticized for using his office to target opponents of President Trump. (Rosenbluth and Robbins, 4/18)

Bloomberg: Macron Seeks To Attract Researchers To France In Jab At US
French President Emmanuel Macron is making a not-so-subtle pitch to lure away US-based researchers who have been affected by Donald Trump’s policies. “Here in France, research is a priority, innovation is a culture, and science is a boundless horizon. Researchers from around the world, choose France, choose Europe!” Macron said on X on Friday, hours after he hosted US State Secretary Marco Rubio and Trump’s envoy Steven Witkoff to discuss the war in Ukraine, the Middle East and trade. (Nussbaum, 4/18)

Politico: Massachusetts Governor Says Trump's Policies Are Harmful To Science
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey on Sunday said the Trump administration’s “bad for science” policies will send America’s researchers into the arms of China and other nations. Addressing the administration’s ongoing battle with Harvard University and its cuts to scientific and medical research, the Massachusetts Democrat said on CBS’ “Face the Nation”: “Research labs are shutting down, scientists and researchers are leaving the United States and going to other countries to do their work. And essentially, Donald Trump is giving away intellectual assets.” (Cohen, 4/20)

Politico: EV Firefighting Program Gets The Ax At HHS
The Trump administration has halted a federal program to protect firefighters from dangerous chemicals, including those emitted by burning electric vehicles. The firefighter health program was swept up in the administration’s massive restructuring of the Department of Health and Human Services. Its demise threatens efforts to keep firefighters safe from cancer-causing chemicals as hard-to-control blazes become more frequent and intense, writes Ariel Wittenberg. (Skibell, 4/18)

CBS News: EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin Says Trump Deregulatory Actions Won't Have Adverse Effects On People And The Environment
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin said Sunday that he can "absolutely" guarantee Trump administration deregulations won't have an adverse health impacts on people and the environment. "We have to both protect the environment and grow the economy," Zeldin said on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan." (Hubbard, 4/20)

OUTBREAKS AND HEALTH THREATS

The New York Times: Trump Declares Lab Leak As ‘True Origins’ Of Covid On New Website
The Trump administration has replaced the government’s main portal for information about Covid with a website arguing that the coronavirus leaked from a lab, throwing its weight behind a theory of the pandemic’s origins that is so far not backed by direct evidence and that has divided intelligence agencies. Covid.gov and Covidtests.gov, federal websites that used to deliver information about Covid and allow people to order tests, now redirect to the lab leak web page. (Mueller, 4/18)

ABC News: 3 More States Report Their First Measles Case Of 2025
Louisiana, Virginia and Missouri all reported their first measles cases of 2025 this weekend, with at least 27 states reporting at least one case. All three cases were linked to international travel. (Hoffman and Benadjaoud, 4/20)

NBC News: What Causes Breakthrough Measles Infections Even If Someone Is Vaccinated?
Infectious diseases doctors are at pains to emphasize that the MMR vaccine is one of the most effective vaccines on the market, but as Rodney Rohde, a professor at Texas State University explains, a small number of people who are fully vaccinated may get sick during a large outbreak. “The vaccine is highly effective,” said Rohde. “But it means that after two doses, while 97 out of 100 people will develop strong immunity and be protected if exposed to measles, the remaining three out of 100 could still be vulnerable.” (Cox, 4/20)

CIDRAP: Public Ignorance, Apathy Toward Avian Flu Could Threaten Containment, Researchers Say
While most US survey respondents had heard of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian flu, only about a quarter knew it can spread to people, and over half were unaware that pasteurized milk is safer than raw milk, finds a study published yesterday in the American Journal of Public Health. The survey, fielded by a CUNY Graduate School of Public Health–led team, also found that less than one fifth of respondents understood that H5N1 has been detected in cattle, and nearly a third each were unwilling to change their diet to reduce their risk of exposure to the virus or take a vaccine if it were available. (Van Beusekom, 4/18)

CIDRAP: Flu Continues To Ebb In US As Pediatric Deaths Reach 198
US flu activity declined steadily again last week, with rates of influenza-like illness (ILI) dropping further and staying below baseline levels, but flu-related deaths in children climbed to 198, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in its weekly update today. (Wappes, 4/18)

CIDRAP: Five People, 27 Animals Tested Positive For Tularemia In Minnesota Last Year
In 2024, five people and 27 animals in Minnesota contracted the rare bacterial disease tularemia in the seven-county Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area, state health authorities and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported yesterday in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Two of the infected people reported recently mowing over animal carcasses; all were hospitalized for a median of 6 days and released without complications. (Van Beusekom, 4/18)

DEMENTIA AND ALZHEIMER'S

CNN: Marijuana Hospital Visits Linked To Dementia Diagnosis Within 5 Years, Study Finds 
Sunday is 420 day, when lovers of marijuana get together to celebrate their fondness for weed. Yet research shows that regular users of marijuana are at risk for serious conditions, including strokes, heart attacks, cardiac arrhythmias, heart failure and myocarditis, which is an inflammation of the heart muscle. Now, an increased risk of dementia can be added to the list, according to a large study of more than 6 million people published April 14 in the journal JAMA Neurology. (LaMotte, 4/20)

The Washington Post: Study Links Heavy Drinking To Brain Injuries, Alzheimer’s
Consuming more than eight alcoholic drinks a week is associated with brain injuries linked to Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive decline, a recent study in the journal Neurology suggests. The analysis looked for links between heavy drinking and brain health. Researchers used autopsy data from the Biobank for Aging Studies at the University of São Paulo Medical School in Brazil collected between 2004 and 2024. (Blakemore, 4/19)

REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH

CNN: Puberty Conversations Are Starting Too Late, New Poll Reveals
For many parents, the idea of having “the talk” with their kids may be daunting, making them feel embarrassed or squeamish. But many parents are conflating the classic growing-up talk about sex with another crucial conversation they should be having, new research suggests. The talk in question should happen earlier than one may think, and it’s not necessarily about sex. It’s about puberty. (Lumer, 4/21)

Iowa Public Radio: Iowa House Passes Bill Requiring Fetal Development Videos Starting In 5th Grade
Public, private and charter schools in Iowa would be required to show fetal development videos to students starting in fifth grade under a bill passed Thursday by Republicans in the Iowa House. Human growth and development classes and health classes in grades 5-12 would have to teach about “human development inside the womb.” That would include an ultrasound video showing vital organs in early fetal development. (Sostaric, 4/18)

The New York Times: Trump Aides Solicit Ideas To Raise Birthrate, From Baby Bonuses To Fertility Planning 
The White House has been hearing out a chorus of ideas in recent weeks for persuading Americans to get married and have more children, an early sign that the Trump administration will embrace a new cultural agenda pushed by many of its allies on the right to reverse declining birthrates and push conservative family values. One proposal shared with aides would reserve 30 percent of scholarships for the Fulbright program, the prestigious, government-backed international fellowship, for applicants who are married or have children. Another would give a $5,000 cash “baby bonus” to every American mother after delivery. (Kitchener, 4/21)

The Washington Post: CDC Cuts Hamstring Programs That Monitor Fertility And Maternal Health
Federal programs that help people compare IVF clinics, monitor safety in fertility and make sense of health data have been scaled back by the Trump administration in a move some maternal health experts predict will have an enduring effect on women and children. Layoffs at the Department of Health and Human Services this month have dismantled teams at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention responsible for collecting and analyzing data on a range of subjects, including embryo transfers and maternal health disparities. (Malhi and Kornfield, 4/19)

NBC News: Tricare Military Health Insurance Leaves Pregnant Women With Ultrasound Delays, Disrupted Care
In the throes of postpartum depression, the incision site from her Cesarean section still tender, a U.S. Navy veteran in Indiana learned she had been dropped by her health insurance. Some 500 miles away, in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, Air National Guard member Cortney Frazon was trying to check in for a 20-week ultrasound when she discovered her doctor no longer accepted her insurance. Faced with a crushing out-of-pocket cost, she left. (Chan, 4/18)

HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY

Modern Healthcare: NIH Funding Uncertainty Might Worsen Physician Shortage
Clinicians have largely avoided layoffs tied to federal research funding disruptions, but staffing cuts and federal funding uncertainty could exacerbate physician shortages. Academic health systems across the country have paused the hiring of researchers, furloughed faculty and laid off administrators in response to the National Institutes of Health’s attempts to reduce payments for overhead linked to research. (Kacik, 4/18)

The Daily Yonder: Cherokee Residency Program Aims To Draw More Young MDs To Rural Areas
An interest in different cultures led Matthew Mahar to pursue an anthropology minor in college and to subsequently travel extensively. More recently, it’s led him to a hospital in the mountains of Western North Carolina. (Sisk, 4/20)

Aurora Beacon-News: Advocate Quietly Pulled Doctors From Mercy Medical In Aurora
On Christmas Eve in 2023, Rick Albright called an ambulance for his wife, Rose Anne, who was in great pain. That ambulance took her to Mercy Medical Center in Aurora, which is only a four-minute drive away from the Albrights’ home. It was a hospital the two had been to before — he had previously been hospitalized there after a stroke, and his wife had surgery done there, Rick Albright told The Beacon-News. (Smith, 4/20)

Modern Healthcare: Nursing Leaders Pilot New Care Models Amid Staffing Shortages
Hospitals are zeroing in on alternative care models to improve the nursing work experience and patient outcomes while lowering costs. Eight in 10 nurse leaders are piloting new care models in their organizations, ranging from virtual nursing to home health, according to a recent study by healthcare solutions company Wolters Kluwer. (DeSilva, 4/18)

Modern Healthcare: Epic Pilots AI Clinical Documentation Tools For Nursing
Epic is working on multiple pilots with health systems and vendors to bring a popular artificial intelligence tool to nurses. The electronic health record company is partnering with Microsoft and ambient AI vendor Abridge to try to improve nursing workflows and reduce the documentation burden. (Turner, 4/18)

Modern Healthcare: Summa Health, General Catalyst's HATCo Sale Spurs Pushback
A group of Ohio residents is calling for a state attorney general investigation into General Catalyst's Health Assurance Transformation Corp.'s plans to purchase Summa Health. Two members of the group, Summa Is Not For Sale, sent a letter to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost (R) Friday expressing concerns about the proposed transaction, which would convert nonprofit Summa to a for-profit entity. (DeSilva, 4/18)

STATE WATCH

Los Angeles Times: Lancaster Mayor's Fix For Homelessness: 'Free Fentanyl' And 'a Purge'
The mayor of Lancaster, Rex Parris, has ignited a controversy after musing during a council meeting that one approach to homelessness would be to “give them free fentanyl … all the fentanyl they want.” Parris, a larger-than-life trial lawyer, made the incendiary comments about the drug — responsible for tens of thousands of overdose deaths — during a February City Council meeting, in a retort to a resident who objected to his musings of congregating unhoused residents into an “encampment.” (Garrison, 4/20)

The New York Times: San Jose Considers Arresting Homeless People Who Refuse Housing 
The mayor of the Silicon Valley city has proposed arresting people who don’t accept offers of shelter. It’s the latest sign of frustrations over tent encampments in California. (Karlamangla, 4/20)

North Carolina Health News: New Crisis Hub Provides Free Mental Health Services 
It’s been a little less than a year since Alamance Behavioral Health Center opened its doors to the public to offer an array of mental health services ranging from a walk-in, urgent care setting for those in distress, to follow-up outpatient appointments for children and adults. This month, the final piece — a 16-bed inpatient facility — will begin accepting patients who can stay up to a week. (Knopf, 4/21)

GLOBAL WATCH

Wales Online: Pope Francis's Cause Of Death After Life Of Health Problems
Pope Francis, the leader of the Catholic church, has died aged 88 after a history of health problems and a recent lengthy hospitalisation. Pope Francis dealt with a number of health issues throughout his life, some dating back to his youth and others developing during his papacy. At the age of 21, Pope Francis had part of one lung removed due to a severe infection (likely pneumonia or a lung cyst). He also suffered from chronic sciatica. (Shaw, 4/21)