First Edition: Monday, Jan. 5, 2026

KFF HEALTH NEWS ORIGINAL STORIES

KFF Health News: To Knock Down Health-System Hurdles Between You And HIV Prevention, Try These 6 Things
A couple of years ago, Matthew Hurley got the kind of text people fear. It said: “When was the last time you were STD tested?” Someone Hurley had recently had unprotected sex with had just tested positive for HIV. Hurley went to a clinic and got tested. “Luckily, I had not caught HIV, but it was a wake-up call,” they said. That experience moved Hurley to seek out PrEP, shorthand for preexposure prophylaxis. The antiretroviral medication greatly reduces the chance of getting HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. (Dyer, 1/5)

KFF Health News: Iowa Doesn't Have Enough OB-GYNs. The State’s Abortion Ban Might Be Making It Worse.
Jonna Quinn was initially thrilled when she got her first job after her medical residency, working as an OB-GYN in Mason City, Iowa. It was less than two hours down the road from West Bend, where she grew up on a farm. But the hospital started restricting certain birth control options and fertility treatments based on its affiliation with the Roman Catholic Church, she said. At the same time, her unit was increasingly short-staffed as other obstetricians left and retired. (Krebs, 1/5)

KFF Health News: Advertisements Promising Patients A ‘Dream Body’ With Minimal Risk Get Little Scrutiny
Lenia Watson-Burton, a 37-year-old U.S. Navy administrator, expected that cosmetic surgery would get rid of stubborn fat quickly and easily — just as the web advertising promised. Instead, she died three days after a liposuction-like procedure called AirSculpt at the San Diego office of Elite Body Sculpture, a cosmetic surgery chain with more than 30 offices across the U.S. and Canada, court records show. (Schulte, 12/31)

KFF Health News: Listen To The Latest 'KFF Health News Minute'
Arielle Zionts reads the week’s news: Cuts to federal programs may limit the Trump administration’s plan to help Americans have more babies, and states face a challenge determining which Medicaid recipients are medically frail enough to keep their benefits without proving they are working, volunteering, or going to school. (12/23)

RURAL HEALTH

Fierce Healthcare: Rural Health Transformation Program Awards Announced—Here's Who's Getting The Most In FY2026
Texas and Alaska will receive the largest amount of funding from the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program in fiscal year 2026, while New Jersey and Connecticut will see the least, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced last Monday. (Muoio, 12/29)

CMS.gov: How Much Each State Received For Rural Health Care
See the complete list of 50 states. (12/29)

AFFORDABLE CARE ACT

The Hill: GOP Faces Health Care Bind With Subsidies Expired
GOP lawmakers returning to Capitol Hill are facing a health care bind, with Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies having expired on Dec. 31, 2025, and no clear path forward for extending them. The GOP remains split over whether to extend the subsidies at all. But in December, four Republican centrists, frustrated with party leadership, joined Democrats in backing a discharge petition on legislation to extend the subsidies for three years. (Kochi, 1/5)

Politico: ‘Mighty Mad’: Democrats Prepare To Harness Public Anger Over Expired Obamacare Subsidies
Obamacare subsidies used by more than 20 million expired Thursday. Now Democrats are ready to make them a centerpiece of their midterm campaigns. The lapse of enhanced premium tax credits, first passed as a pandemic-era relief measure under President Joe Biden in 2021, will immediately hit the pocketbooks of voters — some of whom will see their monthly insurance premiums rise by hundreds of dollars. (Wu, 1/2)

The Hill: Health Care, Funding And More: 5 Things To Watch When The Senate Returns
The Senate is staring down multiple flash points in the coming months as lawmakers head into a year colored by electoral politics but with plenty of policy fights on the horizon. Lawmakers wrapped up a grueling year by completing some of their pre-holiday agenda, including passing the annual National Defense Authorization Act and confirming scores of nominees. But they punted several key issues into January, including government funding bills to avert a shutdown and a potential deal to extend expiring enhanced ObamaCare subsidies. (Weaver, 1/4)

The New York Times: With Obamacare’s Higher Premiums Come Difficult Decisions
Renee Rubin Ross is facing the stark reality of having to pay much more for her health insurance this year, now that Congress has ended 2025 without extending the enhanced federal tax credits that brought down the cost of her coverage under the Affordable Care Act. “I don’t even know how to get my mind around it. It’s the opposite of affordable,” said Dr. Ross, who relies on Obamacare to cover her family of four in California. Staying on the same plan for 2026 will cost about $4,000 a month, $2,700 more than the roughly $1,300 per month she had been paying. (Abelson, 1/2)

Axios: OpenAI's ChatGPT Helps Users Navigate Health Care And Health Insurance
More than 40 million Americans turn to ChatGPT daily for health information, according to a report OpenAI has shared exclusively with Axios. Patients see ChatGPT as an "ally" in navigating their health care, according to analysis of anonymized interactions with ChatGPT and a survey of ChatGPT users by the AI-powered tool Knit. (Morrone, 1/5)

VACCINES

CIDRAP: CMS To Stop Requiring States To Report Childhood Vaccination Levels
States will no longer be required to report how many children they vaccinate to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), according to a December 30 letter to state health officials. As a measure of the quality of the care, states have been required to report the percentage of patients covered by Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Plan who are immunized. (Szabo, 1/2)

The Guardian: Canadian Officials Say US Health Institutions No Longer Dependable For Accurate Information
Canadian officials and public health experts are warning that US health and science institutions can no longer be depended upon for accurate information, particularly when it comes to vaccinations, amid fears that misinformation from the Trump administration could further erode Canadians’ confidence in healthcare. “I can’t imagine a world in which this misinformation doesn’t creep into Canadians’ consciousness and leads to doubt,” said Dawn Bowdish, an immunologist and professor at McMaster University in Ontario. (Bowden, 1/4)

OUTBREAKS AND HEALTH THREATS

CNN: More Than 2,000 Measles Cases Reported In The US In 2025 As Ongoing Outbreaks Threaten Elimination Status 
The United States reported more than 2,000 measles cases in 2025, federal data shows, a higher annual total than the country has seen in decades. (McPhillips, 1/1)

WUSF: Why Florida Whooping Cough Cases Doubled In 2025 Compared To 2024 
Florida cases of pertussis — also known as whooping cough — are at a five-year high. The Florida Department of Health reported 1,454 cases in 2025 through Dec. 6, compared to 715 in all of 2024, according to the state’s Reportable Diseases Frequency Report. 369 of those cases were reported in the Greater Tampa Bay region. Pediatricians say vaccine hesitancy is a big reason why, along with older adults who have compromised immune systems and haven’t had a booster shot in a while. (Miller, 1/5)

ABC News: New York Reports Record-Breaking Number Of Flu Hospitalizations In A Single Week
New York is reporting the highest number of flu hospitalizations recorded in a single week, the state's health department said on Friday. During the week ending Dec. 27, 4,546 people were hospitalized with flu, a 24% increase from the 3,666 who were hospitalized the previous week, according to data from the New York State Department of Health (NYSOH). (Kekatos, 1/2)

CIDRAP: Rare Welder’s Anthrax Case In Louisiana Successfully Treated With Monoclonal Antibody
The ninth known case of welder’s anthrax, and the first clinical use of the monoclonal antibody medication obiltoxaximab to treat it, was recently documented in Louisiana. An account of the case, published in the most recent Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), marks a significant development in the treatment of an often-fatal condition that can afflict metalworkers in the southern United States. (Bergeson, 1/2)

NBC Chicago: Hundreds Of Grocery Items Recalled Due To ‘Unsanitary’ Facility 
Hundreds of popular items sold under recognizable brand names in small grocery stores and markets across Indiana and Minnesota are being recalled after it was found they may be contaminated with Salmonella and "filth" like rodent, bird and insect droppings, according to a release from the Food and Drug Administration. The impacted products include everything from jars of JIF Peanut Butter, to cans of Pringles and boxes of Advil, Tylenol, Excedrin, Benadryl and Alka-Seltzer. (12/29)

MORE ON THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

The New York Times: The U.S. Indictment Of Maduro Cites Cocaine Smuggling. Venezuela’s Role In The Trade Is Believed To Be Modest. 
President Trump has asserted that the campaign is targeting drugs killing Americans, but most U.S. overdoses involve fentanyl, which doesn’t come from South America, experts say. Fentanyl, which causes tens of thousands of overdoses per year, is almost entirely produced in Mexico using chemicals from China, according to U.S. authorities, and Venezuela plays no known role in its trade, nor does any other South American country. (Glatsky and Correal, 1/3)

Bloomberg: Trump Warns Colombia In Threat To Other Drug-Producing Countries
President Donald Trump warned other drug-producing nations in the Western Hemisphere that he wouldn’t long tolerate the flow of illegal substances to the US. A day after US forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro to stand trial in the US, Trump said several other nations need to change their ways. (Wallbank and Lucey, 1/5)

Stat: NIH Director Says DEI-Related Grants That Were Restored Under A Court Order Won’t Be Renewed
Throughout the year, researchers have been heartened by legal decisions pushing back on directives from the National Institutes of Health to halt and deprioritize work it deems related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. But in comments made on a podcast posted Wednesday, NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya indicated the reprieve may be short-lived for the grants restored in June, and they could be terminated over the next year. (Oza, 12/31)

PRESIDENTIAL HEALTH

The Hill: Trump Denies Health Concerns After CT Scan At Walter Reed
President Trump disputed the idea that there was anything wrong with his health and clarified that he got a CT scan instead of an MRI scan when he visited Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for a “secondary” physical. Trump, who is 79, told The Wall Street Journal in an interview published Thursday it was “too bad” he had cardiovascular and abdominal imaging done, saying “it gave them a little ammunition.” “I would have been a lot better off if they didn’t, because the fact that I took it said, ‘Oh gee, is something wrong?’” Trump said. “Well, nothing’s wrong.” (Vakil, 1/1)

The Hill: Dick Cheney's Former Doctor Questions Donald Trump's Aspirin Regimen
Dr. Jonathan Reiner, cardiologist to the late former Vice President Dick Cheney, dismissed President Trump’s aspirin regimen Thursday. The president told the Wall Street Journal that he takes a larger dose of the pain reliever to thin his blood, despite recommendations from his doctors to reduce intake. “I don’t want thick blood pouring through my heart,” added Trump, 79. “I want nice, thin blood pouring through my heart. Does that make sense?” But Reiner told host Phil Mattingly on CNN’s “The Lead” that it, in fact, “makes no sense.” (Rego, 1/2)

REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH

The Hill: Anti-Abortion Group Calls On EPA To Classify Abortion Drugs As Pollutants
Anti-abortion group Students for Life of America is urging the Environmental Protection Agency to add abortion drug mifepristone to its list of water contaminants. It follows 40 other anti-abortion groups and lawmakers previously calling for the EPA to assess the water pollution levels of the abortion drug. “The EPA has the regulatory authority and humane responsibility to determine the extent of abortion water pollution, caused by the reckless and negligent policies pushed by past administrations through the [Food and Drug Administration],” Kristan Hawkins, president of SFLA, said in a release. (Djordjevic, 1/2)

The Guardian: Abortion May No Longer Be A Top Priority For Democratic Voters Ahead Of 2026 Midterms, Polls Show
Up to seven states will vote on abortion rights this year. But recent polling indicates that Democrats may not be able to count on the issue in their efforts to drive votes in the 2026 midterms, after making abortion rights the centerpiece of their pitch to voters in the elections that followed the fall of Roe v Wade. In 2024, 55% of Democrats said abortion was important to their vote, according to polling from the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI). But in October of this year, just 36% of Democrats said the same. (Sherman, 1/1)

MedPage Today: Preterm Birth Rates Rise In Low-Income Households
Both poverty and race were linked to preterm birth in a U.S. population-based cross-sectional study. Among mother-infant dyads in households with income below the federal poverty level, preterm birth rates significantly increased over time, from 9.7% in 2011 to 11.1% in 2021. (Robertson, 1/2)

NBC News: Can A Mammogram Detect Heart Disease? What To Know About Breast Calcium Deposits
Breast arterial calcifications are calcium buildups within the breast arteries that may be associated with heart disease. Mount Sinai is conducting a behavioral study to understand how women react to being notified about the arterial calcifications with their mammogram results. (Leake and Herzberg, 1/3)

Medical Xpress: Tangled Scar Tissue May Set Stage For Dangerous Placenta Condition
Placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) used to be a rare pregnancy condition, but it now affects roughly 14,000 pregnancies annually, posing a major cause of maternal death. Yet why it happens is still not well understood. Placenta accreta occurs when the placenta grows too deeply into the uterine wall, and doesn't detach after birth, often resulting in life-threatening bleeding and a need for a hysterectomy. (1/3)

PHARMA AND TECH

Medical Xpress: Potential Biomarker Linked To Multiple Sclerosis Progression And Brain Inflammation
A new University of Toronto-led study has discovered a possible biomarker linked to multiple sclerosis (MS) disease progression that could help identify patients most likely to benefit from new drugs. The findings were published today in Nature Immunology and validated in both mouse models and humans. (1/2)

Stat: Genetic Variant Appears To Protect Against Blood Cancers 
Over time, hematopoietic or blood stem cells can quietly acquire mutations that push them to divide just a little more aggressively, creating a larger group of clones in the bone marrow. In a fraction of people with this phenomenon, called clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential — CHIP, for short — these cells can transform into cancers such as leukemia, though most will remain benign. (Chen, 1/1)

The Washington Post: Quest For A Drug That Lowers Lipoprotein(A) Levels Nears Finish Line 
A fatty particle can clog arteries just as surely as cholesterol but often goes undetected, striking seemingly healthy people unaware of the danger. Though tests are widely available, they aren’t routinely ordered — in part because there are no approved treatments for the genetic disorder. Now, cardiologists waging a campaign against lipoprotein(a) say they are reaching a turning point. Five experimental drugs are in late stages of development and aim to prove that lowering levels of Lp(a) — pronounced “L-P-little-A” — reduces heart attacks and strokes. Results from the most advanced clinical trial are expected in the first half of 2026. (Gilbert, 1/2)

Medical Xpress: Costs Pose Hurdle For Promising New Hepatitis C Lab Test
A new rapid test for hepatitis C could help identify many more patients who could be cured of the deadly disease, but its use may be limited unless insurers' reimbursement rises to cover its high cost, according to researchers from the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle. (1/2)

Stat: Neuralink's Big Vision Collides With Reality Of Brain Implants 
Neuralink recently lured a top official away from the Food and Drug Administration office that regulates the company, a poaching that has surprised, impressed, and infuriated its competitors in a fledgling industry developing brain-computer interfaces. (Broderick, 1/5)

STATE WATCH

The Colorado Sun: Children's Hospital Colorado Suspends Gender-Affirming Care, Again
Children’s Hospital Colorado has again paused gender-affirming care for transgender people under the age of 18, after federal authorities opened a new investigation into the hospital. (Ingold, 1/2)

AP: Trump Administration Freezes Child Care Funds Over Alleged Fraud Schemes
The Trump administration has said it is freezing child care funds to all states until they provide more verification about the programs in a move fueled by a series of alleged fraud schemes at Minnesota day care centers run by Somali residents. All 50 states will be impacted by the review, but the Republican administration is focusing most of its ire on the blue state of Minnesota and is calling for an audit of some of its centers. (Kramon and Brumfield, 1/3)

The Texas Tribune: Dallas County Sues Feds Over Public Health Funding Cut
Dallas County, buoyed by a recent Harris County court win, has filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration over the clawback of $70 million in public health funds. (Langford, 1/2)

Chicago Tribune: State Agency Says Information Of 670,000 Residents Exposed
The personal information of more than 670,000 Illinois residents may have been publicly accessible online for several years, the Illinois Department of Human Services said Friday. (Schencker, 1/2)

GUN VIOLENCE EPIDEMIC

The New York Times: Trial Begins For Former Officer Over Uvalde School Shooting Response
Three years after AJ Martinez was shot in his right thigh as he hid under a pile of backpacks at an elementary school in Uvalde — the Texas city that suffered one of the nation’s deadliest school shootings — his road to recovery remains arduous and long. Currently 13 and in eighth grade, he continues to endure daily pain from the shrapnel embedded in his right leg, the back of his shoulders and the rear of his head. Now, his mother said, the families of the victims, including the 19 students and two teachers who were killed, are mentally preparing for another phase of the tragedy: the first of two criminal trials over the much-derided police response at Robb Elementary School. (Sandoval, 1/5)