Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
First Edition: Monday, Oct. 26, 2026
KFF HEALTH NEWS ORIGINAL STORIES
KFF Health News: The Cost Of Healthcare Is Hitting America Where It Hurts: The Wallet
Bill McAdams, a 45-year-old travel nurse from Holiday, Florida, was uninsured last year when he experienced a stroke. He hadn’t been able to afford his agency’s health plan, which would have cost $3,600 monthly to cover him and his wife. The hospital that treated him sent him a bill for $93,000. (Rayasam and Whitehead, 10/26)
KFF Health News: Digging Into The Money Behind The US Healthcare System
The United States spends a lot of money on healthcare. To better understand how much, who spends it, and what it’s spent on, we dug into the federal government’s data. In 2024, the most recent year for which data was available, the U.S. spent $5.3 trillion on healthcare. That means an average of more than $14.4 billion was spent each day, and more than $10 million each minute. (Zuraw and Rayasam, 10/23)
KFF Health News: Many Medicare Patients Could Lose Access To Remote Monitoring Devices
Dianne Williams said she lost weight and lowered her blood pressure thanks to quarterly doctor appointments, monthly phone calls with a nurse, and a blood pressure cuff she uses at home that transmits data to her care team. “It’s good to have somebody talk to you and tell you what your progress is like. And she’s a very nice person,” Williams said of her nurse. (Zionts, 10/26)
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
Modern Healthcare: CMS ACA Subsidy Verification Rule Issued
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services published a proposed rule on Friday to establish stricter eligibility verification requirements for people applying for health insurance exchange subsidies. The draft regulation, which implements policies from President Donald Trump’s tax law, requires enrollees seeking premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions to satisfy a set of eligibility checks before they access benefits. CMS characterizes the policy as an anti-fraud measure. The rule builds on a proposed rule the IRS issued last week that would establish technical definitions and narrow access to subsidies for noncitizens. (Early, 10/23)
ProPublica: Trump Administration To Require Chips On SNAP Cards
The Trump administration [last] week announced an overhaul of the nation’s food stamp payment system, aimed at modernizing benefit cards to protect families from electronic theft. The move comes a week after ProPublica published an investigation showing how $470 million in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits were stolen from recipients last year alone, in large part because these cards are technologically outdated. (Hager, 10/23)
Modern Healthcare: CMS Announces $275M Nurses For Nursing Home Program
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and states are funding a $275 million program to attract nurses to skilled nursing facilities in rural communities and urban areas plagued by staffing shortages. The Nurses for Nursing Home initiative announced Friday would offer nursing students and licensed nurses up to $40,000 in student loan repayments or a $10,000 stipend in exchange for a three-year commitment to work in nursing homes in staffing deserts, CMS said in a news release. (Eastabrook, 10/23)
Politico: The Trump Administration Moves To Treat Millions Of Mentally Ill Veterans With Psychedelics
Nearly one in three veterans who relies on the government for health care could benefit from taking psychedelic drugs like magic mushrooms or MDMA. That’s not the assessment of some hippie or fading 1960s rock star. It came from Andrew Gradison, a senior adviser at President Donald Trump’s Veterans Health Administration. Gradison told a conference for psychedelics enthusiasts this month that he is eager to ramp up the VA’s capacity to give the drugs to as many as 2.1 million veterans with mental illnesses like post-traumatic stress disorder or depression. Gradison said 6.4 million veterans regularly rely on the VA for care. (Friedman, 10/25)
Stat: NIH Vaccine Injury Center Will Also Probe Long-Term Infection Impacts
Earlier this month at a private event, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other top federal health officials announced a new National Institutes of Health center that would focus on patients with vaccine injuries, drawing fresh scientific firepower to an issue that’s long been central for the health secretary. Yet days later, two leaders at the NIH said the center would also focus on long-term symptoms that people experience after an infection, a phenomenon most recently amplified among those experiencing long-term symptoms post-Covid. (Cirruzzo, 10/26)
Axios: 'Zero' Indication That Kennedy Is Planning A Post-Midterm Departure From HHS
When it comes to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s future, two things are clear: He hasn't finished what he set out to do, and President Trump has his back. It was a popular assumption a few months ago that Kennedy would be out after the November elections. Now, the question is why he would leave. (Owens, 10/26)
IMMIGRATION CRISIS
Verite News New Orleans: Immigrants In ICE Detention Have No Due Process Rights Under US Constitution, Federal Appeals Court Says
Immigrants who enter the United States without appointments with immigration officials can be detained indefinitely and are not entitled to bond hearings, regardless of how long they have lived in the country, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Friday. The 10-7 decision was issued in the case of three immigrant fathers in Texas who were detained without bond. It applies to immigrants who have already entered the U.S., as well as those who will enter in the future, and it has far-reaching implications for the more than 20,000 people held indefinitely in detention centers in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi – the states in the appeals court district. (Misick and Joshi, 10/23)
ELECTIONS
The Hill: Republican Candidates Face Heat Over $1 Trillion Medicaid Reduction
Democrats across battleground districts are holding Republicans’ feet to the fire over the Medicaid cuts in their signature One Big Beautiful Bill law. In advertisements and on debate stages, the Democrats are hammering their opponents over their support for a law that will reduce Medicaid funding by nearly $1 trillion to pay for tax cuts primarily for wealthy individuals and corporations. With less than two weeks before the midterm elections, Republicans are playing defense. (Weixel, 10/25)
The Hill: Physician Candidates Surge Into Midterm Election Races To Counter MAHA
Dozens of medical professionals are running for Congress and top state offices this midterm season, a direct Democrat-led counteraction to the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda’s outsized influence on national health policy. There are seven physicians running for congressional office in this election, including Democrats Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan, Annie Andrews of South Carolina, Amish Shah in Arizona and Richard Pan in California. There are even more nurses — 14 non-incumbent candidates — running for Congress, according to Nurse.org’s Nurses on the Ballot research series. (Choi, 10/24)
CNN: Iowa’s Cancer Problem Is Scrambling The Midterms
As the debate season kicked off in Iowa’s heated gubernatorial race, one question seemed to animate and, in some ways, unify the candidates. “What are the immediate and specific steps that you would take to combat Iowa’s cancer crisis?” the moderator asked the Democrat Rob Sand and Republican Zach Lahn, who both said it was a foundational issue for their campaigns — before each accusing the other of not doing enough. (Owermohle and Wright, 10/25)
AP: She Voted For Trump Every Time. Then Came Cancer And The Bills
The Ford Expedition rumbled to a stop and Cindy Banda’s bedazzled flip-flops landed on the asphalt of the Houston cancer center’s vast parking lot. She threaded through the rows of cars, a tally of patients who gather here to sit with chemotherapy needles or lie on radiation machines. The elevator dinged open. A year ago in this building, surgeons removed Banda’s right breast, and she still didn’t know whether treatment had expunged the cancer from her body. Doctors had told her it would be tough to beat. (Bedayn, 10/25)
OUTBREAKS AND HEALTH THREATS
CIDRAP: US Measles Cases Hit 4,588, More Than Twice Last Year’s Total
The number of confirmed US measles cases has hit 4,588, more than doubling its total from last year, according to the latest update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). An additional 178 measles cases were reported this week, and over the past two weeks, 508 new measles infections have been confirmed. That’s more than the nation experienced from 2022 through 2024, when a total of 465 measles cases were reported. (Dall and Szabo, 10/23)
The Hill: New Florida Counties Report Dengue Cases As Statewide Total Passes 400
Florida’s Pinellas County is continuing to see a spike in dengue fever cases as the state’s outbreak shows no sign of slowing. Across the state of Florida, 425 locally acquired dengue fevers have been reported since the year began, with the majority of cases being reported in Hillsborough County. (Rodriguez, 10/23)
NBC News: Early Flu Season Is Here. What To Know About Mutated Virus H1N1
If you’re surprised to hear about people getting sick with the flu before Halloween, you’re not alone. The 2026-2027 flu season appears to be off to an early and strong start, experts say. Influenza activity is still low nationally, but cases are rising quickly in many parts of the country, especially the West, and two states, Louisiana and Hawaii, are already reporting moderate levels. (Kee, 10/23)
Chicago Tribune: Illinois County Investigates E. Coli Cases Linked To Pumpkin Farm
The Will County Health Department is investigating five confirmed cases of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, or STEC, that may have been connected to patrons who visited Bengtson’s Pumpkin Farm in Homer Glen in the past month. The Health Department was made aware of five cases of people who became ill and were confirmed to have the pathogen, officials said. (Mullins, 10/23)
Chicago Tribune: Mold In Chicago-Area Schools A Growing Issue With Climate Change
Instead of returning to familiar hallways and classrooms, hundreds of students from John H. Kinzie Elementary School in Garfield Ridge began their first week of classes this year at the adjacent John F. Kennedy High School. The students had been moved while the school underwent environmental testing and remediation after mold was discovered in several parts of the building at 5625 S. Mobile Ave. (Perez, 10/25)
HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY
The Washington Post: Doctors’ Offices Are Charging Patients 10 Times More By Claiming To Be Hospitals
As U.S. hospitals buy up a growing portion of the doctors’ offices in the United States, patients are paying a steep cost: Routine medical care is often being billed at the much more expensive rate for hospital care, instead of the lower cost for procedures in a doctor’s office. The higher rates along with hospital “facility fees” — tacked on even when patients never step into a hospital — can lead to bills 10 times costlier or more, according to research on patients’ bills. (Weil, 10/24)
Bloomberg: Bon Secours Nears $6 Billion Buy Of Surgery Partners, FT Says
Bon Secours Mercy Health is in late-stage talks to buy a majority stake in Surgery Partners in a deal that would value the Bain Capital-backed surgical care provider at roughly $6 billion, including $3.5 billion in debt, the Financial Times reported. Bon Secours’ partial takeover of Surgery Partners would value the group at about $20 a share. Bain Capital would retain its nearly 40% stake. (Tsekova, 10/25)
Los Angeles Times: UCLA Health Expansion Raises Costs And Concerns
UCLA Health has rapidly expanded the number of hospitals and clinics it operates. Critics say the expansion is raising healthcare costs and question why it hasn’t included lower-income neighborhoods. (Petersen, 10/25)
MPR News: Rural Labor And Delivery Units To Get Boost From University Of Minnesota Medical School Fellowship
As more Minnesota rural communities lose local obstetrics services, the University of Minnesota Medical School and central Minnesota’s CentraCare hospital are teaming up to equip more rural providers with the skills they need to handle complicated births. (Work, 10/25)
Modern Healthcare: Centene Sues CMS Over 2027 Medicare Advantage Star Ratings
Centene is challenging in court its 2027 Medicare Advantage star ratings. The health insurance company sued the Health and Human Services Department and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia on Thursday, alleging the government violated the Administrative Procedure Act of 1946 by failing to go through the proper rulemaking process when making changes to the Star Ratings program. (Tepper, 10/23)
The Baltimore Sun: Data Breach: Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center Alerts Patients
Thousands of Baltimore patients may have had their personal health information exposed after a worker uploaded a spreadsheet to a third-party public artificial intelligence tool that the hospital had not approved. (Byrne, 10/24)
Modern Healthcare: Johns Hopkins Health System President To Retire In 2027
Johns Hopkins Health System President Kevin Sowers plans to retire at the end of 2027. The organization will conduct a national search for a successor, led by Johns Hopkins Medicine CEO Theodore DeWeese and the board of trustees, according to a Thursday news release. Sowers plans to become a senior executive adviser after his retirement to help with the transition, the release said. (Hudson, 10/23)
PHARMA AND TECH
Modern Healthcare: Optum Rx, Express Scripts, CVS Caremark Face House Probe
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is demanding answers about what Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) alleges may be retaliation by leading pharmacy benefit managers against supporters of PBM legislation. According to Comer, after independent pharmacies publicly declared their support for PBM legislation this summer, they reported being subject to audits by PBMs. (Young and Tong, 10/23)
The Hill: FDA Issues Nationwide Recall On These Compound GLP-1 Drugs Over Sterility Concerns
The FDA has issued a recall for 23 GLP-1 compounded vials from Apothecary Pharma LLC due to lack of assurance the vials are sterile. The FDA has designated the recall as Class II, meaning exposure to the products could cause reversible or temporary health consequences and poses little risk of serious consequences from use, according to the FDA website. (Jaime, 10/23)
Fortune: Biotech Firm Rakuten Medical Wants To Bring Its Novel 'Lightsaber' Cancer Cure To The U.S.
Minami Maeda, CEO of Rakuten Medical, hopes he can get doctors to stop using their scalpels and try something more science-fiction instead. (Ang, 10/26)
NBC News: New Lung Cancer Immunotherapy Dramatically Improves Survival
Within weeks of being diagnosed with the deadliest form of lung cancer, Jay Goldberg began planning his own funeral. (Sullivan, 10/24)
CIDRAP: Long-Acting Injected Combo Drug Keeps HIV In Check, Real-World Study Finds
A new study finds that a long-acting, injectable treatment for HIV works as well in the real world as in controlled clinical trials. Researchers found that Cabenuva, an injection of the drugs cabotegravir and rilpivirine, suppressed HIV to undetectable levels in 94% of people in the study, presented today at ID Week, a medical conference about infectious diseases in Washington, DC. (Szabo, 10/23)
STATE WATCH
MPR News: Medicaid Cuts May Cripple Minnesota Community Health Clinics
At Southside Community Health Services on East Lake Street, sunlight fills a bright, spacious lobby. The south Minneapolis clinic has served its community for over 50 years, providing care to thousands of patients, many with limited access to affordable healthcare. (Zurek, 10/23)
Carolina Public Press: Reducing Drug Harm In NC Mountain Counties
In strip malls across rural parts of Western North Carolina, a grassroots harm reduction movement has taken root. In counties from Madison to Macon, volunteers deliver safe supplies to people using drugs, they test substances without judgment and provide things like clothes and food, too. They are saving lives without stigma, advocates say. (Livingston, 10/25)
The New York Times: ‘He’s Not The Same Baby’: Family Of Child Found Alive In Morgue Recalls Ordeal
Vincent Fiordilino was 18 months old when he was found to be alive after having been declared dead at an Arizona hospital in February. (Chao, 10/24)
The Washington Post: Six Flags To Add Seat Belts To Some Roller Coasters After Death In Georgia
Six Flags said it would add seat belts to some of its roller coaster rides after the death of a man at its theme park in Georgia this month. Six Flags chief executive John Reilly said in a statement Friday the company was “taking additional measures, including adding seat belts on Goliath and other coasters with a similar restraint.” (Bisset, 10/25)
WOMEN'S HEALTH
NBC News: The FDA Says There’s No Estrogen Patch Shortage. Women Are Struggling To Fill Prescriptions
Women across the country are still struggling to fill prescriptions for estrogen patches. (Lovelace Jr., 10/23)
Stat: New Approach To Women's Heart Health Focuses On Four Stages Of Life
Women’s hearts are different from men’s. Research from clinical trials that have required female participants only since 1993 have repeatedly drummed home that message, from varying chromosomes in heart muscle cells to different heart attack symptoms and causes. Yet wide gaps remain in heart health care for girls and women across specialties. (Cooney, 10/26)
NBC News: Should You Test Embryos For BRCA? 3 Women Open Up About Fraught Choice
It had only been three months since Sage Silverstein learned she carried a BRCA mutation when she got even more shocking news: At 24, she was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer. She lost her grandmother at age 60 to breast cancer, and she and her mom both learned they carry BRCA mutations. In particular, Silverstein is positive for BRCA2, a gene mutation that significantly increases the risk for breast, ovarian and other cancers. (Jacoby, 10/23)
LIFESTYLE AND HEALTH
San Francisco Chronicle: Cannabis Users May Sleep Worse Than They Think, New Study Suggests
A new study has found that adults who use cannabis have poorer sleep than those who don’t — though they might not realize it. The study by Northwestern Medicine researchers, published in JAMA Network Open this month, found that both recent and lifetime cannabis use are associated with poorer quality sleep — more fragmented sleep, a lower percentage of time in bed spent asleep, and longer periods of time awake after initially falling asleep. (Ho, 10/24)
Fox News: America's Catholics Are Putting Down The Bottle As Drinking Habits Shift
A historic shift in American drinking habits shows Catholic alcohol consumption reaching record lows, though scientific experts caution against attributing the drop strictly to religious or cultural changes. The share of Catholic adults in the United States who report drinking alcohol has fallen to 55%, according to a Gallup report authored by analyst Frank Newport. (Quill, 10/25)
GLOBAL WATCH
AP: Kenya Reports 2nd Ebola Death As Relative Of First Patient Dies
Kenya’s Health Ministry announced the country’s second Ebola death Friday, saying a 65-year-old woman who was a close relative of the first patient died after developing symptoms while in quarantine. The woman began showing symptoms 10 days ago and began receiving supportive care at an infectious disease unit in the capital, Nairobi. The ministry said medical personnel “did everything possible to save her life,” but she died Friday evening. (Musambi, 10/24)
AP: Attackers Kill Nurse, Injure Health Worker Responding To Ebola Case In Eastern Congo
A nurse was killed and a health worker severely injured after being attacked while responding to an Ebola alert in Congo, according to the World Health Organization. It was the latest in a series of attacks on health workers and responders that authorities say is hampering efforts to slow the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak in the world. The attack took place Saturday in the town of Bafwasende in the country’s eastern Tshopo province, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a post on X on Sunday. (Kitsa Musayi, 10/26)
The Washington Post: The Most Important Things To Do To Stay Healthy While Traveling
When people go to a doctor before an international trip, vaccines usually dominate the conversation. And while those are important, many of the health problems most likely to derail a trip cannot be prevented with a vaccine: diarrhea, respiratory infections, motion sickness and flare-ups of existing medical conditions — none of which can be headed off with a shot. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that between 43 percent and 79 percent of travelers to low- and middle-income countries become ill during or after their journey. (Henao, 10/24)
