Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
First Edition: Monday, Sept. 21, 2026
KFF HEALTH NEWS ORIGINAL STORIES
KFF Health News: It’s Hard To Predict Who Will Be Suicidal. It’s Easier To Ensure People Can’t Shoot Themselves
Paul Nestadt is about as steeped in suicide prevention as a person can be. He treats suicidal patients as a psychiatrist, has co-authored scores of research papers on how and why people kill themselves, and teaches graduate courses on the subject. But he’ll be the first to admit: “I can’t tell you which of my patients is likely to die by suicide in the next six months.” Almost nobody can. (Pattani, 9/21)
KFF Health News: Health Journalists Visit Conservative Georgia District And Weigh AI Bioweapon Threat
Céline Gounder, KFF Health News’ editor-at-large for public health, discussed the findings of a recent cancer report on CBS News 24/7’s Mornings on Sept. 16. Gounder also discussed the potential of artificial intelligence to be used in developing biological weapons on CBS News’ CBS Mornings on Sept. 11. (9/19)
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
The New York Times: White House Moves To Take Control Of N.I.H. Grants
The White House has begun drafting a new executive order that could further cement President Trump’s ability to control billions of dollars in scientific grants and expand the administration’s pressure campaign against elite universities. Discussed at a highly contentious meeting at the White House on Friday, the order aims to create a new external committee with the power to veto awards in the National Institutes of Health’s vast research portfolio that do not conform to Mr. Trump’s political agenda, according to people with knowledge of the effort. (Johnson, Gay Stolberg, Romm and Bender, 9/20)
AP: Trump Announces All 50 States Are Joining Medicaid Drug Pricing Model
President Donald Trump announced Friday that all 50 states will join in on a program set to provide Most Favored Nation pricing to some drugs within the Medicaid program, bringing the net price of selected drugs down to prices paid in certain other countries. The Trump administration claims that Medicaid will save billions on prescription drug costs as a result of the plan, dubbed the Medicaid “GENEROUS” model. Experts say the savings are unclear since the content of the deals isn’t public. (Hussein, 9/19)
The Washington Post: Secret Contracts Reveal Undisclosed Terms In Trump’s Drug-Pricing Deals
The Trump administration’s confidential deals with pharmaceutical companies to lower U.S. drug prices include inducements to raise drug prices overseas and promise protection from President Donald Trump’s tariffs, according to documents shared with The Washington Post. The documents, obtained through Freedom of Information Act lawsuits, detail negotiations between the administration and the pharmaceutical giants Pfizer and Eli Lilly. Both companies agreed to voluntarily cut some U.S. prices last year after negotiating with Department of Health and Human Services officials, and Trump celebrated the deals at the White House. (Diamond and Beggin, 9/19)
Modern Healthcare: CMS Policy To Ease Medicare Advantage Insurer Acquisitions
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is making it easier for Medicare Advantage insurers to swoop in and rescue struggling rivals. The agency last week notified insurance companies that it may allow them to expand where they sell policies midyear if they acquire competitors. Previously, CMS only considered expansion requests during the annual bid cycle in June. (Tepper, 9/18)
Axios: Exclusive: HHS Launches PPE Demand Forecast
The Department of Health and Human Services is releasing a forecast of its demand for personal protective equipment, giving American manufacturers predictability and strengthening supply chains, the department first told Axios. The COVID pandemic exposed America's dependence on other countries for manufactured goods like PPE and prescription drugs, and there's sustained interest in changing that. (Owens, 9/18)
Axios: Trump Administration Takes On Mental Health Parity
The Trump administration is wading into the difficult issue of mental health parity, laying out requirements aimed at making health plans cover behavioral health at the same level as physical health. It's a sign that the administration could steer in a different direction from the Biden administration, which put a focus on compliance reporting that the Trump team is rejecting. (Bettelheim, 9/21)
ABC News: Pentagon Posts New Guidance For Mandatory Testosterone Screening. Here's What It May Mean
The Pentagon posted new guidance on Thursday for mandatory testosterone deficiency screening among male service members over age 30 in active duty or in the reserves. It comes two weeks after guidelines for mandatory screening were "temporarily rescinded" from a Department of Defense website. The guidelines that were pulled two weeks ago also provided guidance that female service members be asked about fatigue and disrupted menstrual cycles that could be associated with hormonal dysregulation. (Martinez and Kekatos, 9/18)
Politico: RFK Jr.’s Movement Now Has Corporate Sponsors
When devotees of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Make America Healthy Again movement meet for a summit Sept. 29 in Washington, titans of American industry will pay the bill. Walmart, America’s biggest retailer and a leading purveyor of the ultraprocessed foods MAHA decries, is among the sponsors. So are two artificial intelligence giants, OpenAI and Anthropic, whose chief executives recently asked Washington to regulate them in order to prevent their tools from wiping out humanity. (Chu, 9/20)
Stat: RFK Jr. Sees Mutual Political Benefit In MAHA Boosting MAGA
Zach Lahn, a farmer and Republican candidate for Iowa governor, says he won’t forget these moments: visiting a bait-and-tackle shop, bream fishing, and campaigning alongside health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “RFK Jr.’s story is one that I have long admired,” Lahn wrote on his official campaign page in August, following Kennedy’s visit to Iowa. (Cirruzzo, 9/21)
VACCINES
The Washington Post: Trump Says He Will Demand Drug Companies Split Up Vaccines Into More Doses
President Donald Trump said Friday that he would be “demanding” drug companies further split up vaccines into five doses given in six-month intervals, and claimed that doing so would reduce autism rates. It was not immediately clear which immunizations he was seeking to break up. “The vaccine size will be much, much less,” he said. “I think you’re going to see a massive reduction in autism. And that’s a big deal, a very big deal. We’re going to be recommending that and actually demanding it.” (Roubein, 9/18)
Politico: Bill Cassidy Urges FDA Nominee To Reject Trump’s Vaccine Claim
Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy said Sunday that President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Food and Drug Administration must acknowledge that Trump’s claim that the measles vaccine is lethal is “absurd” when she appears before his committee later this week. “I need to hear that she understands that calling the measles vaccine lethal is absurd, and we need radical honesty,” Cassidy (R-La.) said Sunday on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” when asked what he needs to be persuaded during Dr. Heidi Overton’s confirmation hearing later this week. (Beckford, 9/20)
NBC News: MFlusiva, The First MRNA Flu Shot, Is Now Available. Here’s What To Know
The first mRNA flu shot is now available, but not everyone is eligible. Moderna’s mFlusiva is the first flu vaccine in the United States to use messenger RNA technology, the same platform used in Pfizer and Moderna’s Covid shots. Scientists have long been interested in using mRNA against the flu because the vaccines can be made faster, potentially making it easier to keep up with changing flu strains. (Lovelace Jr., 9/18)
The Guardian: Nearly 3M More Lives Could Be Saved In Next Pandemic If Vaccines Are Shared More Fairly, Says Report
An extra 2.7 million lives could be saved in the next pandemic if countries share vaccines in a less selfish way, a new study has found – although the death toll in richer countries would rise. Researchers modelling a hypothetical global outbreak of flu found that fast-tracking vaccine development could cut deaths from 58.5m to 23.9m. (Lay, 9/21)
OUTBREAKS AND HEALTH THREATS
The Hill: Second Death In South Bronx Legionnaires' Cluster
A second person has died in connection with the South Bronx Legionnaires’ disease cluster, according to the city’s health commissioner. “We mourn the loss of each New Yorker, and our hearts are with their loved ones as they navigate this difficult time,” Dr. Alister Martin said on social media. As of Thursday, 13 people had tested positive for the disease and two were still in the hospital. Yankee Stadium is among 10 buildings the health department ordered to clean and disinfect their cooling towers. (Gustafson, 9/18)
CBS8.com: San Diego State University Confirms Mumps Outbreak Among Student-Athletes On The Same Team
San Diego State University is facing a mumps outbreak confirmed by county health officials, with all five cases linked to student-athletes on the same team. SDSU reported three confirmed cases and two probable cases among these students, who are no longer considered contagious but have raised concerns across campus. (Cheney, 9/18)
CIDRAP: CDC Adds 177 Cases To US Measles Total But Has Yet To Confirm Deaths In Pennsylvania
With 177 new cases added today, the US measles count has climbed to 3,471, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in its weekly update has yet to acknowledge any of the four measles-related deaths recently reported by the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH), two in babies and two involving adults. (Wappes, 9/18)
CIDRAP: Feds Fight Rabies Amid Concerning Rise In Animal Cases, Human Exposures
As the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns of a nationwide increase in animal rabies cases and human exposures, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced it is about to conduct its annual airdrop of millions of fishmeal-coated sachets of rabies vaccine over the Southeast to immunize wildlife against the deadly disease. Last week, the CDC issued a Health Alert Network advisory after observing a 17% increase in questions about human exposures to rabid or possibly rabid animals in July and August over the same period in 2025. (Van Beusekom, 9/18)
REPRODUCTIVE AND MATERNAL HEALTH
The Texas Tribune: Texas Supreme Court: Baby In Surrogacy Case Can Leave Texas
The Texas Supreme Court has rejected a surrogate’s attempt to keep the child she delivered in Texas, clearing the way for the biological parents to take the medically fragile infant to California. On Thursday, the Texas Supreme Court denied the request by McKenna West, an Alaskan surrogate who had tried to block the biological parents from removing the 1-month-old from Texas and taking him to a hospital in Los Angeles, where the couple lives. (Langford, 9/18)
The New York Times: Patrick Clancy Describes Grief In First Interview Since Mistrial
In an interview broadcast on CBS on Sunday, Patrick Clancy, the former husband of Lindsay Clancy, described the weight of his grief in the years since Ms. Clancy killed their three children in January 2023. (Spoto and Russell, 9/20)
Phys.org: Black Moms And Pregnant Women Forced Out Of Their Homes In Metro Detroit Face Health And Safety Threats
Is everyone entitled to a fair process before being forced out of their home? The state of Michigan says "yes," but the reality is often very different, and the consequences are severe. In Michigan, landlords need a court order to evict a tenant. The formal eviction process includes several steps and concludes only when a judge signs an order saying a tenant has to move. (Sealy-Jefferson, 9/18)
HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY
Modern Healthcare: Molina Medicare Plans In Connecticut, Nevada, Mississippi To End
Molina Healthcare is pulling its all of its Medicare plans from three states for the 2027 plan year, the company notified third-party marketers Friday. The health insurer announced in February that it would completely exit the national market for individual Medicare Advantage plans to focus on Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans, or D-SNPs, for people who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid. The company tried to sell the individual Medicare Advantage business but failed to find a buyer. (Tepper, 9/18)
Modern Healthcare: HCSC Medicare Advantage Exits: Connecticut, New York, D.C.
Health Care Service Corp. is making major cuts to its Medicare Advantage business a little more than a year after its $3.3 billion deal with Cigna Group. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield licensee plans to withdraw completely from the Connecticut, New York and District of Columbia Medicare Advantage markets, according to a notice distributed Thursday to third-party marketing organizations. The company entered these markets through the Cigna deal last year. (Tepper, 9/18)
Modern Healthcare: Elevance Health's Out-Of-Network Policy Draws Lawsuit Again
Elevance Health is facing another lawsuit over its policy penalizing out-of-network referrals. As of July 1, hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers in New York that refer Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield commercial plan members to out-of-network providers or facilities may be subject to a 7.5% pay reduction under the policy. Neurological Surgery Practice of Long Island sued Elevance Health on Thursday, claiming the physician group is “irreparably harmed” by the policy. (Tong, 9/18)
Healthcare Dive: Insurance Doesn’t Protect US Adults From Medical Debt, Commonwealth Fund Finds
One-third of adults with private insurance are contending with medical debt, according to a new survey, showing how healthcare coverage isn’t a guarantee of protection from financial devastation. About 37% of those with medical debt drained all or or part of their savings to pay their bills, and 30% delayed necessary care, according to the survey released Thursday by the Commonwealth Fund. Another 30% reported cutting back on food, heat or rent to make ends meet. (Hughes, 9/18)
Fierce Healthcare: Blue Shield Of California To Expand Virtual Blue Program
Blue Shield of California announced Thursday that it plans to expand its Virtual Blue program, doubling program enrollment for members. Beginning in January 2027, the benefit will be included in fully insured preferred provider organization (PPO) plans for employers with 101 to 3,000 employees, as well as for certain individual and family plans, the insurer said. (Gleeson, 9/17)
Modern Healthcare: Private Equity Shifts Healthcare Investments Toward Technology
As the healthcare industry sloughs off inefficient and outdated processes, private equity investors see value in backing technology-driven solutions. Healthcare technology aimed at provider and payer operations ranges from revenue cycle management and prior authorization tools to clinical data platforms. The technology can make healthcare delivery less complex by simplifying workflows and reducing expenses, which can lead to stronger margins and improved patient outcomes. (Hudson, 9/18)
PHARMA AND TECH
ProPublica: Clear Labels Act Stripped Of Critical Drug Safety Provisions
Landmark legislation designed to alert consumers to where their drugs were made is headed for a full Senate vote, but safety experts say the transparency bill has been stripped of two of its most critical provisions. The Clear Labels Act was introduced earlier this year by Sens. Rick Scott, R-Fla., and Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., after lawmakers and drug safety experts called for more transparency in the industry. Last year, a ProPublica investigation revealed that the U.S. kept importing generic drugs from foreign factories after inspectors had identified quality and safety lapses at the sites, including leaks, mold and contaminated water. (Roy, 9/18)
Stat: Radiopharma Companies Merge After One Receives Surprise FDA Rejection
ITM Isotope Technologies Munich SE and Telix Pharmaceuticals, two leading companies in the burgeoning radiopharmaceuticals field, are merging in a deal worth at least $1.65 billion. (DeAngelis, 9/20)
MedPage Today: Trial Supports New Method For Easing IUD Insertion Pain
Intrauterine instillation of the anesthetic mepivacaine significantly reduced pain during intrauterine device (IUD) insertion, a Swedish randomized trial showed. (Robertson, 9/18)
CIDRAP: Analysis Finds That Teens Who Receive Injectable HIV Treatment Manage The Condition Better
Teens who got an every-other-month injection for their HIV treatment, and therefore didn't have to take a daily pill, did better at managing their viral load, according to new research published yesterday in The Lancet. The study involved 476 adolescents, aged 12 to 19, living in Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. All had well-controlled HIV with undetectable viral loads, and nearly all were born with the condition. (Boden, 9/18)
The Marshall Project: Taking GLP-1 Shots In Prison? Yes, But It’s Complicated.
Like many Americans, I’ve struggled with weight for much of my life. I’ve tried dieting, working out, and changing my lifestyle, all with little success. The potential health consequences have started to catch up with me. Earlier this year, in an examination room at Eastern NY Correctional Facility, in upstate New York, my doctor delivered a stern message: If I wanted to avoid having a heart attack, I needed to start eating healthier. (Giordano, 9/18)
STATE WATCH
The Texas Tribune: Report: Immigration Officer Shoots, Injures Man In Austin
An immigration enforcement agent shot and injured a man in Austin on Sunday, city officials said. Police nor the U.S. Department of Homeland Security identified the man. But Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, an Austin immigration lawyer, said she was hired to represent the man and that he was released from the hospital and into federal custody Sunday evening. (Nguyen, Garcia and Serrano, 9/20)
Verite News: State Proposal Would Shift Tens Of Millions In Homeless Housing Assistance Funds To Open 200-Bed Shelter In Baton Rouge
Thousands of formerly homeless people in the greater New Orleans area rely on federal dollars to help pay for their housing. But homeless advocates and service providers worry that that money — currently administered by a local coalition that provides support to people experiencing homelessness — could be in jeopardy. (Fernelius, 9/18)
The Colorado Sun: Colorado State Budget Woes Deepen, As Medicaid Costs Soar
The best-case scenario forecast that Colorado budget writers received in June turned out to be too good to be true. Three months later, the budget picture has crumbled again, economists told the Joint Budget Committee at the state’s quarterly revenue forecasts Friday. Analysts now expect the state to face a $1.6 billion deficit next fiscal year, setting the stage for another round of grueling spending cuts for the state legislature and Colorado’s next governor. (Eason, 9/18)
ProPublica: Tennessee Lawmakers Demand Answers On Safety In State Youth Prisons
Four Democratic Tennessee state lawmakers sent a letter to the Department of Children’s Services demanding answers about safety and oversight in the state’s juvenile justice facilities. The letter cites a recent WPLN and ProPublica investigation that found that juvenile justice facilities run by Tennessee businessman Jason Crews repeatedly failed to report abuse of children and other serious incidents to the state as required. (Pfleger and Swaby, 9/18)
The Washington Post: A Big Chemical Company Is Trying A New Way To Recycle. Neighbors Are Worried.
W.R. Grace & Co. says emissions from its plastics-recycling machine in suburban Maryland are so minimal they flow from a tube “about the size of a drinking straw.” (Hedgpeth, 9/20)
Stat: Kratom Withdrawal A Growing Problem For Addiction Clinics
Addiction clinics around the country are seeing a growing number of cases related to gas station products made from the kratom leaf and its derivatives. (Gaffney, 9/21)
PUBLIC HEALTH
AP: Jehovah’s Witnesses Partly Ease Ban On Medical Use Of Donated Blood
The Jehovah’s Witnesses have partly eased their longstanding prohibition on the medical use of donated blood, allowing members to receive products derived from blood but maintaining a ban on transfusions of whole blood. The policy, announced Friday, is the second revision this year in what has long been one of the most controversial and distinctive teachings of the religious organization. (Smith, 9/18)
The Hill: Kidney Disease Of Unknown Origin Spreads In US. Who Is At Risk?
Doctors in Texas say they have seen an increasing number of otherwise healthy young men coming in on the brink of organ failure. The health care practitioners told Texas Monthly they believe the culprit is CKDu, or chronic kidney disease of unknown origin, an unexplained form of kidney disease that can quickly turn deadly. (Martichoux, 9/20)
CIDRAP: Study Uncovers No Evidence Of Autism Epidemic, Despite Claims
Many people, including US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., say that autism rates have reached epidemic proportions. But while the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has risen since the 1980s, experts say that greater awareness and improved testing are behind the increase in diagnoses. Indeed, a study published this week in JAMA Pediatrics examining birth cohorts finds that the number of children with ASD has held steady. (Holohan, 9/18)
Medical Xpress: Study Reveals Surprising Cause Of Immune Challenges In People With Down Syndrome
Getting sick can look very different for people with Down syndrome (DS); illnesses that are mild for most people may lead to serious complications, including pneumonia, hospitalization or the need for intensive care. (Lock, 9/20)
Phys.org: Loss Of Y Chromosome In Men Could Be An Early Warning Sign Of Cancer
A study initiated by Dr. Dan Theodorescu, a physician-scientist at the University of Arizona Cancer Center, revealed that the loss of the Y chromosome in men's body tissue could pave the way for cancer to develop. According to research recently published in JCI Insights, the loss of the chromosome, which is common in men as they age, creates a preneoplastic field effect, a hidden zone of genetic vulnerability in normal tissue that provides fertile ground for cancer to develop. (9/19)
GLOBAL WATCH
AP: Congo Begins Vaccinating Against Ebola In The Outbreak's Epicenter
Congo on Saturday began vaccinating healthcare staff against Ebola in Bunia, the epicenter of the fastest-growing outbreak of the disease in history as they are “particularly exposed and deeply involved in the response,” the provincial governor said. Health workers and other front-line workers in the Ebola response are being prioritized to receive the Ervebo vaccine that was effective in past Ebola outbreaks caused by a different, more common type of virus. Clinical trials are ongoing to find a licensed vaccine for the current outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, which has no licensed vaccine or treatment. (Same Bagalwa, 9/19)
