First Edition: Monday, Sept. 22, 2025

KFF HEALTH NEWS ORIGINAL STORIES

KFF Health News: States Are Cutting Medicaid Provider Payments Long Before Trump Cuts Hit 
Every day for nearly 18 years, Alessandra Fabrello has been a medical caregiver for her son, on top of being his mom. “It is almost impossible to explain what it takes to keep a child alive who should be dead,” said Fabrello, whose son, Ysadore Maklakoff, experienced a rare brain condition called acute necrotizing encephalopathy at 9 months old. ... Now, broad cuts to North Carolina Medicaid will make finding and paying for care even more difficult. (Sable-Smith and Tribble, 9/22)

KFF Health News: Mercury In Your Hot Dog? Vaccine Skeptics Face Their Limits At Crucial CDC Meeting
Public health officials watched with dread as a panel shaped by the Trump administration took up an agenda to begin dismantling six decades of vaccination development and progress. But while the result seemed foretold, the debate was far from unanimous. (Allen and Rayasam, 9/19)

KFF Health News: KFF Health News’ ‘On Air’: Journalists Follow The Fallout Of CDC Director's Firing And Trump's Health Policies
KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner discussed the Senate hearing of former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Susan Monarez on WBUR’s “Here & Now” on Sept. 17. Rovner also delved into the “Make America Healthy Again” report on children’s health on WNYC’s “The Brian Lehrer Show” on Sept. 16 and on C-SPAN’s “Washington Journal” on Sept. 12. During that C-SPAN appearance, she also covered the debate over extending the Affordable Care Act subsidies. (9/21)

REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH

NBC News: The Policy Divide Between Blue And Red States Keeps Widening
In New York, residents are able to access to abortion through the 24th week of pregnancy, are banned from carrying concealed firearms in sensitive places and can easily obtain the new Covid vaccines. In Florida, abortions are available only through the sixth week of pregnancy, people can now openly carry guns without permits in most places, and the state’s surgeon general is eliminating vaccine mandates while signaling he wants to ban the Covid shot. Politically, these two states haven’t had much in common for decades. (Edelman, 9/20)

AP: Missouri Judge Strikes Ballot Summary For Anti-Abortion Amendment
A Missouri judge has struck down a ballot summary for an anti-abortion amendment backed by Republican state lawmakers while concluding that it presented an unfair and insufficient description to voters. Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green ruled Friday that the ballot summary must be rewritten, but he rejected a request by abortion-rights advocates to block the proposed constitutional amendment from going to voters. (Lieb, 9/20)

San Francisco Chronicle: A Bay Area Asylum-Seeker Miscarried In ICE Detention
A few weeks after arriving at the immigrant detention center in Bakersfield, Angie Rodriguez felt sick to her stomach. It ached, her head throbbed, even her teeth hurt. Suspecting an infection, the 26-year-old asylum-seeker — who had been living in San Jose before her July arrest at San Francisco’s immigration court — used one of the tablets in the Mesa Verde ICE Processing Center women’s dormitory to request medical attention. The next day, she said, she was seen by a medic who took a urine sample that proved an inconvenient miracle: Rodriguez was pregnant. (Hosseini, 9/21)

Stat: Gender-Affirming Care Report Author Decries 'Misuse' Of His Work
Earlier this year, clinical epidemiologist Gordon Guyatt co-authored three systematic reviews on different types of gender-affirming care for children and young adults: puberty blockers, hormones, and top surgery. The studies were led by a Ph.D. student, and Guyatt was specifically pulled onto the team to make sure the assessment was as objective as possible. It’s a strength of his. Guyatt, a professor of health research methods, evidence, and impact at McMaster University in Canada, coined the term “evidence-based medicine” in 1991, and has spent more than 45 years focused on reviewing the safety and effectiveness of myriad medical interventions by authoring systematic evidence reviews and contributing to clinical guidelines. His process for the reviews on gender-affirming care was the same as it always is. (Gaffney, 9/22)

CDC AND FDA

CIDRAP: Poll: Public Trust In US Health Agencies Down, Only 39% Trust RFK Jr
Public confidence in top US Health and Human Services (HHS) agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is above 60% but has dropped substantially from a year ago, while trust in HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is below 40%, according to a poll of 1,699 US adults released yesterday by the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) at the University of Pennsylvania. (Wappes, 9/19)

The Hill: Besser: CDC's Updated Vaccine Guidance Instills Doubt
Richard Besser, the former acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), says he “can’t look” to the CDC for trustworthy medical information on Sunday. “My biggest takeaway as a doctor is that I can’t look to the CDC anymore for the trusted information,” Besser said on ABC’s “This Week.” “I’m going to need to look to medical societies and other groups to provide that information. (Rego, 9/21)

AP: Health Secretary's New Vaccine Advisers Leave COVID-19 Shots Up To Individual Choice
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s new vaccine advisers added confusion Friday to this fall’s COVID-19 vaccinations — declining to recommend them for anyone and leaving the choice up to those who want a shot. Until now, the vaccinations had been recommended as a routine step in the fall for nearly all Americans — just like a yearly flu vaccine. (Stobbe and Neergaard, 9/20)

CIDRAP: ACIP Tables Vote To Delay Hepatitis B Vaccine Birth Dose
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) vaccine advisory panel today voted to postpone a vote on delaying the birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine, given that most members felt more data was needed to inform the wording of the recommendation. In another vote, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) reversed a Vaccines for Children (VFC) program vote it took yesterday on the measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRV) vaccine for children younger than 4 years old. The reversal removes the vaccine from the federal program that provides free vaccine to uninsured and underinsured children. (Schnirring, 9/19)

The New York Times: FDA OKs New Keytruda Shot For Cancer
The cancer medication Keytruda is the world’s best-selling drug. But with lower-priced competition set to arrive as soon as 2028, Keytruda’s manufacturer, Merck, is on the brink of losing tens of billions of dollars in sales. To keep Keytruda revenue flowing, Merck followed a well-worn playbook. It developed a new version of the drug, given as a shot under the skin, which the Food and Drug Administration approved on Friday. (Robbins, 9/19)

The Wall Street Journal: How The FDA Is Taking Aim At The Surreal World Of TV Drug Ads
The surreal world of TV pharmaceutical ads, where people with terrible diseases tend to be young, beautiful and living life to the fullest—sometimes with animated monsters—has been parodied on late night sketch comedy shows. But the drug industry’s biggest critic may turn out to be government regulators inside the Food and Drug Administration. (Walker and Vranica, 9/21)

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

The Washington Post: Trump Administration Cancels USDA Hunger Study Amid Rising Food Insecurity
The Trump administration is ending a decades-long effort to track food security at a time when many Americans are struggling to get proper nutrition or enough to eat. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Saturday it was terminating the annual Household Food Security reports, which were introduced in the 1990s to help state and federal officials decide on food assistance programs. The latest USDA report, published in September last year, found some 18 million U.S. households were food insecure at some time during 2023, a million more than in 2022. (Kasulis Cho, 9/21)

Politico: Trump Administration To Link Tylenol Use To Risk Of Autism
President Donald Trump plans to announce Monday that using Tylenol during pregnancy could contribute to autism risk and will advise pregnant women only to use it, or generic acetaminophen, for high fevers, two senior administration officials told POLITICO. The officials, granted anonymity to share details of the announcement in advance, said Trump would also highlight leucovorin, a cancer and anemia drug, as a potential therapy for people with autism. (Röhn, Burns and Paun, 9/21)

Bloomberg: US Weighs Trump-Branded Website To Help Shop For Cheaper Drugs
Administration officials are discussing creating a website — potentially branded with President Donald Trump’s own name — that would make it easier for patients to buy prescription medicines at a discount directly from pharmaceutical companies, people familiar with the talks said. The initiative is part of Trump’s demands that drugmakers reduce their prices to align them with what other developed countries pay, according to the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss plans that are not yet public. (Cohrs Zhang and Woodhouse, 9/19)

FEDERAL FUNDING

Modern Healthcare: Telehealth, Medicaid DSH Pay In Limbo As Funding Bill Fails
The legal authorities for telehealth and hospital-at-home programs and funding for community health centers and other priorities remain in limbo after Congress failed to approve a spending bill Friday. These and other healthcare issues are swept up in broader partisan fights about government spending. Fiscal 2025 ends Sept. 30, lending urgency to the Republican majority’s push to send President Donald Trump a stopgap appropriations bill to prevent a federal government shutdown. Numerous healthcare programs and funding streams are set to expire on the same date. (McAuliff, 9/19)

Modern Healthcare: Rural Patients Less Likely To Use Telehealth, Must Travel Longer
The promise of telehealth for rural health still has a ways to go, according to a new survey. As states put together their applications for a piece of the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Fund, a survey from public brokerage firm JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated) published Tuesday found that rural patients are the least likely to use telehealth despite having the longest to travel to a healthcare facility. (Broderick, 9/19)

Modern Healthcare: How New Medicaid Work Requirements May Impact Hospital Margins
Hospitals in Medicaid expansion states could see double-digit declines in 2027 operating margins as a result of new Medicaid work requirements, according to a study released Thursday. The analysis by the Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit foundation focused on healthcare policy, found that hospitals in expansion states could see their operating margins decrease by 0.4 to 0.5 percentage point, or a drop of -11.7% to -13.3%. (Broderick, 9/19)

Bloomberg: Harvard Receives $46 Million In Restored Federal Research Money
Harvard University said Friday it has received $46 million in federal research funding, part of the more than $2 billion the Trump administration froze after allegations the school didn’t adequately move to curb antisemitism on campus. The receipt of money from the Department of Health and Human Services followed a court victory for Harvard this month in which a federal judge ruled that the US illegally froze the funding. The administration has said it would appeal. (Lorin, 9/19)

PUBLIC HEALTH

The New York Times: Pregnant Women Should Not Use Cannabis, New Medical Guidelines Say
Women who are pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding should be screened for cannabis use and strongly discouraged from it, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said in new clinical guidelines published on Friday. Cannabis use during pregnancy has been rising for years. Many women rely on the drug to cope with nausea and other pregnancy symptoms. (Caryn Rabin, 9/19)

NBC News: Costco Recalls Poke Sold Under Kirkland Signature Brand Over Possible Listeria Contamination
Over 3,300 pounds of Ahi Tuna Wasabi Poke sold under Costco’s Kirkland Signature brand have been recalled because potential listeria contamination in the green onions used in the product. Western United Fish Co. announced the recall with the knowledge of the Food and Drug Administration on Saturday after its green onion supplier reported a positive listeria monocytogenes test result on Sept. 17. (Lenthang, 9/22)

The Hill: 12 Brands Of Cinnamon Recalled For High Lead Levels
The Food and Drug Administration issued a recall for a dozen brands of cinnamon sold nationwide for elevated lead levels. Consuming the cinnamon “may be unsafe,” and consumers should throw away the products immediately, the FDA warned. (Kutz, 9/19)

CBS News: Flesh-Eating Bacteria Kills 5th Person This Year In Louisiana
A fifth person has died after contracting a rare, flesh-eating bacteria in Louisiana, state health officials said this week. Vibrio vulnificus is a bacteria that occurs in warm coastal waters, CBS News previously reported, and is more common between May and October. It can cause illness including life-threatening necrotizing fasciitis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About one in five people with a Vibrio vulnificus infection die, according to the CDC. It's not clear how the person contracted the bacteria. (Breen, 9/19)

San Francisco Chronicle: Wildfire Smoke Could Cause Over 70,000 Excess Deaths Per Year By 2050s
Harmful wildfire smoke could drive more than 70,000 deaths per year across the U.S. by mid-century, according to a new study led by scientists from Stanford and other institutions. The projections, calculated for a high warming climate scenario, reflect 30,000 more annual deaths compared to the number of deaths triggered by wildfire smoke from 2011-2020. California residents face some of the highest risks across the country, according to the analysis. The authors say the findings highlight the importance of mitigating climate change impacts, as well as taking steps for adaptation. (Lee, 9/18)

SCIENCE AND INNOVATIONS

Medical Xpress: AI Model Offers Accurate And Explainable Insights To Support Autism Assessment
Scientists have developed and tested a deep-learning model that could support clinicians by providing accurate results and clear, explainable insights—including a model-estimated probability score for autism. The model, outlined in a study published in eClinicalMedicine, was used to analyze resting-state fMRI data—a non-invasive method that indirectly reflects brain activity via blood-oxygenation changes. (9/18)

CIDRAP: Report: National Action Plans On Antimicrobial Resistance Have Had No Impact On Antibiotic Sales
An analysis of antibiotic sales data from 37 countries found that implementation of national action plans (NAPs) for addressing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) was not associated with changes in antibiotic sales, researchers reported yesterday in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology. The study by researchers with the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and the University of Toronto looked at pharmaceutical sales data from 37 countries 2 years before and 2 years after they implemented their NAPs. (Dall, 9/19)

MedPage Today: 'Hit Hard, Hit Early' Psoriasis Treatment Strategy Gains Momentum
Earlier initiation of biologic therapy for psoriasis led to complete skin clearance sooner and significantly more often as compared with starting later, a new analysis of a randomized trial showed. Patients who started guselkumab (Tremfya) within 2 years of diagnosis had a 50% higher rate of complete skin clearance after 20 weeks (53% vs 34%) and remained significantly higher at 28 weeks (56% vs 42%). A significant difference favoring earlier treatment persisted through 68 weeks of follow-up. (Bankhead, 9/20)

CIDRAP: Older Adults Less Likely To Be Classified As Having Long COVID, Study Finds
A study of COVID-19 patients from 33 states found that those aged 70 and older were less likely to be classified as having long COVID compared with younger adults, US researchers reported earlier this month in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. (Dall, 9/19)

MedPage Today: Quadruplet Promising In Older Patients With Transplant-Ineligible Multiple Myeloma
A quadruplet regimen elicited favorable outcomes in an older population of transplant-ineligible patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM), according to phase II trial data. (Bassett, 9/20)

The Wall Street Journal: Roche’s Drug Candidate Meets Main Goals In Late-Stage Breast Cancer Study
Roche said a drug combination including its investigational giredestrant met the main goals in a late-stage clinical trial for breast cancer. The Swiss pharmaceutical company said Monday that the study achieved positive results, showing that giredestrant in combination with everolimus significantly improved progression-free survival in patients with advanced breast cancer. The trial evaluated the efficacy of the all-oral drug combination against standard-of-care endocrine therapy plus everolimus, Roche said. (Calatayud, 9/22)

HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY

The Wall Street Journal: Ozempic’s Maker Got Crushed. The Rebound Is Under Way
Novo Nordisk has a reputation for squandering its lead. It was first with the weight-loss injection Wegovy, yet Eli Lilly’s Zepbound seized the top position. Now Novo is poised to debut a Wegovy pill early next year, pending U.S. regulatory approval. But Lilly’s rival tablet is expected soon after—and could once again come out on top. Playing second fiddle to Lilly has weighed heavily. Novo’s stock is down more than 50% in the past year. (Wainer, 9/21)

MPR News: Mayo Clinic Global Hackathon Aims To Solve Medical Mysteries
On Sunday, more than a hundred doctors and specialists from around the world will convene in Rochester to help patients whose conditions have eluded diagnosis. Mayo Clinic will host the four-day event, known as the “Undiagnosed Hackathon” — a global effort to solve rare diseases that have long gone unexplained. Eric Klee, a co-director, said he’s hopeful that this opportunity to collaborate across disciplines and backgrounds will help participating patients finally get answers. (Castle Work, 9/21)

Modern Healthcare: How Cleveland Clinic, City Of Hope Tackle Employer Cancer Costs
Health systems are working directly with employers to improve cancer care and lower costs as demand — and employers’ healthcare expenses — surge. Providers are gearing up to treat more cancer patients, hoping to ease employers’ mounting frustration with steep premium increases, long appointment wait times and unnecessary treatment, health system and care navigation company executives said. Cutting out insurers through direct contracts could add transparency to employers’ healthcare costs and help standardize treatment strategies, they said. (Kacik, 9/19)

Modern Healthcare: UnitedHealth Elevates Sandeep Dadlani To Optum Insight CEO
UnitedHealth Group has named Sandeep Dadlani CEO of its Optum Insight technology arm, Dadlani announced in a social media post Thursday. Dadlani previously served as UnitedHealth’s executive vice president and chief digital and technology officer. He succeeds Dhivya Suryadevara, who had served in that role and CEO of the Optum Financial healthcare banking division since May. (Tepper, 9/19)

STATE WATCH

CIDRAP: Northeast States Form Alliance To Make Public Health Guidance As Vermont, DC Ensure COVID Vaccine Access
Seven Northeast states and New York City have formed the Northeast Public Health Collaborative (NPHC) to make evidence-based public health recommendations—including on vaccines—while Vermont and the District of Columbia are the latest US jurisdictions to announce safeguards for access to COVID-19 vaccines. (Wappes, 9/19)

North Carolina Health News, Charlotte Ledger: Another Large NC Independent Practice Joins Hospital Ranks
Carolina NeuroSurgery & Spine Associates, one of the nation’s largest independent neurosurgery practices, will join Atrium Health on Oct. 1, 2025, the two providers announced last week. Nearly 300 Carolina NeuroSurgery & Spine staff members across seven Charlotte-area clinics will become part of Atrium, which operates under the corporate banner of Advocate Health, the country’s third-largest public health care system with $34.8 billion in annual revenue. (Crouch, 9/22)