Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
First Edition: Monday, Sept. 28, 2026
KFF HEALTH NEWS ORIGINAL STORIES
KFF Health News: Food Safety Finds A Place Among ‘Kitchen-Table’ Political Issues
The run-up to the midterm elections is turning into a food fight — literally. The summer was marred by a massive foodborne outbreak that sickened scores of people and the recall of tens of thousands of pounds of imported meat, turning the safety of the U.S. food supply into a topic of national conversation and a political cause. (Armour, 9/28)
KFF Health News: Republicans And Democrats Find A Unifying Target: Pharmacy Benefit Managers
Amye Joseph says America’s political polarization has made it an “interesting time” in her Tennessee household. She and her husband, Charlie, have been married 35 years. She’s a Republican. He’s a Democrat. But their shared disenchantment with profit-driven healthcare has provided a unifying target: pharmacy benefit managers, known as PBMs. The Josephs’ frustration is focused on CVS Health. The conglomerate, which reported $400 billion in revenue last year, includes a major health insurer (Aetna), one of the country’s dominant PBMs (CVS Caremark), and America’s largest retail pharmacy chain. (Farmer, 9/28)
KFF Health News: KFF Health News’ ‘On Air’: Journalists Discuss What RFK Jr. Recently Told The Anti-Vaccine Group He Founded
KFF Health News senior correspondent Stephanie Armour discussed health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s comments to an anti-vaccine group that he founded and the surgeon general nominee’s contradictory comments in her confirmation hearing on WBUR’s Here & Now on Sept. 18. (9/26)
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
The New York Times: U.S. Rejects U.N. Declaration On Preparing For Future Pandemics
The United States on Friday rejected a declaration by member countries of the United Nations that pledged international collaboration and solidarity in preparing for and responding to pandemics. The European Union also expressed strong objections to parts of the statement. The declaration, the product of a high-level U.N. meeting on pandemic preparedness, is largely ceremonial. It is not legally binding, and does not set rules for what countries should do during pandemics. But its universal endorsement would have signaled a powerful expression of global political commitment to the issue. (Mandavilli, 9/25)
The New York Times: ‘Zombified’ C.D.C., Hobbled By Cuts, Struggles To Fulfill Scientific Mission
For decades, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was the undisputed global leader in public health. Its scientists helped train health officials worldwide. In the United States, it was the primary source of guidance for prevention and treatment of diseases, including diabetes, H.I.V. and the seasonal flu. But after a year and a half in the cross hairs of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s drive to remake public health policy, the agency is a skeleton of the powerhouse it was. (Mandavilli, 9/26)
AP: CDC Vaccine Policy Recommendations Grind To A Halt Under Kennedy
The Food and Drug Administration recently approved a new flu vaccine that tested well in older adults. But the federal agency responsible for telling doctors and the general public how to use it has made no recommendation on it. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s inaction on the mFlusiva vaccine marks a break in longstanding practice. It’s also an example of how the agency’s vaccine review-and-recommendation process has been blown up in the past year, grinding decision-making to a halt. (Stobbe, 9/25)
The Hill: RFK Jr. Faces Scrutiny Over Vaccine Lawsuit Divestment
A group of Senate Democrats questioned whether Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. potentially concealed an agreement to collect money from a settlement with a vaccine manufacturer despite pledging to divest from the lawsuit. At the time of his confirmation process last year, Kennedy was still involved in a lawsuit carried out by the law firm Wisner Baum against Merck over its HPV vaccine Gardasil, alleging that it caused neurological and autoimmune injuries. (Choi, 9/25)
The Washington Post: White House Has Not Acted On RFK Jr.’s Push For Proof Ultra-Processed Foods Are Safe
Earlier this year, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. seemed poised to challenge the powerful food industry. The Department of Health and Human Services had concluded that food companies should produce “any detailed safety studies” showing that certain ingredients common in ultra-processed foods are generally safe and aren’t contributing to chronic health conditions, according to a March draft of a letter that the secretary sent to the White House for review, and that was obtained by The Washington Post. (Roubein, 9/25)
ON CAPITOL HILL
The Hill: Susan Collins Urges Trump Admin To Spend $1.3B Allocated To Global Health Before It Expires
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, called on the Trump administration to spend more than $1 billion of global health funding that Congress has already appropriated before it expires Wednesday. In a letter sent to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought and Eric Ueland — the Trump aide in charge of the remnants of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) — Collins warned that $1.3 billion appropriated in fiscal 2025 must be spent as intended. (Weixel, 9/25)
Politico: House Dems To Jeffries: Woo RFK Jr.’s Followers
House Democrats’ health policy wishlist, should the party have a majority next year, includes winning over Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s followers, alongside rolling back what Republicans have done to reduce government health care funding. It also includes the traditional Democratic priorities like expanding health insurance coverage and protecting abortion access. But the 84-page agenda obtained by POLITICO acknowledges there’s no consensus on “Medicare for All.” (Levien, 9/25)
MILITARY HEALTH
Military.com: VA Urged By DOGE To Cut 435 Programs Last Year Totaling $1.1 Billion: OIG
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) once led by trillionaire Elon Musk encouraged the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to scrap hundreds of contracts last year totaling approximately $1.1 billion, according to a new government watchdog report. The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) report issued Tuesday was described by the watchdog as a review of contracts "terminated for convenience," or contracts that the government ended "because it was in its best interest." (Mordowanec, 9/26)
Military.com: VA Launches 18th Food Hub As Veterans 7.4% More Likely To Experience Food Insecurity
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has reopened a food hub as part of its pilot program it is running to combat food insecurity among the veteran population. The VA Memphis Healthcare System reopened its hub, Lt. Col. Luke Wathers Jr. VA Medical Center, last week through a partnership with Mid-South Food Bank, allowing veterans to access groceries and other supportive resources in Tennessee. It had initially opened in May as part of a soft opening before the recent full launch. (Plummer, 9/28)
OUTBREAKS AND HEALTH THREATS
Chicago Tribune: Measles Outbreak In Illinois Grows To 16 Cases
An outbreak of measles in east central Illinois has grown to 16 confirmed cases, state officials said Friday. The cases – in Douglas and Moultrie counties – have been among people who are not vaccinated against measles or whose vaccination status is unknown, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. (Schencker, 9/25)
CIDRAP: WHO Selects Viruses For 2027 Southern Hemisphere Flu Shots
The World Health Organization (WHO) today announced the composition of flu shots for the 2027 influenza season in the southern hemisphere. The composition of the vaccines is decided by a group of experts the WHO convenes twice a year in February and September. At these meetings, the group reviews data on circulating flu viruses generated through the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS) and makes recommendations for upcoming flu seasons in the northern and southern hemispheres. (Dall, 9/25)
HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY
ABC News: 4,000 Brigham And Women's Nurses 'Overwhelmingly' Vote To Authorize Open-Ended Strike
About 4,000 registered nurses at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) in Boston voted "overwhelmingly" on Thursday to authorize an open-ended strike. The Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA), which represents the nurses, said this could be the largest open-ended registered nurse (RN) strike in state history. No strike date has been set yet. Before it occurs, the nurses will be legally required to give 10 days' notice. If the strike is held, it would continue until the nurses reach a contract agreement with the hospital. (Kekatos, 9/25)
The Keene Sentinel: Keene Hospital Cuts 12 Positions And Plans To Close An Inpatient Rehab Unit
Cheshire Medical Center took steps this week to eliminate its inpatient rehabilitation center and cut 12 positions to balance its operating budget. In a statement Friday, Dr. Joseph Perras, CEO and president of the Keene hospital, said the Farnum Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit will stop taking new patients. (Engel, 9/27)
AP: Mississippi’s Governor Awarded More Than $104 Million To Improve Rural Healthcare. Where’s It Going?
A handful of recipients accounted for a substantial share of the first round of federal awards to boost rural health in Mississippi, according to an analysis of funding conducted by Mississippi Today. Memorial Health System, based in Gulfport, received the largest share of funds — more than $15 million for 12 projects, while a consortium of hospitals in south central Mississippi received more than $13 million for seven projects. Together, the hospitals accounted for over a quarter of $104 million in grants announced by Gov. Tate Reeves on Sept. 14. (Dilworth, 9/25)
Modern Healthcare: UConn Health Delays Bristol, Day Kimball Hospital Acquisitions
UConn Health’s proposed acquisitions of Bristol and Day Kimball hospitals have been delayed. Farmington, Connecticut-based UConn said Friday it is committed to the deal but needs more time for due diligence and planning to ensure the facilities’ long-term financial sustainability. (Hudson, 9/25)
Modern Healthcare: Penn Medicine, IBX, Regent Surgical Plan 18 Surgery Centers
Penn Medicine, Independence Blue Cross and Regent Surgical are forming a company and plan to build and operate at least 18 ambulatory surgery centers. The facilities will be located in Penn Medicine’s service area of Pennsyvania, New Jersey and Delaware. The first one is expected to open next year, a spokesperson said Friday. A timeline for when all facilities will be complete has not been announced. (DeSilva, 9/25)
Modern Healthcare: Wellstar’s Ketul Patel Eyes Expansion Beyond Georgia
Wellstar Health System wants to be more than an Atlanta-area provider. Since President and CEO Ketul Patel took the reins last October, Wellstar has restructured operations and set its sights on expansion, first in Georgia and then possibly beyond. Despite laying off more than 750 people in July, the roughly $8 billion system is rapidly adding to its footprint, including a hospital in Columbia County that opened last month. It also acquired Clayton-based Mountain Lakes Medical Center in August and reached an agreement a few weeks ago to acquire Stephens County Hospital in Toccoa by the end of the year. (Hudson, 9/25)
Healthcare Dive: 340B Hospitals Lag Behind Peers In Charity Care Spending: Report
A new report from a conservative think tank is accusing 340B hospitals of providing less charity care than other nonprofit hospitals, despite receiving discounted drugs. Hospitals participating in the 340B drug discount program spent 2.16% of their operating expenses on free or discounted care for low-income patients, called charity care, compared with 2.82% at non-340B hospitals, according to a Thursday analysis from the Pioneer Institute and CancerCare. (Hughes, 9/25)
San Francisco Chronicle: How Bay Area Doctors Prep For LASIK Surgeries In Earthquake Country
In most of the LASIK procedures he performs, Dr. Edward Manche, a Stanford Medicine ophthalmologist, uses one laser to cut a paper-thin flap in a patient’s cornea, then another to precisely remove tiny amounts of tissue and reshape the eye. The procedure leaves almost no room for error, demanding precision measured in microns. So in the earthquake-prone Bay Area, what happens when the ground starts to shake? It’s a common question, eye surgeons say, but the scenario is far less dramatic than people may imagine. (Park, 9/26)
REPRODUCTIVE AND INFANT HEALTH
CIDRAP: Sudden Infant Deaths Have Increased Among Black Babies, New Data Show
Nothing is more chilling to parents of newborns than the possibility of sudden unexpected infant death (SUID), which accounts for about 3,400 newborn deaths annually in the United States. And while campaigns promoting safe sleeping practices have contributed to fewer of these deaths overall, a study published this week in JAMA Network Open found that SUID rates have increased since 2020 for Black babies while they’ve stayed relatively stable for White infants. (Holohan, 9/25)
North Carolina Health News: NC Directs More Than $10.7M To Crisis Pregnancy Centers
The North Carolina state budget passed in July allocates more than $10.7 million to pregnancy resource centers, also known as crisis pregnancy centers, continuing a pattern of state funding that has grown substantially over the past decade. (Crumpler, 9/28)
The Hill: Cost Of Having A Baby: Hospital Bills Are Shockingly High In States You Wouldn’t Expect
It’s no secret raising a kid is expensive. Countless diapers, 18 years worth of food, childcare and, for some, the cost of college tuition. But before all that even starts, there’s one big bill many parents will be forced to pay: the hospital bill. Even routine deliveries can cost families a shocking sum, depending on their insurance coverage. When things go wrong, the costs mount even higher. The cost of having a baby in the U.S. is so high, it has become a subject of global fascination, with videos of people recounting their itemized bills going viral. (Martichoux, 9/26)
Los Angeles Times: In California, IVF Insurance Haves And Have-Nots
In February, when 40-year-old Nicole Torres visited her OB-GYN at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles to discuss why the recent nine-week ultrasound of her pregnancy had shown no heartbeat, she felt relieved to at least have clear next steps. Her doctor had given her a referral for an infertility specialist. Torres was hopeful about the timing, too. She had learned about a new law requiring insurance companies to cover infertility diagnoses and treatment, specifically in vitro fertilization (IVF). Considered by fertility doctors to be the most effective medical intervention — in which eggs are surgically removed and combined with sperm inside a lab to create embryos that are transferred to the uterus — IVF is also the most expensive. (Richards, 9/27)
STLPR: WashU Pregnancy Nutrition Trial In Ecuador Could Help St. Louis
Should pregnant people in St. Louis eat more pawpaws? If a recent trial study in Ecuador is any indication, perhaps so. Researchers at Washington University observed that when pregnant women in Ecuador consumed healthy proteins, fruits and vegetables and less processed foods, there was significant brain development in fetuses. (Wimbley, 9/25)
Undark: The Embryos That Don’t Come From Eggs and Sperm
Nicolas Rivron, a biologist now based in Austria, spent close to a decade trying to build a model mouse embryo in the lab from scratch. After years of incremental progress and occasional false leads, he and his research team landed on their approach: They would carefully defrost 500,000 embryonic mouse stem cells, mix them with stem cells that could form the placenta, then separate the resulting blend into tiny containers. Eventually, those tiny cells began to attach to one another in the dish, creating aggregates the width of a fine strand of hair. The researchers implanted the cells into the wombs of female mice, where they took hold and began to grow. (Klotz, 9/25)
PHARMA AND TECH
AP: Medical Experts Debate A Single-Dose HPV Vaccine For Preteens
Preteens may soon have something to celebrate: Medical experts are discussing the possibility that one dose of a life-saving cancer vaccine, instead of two, may be enough to protect them. U.S. vaccination recommendations have become splintered in the past year, with federal officials and doctors’ organizations disagreeing over guidance and even battling each other in court. But both sides have been exploring revisions in longstanding HPV vaccine recommendations. (Stobbe, 9/26)
Bloomberg: Oura IPO Draws Four Times More Orders Than Shares Offered
Health and fitness ring-maker Oura Inc.’s initial public offering raising as much as $2.2 billion has drawn about four times as many orders as there are shares available, according to people familiar with the matter. Banks working on the share sale by the company and some of its backers expect to stop taking investor orders on Monday afternoon, one of the people said. Oura and the selling shareholders are offering 50 million shares for $40 to $44 each, its filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission show. (Lipschultz and Hughes, 9/25)
The Wall Street Journal: This Startup Is Using AI To Fight Off A Future AI Pandemic
In a wine bar near OpenAI’s office in San Francisco, biotech entrepreneurs Hannu Rajaniemi and Nikolai Eroshenko were worried—and excited. Fast advances in artificial intelligence were threatening to make it possible for terrorists or rogue states to develop deadly new bioweapons. The pair brainstormed an idea they would later pitch to OpenAI: using AI to design remedies against AI-enabled bioweapons, and cure other scourges along the way, too. (Wells, 9/27)
The Hill: Alzheimer’s Fighting Peptide May Offer Broader Approach To Treatment
Despite decades of research, Alzheimer’s remains one of medicine’s most difficult diseases to treat. Now, a newly identified naturally occurring peptide could provide a new approach to combating it and other neurodegenerative diseases. Researchers at UC San Diego School of Medicine discovered the small protein fragment called catestatin, or CST, which they believe could counter many of the key processes that cause neurodegeneration, or the loss of brain cells. This gradual loss can lead to symptoms such as memory loss, confusion, poor judgment, and in later stages, difficulty walking, talking and swallowing. (Sitz, 9/25)
STATE WATCH
CalMatters: Gavin Newsom Signs 10 New CA Gun Control Laws
Have a gun? You’re going to need to take another safety class after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a package of bills Saturday that are a boon to gun control advocates and anathema to Second Amendment groups. (Zinshteyn, 9/27)
Bloomberg: Billionaire Tax Is Dividing California Healthcare System It's Designed To Help
A proposal to tax California’s billionaires has fractured Democratic politics, repelled some of the state’s richest residents and exploded into a costly battle that’s overshadowing even the gubernatorial election. Known as Proposition 40, the ballot measure is also dividing the very industry it’s supposed to help. The healthcare-workers union behind the initiative, which would authorize a wealth tax on billionaires, says the levy would raise sorely needed funds to shore up health coverage. (Clanton, 9/25)
HealthDay: Eliminating Ultra-Processed Foods In Schools Will Be Costly
A new study warns that eliminating ultra-processed foods from California school cafeterias under the Real Foods, Healthy Kids Act will be costly and complex, requiring major investments in scratch cooking, kitchen equipment, healthier ingredients and trained staff to meet 2029–2035 deadlines. (Thompson, 9/28)
Maryland Matters: Maryland Health Insurance Premiums To Rise 14.6% In 2027
Marylanders who buy individual health insurance through the state marketplace will face a second consecutive year of double-digit premium increases after regulators approved an average 14.6% increase for 2027. (Brown, 9/27)
WGCU: Hendry County, Fla., Schools Launch Employee Clinics To Lower Health Costs
School district employee health clinics have grown steadily as they turn to on-site or dedicated direct primary care models to combat surging healthcare and self-funded insurance claims. And rural Hendry County is about to join the fold. Employees on the district's self-funded insurance plan could have little to no out-of-pocket expenses for medical care and prescriptions as of Oct. 1. (Kelley, 9/27)
Chicago Tribune: Looming 7-OH Ban Has Illinois Providers Readying For More Patients
Many Illinois residents have likely never heard of 7-OH, even though a federal official has warned that the substance — often sold in tablet, liquid and gummy form in vape shops and convenience stores — could drive the next wave of the opioid epidemic. (Schencker, 9/27)
ProPublica: StayCon Marijuana Company Recalls Dozens Of Contaminated Products
A Colorado manufacturer of a popular brand of marijuana vapes warned dispensaries last week that it is recalling products due to contamination by methylene chloride, a chemical the Environmental Protection Agency has sought to ban for most uses because it can cause cancer. The recall comes amid a protracted delay in state implementation of expanded testing procedures that would have detected methylene chloride and other solvents that pose health risks. (Osher, 9/25)
ProPublica: Two Years After Hurricane Helene Hit North Carolina, People Are Still Living In Harm’s Way
This past weekend marked the two-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene, which claimed more than 250 lives — 108 in North Carolina — and left hundreds of thousands of people without power for days to weeks. In Asheville, the largest city in the western part of the state, the storm left residents without drinking water for 53 days. (Larson, 9/28)
MENTAL HEALTH
CNN: Smartphone Use At Age 12 Linked To Eating Disorder Symptoms By 14
Kids who have their own smartphones at age 12 are more likely to develop eating disorder symptoms than their peers without the devices, according to a new study. (Schupak, 9/25)
AP: TikTok Settles Alabama Mental Health Lawsuit Just Before Trial Begins
TikTok will pay the state of Alabama at least $100 million and must implement a slew of safety features for teens in the state as part of a settlement agreement reached just before the case was set to go to trial. Alabama sued the social media company in 2025 claiming that the platform had negative effects on the mental well-being of youths. (Huamani, 9/26)
HealthDay: Loneliness And Isolation Can Strip Six Years Of Healthy Life
Loneliness and social isolation can cost a person up to six years of healthy life, a new study says. Physical and mental health suffer when people feel lonely and become isolated, even if they largely stick to healthy habits, researchers reported recently in the journal Nature Communications. The two conditions are different. Social isolation refers to having few relationships or limited contact with others, while loneliness is a distressing feeling caused by a lack of meaningful connection, according to the National Council on Aging. (Thompson, 9/25)
Fox News: Brain Fog And Memory Loss May Signal Reversible Causes, Neurologist Says
Everyday memory lapses, like misplaced keys or forgotten names, are often overinterpreted as early signs of dementia, but neuroscience experts say actual early cognitive changes may be reversible if addressed promptly. Dr. Tommy Wood, a professor of pediatrics and neuroscience at the University of Washington, said minor forgetfulness is often caused by fatigue or stress rather than the beginnings of a neurodegenerative disease. (Quill, 9/27)
