Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
First Edition: Thursday, July 16, 2026
KFF HEALTH NEWS ORIGINAL STORIES
KFF Health News: A Sales Tax On Doctor Visits And Medicine? In Missouri, Some Worry
Missouri healthcare advocate Leslie Ortbals and her husband want to start a family, but she worries they can’t afford it. The 27-year-old said she takes 10 medications daily to manage multiple chronic illnesses. Now she worries the cost of those drugs could rise — not because of price increases, but because of a tax system revamp put on the ballot by the state’s Republican-dominated legislature and backed by the Republican governor. (Sable-Smith, 7/16)
KFF Health News: KFF Health News’ ‘Letters To The Editor’: Readers Share Personal Insights On Deadly Denials And Pregnancy Centers
KFF Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories. ... I read your article in The Washington Post about the woman whose Humana policy required prior authorization for a drug she’d been taking (Bill of the Month: “She Struggled To Get a Lifesaving Drug Even After Insurers Vowed To Help,” June 29). My husband, Kenney, had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. On June 7, he fatally shot himself after a COPD exacerbation event. (7/16)
KFF Health News: Listen To The Latest ‘KFF Health News Minute’
Sam Whitehead reads the week’s news: Some health plans are pocketing their enrollees’ drug discounts, while many Affordable Care Act insurers want to raise rates by double digits next year. (7/16)
ON CAPITOL HILL
Fierce Healthcare: 'I Will Never Betray The Science': CDC Nominee To Lawmakers
Erica Schwartz, M.D., the latest nominee to lead the beleaguered Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), told lawmakers on Wednesday that she was committed to scientific integrity and transparency to restore trust in the country's top public health agency. "As CDC director, my sacred responsibility is to provide the American people with public health guidance that is clear, honest and evidence-based. I will never betray the science," Schwartz said during a confirmation hearing with the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. (Landi, 7/15)
CIDRAP: ‘Why Would You Repeat The Damn Lies?’ Cassidy Asks Health Security Nominee About Vaccines
Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican and chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, appeared exasperated, at times even livid, during today's confirmation hearing for Sean Kaufman, MPH. Kaufman, a senior adviser in global affairs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), an agency with the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). (Boden, 7/15)
Politico: The GOP Senators Trump Disrespected Are Now Interrogating His Nominees
President Donald Trump’s decision this spring to oust longtime and well-liked senators of his own party is making life difficult for the Trump nominees who still need their votes. Trump has relied on the near-unanimous support of Republican senators to get his nominees through since he returned to the White House last year. Two defeated senators, John Cornyn and Bill Cassidy, along with Thom Tillis, who’s retiring after policy disagreements with Trump, showed that their loyalty to the president isn’t what it used to be on Wednesday as they gave Trump nominees a grilling at Judiciary and Health Committee hearings. (Zeller, 7/15)
MORE FROM CAPITOL HILL
Roll Call: Bipartisan Bill To Eliminate Hepatitis C Unveiled In House
A bipartisan pair of House members is introducing legislation aimed at treating millions of Americans of a deadly-but-curable liver disease, the culmination of a yearslong push from public health advocates. (Hellmann, 7/15)
Politico: The Military Benefits Bill That’s Tearing The Veterans Community Apart
A sweeping veterans benefits measure pitched by Republicans as a boon for tens of thousands of veterans has instead become a divisive wedge for the normally tight-knit military advocacy community — and split the GOP caucus. The fight over the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act, expected to be on the House floor Thursday, threatens to complicate future work on military and veterans reforms, which are frequently viewed as non-controversial political crusades for lawmakers. (Shane III and Lee Hill, 7/15)
Military.com: House Bill Renames VA Clinic In Memory Of Army Veteran, NFL Player Pat Tillman
House lawmakers on Wednesday passed bipartisan legislation to rename the VA outpatient clinic in San Jose the Corporal Patrick D. Tillman VA Clinic. The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.) and co-led by Rep. Ken Calvert (D-Calif.), was co-sponsored by every member of the California Congressional delegation. Companion legislation has been introduced in the Senate by Democrat Adam Schiff. (Mordowanec, 7/15)
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
NBC News: U.S. Military Will Test Service Members’ Testosterone Levels, Pete Hegseth Says
The U.S. military will begin testing the testosterone levels of some service members and recommending hormone therapy if needed, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday. The new policy comes amid a larger push by the Trump administration to promote and expand public access to testosterone replacement therapies. (Brand and Gains, 7/15)
Becker's Hospital Review: CMS Proposes Ban On Third-Party Remote Patient Monitoring: 6 Notes
CMS is proposing a Medicare payment ban for remote patient monitoring services delivered by third-party vendors. Here are six things to know: 1. The proposed rule, released July 14 as part of the 2027 physician fee schedule, would allow payment for remote physiologic monitoring and remote therapeutic monitoring only when clinical staff employed by the billing practice furnish the services, not contracted third-party companies. Staff would not need to be on-site, but the billing relationship would have to run through the practice itself. (Bruce, 7/15)
NPR: TrumpRx Only Offers Some Brand-Name Drugs For Sale To Consumers
A centerpiece of President Trump's push to make prescription medicines more affordable is a government website for drug discounts that carries his own name. TrumpRx, launched in February, now boasts 92 deals on brand-name prescription drugs made by pharmaceutical companies that announced highly publicized agreements with the Trump administration. But nearly six months since the website's launch, those deals on TrumpRx represent fewer than 12% of the more than 800 brand-name drugs made by the participating pharmaceutical companies. (Lupkin, 7/16)
OUTBREAKS AND HEALTH THREATS
AP: Wildfire Smoke Engulfs Swaths Of The US Midwest And Northeast
Thousands of visitors were told to evacuate a remote Minnesota wilderness area accessible only by boat as wildfires send dangerously heavy smoke over the U.S. Midwest and Northeast this week. More than 100 wildfires are burning in Canada, where a train crew in northern Ontario filmed themselves surrounded by flames before being safely evacuated. Winds are carrying the smoke southeast. (Pineda and Ganun, 7/15)
The Colorado Sun: GEO Group Blocking Tuberculosis Investigation At Aurora ICE Facility
The private company that operates the immigration detention facility in Aurora is blocking investigation into the possible spread of tuberculosis there, an Adams County health official stated in a court document earlier this month. Now, a new report is raising questions about how much the highly contagious disease has spread in the facility, even as the standoff with the public health department continues. (Ingold, 7/15)
The Washington Post: How Much Did CDC Cuts Really Impact This Cyclosporiasis Outbreak?
The CDC last year reduced its surveillance for cyclospora and several other pathogens in a program that tracks longer-term disease trends. The program, known as FoodNet, was scaled back because funding for food safety has not been maintained over the last several years (even before Robert F. Kennedy Jr. became health secretary and cuts from the U.S. DOGE Service), said Dan Jernigan, former director of CDC’s Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, which includes foodborne outbreaks. That program is not designed for real-time outbreak detection or response, and the Trump administration cuts would have little impact on the current situation, said Jernigan, one of three top CDC officials who quit last year over Kennedy’s policies. (Sun, 7/15)
ABC News: Measles Cases In 2026 Are Set To Surpass Last Year's Total. Here's Why
The number of reported measles cases in the United States this year is soon set to surpass the total reported for all of last year. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows the U.S. has reported 2,231 cases as of July 9, which is just 58 shy of the 2,289 cases reported for the entirety of 2025. Previously, the 2025 total was the highest number of cases seen in more than 30 years, and some public health specialists believe the U.S. is on track to lose the elimination status it earned in 2000. (Kekatos, 7/16)
The Baltimore Sun: Five Cases Of Measles Confirmed At Westminster Hospital
Five cases of measles have been confirmed in Maryland residents, according to the Maryland Department of Health. Officials are warning anyone who visited the Carroll Hospital Center emergency department waiting room in Westminster on July 13 between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. may have been exposed. All five cases were in people who recently traveled together to a location in the U.S. that has an active measles outbreak. (Byrne, 7/15)
CIDRAP: Slight Gains Made In Global Childhood Vaccination Rates, Says New Report
Despite vaccine hesitancy spreading worldwide, the number of children receiving the diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTP) vaccine has slightly increased, according to the World Health Organization (WHO)-United Nation Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Estimates of National Immunization Coverage published today. DTP immunization rates often show how successful a country is at providing routine childhood vaccines. Almost 116 million infants (90%) globally received one dose of DTP, and 110 million babies (85%) were fully vaccinated with three shots. (Holohan, 7/15)
HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY
Becker's Hospital Review: Hacking Group Says It Won't Target Hospitals
A cybercriminal group calling itself The Syndicate claims it breached Israeli fintech firm Nayax and stole more than 1 billion payment card records, while telling DataBreaches.net it steers clear of attacking hospitals. Asked whether it refrains from hacking certain sectors, the group said in the July 15 story: “We don’t target hospitals or critical infrastructure, anything that directly endangers lives.” It said its focus is financial services, technology and retail companies with significant capital, and that it also avoids Commonwealth of Independent States countries. (Bruce, 7/15)
Healthcare Dive: Judge Tosses Another No Surprises Lawsuit Against HaloMD
It's the third recent legal victory in No Surprises lawsuits for billings intermediary HaloMD, which has also had suits dismissed in California and Texas. (Olsen, 7/15)
Healthcare Dive: Elevance Shuts Down D.C. Medicaid Business, Eyes Additional Exits After Passable Q2
Elevance Health is shrinking its Medicaid business, worried about future profits in the beleaguered safety-net insurance program. The insurer is leaving Washington, D.C.’s Medicaid market this summer, and plans to exit additional Medicaid markets over the next 18 months, executives said during a call to discuss Elevance’s second quarter financial results Wednesday morning. (Parduhn, 7/15)
San Francisco Chronicle: UCSF Doctors And Nurses Protest ER ‘Boarding Crisis’
UCSF nurses and doctors protested Wednesday morning outside the UC regents meeting in San Francisco over what they say are inadequate staffing levels leading to a “boarding crisis” at UCSF’s Parnassus emergency department. Several dozen members of two unions representing UCSF healthcare workers — the California Nurses Association and the Committee of Interns and Residents/SEIU — gathered at 8 a.m. at the UCSF Rutter Center in Mission Bay, where the regents were scheduled to hold the second day of their two-day bimonthly meeting, organizers said. Supporting the protest were members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the university’s largest workers union, and University Professional & Technical Employees, a union representing UC’s technical workers. (Ho, 7/15)
Modern Healthcare: Vanderbilt Health Hires Dr. David Miller As CEO
Dr. David Miller has been named as the next president and CEO of Vanderbilt Health, effective Jan. 1. Miller is CEO of Ann Arbor-headquartered Michigan Medicine and executive vice president for medical affairs for the University of Michigan. He will also become the dean of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, the organization said Wednesday. (DeSilva, 7/15)
Cardinal News: LewisGale Adds Simulation Lab For Nurses And Clinicians
LewisGale Regional Health System celebrated the opening of its new clinical simulation center last week with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The 5,700-square-foot HCA Healthcare Center for Clinical Advancement in Roanoke allows nurses and other health care professionals to practice patient care in realistic hospital rooms using high-fidelity mannequins that simulate medical emergencies and a range of illnesses. (Schabacker, 7/16)
PHARMA AND TECH
Fierce Healthcare: Amazon Pharmacy, ENavvi Collab On Real-Time Prescription Info
Amazon Pharmacy is collaborating with digital prescription platform eNAvvi to provide clinicians with real-time medication information and delivery options through its e-prescribing workflow. The partnership allows providers to see current pricing and stock for prescriptions, including cash pricing versus estimated insurance copays, and shows how quickly medications will reach patients, the companies said. The goal of the partnership is to support medication adherence and increase access for patients, especially for those in “pharmacy deserts.” (Gleeson, 7/15)
MedPage Today: Study Offers Reassurance To Women Considering Epidural During Labor
Epidural analgesia in labor was not linked to adverse neonatal neurological outcomes, a Scottish cohort study found. An analysis of nearly half a million deliveries found no association between epidural analgesia in labor and neonatal neurological morbidity ..., reported Rachel Kearns, MBChB, MD, of Glasgow Royal Infirmary in Scotland, and colleagues. (Robertson, 7/15)
Stat: New Study Untangles How Epstein-Barr Virus Triggers Immune Response In MS
In a new study published in Science Translational Medicine on Wednesday, researchers say they have uncovered how Epstein-Barr virus launches immune responses that lead to the inflammation and nervous system damage seen in people with multiple sclerosis. (Chen, 7/15)
STATE WATCH
Politico: Fraud Investigations Are Crumbling This State’s Medicaid System
Looking across her farm in rural Minnesota, Heather Wright takes stock of what she’s lost. Six months ago, she had a herd of 60 cattle and a full staff on her farm providing therapy for children with autism. Those cows have since been sold off, along with company cars, and several employees have left for steadier jobs at a convenience store. Losses like Wright’s are happening all across Minnesota, where the Trump administration’s sweeping crackdown on Medicaid fraud is upending the finances of thousands of health care providers that depend on the government program to stay afloat. (Chu and King, 7/15)
North Carolina Health News: Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Research Gains Traction With NC Lawmakers
Ben Ingraham wanted to be a doctor. He planned to attend medical school after serving as a U.S. Navy corpsman, but his time in the military was unexpectedly cut short. A traumatic brain injury and a leg injury forced him to medically retire. (Crawford, 7/16)
The New York Times: The Epicenter Of Drug Deaths In America Is Shifting West
For years, the opioid supply in Arizona was dominated by little blue pills pressed and stamped to look like 30 milligram oxycodone tablets, often called “blues.” But two years ago, that began to change. Now the market is mostly powdered fentanyl, and drug deaths are rising. In Phoenix, this shift in the illicit drug supply has combined with heat, meth and homelessness to create an emerging crisis of overdose deaths in America’s fifth-largest city. (Katz, 7/15)
The Baltimore Sun: Eastern Shore Pharmacy Asks Worcester County For Help
For 27 years, Snow Hill Pharmacy helped fill a gap in a town with no other drugstore. Now, owner Jeff Sherr says the business is trying not to become another small-town service that goes away. (Davis, 7/15)
Verite News: Advocates, Elected Officials Call For Statewide Siren System After 14 Tornadoes Touch Down Near New Orleans
New Orleans officials joined a coalition of community-based organizations to call for the installation of emergency siren systems across the state weeks after 14 tornadoes touched down in the greater New Orleans area from Tropical Storm Arthur. The coalition, Louisiana Grassroots United, also asked for more tornado education as research suggests Tornado Alley — historically stretching across the Great Plains region — has shifted farther eastward than it has historically to now include Louisiana. The advocates and elected officials said while residents understand hurricanes, there’s a gap in knowledge when it comes to tornado safety. (Parker, 7/15)
AP: YouTube Appeals Jury Verdict In Social Media Addiction Lawsuit
YouTube has appealed the verdict of a landmark social media addiction lawsuit in Los Angeles, seeking to challenge the jury’s determination that the company designed its platform to hook young users without concern for their well-being. Lawyers representing YouTube filed a notice of appeal Monday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, less than a week after Meta, which was also a defendant in the case, filed its own notice of appeal. The lawyers are expected to provide their arguments related to the appeal in later court filings. (Huamani, 7/15)
SCIENCE AND INNOVATIONS
MedPage Today: Astronauts Obtain First X-Rays In Space
It was feasible to take x-rays in space, potentially improving diagnostic capabilities for crew health, according to a small prospective study. Using a portable radiography system, three crew members on the 3.5-day Fram2 polar orbital flight were able to take diagnostic-quality x-rays, the first human radiographs in space, reported Sheyna Gifford, MD, of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and colleagues. (Bassett, 7/15)
