Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
First Edition: Thursday, July 9, 2026
KFF HEALTH NEWS ORIGINAL STORIES
KFF Health News: Listen To The Latest ‘KFF Health News Minute’
Rachel Spears reads the week’s news: When babies receiving infant formula allegedly get sick or die, what happens next is largely up to the companies that make it. Plus, abortions continue to rise four years after the overturning of Roe v. Wade. (7/9)
OUTBREAKS AND HEALTH THREATS
CIDRAP: CDC Confirms 12 Sick In Ongoing E Coli Outbreak Linked To Frozen Blueberries
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a food safety alert for an ongoing outbreak of E. coli infections linked to frozen organic blueberries. At least 12 people in two states have been sickened during the outbreak. Four people have been hospitalized, but no deaths have been reported. Eleven of the case-patients are from Florida, with a single case reported in Georgia. Illnesses started on dates ranging from May 11, 2026, to June 5, 2026, the CDC said. Case-patients range in age from 2 to 88 years old. (Soucheray, 7/8)
NBC News: Grand Canyon Rafters Mystery Illnesses, Prompting Investigation
Multiple people who paddled the Colorado River have described symptoms including fever, chills, fatigue and fluid in their lungs. (Bush, 7/9)
AP: New World Screwworm Cases In Texas And New Mexico Spark Pet Safety Warnings
Two New World screwworm cases in dogs are among more than 30 confirmed instances in Texas and New Mexico, prompting warnings Wednesday from veterinarians and humane societies that pet owners need to remain vigilant to protect their animals. The parasite reappeared in cattle in the U.S. in June, more than 50 years after it had been largely eradicated from the country. The pest is actually the larvae of the New World screwworm fly. It eats live flesh and fluids rather than dead material, as the larvae of most fly species do. (Hanna, 7/8)
Bloomberg: Ebola Responders Reach Breaking Point As Strike Hits Hardest-Hit Congo Towns
Ebola responders in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo’s hardest-hit areas have been striking this week over unpaid benefits and deteriorating working conditions, complicating efforts to contain a virus that’s infected more than 1,700 people and killed at least 600. The industrial action in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, and the neighboring town of Rwampara, that began early in the week was still continuing, the National Institute of Public Health said in a report Wednesday. The health zones have recorded a combined 847 confirmed Ebola infections — almost half the country’s total. (Gale, 7/8)
COVERAGE AND ACCESS
The New York Times: Lawmakers Target The Power Of Health Insurance Giants
After years of rampant expansion into nearly every corner of the health care system, the biggest insurance conglomerates are confronting new efforts to break up their businesses. Arguing that the companies have become too dominant, Arkansas and Tennessee passed laws that aim to prevent the companies from managing prescription benefits and running retail and mail-order pharmacies. Lawmakers in other states and in Washington have proposed similar restrictions. (Abelson and Robbins, 7/8)
NBC News: As Montana’s Medicaid Work Requirements Roll Out, Cancer Patients Fear They’ll Lose Coverage
Last month, Sarina Eckman got a letter from the state of Montana that made clear she could lose her Medicaid coverage — but left her confused and with questions about what she needed to do to keep it. (Lovelace Jr., 7/8)
Modern Healthcare: Gene Therapy Costs Force Employers To Rethink Health Benefits
Advanced medical therapies are set to inflate already soaring health benefit costs, leaving employers and insurers to determine how to best pay for them. Cell and gene therapies treat complex conditions such as blood cancers, retinal diseases and neurodegenerative diseases. Employers face individual claims that are infrequent but can cost millions of dollars each. Healthcare conglomerates Cigna and UnitedHealth Group, third-party vendors, and standalone stop-loss and reinsurance companies all pitch products to shield employers buffeted by rising health spending. (Tong, 7/8)
Bloomberg: Mental Health Leave Is Rising As More US Workers Take FMLA Time Off
Kendall McGill needed to take time off work for her mental health. The 32-year-old project manager in Baltimore didn’t get along with her direct manager and says she’d recently been assigned the workload of two people. Before every one-on-one meeting with her manager, McGill sat in front of a window and took deep breaths to calm her anxiety. “I just started to feel dreadful,” she says. “I was in therapy already and talking about the issue on and off with my therapist. And I was like, ‘I’m not going back to work.’” (Rogers, 7/8)
CIDRAP: COVID-Related Healthcare Costs Drop Sharply 3 Months After Acute Infection, Study Suggests
A new analysis of more than 930,000 Medicare beneficiaries suggests that COVID infection is associated with a sharp spike in healthcare use and costs during the acute illness phase, but those differences diminish substantially over time, with only modest increases in healthcare use and spending in the first three months after infection. (Bergeson, 7/8)
The Hill: Faith Groups Urge White House To Release HIV/AIDS Funds
Five faith-based organizations are calling on the White House to release funding for HIV/AIDS prevention abroad that Congress already appropriated. In a letter sent to Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, the groups urged full funding for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR); the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; and Gavi. “These funds are urgently needed now. Without them, children will die of preventable diseases, HIV+ mothers will infect their babies during childbirth, tuberculosis will spread: these are the ‘least of these’ to whom our Lord calls us to respond,” the groups wrote. (Weixel, 7/8)
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
Modern Healthcare: CMS' Outpatient Rule Proposal Revives 340B Hospital Payment Fight
A pair of 340B Drug Pricing Program proposals is reviving a complicated, years-long battle between safety-net hospitals and the federal government. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services aims to slash Medicare reimbursements for 340B drugs and hasten a convoluted multibillion dollar clawback and redistribution process dating to 2017, when CMS first tried cutting payments. The agency laid out its plan last week in the hospital outpatient reimbursement proposed rule for 2027. (Early, 7/8)
Becker's Hospital Review: CMS Scraps ‘Fast-Track’ Process For Certain Medicaid Waivers: 6 Things To Know
CMS has rescinded a decade-old “fast-track” review process for certain Medicaid Section 1115 demonstration waiver extensions as the agency prepares to implement new federal budget neutrality requirements that take effect in 2027. The July 7 informational bulletin formally withdraws 2015 guidance that allowed eligible states to use an expedited review process when renewing some Section 1115 demonstrations. CMS said the change is necessary because new statutory requirements will require the agency’s chief actuary to certify that Medicaid demonstrations will not increase federal spending before they can be approved, renewed or amended beginning Jan. 1, 2027. (Condon, 7/8)
Axios: Trump's Federal Grant Overhaul Proposal Draws Massive Pushback
Academic scientists, biotech executives and investors, and patient advocacy groups are sounding alarms over the Trump administration's plans to add political reviews to the process for making research grants. (Owens, 7/9)
PUBLIC HEALTH
NPR: Could ‘Death By Organ Donation’ Ease Shortage Of Organs For Transplant?
Should surgeons be allowed to perform euthanasia by removing patients' hearts and other organs while they're still alive? The idea, dubbed "Death by Organ Donation," would enable euthanasia patients to donate organs for transplantation in a way that would make their organs more likely to be usable. It would also kill them. (Stein, 7/8)
The Washington Post: Why WHO Is Warning About Escalating Cancer Rates By 2050
Annual cancer cases are projected to rise considerably worldwide by 2050, according to a World Health Organization report on cancer published Wednesday. With its assessment, the United Nations body tempered optimism about improvements in cancer surveillance and treatment and warned that global health care inequities are driving further cases and deaths.A round 20.6 million people were diagnosed with cancer in 2024, according to the findings. That number could reach 35 million a year by 2050. (Wu, 7/8)
Bloomberg: How Inflammation Became The Wellness Industry's Latest Buzzword
The commercialization of anti-inflammation has taken on a life of its own. Private members’ clubs are now hosting $4,000 anti-inflammatory retreats. Hotels have redesigned menus around anti-inflammatory eating. Vibration plates, fitness devices promoted for lymphatic drainage that cause involuntary muscle contractions, are popping up across social media. If you see the phrase “lymphatic drainage” in a spa treatment, the I-word will almost certainly appear soon after.Anti-inflammatory treatments claim to provide immediate rewards such as less puffiness or a more chiseled jawline. (Rappaport, 7/8)
NBC News: FDA Releases Report On Toxic Metals In Tampons And Potential Health Risks
The FDA has determined that various metals found in tampons don’t pose health risks to women. (Alvino, 7/8)
The 19th and Truthdig: Pain During IUD Insertions Was Treated As Inevitable For Generations. It Isn't
Taylor Townsell remembers her OBGYN reassuring her that her IUD insertion would feel like “just a pinch.” The pain came a split second later. The 32-year-old described it to Truthdig in still-vivid detail: “Bright, electric, as if my body had become nothing but nerve endings.” She passed out. (de Vignemont, 7/8)
SCIENCE AND INNOVATIONS
CIDRAP: Many Women Open To HPV Self-Sampling Kit, Survey Reveals
Many women are open to using a human papillomavirus (HPV) self-collection test if offered the chance, says a paper published yesterday in BMC Public Health. Providing self-testing kits could increase the number of women undergoing cervical cancer screening. (Holohan, 7/8)
CIDRAP: E Coli-Produced HPV Vaccine Effective Against Cancer-Causing Strains Of HPV
An Escherichia coli–produced human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine protects women from cancer-causing strains of HPV, according to a recent study in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. E coli–produced HPV vaccines cost less than commonly used HPV vaccines and could help boost immunization rates in low- to middle-income countries. “Given its low production cost, this vaccine has the potential to improve global access to high valency HPV vaccination,” wrote the authors, led by researchers at Jiangsu Provincial Academy of Preventative Medicine in China. (Holohan, 7/8)
Newsweek: Lyme Disease Discovery Could Lead To Earlier Diagnosis And Treatment
Scientists have identified a group of immune molecules that could help doctors catch Lyme disease earlier and identify patients whose symptoms linger long after treatment ends. The findings, led by Tufts University School of Medicine, could pave the way for better tests that catch Lyme disease in its earliest stages, when antibiotics work best, and help doctors identify patients still struggling with symptoms after treatment. (Fleur Afshar, 7/9)
MedPage Today: Chronic Kidney Disease Increasingly Driven By Diabetes
The prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the U.S. was generally stable over the past decade, but the underlying diagnoses driving the condition changed over time, according to National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data. (Monaco, 7/8)
MedPage Today: Study Hints At Survival Benefit With Transplant For Metastatic Lung Cancer
Lung transplant for selected metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients was associated with better early survival outcomes in a prospective, single-center study. Among 98 patients with lung-only involvement despite having medically refractory stage IV NSCLC, the estimated 1-year overall survival rates were 100% for the transplant recipients and 40.8% for the remaining patients treated with medical management alone. (Bassett, 7/8)
The Hill: Gene Therapy For Children With Sickle Cell Disease Approved By FDA
A new treatment for children aged 2 or older with sickle cell disease has been approved by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). In a Wednesday news release, the FDA announced it had approved Casgevy, the first gene therapy for children with the disease. “Casgevy is a gene therapy consisting of the patient’s own (autologous) hematopoietic (blood) stem cells, administered as a one-time single dose for intravenous infusion,” the release noted. (Djordjevic, 7/8)
CIDRAP: Paxlovid Safe For Children Age 6 And Up, New Data Reveal
A new study finds that the antiviral drug Paxlovid can safely be used by children aged 6 and older. The study, published recently in Pediatrics, found Paxlovid, which combines the drugs nirmatrelvir and ritonavir, is safe for children who weigh at least 44 pounds who have mild to moderate COVID-19 but are at risk of developing severe disease. Paxlovid is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in children at least 12 years old who weigh at least 88 pounds. (Szabo, 7/8)
HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY
Modern Healthcare: Pearl Health Raises $110M In A Series C Funding Round
Pearl Health, a Medicare-focused technology company, has raised $110 million in a Series C funding round.The money comprises a $50 million equity round and a $60 million credit facility. Pearl Health’s artificial intelligence platform is designed to help providers manage their Medicare population and improve value-based care performance by analyzing claims data and identifying high-priority patients. The company says it works with more than 10,000 providers. (Famakinwa, 7/8)
Modern Healthcare: Hospitals Add Clinical Jobs While Cutting Administrative Staff
Hospitals and health systems are adding tens of thousands of roles, but the positions are often clinical — and hiring is showing signs of slowing down. Halfway through the year, healthcare leaders are preparing for hurdles ahead by right-sizing their teams. As they focus on patient-facing employees, they’re shaving their back-office headcount: Thousands of roles have been cut and positions eliminated so far in 2026, often affecting administrative or support workers. (DeSilva, 7/8)
Modern Healthcare: Epic Systems Assigns Sumit Rana Duties To 4 Executives
Epic Systems has identified the executives who will absorb Sumit Rana’s duties when he steps away from his position as president. In a Tuesday email to Epic employees, CEO Judy Faulkner said a group including four research and development leaders — Garrett Adams, Seth Howard, Mark Lipsky and Erv Walter — will add responsibilities following Rana’s departure in August. “We also have an outstanding group of seasoned people throughout Epic whose leadership is critical to the company’s success,” Faulkner said. (Famakinwa, 7/8)
Modern Healthcare: Alignment Faces Whistleblower Lawsuit Over Accounting Claims
A former executive at Alignment Healthcare alleges the insurance company manipulated its finances to boost its stock price and executive compensation, according to a whistleblower lawsuit filed Tuesday. Hakan Kardes, former chief data and transformation officer, alleges the Medicare Advantage insurer forced him to resign after he reported alleged accounting fraud to other Alignment executives. The company allegedly misclassified operating expenses as capital costs, inflating its 2024 and 2025 earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, according to the lawsuit. (Kacik, 7/8)
Modern Healthcare: Tampa General Hospital Sues Eli Lilly Over 340B Data Demands
The pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly has been hit with the first lawsuit challenging its decision to cut off drug discounts for some safety-net providers. Tampa General Hospital in Florida filed suit against the drugmaker in U.S. District Court for the U.S. District of Florida last Thursday, alleging that Eli Lilly is violating Florida and federal law by conditioning discounts from the 340B Drug Pricing Program on providers sharing claims data with the company. (Early, 7/8)
STATE WATCH
The Hill: Texas Governor Orders Birth Tourism Investigation Into Hospital
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) directed state officials on Tuesday to “immediately” launch an investigation into a state hospital for allegedly seeking to profit from “birth tourism” practices. Abbott said in a letter to Stephanie Muth, the executive commissioner of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, that Mission Regional Medical Center has advertised “BIRTH PACKAGES IN SOUTH TEXAS” in foreign countries “in an apparent effort to profit from securing United States citizenship for their children.”“Birth tourism is an illegal practice that exploits the extraordinary hospitality that the United States and Texas offer to millions of foreign travelers each year,” Abbott said in a statement. (Davis, 7/8)
Axios: State IVF Measures May Reduce Access To Fertility Care, Docs Say
Proposals in Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma to tighten state oversight of fertility services could make in vitro fertilization a political target and encroach on personal medical decisions, a group of physicians wrote in The New England Journal of Medicine. (Reed, 7/9)
Kansas City Star: Kansas And Missouri Voters Face Proxy Abortion Fights
The word abortion will not appear on the Aug. 4 ballots in Kansas and Missouri. But high-profile votes in both states are widely viewed as proxy fights over access to the procedure. (Bayless, 7/9)
Fierce Healthcare: MGB Nurses, Home Care Clinicians Launch Record-Breaking Strike
About 4,000 nurses and another 450 home care clinicians launched a strike Wednesday morning after months of bargaining with employer Mass General Brigham failed to yield a contract deal. The nurses’ demonstration, quarterbacked by the Massachusetts Nurses Association, was scheduled for a single day, but due to the minimum duration of temporary worker contracts signed by the health system will be followed by a four-day lockout. (Muoio, 7/8)
Cardinal News: New State Funding Aims To Help Virginians Who Were Priced Out Of Health Insurance After Loss Of Federal Subsidies
About 100,000 Virginians lost their Marketplace health insurance late last year after federal subsidies expired and premiums surged. Now, a new state program could help many of them afford coverage again. (Schabacker, 7/9)
Honolulu Civil Beat: Audit Of Honolulu Homeless Program Halted
An audit of a Honolulu homeless assistance initiative that came under fire for being ineffective has been halted because the program keeps changing direction and can’t produce reliable data about its efforts. That development leaves the future direction of the Crisis, Outreach, Response and Engagement program in flux. Known as CORE, the program launched in 2021 to pair social workers with EMTs on 911 calls for help with homeless people in mental health crises. The City Council last September voted to audit the $2.7 million program, citing concerns it had drifted from its original purpose to steer people off the streets and into shelters and services. (Hay, 7/8)
CalMatters: California Colleges Reveal Military Weapons Stockade
For many public colleges and universities in California, keeping their campuses safe includes owning military-grade weaponry — AR-15s, stun grenades designed to cause temporary blindness and sonic weapons that resonate so loudly they are known in the armed forces as the voice of God. According to state law, campus police can only own military equipment if the college believes there is no other way to uphold civilian safety. (Huss, 7/8)
