First Edition: Thursday, May 30, 2025

KFF HEALTH NEWS ORIGINAL STORIES

KFF Health News: American Doctors Are Moving To Canada To Escape The Trump Administration
Earlier this year, as President Donald Trump was beginning to reshape the American government, Michael, an emergency room doctor who was born, raised, and trained in the United States, packed up his family and got out. Michael now works in a small-town hospital in Canada. KFF Health News and NPR granted him anonymity because of fears he might face reprisal from the Trump administration if he returns to the U.S. He said he feels some guilt that he did not stay to resist the Trump agenda but is assured in his decision to leave. Too much of America has simply grown too comfortable with violence and cruelty, he said. (Kelman, 5/30)

KFF Health News: Opioid Settlement Windfall: Where The Billions Are Going
Billions of dollars from opioid settlements are being paid out by drug manufacturers, distributors, and retailers to address the overdose crisis. Most of this money is landing in the hands of state and local governments to support public health initiatives such as housing, prevention, and access to treatment. But the lack of direct compensation for people affected by the overdose crisis has left many survivors feeling sidelined. (Pattani, 5/30)

CLIMATE AND HEALTH

AP: Wrongful Death Lawsuit Says Big Oil Contributed To Heat Wave And Woman's Death
In one of the nation’s first wrongful-death claims seeking to hold the fossil fuel industry accountable for its role in the changing climate, a Washington state woman is suing seven oil and gas companies, saying they contributed to an extraordinarily hot day that led to her mother’s fatal hyperthermia. The lawsuit filed in state court this week says the companies knew that their products have altered the climate, including contributing to a 2021 heat wave in the Pacific Northwest that killed 65-year-old Juliana Leon, and that they failed to warn the public of such risks. (St. John, 5/30)

AP: 4 Billion People Endured Extra Month Of Extreme Heat Due To Climate Change, Experts Say
Scientists say 4 billion people, about half the world’s population, experienced at least one extra month of extreme heat because of human-caused climate change from May 2024 to May 2025.The extreme heat caused illness, death, crop losses, and strained energy and health care systems, according to the analysis from World Weather Attribution, Climate Central and the Red Cross. “Although floods and cyclones often dominate headlines, heat is arguably the deadliest extreme event,” the report said. Many heat-related deaths are unreported or are mislabeled by other conditions like heart disease or kidney failure. (O'Malley, 5/30)

Bloomberg: Extreme Heat Warning Hits California As Temperatures To Soar Above 100F
A short-lived heat wave will send temperatures soaring across California and the US West through the weekend, elevating power demand and raising the risk of health impacts. At least 26 daily records may be broken or tied across the West on Friday and Saturday, with temperatures forecast to reach 102F (39C) in California’s capital of Sacramento and 105F in Fresno to the south, the National Weather Service said. (Sullivan, 5/29)

COVERAGE AND ACCESS

Stat: Medicare Plots Ambitious Tech Modernization Agenda
Two agencies in the federal health department are plotting what officials say will be an ambitious tech modernization push to promote better care for people on Medicare and beyond. And they’ve tapped some veteran technology entrepreneurs to lead the charge. (Aguilar, 5/30)

Stat: ACA Reforms In The GOP’s Tax Bill Were Little-Noticed. That Might Change
Enrollment in Affordable Care Act marketplace health plans has more than doubled since 2020, and most of that growth has been in states won by President Trump. House Republicans’ legislative agenda could cut that by one-third and make the insurance more expensive. (Wilkerson, 5/30)

Fierce Healthcare: Healthcare Execs Gear Up For Policy, Business Volatility
Healthcare C-suite leaders are trying to keep pace with rapid changes in U.S. economic and regulatory policies in the first four months of the second Trump administration. Among 700 business executives across six industries, nearly half (48%) of business executives rank economic policy among the top three factors driving strategic change over the next one to two years, according to a new PwC May pulse survey. (Landi, 5/29)

Modern Healthcare: Alternative Payment Model Bonuses Must Be Fixed, Providers Say
A coalition of healthcare trade associations and companies representing 550 providers and accountable care organizations is pleading with Congress to restore incentive bonuses for Medicare alternative payment models. The American Medical Association, Boston-based Mass General Brigham and others wrote congressional leaders Thursday expressing concern that failure to renew bonus payments will worsen providers’ financial instability, particularly in underserved regions. (Early, 5/29)

Stat: Solicitor General Urges Supreme Court Not To Review Oklahoma Law On PBMs
In a boost for pharmacy benefit managers, the U.S. solicitor general advised the Supreme Court not to review an appeals court ruling that struck down key parts of an Oklahoma law regulating the retail networks created by these controversial middlemen in the pharmaceutical supply chain. (Silverman, 5/29)

The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer: Cleveland Clinic Reverses ‘Pay Now’ Co-Pay Policy After Criticism 
Before, Cleveland Clinic patients were going to be turned away if they couldn’t immediately pay their insurance co-pay. Now, in a reversal announced Wednesday, Clinic patients can once again see a doctor without paying first. (Washington, 5/28)

'MAHA' AND RFK JR.

The Hill: White House Will Fix Errors In Kennedy's MAHA Report
The White House on Thursday said it will fix errors in its “Make America Healthy Again,” or MAHA, report after a news outlet’s investigation found that it cited sources that don’t exist. ... White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt downplayed the issues of nonexistent sources and said the administration has “complete confidence” in Kennedy, who spearheaded the report.  “I understand there were some formatting issues with the MAHA report that are being addressed, and the report will be updated,” Leavitt said during the daily press briefing. (Weixel, 5/29)

CNN: Kids’ Breakfast Cereal Has Gotten Unhealthier, A New Study Finds 
We all know that breakfast is an important meal, and even more so for children. Abundant research has demonstrated the benefit of nutritious breakfasts on children’s health, well-being and academic performance. Ready-to-eat cereals are the predominant breakfast choice among American children, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Hetter, 5/29)

CAPITOL WATCH

NBC News: Medicaid Cuts In Republican Bill Emerge As An Early Flash Point For The 2026 Elections
Early battle lines are forming over a centerpiece of the sprawling domestic policy bill that House Republicans narrowly passed, with Medicaid spending cuts emerging as a flash point that could define the 2026 midterm elections. Democrats are fine-tuning their message as they blast the legislation, which now heads to the GOP-led Senate, as a tax cut for the wealthy that would be funded by cutting health care, after Republicans broadly promised they wouldn't cut Medicaid. (Kapur, 5/29)

CBS News: Medicaid Cost-Cutting Measures Passed By House To Be Scrutinized By GOP Senators As They Take Up Trump Agenda
The Senate will soon be considering the massive legislation containing President Trump's second-term agenda after House Republicans passed it last week, following days of negotiations over changes to Medicaid, among other key issues. Senate Republicans will put their "imprint" on the bill, as Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota put it, and some pointed to changes to Medicaid as a possible red line for those who are undecided. (Hubbard and Yilek, 5/29)

The Hill: White House Attacks Jill Biden Over Joe Biden Health ‘Cover-Up’
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt attacked former first lady Jill Biden on Thursday over allegations that individuals around then-President Biden intentionally kept information about his health issues a secret. Republicans are calling on two dozen former senior Biden administration officials to appear before the Senate and answer questions about the former president’s health amid allegations that the White House deliberately did not disclose his cognitive and physical decline. (Gangitano, 5/29)

AP: Trump Administration Halts Plans To Close 34 Mine Safety Offices
The Trump administration is dropping plans to terminate leases for 34 offices in the Mine Safety and Health Administration, the agency responsible for enforcing mine safety laws, the Department of Labor said Thursday. Earlier this year, the Department of Government Efficiency, created by President Donald Trump and run by Elon Musk, had targeted federal agencies for spending cuts, including terminating leases for three dozen MSHA offices. Seven of those offices were in Kentucky alone. Ending the MSHA leases had been projected to save $18 million. (Raby, 5/30)

Bloomberg: Elon Musk’s DOGE Exit Won't Stop Pain From Federal Layoffs
Brendan Demich and his team of research engineers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in Pittsburgh were racing to complete a virtual reality program to help train miners on what to do in an emergency underground. They feared that soon, time would run out, and Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency would throw them out of work. (Mann, 5/29)

The Boston Globe: Mass General Brigham Primary Care Union Effort Slowed By Trump
Federal officials in Boston on Friday will count the ballots of roughly 240 primary care doctors deciding whether to form a union at Mass General Brigham. The answer is likely to be yes, but it won’t settle the fight over the proposed bargaining unit at the state’s largest health system. For months, primary care physicians at MGB have said they are overworked, underpaid, and demoralized by the “corporatization of medicine.” Last November, many of them filled out cards notifying the National Labor Relations Board that they want to join a union called the Doctors Council. (Saltzman, 5/29)

NPR: Deaf Advocacy Group Sues The White House For Lack Of ASL Interpreters
The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) has filed a federal lawsuit against the White House over a lack of American Sign Language interpreters at media briefings. The NAD says the White House abruptly stopped providing ASL interpreters during press briefings and other public events when President Trump returned to office for a second term. (Wright, 5/29)

Stat: FDA Denies Barth Syndrome Drug Approval, Suggests Accelerated Pathway
For the past decade, Stealth BioTherapeutics has ridden a roller coaster trying to convince the Food and Drug Administration to approve its ultra-rare disease drug. Now, the company has encountered yet another twist — an unexpected regulatory rejection that will not only delay access and strain its finances, but ensure some of the most vulnerable patients are denied the treatment. (Silverman, 5/29)

COVID-19

NBC News: A New Covid Variant Could Drive Up Summer Cases: Here's What You Should Know
The World Health Organization announced last week that it was monitoring the variant, NB.1.8.1, following a rise in cases in several parts of the world, including Europe, Southeast Asia and North and South America. The variant appears to be more transmissible than the dominant strain worldwide, LP.8.1, meaning it has the potential to drive up cases this summer. But it does not seem to be much better than LP.8.1 at evading protection from vaccines or a prior infection. (Bendix, 5/29)

ABC News: Why Healthy Children May Need Vaccination As RFK Jr. Cuts COVID Shot Recommendation For Some Kids
Earlier this week, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced in a video posted on X that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would no longer be recommending COVID-19 vaccines for "healthy children and pregnant people." In the video, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary said there is no evidence that healthy children "need" the vaccine. National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya also appeared in the video. Public health experts said they were surprised by the way the decision was announced. (Kekatos, 5/29)

CIDRAP: Prior COVID Vaccination Produces Immune Response Against New SARS-CoV-2 Strains, Study Finds
Receiving a prior COVID-19 vaccine did not prevent the immune system from producing protective responses to either Delta or Omicron virus strains, according to a new study in Nature Immunology. The findings are promising and suggest that, despite a drop in antibodies for mutated parts of the virus, vaccination offers ongoing protection from severe disease. The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Arizona College of Medicine and their US colleagues, could help better inform booster strategies in the face of an ever-changing virus, the authors said. (Soucheray, 5/29)

CIDRAP: Although US Candidemia Incidence Holds Steady, Death Rates Rose During COVID-19
US surveillance for candidemia shows a stable to slightly increasing incidence but a rising death rate from 2017 to 2021, likely influenced by overwhelmed healthcare systems amid the pandemic and more patients susceptible to Candida species because of severe COVID-19 infections. Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), state public health departments, and healthcare systems tracked candidemia cases and deaths at city or county sites in 10 states for 5 years, publishing the results today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. (Van Beusekom, 5/29)

PUBLIC HEALTH

CBS News: Hormel Recalls 256,000 Pounds Of Canned Beef Stew Over Wood Fragments
Hormel Foods Corporation is recalling over 256,000 pounds of canned beef stew nationwide due to potential contamination with wood fragments, according to federal health officials. In a recall notice posted Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service said the 20-oz. metal cans containing "Dinty Moore Beef Stew" were shipped to retail locations nationwide. (Moniuszko, 5/29)

CBS News: Fish Caught In Some New York Waters Unsafe To Eat Due To Elevated PFOS, Health Officials Warn
Some fish caught in New York lakes and rivers may be unsafe to eat due to elevated levels of chemicals known as PFAS, state health officials announced Thursday. Starting earlier this year, the state implemented new guidelines to update the public about exposure to PFOS, the most common type of PFAS found in fish. ... Health officials urge people not to eat any fish caught at Fallkill Lake and Creek. (Anderson, 5/29)

The Baltimore Sun: Tick-Borne Illness Moving South To Maryland, Study Says
A tick-borne illness typically found in the Northeast is moving farther south, and the Baltimore region is one of Maryland’s hot spots, according to a study released last month. Cases of babesiosis, a rare disease most commonly spread by bites from deer ticks, are growing in Maryland and the mid-Atlantic region, according to a study published in the Journal of Medical Entomology, and so is the range of ticks infected with the parasite that causes the disease. (Jones, 5/29)

MedPage Today: These Two Stimulants Should Be Contraindicated During Pregnancy, Group Says
Consumer advocacy organization Public Citizen is sounding the alarm about potential risks for birth defects associated with modafinil (Provigil) and armodafinil (Nuvigil), two stimulants commonly prescribed during pregnancy. The group argued that animal toxicity studies and post-marketing observational studies have turned up sufficient evidence to justify additional precautions for pregnant patients. (Robertson, 5/29)

SCIENCE AND INNOVATIONS

The Guardian: New AI Test Can Predict Which Men Will Benefit From Prostate Cancer Drug
Doctors have developed an artificial intelligence tool that can predict which men with prostate cancer will benefit from a drug that halves the risk of dying. Abiraterone has been described as a “gamechanger” treatment for the disease, which is the most common form of cancer in men in more than 100 countries. It has already helped hundreds of thousands with advanced prostate cancer to live longer. (Gregory, 5/29)

Stat: Vivodyne Raises $40 Million For Work On Animal Testing Alternatives
The world looked a little different when bioengineer Dan Huh first began exploring whether it was possible to replace mouse testing with small-scale replicas of human tissues. (DeAngelis, 5/29)

CIDRAP: Norovirus Vaccine Produces Mucosal Immunity In Phase 2b Trial
An oral tablet norovirus vaccine generated mucosal immunity and reduced viral shedding in participants in a new phase 2 placebo-controlled challenge study. The results were published recently in Science Translational Medicine. Despite being the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) worldwide, there are currently no vaccines for norovirus (NV). In the past, phase 3 field trials have produced a lack of robust immunological correlates of protection, the authors of the study said, which is likely a problem of producing systemic, rather than targeted intestinal immunity, from the virus. (Soucheray, 5/29)

The New York Times: Robert Jarvik, A Designer Of The First Artificial Heart, Dies At 79
Dr. Robert K. Jarvik, the principal designer of the first permanent artificial heart implanted in a human — a procedure that became a subject of great public fascination and fierce debate about medical ethics — died on Monday at his home in Manhattan. He was 79. His wife, the writer Marilyn vos Savant, said the cause was complications of Parkinson’s disease. (Longman, 5/29)

HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY

Modern Healthcare: Physicians In Private Practices At The Lowest Level Since 2012
Private practice is slowly fading as a way to do business, going the way of landline phones,  bank deposit slips and fax machines. An analysis by the American Medical Association found the percentage of physicians in a practice wholly owned by physicians last year to be at the lowest level since the survey began in 2012. The AMA examined data from its biennial Physician Practice Benchmark Survey, most recently conducted in 2024. (Broderick, 5/29)

Bloomberg: Emory Floats $1 Billion Bond Sale For Campus, Hospital Projects
Emory University is considering borrowing more than $1 billion of municipal debt to finance projects for its campus and hospital system. The bond sale for the Atlanta-based private institution is expected in mid-June and will be managed by an underwriting group led by RBC Capital Markets, according to a securities filing that outlined the potential borrowing plan. The tax-exempt debt, which would be issued through Georgia’s Private Colleges and Universities Authority, would also refinance outstanding obligations. (Bonilla Ramos and Shah, 5/29)

CBS News: Penn Medicine To Stop Providing Gender-Affirming Surgeries For Patients 18 And Under, Official Says
Penn Medicine will stop providing gender-affirming surgeries for patients under 19 years old, the Philadelphia-based system said Thursday. Penn Medicine will no longer perform gender-affirming surgical procedures in plastic surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, and urology, as well as head and neck surgeries, PJ Brennan, Penn Medicine's chief medical officer, said in a statement. The change comes "as a result of current guidance established by the federal government," the statement says. (Fey, 5/29)

STATE WATCH

CBS News: Fort Worth Organization Raises Awareness And Support For Veteran Suicide Prevention
An estimated 22 men and women who have served in our military are dying in battle each day. It's not from a battle in a combat zone, but rather a battle going on inside their own minds. Preventing suicide among US veterans is one of the missions that a Fort Worth-based organization is focused on addressing and bringing to the public's attention. (Miles, 5/29)

CBS News: Colorado Health Officials Confirm Seventh Measles Case, On Flight With Others Infected
Colorado health officials have confirmed a seventh case of measles in the state after a vaccinated adult who recently traveled internationally tested positive. According to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, the infected adult is a resident of Arapahoe County. They were recently a passenger on Turkish Airlines flight 201 into Denver International Airport on May 13. Two additional cases of measles were confirmed in other passengers on this flight: one out-of-state traveler who was infectious on the flight and an Arapahoe County child under age five. (Swanson, 5/29)

CBS News: Sen. Michael Bennet Returns To Colorado, Listens To Patients Describe Medicaid Impact Amid Possible Cuts
Sen. Michael Bennet returned to Colorado this week and listened to patients describe the impact Medicaid has made on them and their families. The Democrat representing Colorado listened to their stories as the federal program faces potential funding cuts. Bennet appeared on the panel with Denver Health CEO Donna Lynne as part of a national conversation about how Medicaid coverage may change in the future. (McRae, 5/29)

CBS News: Autism In Adulthood Is On The Rise. A Maryland Medical Expert Explains The Symptoms
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has long been associated with childhood diagnoses, but as new research shows a shift, a Maryland medical expert is sharing insight into symptoms for adults. A recent study shows that a growing number of adults are learning they've been living with autism for their entire lives. The study, published in JAMA Network Open, recorded a 450% increase in autism diagnoses among adults ages 26 to 34 between 2011 and 2022. (Zizaza, 5/29)

Becker's Hospital Review: Iowa Rural Healthcare Access, Workplace Safety Bills Signed Into Law
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed two healthcare bills into law May 28 at Guthrie County Hospital, a critical access hospital in Guthrie Center, the Iowa Capital Dispatch reported May 28. Here are four things to know: 1. House File 972 instructs Iowa’s Department of Health and Human Services to request CMS approval to establish a hub-and-spoke partnership funding model designed to improve healthcare in rural areas and support collaboration among regional providers. (Kuchno, 5/29)

Health News Florida: DeSantis Signs Bill That Expands Services And Funding For Students With Autism
Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed into law a bipartisan measure that would expand services and funding opportunities for Florida students with autism. It was among a handful of health-related bills signed by the governor this past week. (Mayer, 5/29)

The CT Mirror: CT Aims To Preempt Federal Changes To Public Health Policy With Bill
The House on Thursday gave final passage to a bill focused on preempting potential federal changes to public health and reproductive care policy. The legislation includes sections that would codify into state law current federal guidance for fluoride in drinking water and create accounts to be tapped in the case of federal cuts to public health funding. (Golvala, 5/29)

AP: Louisiana Bill That Gives Legal Protections To IVF Providers Heads To The Governor's Desk
A bill that protects in vitro fertilization providers from criminal charges and lawsuits has received bipartisan approval from Louisiana lawmakers and now heads to the desk of Republican Gov. Jeff Landry for final signature. The measure approved Wednesday was formed to avoid the situation that occurred in Alabama last year when the state’s Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos can be considered children under state law. As a result of the ruling, some IVF services — a medical procedure that helps people facing infertility get pregnant — were paused until Alabama’s governor signed a law that protects them from prosecution “for the damage to or death of an embryo” during treatment. (Vertuno, 5/29)