First Edition: Tuesday, July 22, 2025

KFF HEALTH NEWS ORIGINAL STORIES

KFF Health News: Cuts To Food Benefits Stand In The Way Of RFK Jr.’s Goals For A Healthier National Diet
Belinda McLoyd has been thinking about peanut butter. McLoyd, 64, receives a small monthly payment through the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, previously known as food stamps.“ They don’t give you that much to work with,” she said. To fit her tight budget, she eats ramen noodles — high on sodium and low on nutrition — multiple times a week. (Rayasam, 7/22)

KFF Health News: Are 5 Million Nondisabled Medicaid Recipients Watching TV All Day? That’s Unsupported
Republicans defended the GOP megabill’s Medicaid changes as targeting a group of people they believe shouldn’t qualify: people who can work but instead choose to stay home and chill. Several Republican politicians and pundits, including CNN senior political commentator Scott Jennings, pegged that group’s size at about 5 million people. (Tuquero, 7/22)

KFF Health News: Amid PFAS Fallout, A Maine Doctor Navigates Medical Risks With Her Patients
When Lawrence and Penny Higgins of Fairfield, Maine, first learned in 2020 that high levels of toxic chemicals called PFAS taint their home’s well water, they wondered how their health might suffer. They had consumed the water for decades, given it to their pets and farm animals, and used it to irrigate their vegetable garden and fruit trees. “We wanted to find out just what it’s going to do to us,” Penny Higgins said. They contacted a couple of doctors, but “we were met with a brick wall. Nobody knew anything.” Worse still, she added, they “really didn’t want to hear about it.” (Schauffler, 7/22)

COVERAGE AND ACCESS

AP: Budget Office Says Trump’s Tax Law Will Add $3.4 Trillion To Deficits, Leave 10 Million Uninsured
President Donald Trump’s tax and spending law will add $3.4 trillion to federal deficits through 2034, the Congressional Budget Office reported Monday, a slight increase in the projection that takes into account the final tweaks that Republicans made before getting the legislation over the finish line. More than 10 million people will be uninsured under the law in 2034 because of the law, CBO found, an improvement from an earlier projection that found 11.8 million people losing coverage over the decade. (Freking, 7/21)

The Hill: Over Half Of Americans Say ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Going To Raise Health Care Costs: Poll
More than half of Americans — 57 percent — said in a new survey that they think the GOP’s sweeping package extending tax cuts and slashing welfare services will increase their health-care costs. Thirteen percent in the CBS/YouGov poll released Sunday said that the “big, beautiful bill” will lower their health-care costs and 33 percent said there will be no impact. (Waldvogel, 7/21)

The New York Times: Disabled Americans Fear What Medicaid Cuts Could Do To Them
Medicaid is best known as a program for low-income people, but it is also a key vehicle by which disabled Americans of varying income levels receive health care that would otherwise be prohibitively expensive. June is one of about 4.5 million Americans who depend specifically on its home- and community-based care services, which often come through specialized programs known as waivers. That 4.5 million includes many older Americans who are on Medicare too but can’t get the home care they need through that. (Astor, 7/21)

AP: Medicaid For Immigrants In US Illegally Being Limited Or Ended In 3 States
For nearly 20 years, Maria would call her sister — a nurse in Mexico — for advice on how to manage her asthma and control her husband’s diabetes instead of going to the doctor in California. She didn’t have legal status, so she couldn’t get health insurance and skipped routine exams, relying instead on home remedies and, at times, getting inhalers from Mexico. ... Things changed for Maria and many others in recent years when a handful of Democrat-led states opened up their health insurance programs to low-income immigrants regardless of their legal status. (Nguyễn and Shastri, 7/21)

AP: States Sue Over Trump Restrictions On Head Start For Immigrants
A coalition of 21 Democratic state attorneys general filed a lawsuit Monday challenging the Trump administration’s restrictions on social services for immigrants in the country illegally, including the federal preschool program Head Start, health clinics and adult education. ... The lawsuit led by New York Attorney General Letitia James argues the government failed to follow the rulemaking process and did not provide required notice on conditions placed on federal funds. It also argues the changes will create significant harm. (Ma, 7/21)

The Hill: Judge Blocks Trump Administration From Cutting Planned Parenthood Funding
A federal judge Monday blocked the Trump administration from cutting funding to Planned Parenthood as part of the GOP’s new tax cut and health law. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston granted Planned Parenthood’s request for a temporary injunction while the lawsuit progresses. Planned Parenthood two weeks ago sued over a provision in the new law that imposes a one-year ban on state Medicaid payments to health care nonprofits that also offer abortions and received more than $800,000 in federal funding in 2023. (Weixel, 7/21)

Politico: Republicans Are Ready To Revive Stalled Health Care Legislation. Dems Want The GOP To Pay A Price
Republicans are eyeing an opportunity to enact a bipartisan health package by the end of the year, but Democrats aren’t exactly in a deal-making mood. With the dust barely settled after enacting their party-line domestic policy megabill, GOP lawmakers on the Senate Finance, House Ways and Means and House Energy and Commerce committees are hoping they’ll have another shot this year at making policy changes to drug pricing long sought by both parties. (Guggenheim, 7/21)

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

Stat: NIH Cuts Would Accelerate Trend Of Less Spending On Basic Science 
The number of basic science papers published by recipients of National Institutes of Health grants has been falling since 2013, the year the agency’s budget was cut by 5%, according to a new analysis. President Trump’s budget proposal to slash NIH funding by nearly 40% would further erode basic biomedical research, warns the author, a former top agency official. (Oza, 7/21)

Fierce Healthcare: HHS Highlights 'Major' Organ Transplant Safety Overhaul
The Department of Health and Human Services said Monday it has launched “a major initiative” to overhaul the nation’s organ transplant system. The announcement cites an investigation conducted earlier this year by the department’s Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) “that revealed disturbing practices by a major organ procurement organization.” (Muoio, 7/21)

AP: FDA Names Former Pharmaceutical Company Executive George Tidmarsh To Oversee US Drug Program
The Food and Drug Administration on Monday named a longtime pharmaceutical executive to run the agency’s drug program, the latest in a string of leadership changes at the agency. FDA Commissioner Marty Makary announced that Dr. George Tidmarsh, a cancer and pediatric specialist, will direct the agency’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, which regulates the safety and effectiveness of all U.S. drugs. His appointment comes a month after the center’s acting director, Dr. Jacqueline Corrigan-Curay, announced her retirement. (Perrone, 7/21)

NBC News: FDA Panel Promotes Misinformation About Antidepressants During Pregnancy, Psychiatrists Say
A Food and Drug Administration panel discussing the use of antidepressants during pregnancy Monday largely amounted to misinformation or facts taken out of context, according to several psychiatrists who tuned in to the meeting. The panel had promised to feature diverse viewpoints about antidepressants and pregnancy. But nearly all of the 10 panelists bucked medical consensus on the drugs’ safety and emphasized what they said were risks of taking the drugs while pregnant — such as causing autism, miscarriages or birth defects. (Bendix, 7/22)

Bloomberg: FDA Is Looking For Expanded Power To Crack Down On Illegal Vapes
The Food and Drug Administration is taking a closer look at kratom extracts and preparing to ask Congress for expanded authority to shut down illegal vaping imports, according to the agency’s head. In an interview, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said that the US is essentially wide open to shipments of dangerous products including unauthorized vapes as well as an opioid-like substance found in potent kratom extracts. Another product of concern is tianeptine, which has been dubbed “gas station heroin” and is available at convenience stores nationwide. (Rutherford, 7/21)

PUBLIC HEALTH

Newsweek: Thousands Of Workers Tried A 4-Day Week—The Impact On Their Health Was Clear
A four-day workweek with no reduction in pay improves both workers' health and overall job performance and satisfaction, according to a new study. Working norms were reshaped by the COVID-19 pandemic five years ago, making remote work a necessity for some amid lockdowns. But it also exposed widespread burnout and disengagement among workers across most markets. (Azzurra Volpe, 7/21)

MedPage Today: Advanced Cancer Patients On Private Insurance Face High Out-Of-Pocket Costs
A diagnosis of cancer brings substantially higher out-of-pocket costs (OOPCs) for privately insured patients, particularly those with more advanced cancer, researchers found. In a cohort of more than 46,000 patients, an incident cancer diagnosis was associated with a mean increase in OOPCs of $592.53 per month in the 6 months after diagnosis, reported Liam Rose, PhD, of the Stanford University School of Medicine in Palo Alto, California, and colleagues. (Bassett, 7/21)

CBS News: COVID-19 Cases Are Rising In These States Amid Summer Wave, CDC Data Shows
The summer surge of COVID-19 is here, with data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showing increases across much of the country. In its latest report, the CDC said the number of cases is now growing or likely growing in at least 26 states and Washington, D.C. COVID-related emergency room visits for young kids are also the highest they've been since March, according to the data. (Moniuszko, 7/21)

CIDRAP: Infection Total Rises In Gecko-Linked Salmonella Outbreak
Since its last update in May on a Salmonella outbreak linked to pet geckos, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last week reported 35 more infections from 16 states and added one more serotype to the outbreak. Federal officials first announced the outbreak on March 13, when there were just a handful of cases from eight states, all involving Salmonella Muenchen. With the new illnesses, the total now stands at 49 people from 27 states. Of those, 18 infections involve S Muenchen, and 31 involve S Lome. Nine people have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported. (Schnirring, 7/21)

NBC News: More Than 67,000 Cases Of Power Stick Deodorant Have Been Recalled — What To Know
The Food and Drug Administration has issued a recall for more than 67,000 cases of Power Stick deodorant products for not meeting safety and quality standards. The antiperspirant deodorant items are made by A.P. Deauville, a company based in Easton, Pennsylvania. (Weisholtz, 7/21)

NBC News: About 5 Million Swimming Pools Recalled After Deaths Of 9 Children Since 2007
About 5 million swimming pools that have been linked to nine deaths of children over the last two decades have been recalled by their manufacturers, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said Monday morning. In a press release, the CPSC stated that the pools, specifically those 48 inches in height or taller, are equipped with compression straps that serve as footholds, allowing small children to climb into the water unattended, even if a ladder is removed. (Smith and Blackman, 7/21)

MedPage Today: Lidocaine Deaths Surged In Past Decade
Deaths associated with lidocaine poisoning more than doubled since 2010, calls to poison control centers suggested. Reports of lidocaine mortality in the American Poison Centers National Poison Data System (NPDS) increased 2.7 fold from 2011 to 2022 relative to the prior decade (P=0.0094), according to Michael Fettiplace, MD, PhD, of the University of Illinois Chicago College of Medicine, and co-authors. (George, 7/21)

SCIENCE AND INNOVATIONS

CIDRAP: New Surveillance Tool Can Predict COVID Variants Of Concern
In Nature Communications, authors describe a novel web platform for genomic surveillance of the SARS-CoV-2 virus called CoVerage, which could identify variants of concern (VOCs) up to 3 months before the World Health Organization (WHO) is able to classify the variants that can lead to surges of COVID-19 activity. (Soucheray, 7/21)

MedPage Today: Study Cites Urgent Care Clinics For Inappropriate Prescribing
Urgent care clinics often inappropriately prescribed antibiotics, glucocorticoids, and opioids for common conditions, found a cross-sectional study involving more than 22 million U.S. patient visits from 2018 to 2022. For antibiotics, there were high rates of prescribing for "never appropriate" indications such as otitis media (31%), genitourinary signs and symptoms (46%), and acute bronchitis (15%), reported Shirley Cohen-Mekelburg, MD, of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and co-authors in Annals of Internal Medicine. (Firth, 7/21)

CIDRAP: Study Shows High Rate Of Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria In Hospitalized Ukrainian Refugees
A new study of Ukrainian refugees reveals how the country's war with Russia may be helping promote the spread of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria throughout Europe, researchers reported today in Clinical Microbiology and Infection. In what they say is the largest cohort study to date on the topic, researchers from Helsinki University Hospital in Finland assessed MDR bacterial carriage among 166 Ukrainian refugees treated at the hospital in the 2 years after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. (Dall, 7/21)

Stat: New Orexin Drugs Aim To Transform Narcolepsy Care 
A race to develop a new class of narcolepsy drugs could not only transform treatment for patients with the rare sleep disorder, but also many people with common health conditions who struggle with a core part of human functioning — staying awake. (Chen, 7/22)

NBC News: Could Cancer Drugs Be The Future Of Alzheimer's Treatment?
With few treatments available to stop or reverse Alzheimer’s disease, scientists have turned to cancer drugs as a potential means of walking back cognitive decline. Alzheimer’s cases are rising in the United States and worldwide due to an aging population, but there is no cure for the disease. Attempts to develop new treatments that slow the disease’s progress, rather than lessen symptoms, have frequently failed. (Bendix, 7/21)

The New York Times: First Pill For Postpartum Depression Shows Varied Real-World Results
Depression descended on Samantha Cohn about two months after her baby boy was born. He was thriving, but she became convinced she was a terrible mother. ... Clinical trials had found that the drug, zuranolone, marketed as Zurzuvae and taken daily for 14 days, can ease symptoms for some women in as little as three days, while general antidepressants can take weeks. For Ms. Cohn, its impact was swift and striking. On her fourth day of taking it, she said she suddenly “felt so much clarity in my head, like I didn’t have nagging thoughts about not being good enough.” Now, a year and a half after the drug became available, thousands of women have tried it, and their experiences have run the gamut. (Belluck, 7/22)

MedPage Today: Fetal Isotretinoin Exposure Persists Despite REMS
Patients using isotretinoin, an acne treatment that can cause birth defects, had lower rates of pregnancy compared to other acne treatments, though fetal exposure persisted, according to an analysis of Medicaid and MarketScan data. (Robertson, 7/21)

The Washington Post: Antimicrobial Chemical Triclosan Associated With Eczema In Kids
Children with twice the level of the antimicrobial chemical triclosan in their urine were 23 percent more likely to report eczema symptoms than those with lower concentrations, according to research published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. ... According to the Cleveland Clinic, triclosan can still be found in some toothpastes, deodorants, cosmetics and detergents. (McMahan, 7/21)

NBC News: A Genetic Test Could Predict The Odds Of Obesity, Allowing For Early Interventions
A genetic test may one day predict a child’s risk of obesity in adulthood, paving the way for early interventions. Certain genetic variants can affect how a person’s body stores fat or make them more prone to overeating. Genetic variation can also predict how well a person will respond to different weight loss drugs. In a study published Monday in the journal Nature Medicine, more than 600 researchers from around the world worked together to compile genetic data from more than 5 million people — the largest and most diverse genetic dataset to date. They also used genetic data from 23andMe. (Sullivan, 7/21)

HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY

Stat: Sarepta Will Stop Shipping Elevidys, Duchenne Gene Therapy
Sarepta Therapeutics said Monday evening it will pause all shipments of Elevidys, its gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, acceding to a request made by the Food and Drug Administration after several patient deaths. It’s a surprising reversal by Sarepta. The company had initially rejected the agency’s request, which was issued Friday. (Feuerstein and Mast, 7/21)

Modern Healthcare: How Medtech Companies Could Benefit From The New Tax Law
Medtech may be one of the few sectors in healthcare that stands to benefit from the new tax law. The Medicaid cuts law includes incentives for companies’ research and development activities and capital investments. The provisions apply to all companies, and could mean expanded financial support for medtech startups and more cash in the near term for companies of all sizes. (Dubinsky, 7/21)

Stat: AstraZeneca Says It Will Invest $50 Billion In The U.S. By 2030 
Under pressure of tariffs and price controls from the Trump administration, AstraZeneca announced Monday that it would invest $50 billion by 2030.AstraZeneca’s CEO, Pascal Soriot, flanked by Trump administration officials and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, added that, as part of the investment, the company would build a multi-billion-dollar manufacturing site in Virginia. (Payne, 7/21)

Modern Healthcare: Fortuna Health Raises $18M From Andreessen Horowitz
Medicaid-focused startup Fortuna Health has raised $18 million in a Series A funding round, the company announced Monday. The round was led by Andreessen Horowitz. Y Combinator, the startup accelerator that helped launch Airbnb and Instacart, also participated, along with the founders of artificial intelligence company Abridge, insurtech Oscar Health and primary care company One Medical (now part of Amazon). (Perna, 7/21)

Stat: Humana Tries Again With Medicare Advantage Ratings Lawsuit
Humana refiled a lawsuit Monday evening against the federal government, as the health insurance giant pushes to keep billions of dollars that could vanish as a result of downgraded ratings tied to its Medicare Advantage plans. (Herman, 7/22)

Bloomberg: Sanofi To Buy Vicebio For Up To $1.6 Billion In Vaccine Push
Sanofi agreed to buy UK biotech Vicebio Ltd. for as much as $1.6 billion, gaining experimental vaccines and a technology to streamline their development. The French drugmaker will pay $1.15 billion upfront with a commitment for potential milestones worth as much as $450 million, it said in a statement Tuesday. (Petroff and Furlong, 7/22)

Fierce Healthcare: UnitedHealth Rolling Out New Early Cancer Detection Benefit
UnitedHealthcare is rolling out a new benefit to encourage preventive cancer screenings. The insurer's new breast and colon cancer detection benefit will be available for eligible commercial plans starting Jan. 1, 2026. Through the program, UHC will cover members' first diagnostic imaging tests for breast cancer and diagnostic tests for colon cancer. (Minemyer, 7/21)

STATE WATCH

AP: San Francisco To Ban Homeless People From Living In RVs
San Francisco is set to ban homeless people from living in RVs by adopting strict new parking limits the mayor says are necessary to keep sidewalks clear and prevent trash build-up. The policy, up for final approval by San Francisco supervisors Tuesday, targets at least 400 recreational vehicles in the city of 800,000 people. The RVs serve as shelter for people who can’t afford housing, including immigrant families with kids. Those who live in them say they’re a necessary option in an expensive city where affordable apartments are impossible to find. (Har and Chea, 7/22)

CIDRAP: Mississippi Warns Of Steep Increase In Pertussis Cases
Last week, officials from the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) issued a health alert about an increase in pertussis (whopping cough) cases this year. As of July 10, MSDH said 80 cases have been reported, compared to 49 cases in all of 2024. So far, no deaths have been recorded in Mississippi this year, but 10 patients have been hospitalized. Whopping cough, a highly contagious respiratory illness that leads to violent coughing bursts, is most common in children and can be fatal in infants under the age of 1. (Soucheray, 7/21)

NPR: WWII Atomic Waste Contaminated A Missouri Creek. People Nearby Had More Cancer Risk
Children who lived near a St. Louis creek polluted with radioactive atomic bomb waste from the 1940s through the 1960s were more likely to be diagnosed with cancer over their lifetimes than children who lived farther from the waterway, a new study has found. The findings, published in JAMA Network Open, corroborate worries that neighbors of Coldwater Creek have long held about the Missouri River tributary where generations of children played. (Cohen, 7/21)

The CT Mirror: What To Know About Two New COVID Variants Spreading In CT
Two new COVID-19 variants are spreading through the U.S., and medical providers in Connecticut are expecting an uptick in cases in the coming weeks. NB.1.8.1, also known as Nimbus, has become the dominant variant throughout the country and health officials say that while sequencing efforts have declined, it appears to be a driver of new cases in Connecticut. (Carlesso, 7/21)

Chicago Tribune: SNAP Cuts Force Illinois Food Banks To Stretch Resources Thinner Than Ever
Natasha McClendon had $20 in her bank account and a bag of chicken in her fridge. It wasn’t going to be enough to feed her three daughters, her husband and herself, which meant it was time to take her monthly visit to the St. Sabina parish food pantry. (Levenson, 7/21)