Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
First Edition: Tuesday, July 7, 2026
KFF HEALTH NEWS ORIGINAL STORIES
KFF Health News: Copay Assistance Is Meant To Defray Patient Drug Costs. Some Insurers Keep It Instead
For 16 years, Larry Gruber, a fitness coach from Wilton Manors, Florida, received a coupon card to help him pay for a psoriatic arthritis medication he needs that costs more than $7,700 a month. Each year, Amgen, which makes the drug, called Enbrel, sent the coupon card worth thousands of dollars, and that counted toward Gruber’s health insurance deductible and out-of-pocket maximum. (Chang, 7/7)
KFF Health News: Thousands Of Medicare Beneficiaries Thought Their Drug Plan Was Free. Then They Lost It
Jude Pare and his partner, Diane Tix, live in rural Minnesota until temperatures dip below freezing, when they take refuge in Arizona for the winter. While away, their mail is forwarded. But Pare, 77, said he didn’t receive any warning from his Medicare prescription drug plan that his $0 monthly premium was about to increase. So he didn’t know he had a bill to pay. (Jaffe, 7/7)
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
The New York Times: Key Health Care Panel Is Again Blocked From Meeting Under RFK Jr.
For the fourth time, the Trump administration has prevented an important public health panel from meeting as planned. The panel, the United States Preventive Services Task Force, has not met in person since March 2025. ... The delay of a meeting scheduled for this month was announced in an email last week to people who work with the panel. It was confirmed on Monday by Emily Hilliard, a spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Human Services. (Astor, 7/6)
The New York Times: Efforts To Help Smokers Quit Stall Under Trump
The ads were jarring: a man with a hole in his throat where his larynx, or voice box, had once been. A woman whose teeth and jaw had been removed after oral cancer. Another woman speaking in a robotic voice, which was altered when her larynx was removed: “I wish I’d never seen a cigarette in my entire life.” A black screen followed, saying she died two days later. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 14-year ad campaign, called Tips From Former Smokers, was highly memorable and, research shows, highly effective in motivating people to quit. Last year, though, as tobacco companies gave millions to political organizations related to the Trump administration, the campaign went dark. (Jewett, 7/6)
NBC News: Is Testosterone Therapy A Fix For Aging? The Trump Administration Proposes Easing Prescription Rules
American men may soon find it easier to get testosterone therapy under a new federal proposal that would loosen restrictions on prescriptions. (Sudhakar, 7/6)
The 19th: How Government Agencies Are Targeting Gender-Affirming Care For Youth
The United States is using the full power of the federal government to restrict gender-affirming care for transgender youth. (Rummler, 7/6)
The Hill: Trump Pardons Clean Air Act Violators
Trump pardoned nine people who were found to have either tampered with equipment in trucks used for emissions control, or sold aftermarket parts disabling those controls and bypass the mandatory parts. Federal law prohibits removing or modifying emissions control devices in vehicles. So-called defeat devices can be used to get around a vehicle’s emissions controls. The Trump administration previously said it would generally stop prosecuting people who sell them. (Frazin, 7/6)
IMMIGRATION CRISIS
AP: Ex-Afghan Ally Died In ICE Custody After Allergic Reaction, Document Says
An Afghan national who fought alongside U.S. forces died from an allergic reaction while in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, one day after he was detained for deportation proceedings, his death certificate shows. Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal, 41, suffered “an adverse drug reaction” to an unidentified substance, which triggered anaphylaxis and exacerbated his asthma, according to the document. His March 14 death at a Dallas hospital was ruled to be an accident. (Foley, 7/6)
ProPublica: Deportations Of Unaccompanied Minors Have Tripled Under Trump
A first-of-its-kind analysis of Immigration and Customs Enforcement data found that unaccompanied minors living in the U.S. are being detained and removed at about three times the rate they were during the last time President Donald Trump was in office. In addition, a ProPublica analysis of court data found that immigration judges, who report to the Justice Department, have issued more than 10,000 removal and voluntary departure orders each month for immigrant minors who either migrated alone or with relatives, a rate that is nearly four times higher than in Trump’s last term. (Rosenberg and Ernsthausen, 7/6)
CAPITOL WATCH
The New York Times: McConnell Has Been Hospitalized For 3 Weeks, And Aides Won’t Say Why
Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the former majority leader, was hospitalized on June 14. Since then, his office has provided few updates about his condition. ... Emergency responders the morning the Kentucky Republican was hospitalized reported performing CPR on an unconscious individual undergoing cardiac arrest at the senator’s Washington address, according to recordings of dispatcher calls that were widely reported by news outlets last week and obtained by The New York Times. The recordings do not name Mr. McConnell as the individual. (Edmondson, 7/6)
Stat: Lawmakers Want Clinical Trial Diversity Protected From DEI Crackdown
Clinical trial policy got caught up in the Trump administration’s attack on policies related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Republicans in Congress would like to change that. (Wilkerson, 7/6)
ProPublica: Lawmakers: Hegseth 'Defunded And Impeded' Civilian Protection Efforts
Ten Democratic lawmakers told Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in a letter Sunday that his gutting of a program focused on protecting civilians is a leadership failure that imperils service members and erodes the military’s moral standing. (Allam and Rose, 7/6)
SUPREME COURT
The Washington Post: Supreme Court Lets Texas Enforce Law That Restricts App Purchases By Kids
The Supreme Court on Monday declined to pause enforcement of a Texas law that restricts which apps children can download from online stores, in a case that involves the balance of online safety for kids and the Constitution’s free-speech guarantees. Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed the law last year in an effort to give parents more control over their kids’ app downloads and in-app purchases. It requires users to verify that they’re at least 18 years old; if they are not, minors must receive consent from their parents for every download or in-app purchase. California, Louisiana and Utah have passed similar age-verification laws for app stores. (Mark, 7/6)
The New York Times: A Supreme Court Case On AR-15s Could Hinge On Their ‘Common Use’
We all may know what makes a gun dangerous, but what makes it both dangerous and unusual? Largely lost amid the Supreme Court’s decisions on birthright citizenship, asylum and campaign finance was its announcement last Tuesday that it would take up that enigmatic question, which is at the heart of the country’s struggle to balance the rights of gun owners against the specter of mass shootings. The court’s decision could be a watershed moment. (McIntire, 7/7)
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH
The Hill: Anti-Abortion Leaders Furious After Planned Parenthood Defunding Expires
Planned Parenthood has regained access to federal funding, enraging anti-abortion conservatives one year after Republicans were able to cut its clinics off from Medicaid. Beginning July 5, clinics were once again able to bill Medicaid for reimbursement for non-abortion care, like contraception and screenings for sexually transmitted infections. The new funding will be a lifeline for the organization’s network of clinics and their patients. Medicaid is a significant revenue stream for Planned Parenthood, accounting for more than $800 million. In addition, more than half of Planned Parenthood’s patients rely on Medicaid for their health coverage, the organization said. (Weixel, 7/6)
The Texas Tribune: Four Years After Dobbs, Texas Abortion-Rights Advocates Struggle To Break Through In Washington
On the fourth anniversary of the Dobbs v. Jackson decision, which overturned the constitutional right to abortion, Samantha Casiano carried a picture of her daughter, Halo, with her to meetings on Capitol Hill. The photo showed Halo without a fully formed skull and brain, leading to her death four hours after she was born. (Habashy, 7/6)
OUTBREAKS AND HEALTH THREATS
CIDRAP: WHO Launches Database To Track Sexually Transmitted Infections
The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a new database that organization officials hope will help improve understanding of the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The STI Prevalence Atlas, launched late last week, tracks five of the most common STIs: chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes simplex virus type 2 (the main cause of genital herpes), syphilis, and trichomoniasis. (Dall, 7/6)
Bloomberg: Deadly Screwworm’s Spread Into Texas Mystifies Health Experts
As the deadly New World screwworm spreads through Texas, posing significant risk to the US cattle herd, experts are still puzzling over the mystery of how it got there. The parasite fly’s larvae, which feeds within the wounds of warm-blooded animals, was first detected in a calf in Zavala County at the start of last month, marking the first case in the country’s livestock in about five decades. Detections have grown to more than 30, and it’s still unclear how the pest got into the US or how it is spreading. (Peng, 7/6)
The Washington Post: Why U.S. Measles Outbreaks Have Grown Harder To Extinguish
The United States is on the brink of surpassing last year’s total measles cases, putting the country on track to set a new record before summer’s end. The impending milestone underscores how the country has entered a new phase in its battle with measles, with repeated new infections of the deadly disease igniting sustained outbreaks in multiple states rather than staying concentrated in a few undervaccinated communities. (Sun, 7/6)
MedPage Today: Flu Shot Offered Robust Protection Against Death In Kids
Influenza vaccination reduced the risk of death from flu among U.S. kids and teens in recent years, researchers found. Overall vaccine effectiveness against influenza fatalities was 80% (95% CI 75-84) from August 2016 through July 2025, reported Brendan Flannery, PhD, of the CDC in Atlanta, and colleagues. (Henderson, 7/6)
HEALTHCARE COSTS AND COVERAGE
AP: New 50-State Data Shows Steep Drops In Affordable Care Act Enrollment
States across the country saw steep drops in the number of people covered by the Affordable Care Act over the past year, with Ohio and Oklahoma each losing nearly one-third of enrollees, according to new federal data that provides the first complete 50-state breakdown of sharp enrollment declines following the January expiration of enhanced subsidies. The data, posted in late June by the Trump administration and first reported on by The Associated Press, reveals how changes in each state’s insured population led to around 2.6 million fewer Americans having Obamacare plans in February compared with the same time last year. (Swenson, 7/6)
Stat: Part 3: Insurance Whistleblower Says Employers Are Not Helpless Bystanders
It should have been a triumphant moment for Chris Deacon. Last November, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield, the insurance giant that manages health benefits for 750,000 New Jersey state workers, family members, and retirees, paid $100 million to wipe away allegations that it knowingly overpaid hospitals and doctors and fraudulently won its state contract. (Herman, 7/7)
Stat: Part 2: For A Georgia Entrepreneur, Health Coverage Has Never Been Affordable
Amy Bielawski has gone most of her life without health insurance. For 32 years, the 61-year-old has run her own entertainment company in Tucker, Ga. — setting up bounce houses, petting zoos, stilt walkers, and other attractions for family and corporate events. For several years, she did two of her specialties, face painting and balloon sculpting, for kids before Atlanta Hawks home games. (Herman, 7/7)
The Texas Tribune: Healthcare Costs Push Texas Businesses To Breaking Point
The expenses to operate three restaurants in Waco are rising across the board, but there’s one growing cost in particular that feels nearly impossible to manage — providing employee health insurance, co-owner Kyle Citrano said. (Cobler, 7/6)
Stat: Part 1: America’s Small Businesses Are Giving Up On Health Insurance
It has never been more difficult for employers to offer health insurance for their workers. That’s especially true for America’s small businesses, the backbones of entire communities. More and more, they’re giving up entirely. (Herman, 7/7)
Modern Healthcare: ACA Exchange Insurers Owe $11.2B In Risk-Adjustment Payments
Health insurers will swap $11.17 billion in exchange risk-adjustment payments this year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services disclosed. Centene, Elevance Health, CVS Health subsidiary Aetna and Oscar Health will receive the largest transfers based on their 2025 performance while Molina Healthcare and UnitedHealth Group subsidiary UnitedHealthcare will make the highest payments, according to an analysis from the investment bank Barclays. (Tong and Broderick, 7/6)
Modern Healthcare: The Strategies Hospitals Are Using Now To Prepare For A Tough 2027
It’s the calm before the storm for hospitals and health systems. As the industry moves into the second half of 2026, many health systems are keeping balance sheets stable with strong patient volumes and revenue diversification, while cutting administrative expenses and rethinking service lines. (Hudson, 7/6)
STATE WATCH
The New York Times: Death Toll From Oppressive Heat In New Jersey May Be As High As 29
The death toll in New Jersey from a days-long heat wave that gripped much of the East Coast during the Fourth of July weekend may be as high as 29, the state’s Department of Health said on Monday. Those who died ranged in age from their mid-30s to their 80s, and most of the deaths occurred in New Jersey’s densely populated central and northern regions, where temperatures exceeded 100 degrees for days and remained exceptionally warm even after the sun set, state officials said. (Tully and Goldstein, 7/6)
Chicago Tribune: At Least 3 Dead On South Side After Chicago Heat Wave
At least three South Side residents died of causes related to last week’s heat wave, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. (Anastasakos and Kenny, 7/6)
ABC News: Nearly 2 Dozen Sickened In Legionnaires' Disease Cluster In New York City
Health officials in New York City said they are investigating a cluster of Legionnaires' disease. As of July 6, 23 cases of Legionnaires' disease have been confirmed in two of Manhattan's Upper East Side neighborhoods, according to the New York City Department of Health. So far, no deaths have been associated with the cluster. In a notice to the two neighborhoods -- Carnegie Hill and Yorkville -- the department said it believes the likely source of the bacteria is a cooling tower in the area, which sprays a mist that contains the bacteria. (Kekatos, 7/7)
North Carolina Health News and The Charlotte Ledger: Lawmakers End Multi-Million-Dollar Hospital Tax 'Loophole'
A little-noticed provision in the state budget that was approved last week aims to shut down a tax strategy used by at least one hospital system to exceed the state’s sales tax refund cap. The change would require nonprofit and public hospital systems to file a single sales tax refund claim for all their related entities. (Crouch, 7/7)
The Colorado Sun: This Rural Colorado Hospital Is Using AI To Go After Health Insurers That Ghosted Payments. Here's How.
At Spanish Peaks Regional Health Center in rural Huerfano County, medical claims submitted by the nonprofit health facility are denied daily by insurance companies. (Chuang, 7/6)
MPR News: Allina Hospice Workers On One-Day Strike As Bargaining Continues
Dozens of hospice nurses at Allina Health are on strike Monday, as they push for a contract and pay raises. The group of 65 hospice nurses work in homes and nursing facilities around the Twin Cities metro area. They unionized in the spring of 2025 with SEIU Healthcare Minnesota and Iowa, and have been negotiating toward their first contract for nearly a year. (Timar-Wilcox, 7/6)
Alaska Public Media: Alaska's Food Assistance Program Had The Highest Payment Error Rate In The U.S. Again
Alaska’s food assistance program had the highest payment error rate in the country for a fourth straight year last year, according to rankings put out by the Agriculture Department late last month. During the last federal fiscal year, which ended in September 2025, 23% of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients in Alaska ended up with significantly more or significantly less in benefits than they should have, according to the federal report. The national average was 11%. (Stone, 7/7)
AP: Mother Who Said Her Twins Died After Vaccinations Charged With Murder
An Idaho woman who said her toddler twins died last year after being vaccinated faces murder charges connected to their deaths, authorities said. A grand jury indicted Andrea Shaw, who is accused of suffocating her 18-month-old twins in May 2025, on two counts of first-degree murder on June 29, according to court records and a statement from the Payette Police Department. While appearing last year on an internet show produced by Children’s Health Defense — an anti-vaccine group founded by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — Shaw said her twins died after getting vaccinated. (Kelety, 7/7)
AP: Police Seek Charges In Case Of Toddler Declared Dead But Found Alive
A toddler discovered in a backyard pool in a Phoenix suburb in February was declared dead before being found breathing hours later in a room that serves as the hospital morgue, according to recently released police records. Two Gilbert police officers saw possible signs of life multiple times, but the child was still taken to the hospital’s “cold room” after being treated by staff, according to the documents. “Please do your thing and let me do my thing,” Dr. Aryan Toosi told an officer at one point, according to the report. “I went to medical school for a reason.” (Billeaud, 7/7)
PUBLIC HEALTH
Stat: Secret Shopper Study Reveals Questionable Telehealth GLP-1 Practices
A secret shopper study has pulled back the veil on the practices of nearly 50 telehealth sites that prescribe popular GLP-1 medications for weight loss. (Palmer, 7/6)
Axios: Chinese Fentanyl Makers Find New U.S. Market In Peptides
The influencer-driven craze for peptides — the heavily hyped but loosely regulated proteins — may be turning into an unexpected bonanza for Chinese manufacturers of fentanyl precursors. (Reed, 7/7)
The New York Times: For Families With Nonspeaking Autistic Children, A Fierce Debate Over Assisted Spelling
In early June, Ally Betchan and her family made the monthly trek from their small central Texas town to a therapy center in Austin, hoping that she could learn to communicate. Like nearly 30 percent of people with autism, Ally is severely disabled and does not speak. Ally, 22, sat quietly in a small room next to her instructor, Soma Mukhopadhyay, a sprightly 63-year-old who, by contrast, talked almost nonstop. More than 30 years ago, Ms. Mukhopadhyay taught her nonspeaking autistic son, Tito, to write and type independently, creating a communication method that supporters hailed as transformative and critics have challenged ever since. (Ghorayshi, 7/6)
MedPage Today: Alzheimer's Biomarkers Change After Tuberculosis Vaccination
The bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine, commonly used against tuberculosis, changed how immune cells behaved and altered markers linked to Alzheimer's disease in a pilot study involving two open-label trials. In a year-long study, BCG vaccination induced persistent, trained immunity-like changes in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), including enhanced innate immune responsiveness, reported Steven Arnold, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and co-authors in Communications Medicine. (George, 7/6)
