Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
First Edition: Tuesday, June 23, 2026
KFF HEALTH NEWS ORIGINAL STORIES
KFF Health News: Medicare’s AI Push Snarls Patients And Doctors In Errors And Delays
Bill Curry, 65, raises cattle on the same land in rural Oklahoma once owned by his father and generations before him. Each quarter, for several years, he has made the 2½-hour drive to Oklahoma City for an epidural in his spine to treat his back pain. But this year, because of a new Medicare program, Curry has traveled a little more often. (Tahir, 6/23)
KFF Health News: Worried About Your Aging Parents? Welcome To The Caregiving Club
Cara Anthony tries to convince her HealthQ co-host Blake Farmer that there are benefits to embracing the caregiver identity when helping an aging parent. When his father was diagnosed with gallbladder cancer in 2025, William Morrison immediately went into caregiving mode. (Siner, Anthony and Farmer, 6/23)
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
The Hill: Judge Overturns Trump Administration's SNAP Soda Ban
A federal judge has blocked bans on the usage of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for soda enacted by the Trump administration. “Congress defined what ‘food’ is supposed to be, and it did not authorize the agency to amend or waive the definition it enacted. It did not authorize the agency to cut types of food out of SNAP entirely,” U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson wrote in a Monday filing, referencing the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). (Suter, 6/22)
The Hill: FDA Launches Clinical Trial Reforms To Counter China Threat
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday launched a new initiative to speed up early-stage clinical trials as part of an effort to reduce development timelines and reverse a growing trend of companies moving overseas, primarily to China. The pilot program, part of a broader initiative across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) known as “Operation Trailblazer,” could reduce early trial timelines by six to 12 months, officials said. The FDA also issued guidance clarifying that one high-quality late-stage clinical trial with confirmatory evidence will be sufficient to support approval in many cases. (Weixel, 6/22)
Stat: Trump Administration Targets Disability Integration Mandate In DOJ Memo
The Trump administration released a memo last week that seeks to upend landmark disability laws and court rulings that prioritize people with disabilities receiving care while living in their community instead of at institutions like nursing homes. (Broderick, 6/22)
The New York Times: Major Supreme Court Decisions Testing Trump’s Policies Remain
Over the next two weeks, the justices will release more than a dozen final opinions, including high-profile decisions on birthright citizenship and transgender athletes. (Marimow, 6/23)
EBOLA OUTBREAK
Bloomberg: Kenya Halts Construction Work On US Ebola Quarantine Facility
Kenyan Health Secretary Aden Duale has frozen the construction of an Ebola isolation facility for US citizens, after he was found guilty of contempt for ignoring a court directive to halt the work. “I have directed the immediate and complete cessation of any intended construction site preparations or related activities concerning the Laikipia air base facilities,” Duale told the High court in Nairobi. “It was never the intention of the ministry or myself as the cabinet secretary to disregard, undermine, or act in defiance of the orders.” (Herbling, 6/23)
KUSA.com: Colorado Nurse Who Battled 2014 Ebola Outbreak Reflects As DRC Crisis Grows
Teo Wild traveled to Sierra Leone in 2014 during what is still considered the deadliest Ebola outbreak in history. Wild was a nurse in Colorado at the time, and said the decision to go was simple. "It just seemed like an opportunity to do something good and was something that I was willing to do," Wild said. During that first trip, a piece of broken glass from a medication bottle cut Wild's glove and thumb. Health officials feared possible exposure and flew Wild back to the United States, where they were quarantined for 21 days. Wild said the experience came with many emotions. (Irizarry, 6/22)
CAPITOL WATCH
Politico: House Kids’ Safety Deal Complicates AI Talks
The bipartisan deal on kids’ online safety that the House Energy and Commerce Committee rolled out Monday threatens to derail hopes of passing major tech and AI legislation this year. A major reason: key differences from a kids’ safety and AI package that Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) is negotiating with the Trump administration. The White House is working to shore up support for a Blackburn-led kids’ safety package that could ultimately block or replace some state AI laws. (Miller, Dahlkamp, Wendler and Ng, 6/22)
Politico: Senate Republicans Exclude Democrats’ Food Aid Demand From Farm Bill
Senate Republicans’ farm bill proposal rejects Democrats’ demands to delay a planned shift of some food aid costs to states, according to three people familiar with the plans — jeopardizing hopes of winning bipartisan support for the package. Democrats say they will oppose a farm bill that doesn’t push back a requirement that will soon force some states to pay for some Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, a provision included in the domestic policy megalaw Republicans passed last year. (Yarrow, 6/22)
Axios: Axios-Ipsos Poll: Health Affordability Is Shaping The Midterms
Majorities of Americans say they're more likely to vote for candidates in November who support ideas to lower their health costs, according to the latest Axios-Ipsos American Health Index. Their support for ideas across the political spectrum — from renewing Affordable Care Act subsidies to expanding direct sales of prescription drugs — shows the power of voters' demands for relief. (Bettelheim and Talev, 6/22)
PHARMA AND TECH
Modern Healthcare: Walmart, Sam’s Club To Launch Medicare GLP-1 Bridge Complement
As the federal government expands access to weight-loss drugs for Medicare patients, Walmart and its Sam’s Club subsidiary are ramping up support services for beneficiaries who may be seeking the medications. The Medicare GLP-1 Bridge program, which the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is launching July 1, will allow eligible Part D beneficiaries access to certain GLP-1 drugs often used for weight management. (DeSilva, 6/22)
Stat: Eli Lilly Gave Mysterious Access To Weight Loss Drug To 79-Year-Old Patient
Millions of Americans with obesity are eagerly awaiting a powerful new drug from Eli Lilly called retatrutide, which has demonstrated bariatric-surgery levels of weight loss. Some aren’t even waiting for approval from the Food and Drug Administration, instead racing to acquire it through sketchy means. But STAT has learned that Eli Lilly and the FDA have allowed one person to gain access to the drug through the FDA’s “compassionate use” program, a pathway that gives patients with serious and immediately life-threatening medical issues access to experimental treatments. (Lawrence, 6/23)
The Hill: GLP-1 Drugs Show Promise In Treating Male Infertility
New research suggests GLP-1 drugs may help address fertility issues in men. Scientists at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire and Warwick Medical School found improvements in testosterone levels, sperm count, and sperm size and shape. Warwick Medical School’s Dr. Pratibha Natesh said the findings support treating underlying conditions rather than relying on hormone therapy. (Taub, 6/22)
The New York Times: A Loophole Brings Cystic Fibrosis Patients A ‘Miracle Drug’ In Generic Form
Josua Lottering stepped out the airport doors in the Bangladesh capital, Dhaka, and doubled over in coughing spasms. Cystic fibrosis has sharply reduced his lung capacity, and the humid, smoggy air hit him hard. Yet even as coughs shook his body, he was delighted. Josua, 18, had made the long journey from the Western Cape in South Africa, to Dhaka, with his mother to purchase a year’s supply of a new generic version of a drug that has transformed the lives of cystic fibrosis patients in North America and Europe but that he and his family cannot afford back home. (Nolen, 6/22)
Stat: Closely Watched Pfizer Lung Cancer Drug Falls Short In Clinical Trial
Pfizer said Monday that an experimental drug it hoped could replace a widely used chemotherapy in one of the most common forms of lung cancer fell short in a clinical trial. (Herper, 6/22)
The New York Times: Doctors Thought It Was Asthma. A.I. Flagged A Serious Heart Problem
Artificial intelligence most likely saved Louie Quiros’s life. Mr. Quiros, a 45-year-old caregiver and security guard, showed up at a Queens emergency room in February 2025. For the past four days, he said, he had been coughing up blood and finding it harder and harder to breathe. (Kolata, 6/22)
Stat: AI Tool Turns EKGs Into Predictions Of Structural Heart Disease
Doctors using OpenEvidence will soon be able to upload an image of an electrocardiogram to get an algorithmic prediction of whether a patient has structural heart disease. (Aguilar, 6/23)
The Washington Post: 1 In 3 Americans Use Chatbots For Health Advice. These 6 Patients Explain Why
Chatbots fueled by artificial intelligence bear disclaimers saying they cannot dispense medical advice or diagnose conditions, but they still field millions of queries from users who are sick, trying to decipher medical records or understand their treatment options. Nearly 1 in 3 Americans have turned to the bots for health information, according to a recent survey by KFF, a nonpartisan health policy and education organization. (Nirappil, 6/22)
HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY
Modern Healthcare: AdventHealth, MetroHealth Expand Hospital Smart Room Technology
Smart technology has emerged as a new standard of care among hospitals that can afford the investment. Many health systems, including AdventHealth, MetroHealth and Houston Methodist, are making steep investments, partnering with technology vendors to install smart room capabilities at care sites. Systems say the technology helps them provide more personalized care, expand access to off-site clinicians, improve patient safety and increase capacity amid workforce shortages. (Hudson, 6/22)
InvestigateWest: Oregon Hospitals Receiving $37 Million In Effort To Preserve Rural Maternity Care
Nearly two dozen Oregon rural hospitals will receive $37.5 million in state and federal funds to shore up labor and delivery care ahead of Medicaid cuts going into effect next year, though state and hospital officials say the one-time funds are likely a limited solution. The program, which was greenlit by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services last month, combines $15 million in state dollars with more than $22 million in federal matching funds. The money will be distributed to the state’s 21 rural hospitals that provide maternity care, most of which are more than 50 miles from the next closest birth center. (Dawson, 6/22)
Modern Healthcare: Stanford, UMass, OSF Invest In Remote Patient Monitoring
Health systems are investing in at-home monitoring programs, even though many aren’t making money on the initiatives in the short run. Stanford Health Care, UMass Memorial Health, OSF HealthCare and others are using technology to keep an eye on patients outside hospital walls. Reimbursement doesn’t always cover the cost of the technology and staffing for the services. But providers are banking on remote monitoring programs’ long-term, less easily quantified benefits such as freeing up hospital beds, keeping patients from flooding emergency departments and connecting people to other services. (Eastabrook, 6/22)
MedPage Today: Patient Portal Messages Have Spiked Since 2020
Patient portal messaging has surged in recent years, signaling a significant change in the way physicians deliver care, a cross-sectional analysis of electronic health record data showed. (Fiore, 6/22)
Axios: Organ Donation Overhaul Nears Critical Moment
The troubled U.S. organ donation system is set for a pivotal series of changes as administrators begin overhauling the process for deciding which organizations work with hospitals to facilitate donations. More than 100,000 Americans are waiting for transplants, and the system has been dogged by patient safety concerns, instances of inappropriate conduct and conflicts of interest among organ procurement groups. (Goldman, 6/23)
STATE WATCH
The Texas Tribune: Austin Area Hospitals Denied Miscarriage Care, Complaint Alleges
Four years after Texas banned nearly all abortions, Lynn Callaway is among women who say they are still being denied the full range of miscarriage care by doctors fearful of being accused of performing a prohibited abortion and spending life in prison or losing their medical licenses. Last year, lawmakers passed a bill aimed at assuring doctors they wouldn’t be punished for treating miscarriages. The law went into effect last June. But months later, in October, Callaway found herself facing the same fear and uncertainty that has restricted pregnancy care in Texas since 2022. (Klibanoff, 6/22)
The Texas Tribune: Texas Family Fights For The Right To Deny Brain Death Testing
Parents of a 2-year-old girl involved in a drowning incident on Memorial Day have sued to stop Texas Children’s Hospital from testing if she’s brain dead, testing a new strategy in Texas’ “right to life” movement aimed at giving people as much access to life-supporting services as possible. (Ma, 6/22)
Bridge Michigan: Michigan Prisons Leader Defends Oversight Of Women’s Prison
The embattled director of the Michigan Department of Corrections is defending conditions inside the state prisons. Heidi Washington, who is facing calls for removal over treatment of female prisoners, on Thursday wrote a letter to US Rep. Debbie Dingell claiming that her department “has established itself as a national leader” and “prisoner grievances” are common. “We recognize that prison remains a complicated and at times challenging environment, particularly as many in the population we serve have increasingly complex needs,” Washington wrote. (James, 6/22)
The New York Times: Dark Smoke In A Sunny Place: Neighbors Of L.A. Fire Struggle For Breath
The smoke over Los Angeles has ebbed over the past five days as firefighters battle flare-ups at a fire at a cold-storage facility. East of the downtown skyline, what was a thick, black plume is now a diluted gray haze. But neighbors near the blaze, in the city’s Boyle Heights area, could pay attention to little else. They struggled to breathe. They endured headaches and burning eyes, even indoors. During intense periods of smoke, residents described a dystopian scene, with streets shrouded in darkness and visibility no further than a couple of car lengths. (Mayorquin and Spoto, 6/22)
Stacker: Here’s Why Utah Has Become One Of America’s Surprising Plastic Surgery Hot Spots
Billboards flank the freeway, encouraging you to “love thy selfie.” On television and social media, “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star Jessi Draper openly discusses the work she’s had done: four breast procedures, a labiaplasty, a nostril reduction, and several other facial surgeries, one of which she is not happy with. Heather Gay, one of “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake,” estimates she’s spent $200,000 on cosmetic procedures. Everywhere you look, it seems there are fuller lips, lifted faces and madeover mommies. Yes, Utah has become a hot spot for plastic surgery. (6/22)
AGING
Newsweek: One Protein May Prevent Brain Process Linked To Alzheimer’s And Parkinson’s
Scientists have identified a protein that may help stop the brain changes linked to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. In a study published in Nature Communications, researchers at Baylor College of Medicine found that tubulin—a protein best known for building the cell’s internal "railway tracks"—can prevent harmful protein clumps from forming in brain cells. (Gray, 6/23)
MedPage Today: 'Super Movers' Show Signs Of Exceptional Brain Aging
Super movers -- adults 80 and older who walk as fast as people 30 years younger -- had lower risks of cognitive impairment, data from multiple cohorts suggested. (George, 6/22)
GLOBAL WATCH
Bloomberg: Intensifying Heat Wave Threatens To Set Records Across Europe
A strengthening heat wave is threatening to break temperature records from France and the UK to Spain and Germany, posing risks to transport, power systems and public health. On Monday, a temperature of 43.3C (110F) was recorded at Chateaumeillant in France, according to government forecaster Météo-France. Daytime highs are forecast to climb as high as 42C in parts of western France through Thursday. (Wertz, 6/23)
The New York Times: Pakistan To Cut 18% Period Tax On Menstrual Products, But Poorest Families Still Can’t Afford Them
Pakistan wants to abolish a sales tax on menstrual pads and tampons starting in July, a move that is aimed at making the products more affordable in a country where access to and knowledge about menstrual hygiene remains low. Pakistan’s finance minister, Muhammad Aurangzeb, announced a plan to remove the 18 percent sales tax this month, saying that pads and tampons were “indispensable for women’s health, dignity and full participation in social activities.” (Peltier and Shabir, 6/22)
