Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
First Edition: Tuesday, May 12, 2026
KFF HEALTH NEWS ORIGINAL STORIES
KFF Health News: Low Wages, Empty Plates, Heavy Toll: Rethinking Suicide Prevention
As a teenager, Rei Scott spent several weeks living out of a car with four family members and their dog. Each day, Scott worried about where they would spend the following night. One day at school, Scott snuck away to the bathroom and called the national suicide hotline. Scott, who is transgender and nonbinary, explained to the hotline counselor that the family had struggled with poverty for years. They had lived in crumbling homes with water leaks, or a family member’s basement with no privacy. Sometimes the family worried about having enough food. The stress and anxiety were constant, and Scott had been suicidal many times. (Pattani, 5/12)
HANTAVIRUS OUTBREAK
The Hill: RFK Jr. Says Hantavirus Situation Is 'Under Control'
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the U.S. has the hantavirus “under control.” During Monday’s press conference in the Oval Office about mental health, a reporter asked President Trump whether he regretted withdrawing from the World Health Organization (WHO) in light of the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship that had more than a dozen Americans on board. Trump maintained he was “glad” to have left the WHO and reiterated his belief that the U.S. was paying too much into the organization. (Choi, 5/11)
MedPage Today: American Hantavirus Cruise Passenger Develops Symptoms, Transferred To Atlanta
A total of 18 passengers from the cruise ship hit by a hantavirus outbreak arrived at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) in Omaha for quarantine, but a couple was transported to Emory University in Atlanta after one partner developed symptoms, officials said. Another passenger had previously tested PCR-positive for the virus, and while remaining asymptomatic, was moved to UNMC's biocontainment unit for monitoring. (Fiore, 5/11)
San Francisco Chronicle: Fourth Californian Possibly Exposed To Hantavirus Tied To Cruise Ship
A fourth California resident may have been exposed to the Andes hantavirus associated with the outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship that began last month, California health officials said Monday. The person was not a passenger on the cruise ship, and may have been exposed while on a plane in South Africa sitting near an ill person who had been a passenger on the ship. The ill person was later confirmed to have hantavirus, and they were taken off the flight before it took off. (Ho, 5/11)
The Colorado Sun: Why Person-To-Person Hantavirus Transmission Is Unlikely In Colorado
As U.S. citizens aboard a hantavirus-stricken cruise ship make their way to special containment units in Nebraska and Georgia for quarantine, Colorado health officials say they are not expecting anyone connected to the ship outbreak to arrive here. (Ingold, 5/12)
The Wall Street Journal: The Next Frontier For Hantavirus: Finding Vaccines And Treatments
Drug hunters have searched for years for a treatment for the rare infectious disease hantavirus, which caused an outbreak on a cruise ship that global public-health officials are now racing to contain. The latest outbreak, which has killed three people and sickened several others, adds increased urgency to those efforts. While hantavirus is generally contracted through exposure to infected rodents, the strain in the current outbreak can be transmitted from person to person. (Loftus, 5/11)
HIV/AIDS
The Maine Monitor: Bangor Public Health Director Reflects On Conditions That Escalated Maine HIV Outbreak
Penobscot County is grappling with Maine’s largest HIV outbreak in its history. Looking back, the top public health official for the county seat of Bangor described how the conditions existed for such an outbreak and how it is now difficult to know the full scope. In a recent interview, Jennifer Gunderman, Bangor’s director of public health and community services, said HIV had dropped off the radar in Maine because the state has a low incidence of the disease, but then the risk factors started piling up: increased homelessness, wide drug use, disappearing syringe service providers and health care options, and fewer case management providers. (Lundy, 5/11)
The New York Times: A Single Infusion Could Suppress H.I.V. For Years, Study Suggests
For about a decade, scientists have had remarkable success curing some blood cancers by modifying a patient’s own immune cells to recognize and kill the malignant cells. That same approach may help control H.I.V., among the wiliest of viruses, scientists will report on Tuesday. After a single infusion of immune cells engineered to recognize the virus, two people in a new study have suppressed their H.I.V. to undetectable levels, one of them for nearly two years. (Mandavilli, 5/11)
CIDRAP: Study Shows DoxyPEP’S Diminished Effectiveness Against Gonorrhea
A strategy for preventing sexually transmitted infections (STIs) appears to be rapidly losing effectiveness against gonorrhea, according to a new study. The strategy, known as doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis (doxyPEP), involves taking a dose of the antibiotic doxycycline within 72 hours of unprotected sex. (Dall, 5/11)
MedPage Today: HPV Vaccination Rates Vary Widely From State To State
Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rates varied substantially across and within U.S. regions, according to estimates in a retrospective, cross-sectional analysis, suggesting targeted interventions should focus on the needs of individual states. (Rudd, 5/11)
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
AP: Trump Is Getting Another Medical Exam This Month
President Donald Trump is scheduled to see doctors for a medical and dental checkup this month — his fourth publicized visit to medical experts since returning to office — in what the White House describes as an annual physical and regular preventive care. Trump, who turns 80 next month and was the oldest person elected U.S. president, will see his doctors at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on May 26, the White House said in a brief statement Monday evening. (Binkley, 5/12)
The Hill: Trump Administration Proposes Rule For Fertility Coverage
A new proposed rule from the Trump administration aims to make it easier for employers to offer coverage of fertility treatments, as part of larger efforts to expand access to fertility services including in-vitro fertilization. The new rule released Sunday from the Department of Labor would create a new exempted insurance benefit — in the same category as dental and vision benefit coverage— for treating infertility. (Weixel, 5/11)
ABC News: FDA's Authorization Of 2 Fruit-Flavored Vapes Raises Concerns Among Pediatricians, Advocacy Groups
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's recent authorization of the first fruit-flavored e-cigarettes approved for sale to adults 21 and over in the U.S. is raising concerns from pediatrician groups and advocacy organizations about the potential impact on minors. Last week, the FDA approved four new devices made by Glas, including classic menthol, fresh menthol, gold, and sapphire pods. "Gold" is mango flavored and "sapphire" is blueberry flavored. (Romero and Benadjaoud, 5/11)
Politico: Makary Keeps Working Amid Questions Over His FDA Future
FDA Commissioner Marty Makary is still doing his job — at least for now. The embattled agency chief remained in place Monday, with public speaking engagements on tap this week, despite an apparent White House plan to move him out of his position. Makary has not been directly asked for his resignation, according to a person familiar with the matter granted anonymity to discuss his tenure. And his inner circle at the FDA have not left their jobs, the person added. (Lim and Cai, 5/11)
The New York Times: RFK Jr. Is Driving A Vast Inquiry Into Vaccines, Despite His Public Silence
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said little publicly about vaccines in recent months, at the behest of a White House worried that his unpopular stance will hurt Republicans in November’s midterm elections. But he has not abandoned his quest for evidence that they are unsafe. Working behind the scenes, Mr. Kennedy is spearheading an intense push, across health agencies under his purview, for government scientists and federal data contractors to examine his long-held theory that vaccines are helping to fuel an epidemic of chronic disease, according to multiple people familiar with the effort. (Jewett and Gay Stolberg, 5/11)
Modern Healthcare: CMS' WISeR Model Sees Uneven Rollout On Prior Authorizations
The first use of prior authorization in fee-for-service Medicare is off to an uneven start, providers say. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services launched the Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction Model, or WISeR, in January. Under the six-year demonstration in six states, technology companies use tools such as artificial intelligence and machine learning to review prior authorization requests for services the agency deems “low-value,” including skin and tissue substitute grafts, electrical nerve stimulator implants, and knee arthroscopy for knee osteoarthritis. (Early, 5/11)
PUBLIC HEALTH
CIDRAP: Many Older Adults Who Died Of COVID Weren’t Close To Death Before Infection, Study Suggests
About 28% of older people in England who died of COVID-19 in the first 2.5 years of the pandemic would likely, if uninfected, have lived at least another five years, a new model-based analysis estimates. Researchers from the government’s Office for Health Improvement and Disparities in London led the study, which was published late last week in PLOS One. The team used linked health data from March 2020 to September 2022 to estimate the survival of nearly 16 million English people aged 65 years and older had they not contracted COVID-19. (Van Beusekom, 5/11)
CIDRAP: No Link Between Maternal COVID Infection And Birth Defects, Data Suggest
Maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy was not associated with an increased risk of congenital anomalies in newborns, according to a large population-based study published last week in JAMA Network Open. Some initial studies had raised concerns about maternal COVID infection and birth defects, specifically heart abnormalities, while other research has shown no connection. (Bergeson, 5/11)
Axios: Tick Bite ER Visits Reach Highest Rate In Nearly A Decade
Tick bites are sending a record rate of people to the ER for this time of year, according to new CDC data. "Tick season is here and these tiny biters can make you seriously sick," says Alison Hinckley, epidemiologist with the CDC, in a statement. (Mallenbaum, 5/12)
The Texas Tribune: Heat Suspected In Deaths Of Six Found In Train Near Laredo
Extreme heat is suspected to have played a role in the deaths of six people from Mexico and Honduras whose bodies were discovered inside a train car in Laredo. (Garcia, 5/11)
HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY
Fierce Healthcare: AMA Unveils Framework To Protect Docs From AI Deepfakes
The American Medical Association (AMA) rolled out a comprehensive framework to protect physicians from unauthorized artificial intelligence-generated deepfakes. The guide, created by the organization’s Center for Digital Health and AI, aims to modernize physician identity protections while closing legal gaps. The AMA uses the term “augmented intelligence” when referring to AI to emphasize its assistive role in medicine. (Gleeson, 5/11)
Bloomberg: Fitbit, Oura, Whoop See Predicting Health Outcomes As New Aim For Trackers
Haley Billey bought an Oura Ring to track her fertility. It arrived the day after she learned she was pregnant. She slipped the $450 titanium band on anyway. Months of worrisome readings on measures of energy and stress, levels she initially attributed to pregnancy, persuaded her to seek a professional opinion. The ultimate cause: Hashimoto’s disease, an autoimmune disorder. (Thornton, 5/11)
SCIENCE AND INNOVATIONS
Stat: PCOS Is Now Called PMOS. The Renaming Process Lasted A Decade
PCOS is dead. Long live PMOS. Revealed Tuesday, the one-letter change in nomenclature for a common metabolic condition in women may seem unremarkable, but it follows more than a decade of vigorous debate over the need for a name that more precisely and completely describes what until now was known as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). (Merelli, 5/12)
CIDRAP: Mental Imagery Related To Vaccines May Influence Pregnant Women’s Uptake
The mental images that pop up when pregnant women consider vaccinations during pregnancy may affect their opinion and uptake of the vaccines, according to a study published in Social Science & Medicine. (Van Beusekom, 5/11)
MedPage Today: More Evidence That GLP-1s May Reduce Risk Of Vision-Robbing Eye Diseases
Patients taking GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) had a lower likelihood of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD) compared with patients using other glucose-lowering medications or lipid-lowering drugs, a large retrospective cohort study showed. (Bankhead, 5/11)
MedPage Today: Food-As-Medicine Intervention Signals BP Benefit In High-Risk Adults
A more intensive "food-is-medicine" intervention didn't improve diet quality overall but did signal blood pressure reductions in adherent, high-risk adults with uncontrolled hypertension, a randomized pilot trial showed. In the trial's population of Black and Hispanic adults living in food deserts, the intervention providing produce and tailored dietary coaching didn't significantly improve DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) score compared with a group only getting free fruits and vegetables, with a 0.5-point difference between groups on the 0-9 point scale (P=0.452) by week 24, reported Elohor Oborevwori, MD, MPH, of the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing in Baltimore. (Monaco, 5/11)
MEDICAID
Modern Healthcare: CHAI Releases AI Guidelines For State Medicaid Programs
States are grappling with how best to implement Medicaid work requirements under President Donald Trump’s tax law. Some could turn to artificial intelligence to more easily determine eligibility. In response, an industry group focused on AI standards for healthcare is looking to establish guardrails regarding the technology’s use. The Coalition for Health AI released two sets of best practice guidelines aimed at helping state agencies and developers, respectively, responsibly roll out tools and minimize coverage loss. (Famakinwa, 5/11)
Stat: Rushed Medicaid Work Requirements Create A Lobbyist Scramble
Patient groups are jockeying for exemptions from Medicaid work requirements, but the unusually fast implementation timeline for states is causing headaches. (Wilkerson, 5/12)
MedPage Today: Medicaid Expansion Tied To Lower Mortality Among Young Adults With Kidney Failure
Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was linked to lower 1-year mortality among young adults with kidney failure who were starting dialysis, a cohort study suggested. (Henderson, 5/11)
Modern Healthcare: How Providence, Ardent Health Are Preparing For Medicaid Cuts
Health systems always have operating margins top-of-mind, and potentially devastating Medicaid cuts are bringing a new sense of urgency to the task of improving balance sheets. They are trimming services, implementing efficiency initiatives and rethinking expansion strategies to keep expenses in check, while simultaneously making investments to attract patients and increase revenue. Executives are hoping the efforts will be enough to offset roughly $1 trillion in federal Medicaid funding cuts and other policy shifts under the tax bill President Donald Trump signed into law last year. (Hudson, 5/11)
Axios: Health Program Cuts Hit Home, Fueling Blame Game
Sweeping changes that congressional Republicans made to the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid are starting to take effect, fueling an election-year blame game over coverage losses. A rise in the uninsured rate will put more stress on the health system and ratchet up concerns about health costs in an election year where affordability is voters' biggest concern. (Sullivan, 5/12)
STATE WATCH
AP: Lawsuit Says ChatGPT Helped Plan Florida State Mass Shooting
The widow of a man killed in last year’s mass shooting at Florida State University is suing ChatGPT maker OpenAI, blaming the company’s artificial intelligence chatbot for giving advice on how to carry out the rampage. The lawsuit comes after state authorities disclosed that ChatGPT gave information to the shooter about what time and location would maximize victims on campus, as well as the type of gun and ammunition to use. Authorities say he was also told that an attack can get more media attention if children are involved. (Martin, 5/11)
WUSF: Scorecard: Black Patients Have Worst Outcomes In Florida
There's a persistent gap in healthcare performance among Black, Hispanic, Asian-American and Native American patients in Florida and their white counterparts. That's according to the 2026 Health Disparities Report published by the Commonwealth Fund on April 29, which evaluates how healthcare systems are working for racial and ethnic groups across the country. It uses the latest available comparable data from 2022 to 2024. (Paul, 5/12)
The Hill: Healthcare Cuts Threaten Sullivan’s Reelection Chances In Alaska
Alaskans have been hit hard by the healthcare cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and lapsed ObamaCare subsidies, presenting a prime target for Democrats seeking to oust Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan from office. A Democratic ad campaign released late last month accused Sullivan of voting to raise health insurance premiums in Alaska by more than $1,800 on average, referring to his votes against Democratic bills that would have ended the government shutdown in exchange for extending Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax subsidies. (Choi, 5/11)
The 19th: Midwives Are Challenging Georgia's Restrictions Against Their Care
Jamarah Amani was living in Pennsylvania when she had her first child. She had the care of a midwife who made her experience so much easier. The midwife got on the floor to show Amani yoga poses for back pain, answered all of her questions and stayed by her side through the birth. (Gladney, 5/11)
