Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
First Edition: Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026
KFF HEALTH NEWS ORIGINAL STORIES
KFF Health News: A Few Miles From The US Capitol, Dozens Slept In Their Cars, Waiting For Free Care
Friday night lights took on a whole new meaning at a high school here in this suburb of Washington, D.C. Instead of fans packing stadium bleachers to watch football, on this recent October weekend the gymnasium, hallways, and parking areas were jammed with people desperately seeking healthcare at a free pop-up clinic.The 2026 election season has been punctuated by affordability issues, with polls showing high healthcare costs are a top concern among likely voters. The staggering toll of people struggling to get care was on full display here just eight miles northeast of the U.S. Capitol — in an area where census data shows the median household income tops $108,000 and about 94% have health insurance. (Galewitz, 11/3)
KFF Health News: Expecting A Baby? Five Tips To Help You Prepare For Pregnancy Costs
Grace and Daniel Griffin, both 26, knew money would be tight once they had their first child. So, even before the Calumet, Michigan, couple tried to conceive, they began crunching the numbers to figure out the cost of pregnancy. “We wanted to save up enough to pay for those medical bills right away, if possible,” Grace said. (O'Neill, 11/3)
OUTBREAKS AND HEALTH THREATS
ABC News: New York State Reports 1st Measles-Associated Death In Over 30 Years
New York state health officials reported a measles-associated death in a child on Monday amid an ongoing outbreak. It's the first known measles-associated death in the state in over 30 years, health officials said. "We are deeply saddened by the death of a child in Lewis County associated with the ongoing measles outbreak," the New York State Department of Health and Lewis County Public Health said in a joint statement on Monday. "We extend our heartfelt condolences to the child's family and loved ones and ask that their privacy be respected during this difficult time." (Deliso, 11/3)
CNN: First US Bird Flu Death Of 2026 Reported In Washington; Risk To Public Is Low
A person in Yakima County, Washington, who caught bird flu after being exposed to infected dairy cows has died following a severe illness, county health officials said Sunday. This is the first known person in the US to die from complications from avian influenza in 2026 and the third in the US to die from bird flu since February 2024, when the virus jumped into dairy cattle for the first time. (Goodman, 11/2)
MIDTERM ELECTIONS
Axios: What's On The Line For Health Care In The Midterms
Voters are about to decide whether public backlash against the health care industry translates into meaningful policy shifts. Health care has never been more expensive, and it's not going to get any cheaper without significant intervention. (Owens, 11/3)
The New York Times: How Will The Midterms Play Out? These Races May Provide Early Clues.
Election results in states where voting ends early could indicate how each party will fare in House and Senate races elsewhere in the country. (Yoon, 11/3)
ABC News: Many Americans Are Worried About Healthcare Costs As Midterms Approach. Why Do They Keep Rising?
As Americans prepare to vote in Tuesday's midterm elections, rising healthcare costs are among the top financial and economic concerns, according to recent polling. A quarter of voters say they are "very worried" about being able to afford healthcare costs and more than one-third say they are "somewhat worried," according to a KFF poll earlier this month. Those who get their health insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) saw their average monthly benchmark premium jump from $497 per month in 2025 to $625 in 2026, according to KFF, particularly after enhanced premium tax credits expired at the end of last year. (Kekatos, 11/2)
Stat: Midterm Elections: MAHA Nearly Invisible On Campaign Trail
Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Make America Healthy Again movement rushed into American politics with a promise: Let an unlikely coalition of activists reach the masses, and they will deliver revolutionary gains for the Republican Party. Yet as midterm elections draw near, the movement is nearly invisible on the campaign trail and struggling to find a financial or messaging foothold in key races. (Cueto, Cirruzzo and Payne, 10/9)
Stat: The Growing Divide In Mortality Between Red And Blue America
In this 2026 midterm election season, health care ranks third on voters’ minds. That’s no surprise: U.S. life expectancy persistently lags those in comparable countries despite substantially greater spending on health care. As health and health care become increasingly political, we asked whether the leading drivers of mortality looked different by political geography in the United States. (Yan, Feldmeier and Hsia, 11/3)
The 19th: Your State’s Next Attorney General Could Help Determine Abortion Access
In the four years since the U.S. Supreme Court ended the federal right to an abortion, state attorneys general have played central roles in both defending and eroding reproductive rights — and their power to do so extends far beyond their home states. (Becker, 11/2)
Public News Service: Idaho's Abortion Ballot Measure Could Set Off New Round Of Legal Battles
Idaho's Proposition 1 could change the state's abortion laws but the legal fight may not end at the ballot box. (Hatch, 11/2)
CNN: Voting May Have Benefits For Longevity, Researchers Say
As millions of Americans vote in the midterm elections, a first-of-its-kind study suggests that voting may accomplish more than fulfillment of your civic duty — it may also indirectly reduce your risk of dying early from any cause. (Rogers, 11/2)
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
The New York Times: Trump Administration Said To Plan Rolling Back Pregnancy-Related Job Protections
The Trump administration is preparing to scale back workplace accommodations for women related to pregnancy and reproductive health, seven people with knowledge of discussions of the plans said. The moves will limit the impact of a 2022 law that was meant to fill a gap in disability and discrimination protections that employees are guaranteed at workplaces. It was intended to provide accommodations for pregnant workers, such as bathroom and water breaks, reprieves from heavy lifting or time off for prenatal appointments. (Davenport and Davis O’Brien, 11/2)
AP: DEA Approves Registrations For 900-Plus Medical Marijuana Dispensaries
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has for the first time issued registrations to medical marijuana dispensaries, a bureaucratic maneuver under President Donald Trump’s historic rescheduling of the drug that could pave the way for the businesses to receive tax benefits long denied the industry. The agency issued the registrations Friday to more than 900 state-licensed dispensaries in Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia, the Justice Department said in a news release. The department did not immediately identify the approved businesses. (Johnson, 10/30)
AP: US Regulators Approve Generic Version Of HIV-Prevention Drug To Be Sold In Low-Income Countries
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a generic version of the world’s only twice-a-year shot to prevent HIV — a big step toward making the drug available inexpensively and more quickly in 120 low- and middle-income countries. The announcement was made on Monday morning by the manufacturer and organizations that helped to speed up development of the medication, called lenacapavir. (Ungar, 11/2)
ProPublica: House Democrats Demand Answers On 500+ U.S. Citizens Detained By Immigration Agents
Citing ProPublica’s recent investigation, House Democrats are again asking the Trump administration to explain why hundreds of U.S. citizens have been held by immigration agents and how the government verifies citizenship during immigration operations. In an October letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, California Rep. Lou Correa and 39 other legislators demanded the administration share the number of citizens that immigration agents have detained and how the government is tracking such encounters. They also asked for more information about how agents are trained to verify citizenship and legal status. (Foy, 11/2)
MILITARY HEALTH
Military.com: Navy Airman Who Attempted Suicide On USS Abraham Lincoln Speaks Out
"I didn't want to be there anymore," said airman Nicholas McKelvey, 19. He blamed 12-hour flight deck shifts, little food and extreme heat. (Katherine Plummer, 11/3)
Military.com: Navy Warns Of More Deployments Of Up To 11 Months After USS Abraham Lincoln Scrutiny
The Navy has said sailors should expect a greater number of lengthy deployments for the foreseeable future, because of logistics and financial concerns the military service is facing. (Plummer, 11/2)
Military.com: 100% VA Disability Ratings Nearly Doubled. Proven Fraud Cases Number Only In The Hundreds
The number of veterans holding a 100% disability rating from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has nearly doubled in four years, surpassing 2 million. This has fueled accusations of widespread fraud, though federal oversight records tell a more complicated story. (Gramegna, 11/3)
Military Times: Marine Corps Removes Extension Waivers For Transgender Troops Fighting To Remain In The Military
The U.S. Marine Corps announced Friday that transgender troops whose service contract is set to expire will no longer be able to apply for extension waivers while they argue their case to continue serving before a military separation board. (Ceder, 11/2)
HEALTHCARE COSTS AND COVERAGE
The New York Times: Flouting Consumer Law, Insurers Refuse To Pay Medical Bills For Emergency Care
A law to end surprise medical bills has generated millions of high-dollar payouts for doctors. Health plans are now fighting back by frequently withholding money. (Sanger-Katz and Kliff, 11/3)
Modern Healthcare: ACA Subsidies Grow In States As Exchange Premiums Climb
Investments by states in new programs aim to blunt another year of big health insurance exchange premium increases despite a nearly $1 trillion reduction in federal funding coming for their budgets. Rhode Island and Virginia have committed tens of millions of dollars from their general funds to launch state subsidy programs in 2027. Connecticut funneled $10 million to its existing initiative to provide premium assistance for early childhood educators. (Tepper, 11/2)
Fierce Healthcare: FTC Warns About Deceptive Marketing As ACA Enrollment Opens
Open enrollment season is getting underway, and the Federal Trade Commission sent warning letters to 25 companies that conduct marketing or generate sales leads for insurers. The commission said in an announcement that the letters aim to put these companies on notice about deceptive or unfair marketing tactics that are likely unlawful. Activities in question include misrepresenting the benefits or limitations of a plan, or portraying a plan as comprehensive when it isn't. (Minemyer, 11/2)
HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY
Bloomberg: Redeemer Health Files For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy In Pennsylvania
Redeemer Health, a nonprofit Catholic health system with facilities in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Sunday. The system includes a 239-bed acute-care hospital north of Philadelphia, as well as three skilled-nursing facilities, low-income housing, food pantries and a retirement community, according to a Monday press release. “Redeemer Health remains fully operational and continues to provide high-quality care to our patients throughout this process,” said Jim Logue, the group’s interim chief executive officer. (Querolo, 11/2)
Modern Healthcare: Providence, Compassus Complete Oregon Joint Venture
Providence has completed the final phase of a joint venture with home care company Compassus to provide home health, hospice and palliative care services in Oregon. The joint venture will operate under the name Providence at Home with Compassus, the two organizations said Monday in a news release. Under terms of the deal, Brentwood, Tennessee-based Compassus will manage 17 home care programs Providence previously operated across Oregon. (Eastabrook, 11/2)
WFSU: FSU Celebrates Completion Of $137.5 Million Health Research Building In Tallahassee
Construction is complete on FSU Health's $137.5 million Health Research and Collaboration building. The university unveiled it during a ribbon cutting Friday. (Wood, 11/2)
Chicago Tribune: Workers At UI Health Deliver 10-Day Strike Notice
About 200 advanced practice registered nurses, physician assistants and midwives at UI Health could strike as early as next week, saying they were left out of raises given to other workers. (Schencker, 11/2)
Fierce Healthcare: Brigham And Women's Nurses Reject Contract Proposal
Union nurses at Brigham and Women's Hospital are set to strike in the coming weeks after failed contract negotiations, in what could be the largest open-ended nurse strike in Massachusetts history. Brigham and Women's Hospital said in a statement it received notice from the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) on Nov. 1 about an open-ended strike beginning Thursday, Nov. 12 at 7 a.m. (Muoio and Gleeson, 11/2)
AP: Cancer Center Unveils Room Named For Late Mother Of Islanders' Matthew Schaefer
Before he was picked first in the draft by the New York Islanders last year, Matthew Schaefer made his late mother’s fight against cancer before her death in 2024 a central part of what motivates him. On Monday, he added another chapter to that journey. The R.J. Zuckerberg Cancer Center on Long Island unveiled the Jennifer Schaefer Child Support Room, with Matthew, brother Johnny and father Todd on hand to see the finished product. (Whyno, 11/2)
MedPage Today: First Guidelines For Cancer Caregivers Address Key Information Void In Care
First-ever guidelines for cancer caregivers offer information and advice on topics ranging from medical management and emotional support to finances and legal issues. Published by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), the "NCCN Guidelines for Patients: Caregiving for People with Cancer" helps fill an information void created by the growing number of new cancer diagnoses and cancer survivors. (Bankhead, 11/2)
STATE WATCH
Bloomberg: New York Medicaid Spending Balloons $45 Billion Over Five Years
New York’s Medicaid spending is projected to rise to nearly $134 billion in the current fiscal year, about $45 billion more than the state spent five years ago, driven by an aging population, rising medical costs, and growing enrollment in home health care. Despite a 50% increase in the federal-state program supporting healthcare for the poor and elderly, New York expects to hold Medicaid spending growth to just 1% and 1.5% for fiscal years 2028 and 2029 respectively, according to the state’s Mid-Year Financial Plan Update released Friday. (Braun, 11/2)
Bloomberg: Snap Reaches Settlement To Avoid LA Trial In Addiction Case
Snap Inc. has settled a lawsuit filed by two teenagers who say years of compulsive scrolling and posting on the company’s photo-sharing app contributed to their mental health struggles. The agreement, reached partway through jury selection in Los Angeles, allows the company to avoid the next high-profile social media addiction trial. The case in California state court was set to be the latest test of thousands of such lawsuits. The teenagers previously reached confidential settlements with Meta Platforms Inc., TikTok and Google’s YouTube. (Mekelburg and Carville, 11/2)
Capitol News Illinois: Healthcare Dispute Strikes Fear In Southern Illinois Retirees
Tim Rice is in a race against the calendar for his health. Three years after prostate cancer first upended his life, Rice, 65, learned in May that the disease had returned. This time, his doctor at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, part of BJC HealthCare, recommended brachytherapy, a form of radiation therapy that places radioactive material inside or near the area being treated. (Ritter, 11/2)
The Baltimore Sun: Benzodiazepine Detections Rise In Maryland Drug Samples
The Baltimore City Health Department is warning of increased detections of benzodiazepines in Maryland’s illicit drug supply. The sedatives can make overdoses harder to treat. (Bell, 11/2)
The New York Times: Runner, 24, Dies During Her First New York City Marathon
Rachel Apa collapsed in Central Park. The cause was rhabdomyolysis, a rare muscle condition that can be brought on by exertion, her father said. (Newman, 11/2)
LIFESTYLE AND HEALTH
The New York Times: They Tried Kratom For Its Purported Health Benefits, Then They Became Addicted
Kratom, long used by people seeking relief from addiction to prescription opioids and alcohol, is increasingly being pitched as a wellness product that purports to raise energy, sharpen focus and enhance athletic performance. Some makers of kratom, a substance that is derived from the leaves of a tropical tree and often sold in the form of drinks, powder or capsules, have distributed free samples at gyms. Others have sponsored sporting events or trumpeted the product’s benefits with the help of social media influencers and wellness podcasts. (Tauber, 11/2)
Connecticut Public: Jackson Lab Discovers How Pain Pathways Work In Endometriosis
New findings by researchers at The Jackson Laboratory in Farmington show a deeper understanding of the excruciating pain women experience from endometriosis, a chronic inflammatory disease. (Srinivasan, 11/2)
AGING
The Washington Post: More People Are Having Strokes Before 55. Here’s What Experts Know.
When Sen. Chris Murphy, 53, was hospitalized after a stroke Saturday, he became a high-profile example of what may be a troubling trend: Strokes seem to be more common in younger adults than they were in the past. (Carlson, 11/3)
The Wall Street Journal: 40-Somethings Are Having A Really Hard Time Admitting They Can No Longer See
Erika Garcia-Niles was shopping for sunglasses at a T.J. Maxx when she put on a pair and couldn’t believe how clearly she could see. The quality of the lenses was amazing, she thought. Were they polarized? “I took them off and it was a 2.0 correction,” says Garcia-Niles, 49. “I did not know until that point that I needed any sort of readers.” (Bindley, 11/3)
The New York Times: Can Restaurants and Bars Become the New Funeral Homes?
More Americans are forgoing funeral services altogether in favor of memorials in nontraditional places, like restaurants and bars. (Hennessy, 11/2)
