Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
First Edition: Wednesday, July 8, 2026
KFF HEALTH NEWS ORIGINAL STORIES
KFF Health News: Patients Face A Thicket Of Red Tape Trying To Maintain Consistent Health Coverage
By the time Derion Blackman collapsed in front of a Dollar General in Kissimmee, Florida, in March, he had been waiting two months to regain access to some of the vital medications he’d been taking since undergoing a heart transplant two years ago. “He was on a nasty, dirty ground in front of a store,” recalled Sonja Smith, who is enraged about the circumstances that led to her husband’s heart failure. “He didn’t deserve to die like that.” (Rayasam, 7/8)
KFF Health News: Affordable Care Act Insurers Want More Premium Increases As Enrollment Sags
For the second year in a row, many Affordable Care Act insurers are proposing double-digit premium increases, driven by rising medical costs as well as policy changes by Congress and the Trump administration. In preliminary filings with state regulators, insurers are seeking a median rate increase of 14% for 2027, according to an analysis of filings in 16 states and the District of Columbia by the Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker. If those rates are ultimately approved, it would be the second-highest increase since 2018. (Spears, 7/8)
HEALTHCARE COSTS AND COVERAGE
The Wall Street Journal: Obamacare Insurers Seek Big Rate Hikes, Again
Rates for many Affordable Care Act plans rose by double digits this year. Insurers want to do the same next year. Some of the biggest Obamacare companies are seeking hefty premium increases for 2027, often for the second year in a row. In Washington state, Centene is asking for a 28% hike, after boosting rates by 35% in 2026. Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Illinois wants 15%—on top of a 28% increase this year. (Wilde Mathews, 7/8)
Fierce Healthcare: Pharmacies Hit Prime Therapeutics With Antitrust Suit
A group representing thousands of pharmacies has filed an antitrust suit against Prime Therapeutics, alleging that the company colluded with rival Express Scripts to fix prices. The lawsuit was filed July 2 in Washington federal court by Protecting Access to Retail Pharmacy, LLC, an organization that operates as TRUST, LLC. The group was formed in 2023 by the National Community Pharmacy Association to support pharmacies in investigations and potential litigation to recover controversial direct and indirect remuneration, or DIR, fees from pharmacy benefit managers. (Minemyer, 7/7)
Modern Healthcare: Why Hospitals Are Betting On Care Navigators To Protect Margins
Care navigators are helping health systems reduce unnecessary admissions and save money as chronically ill older adults and uninsured patients flood emergency departments. Care navigators are typically nurses embedded in emergency departments who connect patients to less costly outpatient services to avoid hospitalizations. Providers, including St. Louis-based BJC Health System and Chicago-based Northwestern Medicine, have been growing care navigator programs. (Eastabrook, 7/7)
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
Axios: Exclusive: Trump Admin Presses Hospitals On Healthier Food
Trump administration health officials today are launching an effort to encourage hospitals to serve inpatient meals that more closely align with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, Axios has learned. (Bettelheim and Reed, 7/8)
Axios: Trump Plan Could Make Drug Ad Safety Warnings Longer
Those disclaimers in TV drug ads could get longer if the Trump administration makes good on plans to require all safety risks to be disclosed in the ads instead of referring consumers to another source. (Bettelheim, 7/8)
Stat: Trump Administration Pursues More Durable Changes To Science Policy After Setbacks In Court
Thousands of federal civil servants who academic researchers see as partners in conducting their work were fired. An unprecedented number of scientific projects funded by previous administrations were terminated. Universities were pressured to abandon diversity programs and work to curb health disparities. On a Friday evening, the government tried to push through a dramatic change to how it reimburses universities for research overhead. (Oza, 7/8)
IMMIGRATION CRISIS
The Washington Post: ICE Officer Fatally Shoots Mexican Man In Houston During Traffic Stop
The incident appears to mark the first deadly shooting by federal immigration officers since Renée Good and Alex Pretti were killed in Minneapolis in January. (Hennessy-Fiske, Nakamura, Hesson and Hernández, 7/7)
Verite News: Months After Immigration Surge, Volunteers Continue Food Deliveries In Latino Communities
When Amy Kussmann, 71, of Slidell, spotted a toddler walking shirtless and barefoot across the grass while she was delivering food on June 25, she exhaled a heavy sigh of relief. “Yes!” she exclaimed. Moments before, she was concerned that his absence meant something was wrong with the boy’s family to whom she was delivering the food — a concern that was heightened after a volunteer ran into the food-delivery staging room of the First United Methodist Church of Slidell earlier that day, shaken by rumors of a recent arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement nearby. (Stewart, 7/7)
CAPITOL WATCH
Military.com: 23 Veterans Organizations 'Urge' Congress To Pass 60-Provision Bill Package
As some have scrutinized the comprehensive Take Care of America's Veterans Act and called for sections to be modified or removed altogether, nearly two dozen veterans service organizations are "urging" Congress to move swiftly and enact the legislation as written. U.S. House and Senate lawmakers continue to debate the TCAVA and its more than 60 bill provisions that include the Major Richard Star Act, the Love Lives On Act, caregiver program reforms, Department of Veterans Affairs modernization initiatives and combat-injured veteran expansions. Drafted legislation also includes proposals to strengthen mental health support, improve spinal cord injury care and prosthetic services, expand resources for survivors and families, and advance services for women veterans. (Mordowanec, 7/7)
The Hill: Sen. Susan Collins Opposes Trump's Proposed Grantmaking Changes
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) called on the Trump administration to withdraw some proposed changes to the federal grantmaking process, joining a growing chorus of opposition to a sweeping new proposal from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Collins on Monday sent a letter to OMB Director Russell Vought asking the agency to withdraw portions of the rule that she said would potentially harm small and rural communities and add uncertainty to scientific and biomedical research. (Weixel, 7/7)
Politico: Why A Bitter Health Care Fight Is At The Center Of A High-Stakes House Battle
One of the most-watched House races in the country is setting the stage for how Democrats and Republicans will battle over federal health care cuts on the campaign trail. Swing seat GOP Rep. Mike Lawler, facing a tough reelection campaign against a moderate Democratic opponent, is being bombarded by attacks over his vote for President Donald Trump’s sweeping domestic policy package, which cut Medicaid spending by nearly $1 trillion over a decade. (Cordero and Reisman, 7/8)
CNN: Mitch McConnell, Joe Biden And The Growing Epidemic Of Politicians Hiding Health Problems
There was a national reckoning after the 2024 presidential campaign about federal officials — Joe Biden and his White House, specifically — hiding important health information from the public. But the hiding hasn’t stopped. If anything, it appears to be getting worse. (Blake, 7/7)
REPRODUCTIVE AND INFANT HEALTH
CIDRAP: One More Infant Sickened With Botulism In Outbreak Tied To Powdered Formula
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said there are now four cases of infant botulism illnesses from three states, up from three last month. The new case is in California. California now has two cases, while Pennsylvania and Washington state each have one. (Soucheray, 7/7)
The Texas Tribune: Texas To Explore Banning Foreign Surrogacy
State lawmakers are exploring prohibiting foreign nationals from using Texas surrogates, elevating a niche fertility issue into a larger battle over immigration and birthright citizenship, surrogacy experts say. (Ma, 7/7)
HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY
Modern Healthcare: Ascension Plans To Acquire Williamson Health
Ascension plans to buy Williamson Health, which operates a hospital in Franklin, Tennessee. The Williamson Health board voted Monday to sell to Ascension, which beat out bids from Nashville, Tennessee-based HCA Healthcare and UnitedHealth Group’s Optum, among other organizations, Williamson Health officials said Monday night during a meeting of the Williamson County Board of Commissioners. Ascension plans to pay $700 million for the independent hospital, clinics and other assets linked to Franklin, Tennessee-based Williamson Health, and spend $250 million on infrastructure upgrades over the next 10 years. (Kacik, 7/7)
MedPage Today: Private Equity Makes Deals With Healthcare Nonprofits
Private equity firms are expanding their healthcare reach by forming joint ventures with nonprofit health systems, according to a new report from the Private Equity Stakeholder Project (PESP). It's been well reported that private equity has moved to acquire physician groups, specialty practices, nursing homes, and other healthcare entities, but nonprofit joint ventures have gone under the radar, the report suggests. (Clark, 7/7)
Becker's Hospital Review: Mass General Brigham Prepares For Nurse, Clinician Strike: 5 Things To Know
Somerville, Mass.-based Mass General Brigham is preparing for a seven-day strike involving thousands of nurses and clinicians represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association. Five things to know: The strike involves more than 4,000 nurses at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and about 450 clinicians at MGB Home Care. It would be the largest nurse and healthcare professional strike in Massachusetts history, set to begin July 8, according to the MNA. (Gooch, 7/7)
ProPublica: Washington Medical Board Is Slow To Publicize Alleged Doctor Misconduct
Experts on laws protecting patient safety give Washington state high marks for the types of information it is willing to disclose about doctors accused of wrongdoing.Like other states, Washington lets patients look up doctors by name online to read any state allegations against them. But decades ago, Washington lawmakers created a separate pathway that doesn’t leave the homework to patients, mandating that regulators issue a press release whenever an investigation results in formal allegations being filed against a doctor. Washington is alone in legally requiring such proactive outreach to the news media, the Federation of State Medical Boards says. (Hiruko, 7/8)
PHARMA AND TECH
Stat: FDA Approves Vera Therapeutics Kidney Disease Treatment
The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved a new medicine from the biotech company Vera Therapeutics for patients with a type of chronic autoimmune kidney disease. (Feuerstein, 7/7)
CIDRAP: The Cost Of HIV Drugs For Medicare Is Projected To Skyrocket By 2035
As more people with HIV reach retirement age, the annual cost of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for Medicare for people 65 or older is projected to nearly triple over the next decade, from $6.4 billion in 2026 to $17.8 billion by 2035. Medicare is the federal health insurance program for older Americans and people with disabilities. The analysis, published today in JAMA Network Open, projects that 63% of the cumulative cost to Medicare for older beneficiaries living with HIV will be to pay for ART, which is the lifelong treatment that suppresses the virus to non-detectable levels. Without these antiviral medications, HIV goes from a chronic to a fatal condition. (Boden, 7/7)
The Washington Post: Americans Are Taking Weight-Loss Drugs In Record Numbers
The number of people injecting themselves with or taking an oral version of the new class of weight-loss drugs continues to rise dramatically. A Gallup poll released Tuesday based on a web survey of 5,065 U.S. adults says that 15 percent of U.S. adults reported using GLP-1 medications to lose weight at some point, while 11 percent say they currently are taking them. That’s up from a Gallup poll in 2024 that found 6 percent had ever taken them, and 3 percent were currently on the therapy. (Rowland, 7/7)
CIDRAP: Shigella Vaccine Shows Promise In Phase 2 Trial
An investigational vaccine candidate for Shigella provided high-level protection in a phase 2 clinical trial, researchers reported last week in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. (Dall, 7/7)
The New York Times: Dozens Face Felony Charges After Raid Of Beagle Research Facility
The charges for most of the people carry sentences of up to 12.5 years in prison, officials said, and the police have recommended more charges for a separate attempt in April. (Rubin, 7/7)
STATE WATCH
The New York Times: New York City Adopts Measures To Slow Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreak
Faced with an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, the Mamdani administration said on Tuesday that it was adopting new tactics to try to stamp out clusters of the bacterial illness more quickly. ... The measures rolled out Tuesday would publicly identify buildings suspected of being sources of Legionnaires’ disease and require the structures’ owners to swiftly clean cooling towers. (Goldstein, 7/7)
The New York Times: Part Of Florida’s ‘Stop WOKE’ Law Ruled Illegal By Appeals Court
The law limits teaching on race, gender and other topics. Part of the law related to colleges was struck down. It remains in effect in K-12 schools. (Patel, 7/7)
New Hampshire Bulletin: Ayotte Signs Law Requiring Teacher Disclosures To Parents On Their Child's Gender Identity
The new state law requires teachers to disclose any information requested by parents about their child, with some exceptions, effectively overriding a New Hampshire Supreme Court decision. (DeWitt, 7/7)
The Washington Post: Trans People Are Moving To Seattle At Unprecedented Levels Under Trump
Since the 2024 election, a nonprofit has helped 1,500 trans people settle in Seattle — more than 20 times the 70 people it aided before the election. (Parks, 7/7)
The Washington Post: Maryland Attorney General Won’t Charge Officers Who Fatally Shot Autistic Man
Investigators on Tuesday released findings on the fatal police shooting of Alex LaMorie, who had called for help after facing an extortion scam. (Golden and Benn Jr., 7/7)
AP: License Revoked For Utah Boarding School Where Paris Hilton Reported Abuse
Utah has revoked the license of a boarding school where Paris Hilton said she was abused as a teenager, saying the school has “failed to provide applicable health and safety services for clients.” The state’s action, which took effect Monday, cites multiple noncompliance issues against the Provo Canyon School’s campus in Springville. The school has 15 days to request a hearing before the Department of Health & Human Services. (McCormack, 7/7)
The Midwest Newsroom: Missouri Couple On A Mission To Bring More Dementia Care To 'Medical Deserts'
When Bobby and Sandy Marshall moved from Florida to southeast Missouri three years ago, they landed in what Bobby called a “medical desert” with fewer resources. Access to care was critical as Bobby lives with early onset and atypical dementia. (Nozicka, 7/8)
North Carolina Health News: Diaper Bank Tackling Period Poverty In Schools
Since 2014, the Diaper Bank of North Carolina has given out more than 3 million period supplies to schools across the state. When the nonprofit first started giving out tampons, sanitary pads and other items, the term “period poverty” was not used much in the United States, said founder and CEO Michelle Schaefer. (Fernandez, 7/8)
Post-Tribune: Indiana Woman Pleads Guilty To Buying Gun Used In Swedish Hospital Shooting
An Indiana woman signed a plea deal Tuesday admitting she bought the gun that ended up in a deadly Chicago Police shooting at Swedish Hospital, filings show. Olivia Burgos, 23, of La Porte, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court in Hammond to Making a False Statement in Connection with the Acquisition of a Firearm. She faces up to 10 years in prison. However, federal prosecutors are expected to ask for a far lower, or minimum sentence. (Colias-Pete, 7/7)
LIFESTYLE AND HEALTH
CIDRAP: 1 In 4 Adults In Tick-Heavy States Test Positive For Alpha-Gal Antibodies
In five states with high rates of alpha-gal syndrome (AGS), nearly one in four adults test positive for antibodies associated with the condition, according to a study published last week in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The findings suggest that the presence of the molecule that triggers AGS may be far more common than the syndrome itself. (Bergeson, 7/7)
MedPage Today: Younger Teens May Be Unaware Of The Dangers Of Fentanyl, Survey Says
A considerable proportion of younger adolescents may be unaware of the dangers of fentanyl use, according to a cross-sectional survey study. Among the adolescents surveyed, 47.8% of 8th graders attributed great risk to experimental use of fentanyl, while 57.2% and 66.5% attributed great risk to occasional or regular use, respectively, reported Richard Miech, PhD, of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and colleagues in JAMA Network Open. (Firth, 7/7)
The Guardian: Catnip Lotion As Effective As Deet At Repelling Mosquitoes, Study Finds
A homegrown catnip lotion has proven “just as effective as Deet” as a mosquito repellant in trials carried out in Uganda. Catnip, or Nepeta cataria, is a common herb from the mint family. The chemical in the plant that causes feline euphoria – nepetalactone – also has insect-repelling properties but this has not previously been commercialised. (Lay, 7/7)
The Wall Street Journal: How Panic Pouches Became The New Way To Soothe Anxiety
When Isabella Banos’s anxiety gets triggered, she tends to pick at her fingers and break the skin. So Banos, who works in communications, has started to “carry a magnetic ball fidget toy so I don’t,” she said. She also totes lavender oil, a portable fan, a rosary and sour candies in a small bag she takes everywhere. This kind of carryall has become known to her and others as a “panic pouch.” (Valdesolo, 7/7)
The Denver Post: A Few Years Of Healthy Eating And Exercise Influences Health 2 Decades Later, New Study Shows
Even a few years of healthier eating and exercise can show up in better health outcomes two decades later, a new national study found — but most people need significant support to make those changes. (Wingerter, 7/7)
SPORTS AND HEALTH
The New York Times: Marshawn Kneeland Diagnosed With CTE Months After Death By Suicide
Boston University researchers diagnosed former Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland, who died in November 2025 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, with Stage 1 chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), the Concussion & CTE Foundation announced Tuesday. Police officers found Kneeland dead in the early-morning hours of Nov. 6, 2025, in Frisco, Texas. He was 24 years old. (Bardahl, 7/7)
GLOBAL WATCH
AP: Some Health Workers In Congo’s Ebola Outbreak Go On Strike Over Pay Issues As Deaths Near 600
The healthcare workers at the epicenter of Congo’s Ebola outbreak are walking off their jobs to protest delays in their payments, threatening efforts to slow the outbreak that officials said continues to spread faster than the response. In Ituri province, the hardest hit among the three provinces in eastern Congo affected by the outbreak, some of the health professionals and other front-line workers told The Associated Press they’ve not been paid their wages and bonuses since the outbreak was declared on May 15. They also alleged they were working with limited gear, and were being treated unfairly by authorities as well as response teams. (Heri Ngorora, 7/8)
NPR: There's No Treatment Designed For The Ebola Strain Ravaging DRC. But Now There's Hope
It's been over 50 days since the Ebola outbreak was declared in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. Clinicians on the ground are working to save dying patients, but they lack crucial tools to fight the kind of Ebola that's spreading. "We urgently need treatments that can help people affected by Bundibugyo virus disease," says Amanda Rojek, a physician scientist at the University of Oxford — that's a rarer species of Ebola than the much-researched Zaire strain behind many previous outbreaks. (Lambert, 7/7)
Bloomberg: Germany Recorded Over 5,000 Excess Deaths During Late-June Heat Wave
Germany recorded more than 5,000 excess deaths during the late-June heat wave, according to preliminary data from the Federal Statistical Office. In the last full week of June, 5,486 more deaths were recorded than the 2022–2025 median, according to data from the office, which is also known as Destatis. The weekend that closed out the period coincided with the peak of the heat wave, when the temperature reached a national record of 41.7C (107.1F). Germany’s Robert Koch Institute (RKI) is expected to publish its estimate of heat-related deaths later this week. (Brendel, 7/7)
CIDRAP: China Reports H9N2 Avian Flu In 1-Year-Old Girl
Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection (CHP) is reporting a new case of variant H9N2 avian flu H9N2 in a 1-year-old girl from Guangdong province. The girl first had symptoms on June 12. There is no further information provided on her current status. (Soucheray, 7/7)
