Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
First Edition: Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026
KFF HEALTH NEWS ORIGINAL STORIES
KFF Health News: States Are Forcing Hospitals To Offer More People Financial Aid. In Oregon, It’s Working
Four years ago, Oregon hospitals were under fire from state authorities and patient advocates. Hospitals, critics said, had made it too hard for patients to apply for and receive help paying their bills. Within months, the state enacted a sweeping law that required hospitals to proactively screen patients and give financial aid to those who qualify for it. Oregon’s new rules, which took effect in July 2024, required hospitals to skip applications for nearly all patients — a rarity among hospitals nationwide. (Evans, 10/21)
KFF Health News: New Arrivals In The ER? Georgia Gears Up To Solve Rural Maternal Health Crisis
It had been a decade since Kara Holden last had a baby. But as the former obstetric nurse prepared for her fourth child, her head was swimming with contingency plans. The labor and delivery unit where she used to work in this rural northeastern Georgia community is no longer open. So, she asked former co-workers to be on standby around her anticipated due date. She and her midwife mapped out emergency rooms along the more-than-50-mile trek to the hospital in Greenville, South Carolina, where she planned to give birth. And, to prepare for a worst-case scenario, she curated items to keep in the car in case she went into labor en route. (Lumpkins, 10/21)
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH
NBC News: U.S. Fertility Rate Hits A New Record Low
The steady decline of the U.S. fertility rate continued last year with another record low, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Bendix, 10/21)
Mississippi Today: Report Finds Birth Centers Improve Outcomes. Mississippi Has None
Despite growing evidence that midwife-led birth centers improve outcomes for mothers and infants, Mississippi remains one of 10 states with no centers. Mississippi is also among the states with the fewest midwives per births in the nation, according to a new report by the Commonwealth Fund, a non-profit research organization focused on healthcare issues. (Paffenroth, 10/19)
OUTBREAKS AND HEALTH THREATS
The Hill: CDC Confirms Third Measles Death As Cases Pass 4,400
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has added a third U.S. measles death to its national tracker as total cases for 2026 surpass 4,400. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) told Reuters the CDC updated its count after the National Center for Health Statistics received a report of a measles-related death and verified the disease was the underlying cause, the Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement. The agency’s database does not specify when or where the death occurred. According to the statement, the CDC is working with the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists to develop a standardized case definition for deaths due to measles. (Chakraborty, 10/20)
CIDRAP: Pennsylvania Raises Alarm On Congenital Measles
A new health alert from the Pennsylvania Department of Health is warning doctors about congenital measles, a disease that was once extremely rare in the United States. But now that dozens of pregnant Pennsylvania women have contracted measles in the state’s ongoing outbreak, the potentially fatal infection passed from mother to baby in utero is poised to pose clinical challenges for physicians facing a disease they’ve never seen in practice. (Soucheray, 10/20)
CIDRAP: 27 Sickened In Salmonella Outbreak Linked To Raw Oysters
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced a new Salmonella outbreak linked to raw oysters harvested by the Little Wicomico Oyster Company from the Little Wicomico River harvest area in Virginia. So far at least 27 people in 12 states have been sickened in the outbreak. Five people have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported. Pennsylvania has had the most illnesses, with eight, followed by New York with four and Virginia with three. (Soucheray, 10/20)
Bloomberg: Nigeria Ebola Case Widens Record Outbreak Across Africa
Nigeria’s first Ebola infection in more than a decade is widening an outbreak that already spread to several African countries, prompting the continent’s top public-health agency to call for urgent international assistance. The Nigerian case was caused by the Bundibugyo strain, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention Director-General Jean Kaseya said in a statement on Tuesday. The agency is mobilizing support for Nigeria, while intensifying its response in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Kenya, he said. (Orjinmo and Kew, 10/20)
VACCINES
CIDRAP: ‘Chaos In Communication’: How Shared Clinical Decision Making For Vaccines Adds Confusion
This summer, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) requested public comment on categories of vaccine recommendations, with many questions focused on the idea of shared clinical decision making. The request came after an executive order directed the Task Force on Safer Childhood Vaccines to come up with a plan for a new childhood vaccine schedule. (Holohan, 10/20)
Stat: Counterintuitive Approach Floated To Boost Measles Vaccine Uptake
With more than 4,400 measles cases in the United States this year, double the number in 2025, public health authorities are desperate to persuade more people to take the virus seriously. But current attempts to drive home that message are being rejected by a sizable and growing part of the population. (Florko, 10/21)
CIDRAP: Poll: Nearly Half Of US Parents Believe Spacing Out Vaccines Is Healthier
Nearly half of US parents believe children are healthier when vaccines are spaced out and not given in one doctor’s visit, even as confidence in several well-established childhood vaccines remains high, according to a KFF Tracking Poll on Health Information and Trust. The poll, published today, also found partisan differences in parents’ views, with Republican and Republican-leaning parents more likely to endorse spacing out childhood vaccines and Democratic and Democratic-leaning parents more likely to say there is no strong evidence to support spacing. (Bergeson, 10/20)
MedPage Today: Study Supports Starting HPV Vaccination At A Younger Age
Children who started the two-dose human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine series at age 9 or 10 years were more than twice as likely to get both shots versus those who began later, a cluster randomized trial showed. (Rudd, 10/21)
MedPage Today: Not Just Moms Who Put Unvaccinated Infants At Risk Of Hepatitis B, Study Shows
For young children, exposure to hepatitis B virus (HBV) mostly came from someone other than their mother in the household, according to a retrospective cohort study. Among over 158,000 children younger than 5 years, 1.3% lived in a household that had a person with active HBV infection, with 58.2% of those children exposed via contacts who were not their mothers versus 41.8% who were exposed via their mothers, reported Karen Jacobson, MD, MPH, of the Kaiser Permanente Vaccine Study Center in Pleasanton, California, at the IDWeek annual meeting. (Rudd, 10/21)
MedPage Today: FDA Green Lights Potential Functional Cure For Chronic Hep B
The FDA on Tuesday approved bepirovirsen (Hibsago) as a potential functional cure for adults with chronic hepatitis B, but with no cirrhosis, who are taking antiviral therapy. Approval was based on findings from the B-Well 1 and B-Well 2 trials, which demonstrated that nearly 1 in 5 patients taking the antisense oligonucleotide drug along with background antivirals achieved a functional cure, as compared with none in a placebo group. (Rudd, 10/20)
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
ABC News: What To Know About Changes To Medicare Plans As Open Enrollment Begins
Open enrollment for Medicare, the nationwide federal health insurance program primarily for those aged 65 and older, has started. Many enrollees in privately run Medicare Advantage plans may need to find new plans as insurers scale back their offerings. Additionally, costs may increase for prescription drugs after the Trump administration ended a temporary subsidy program. (Kekatos, 10/20)
MedPage Today: Doctors Push Back On Claim That El-Sayed Is Not A Physician
A group of Michigan doctors is pushing back against attempts by Mike Rogers, the Republican candidate for Senate in Michigan, to characterize his opponent, Abdul El-Sayed, MD, DPhil, as not being a real doctor because he doesn't practice medicine in the state. "Dr. El-Sayed earned his medical degree and, like many of us at some point in our careers, faced a choice about where to direct a life in medicine," said a letter released Tuesday that was signed by more than 1,000 medical professionals, including 700 physicians. (Frieden, 10/20)
MedPage Today: Generic Of Combination Hormone Therapy Patch Approved For Women
The FDA on Monday approved the first generic of the once-weekly estradiol and levonorgestrel transdermal system (Climara Pro) to treat moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms and prevent osteoporosis in women. The patch is indicated for postmenopausal women with an intact uterus and follows recent endorsements from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American College of Physicians for menopausal symptoms. (Monaco, 10/20)
PUBLIC HEALTH
Los Angeles Times: Some GLP-1 Injections Recalled Due To 'Lack Of Assurance Of Sterility'
Apothecary Pharma, a compounding pharmacy, voluntarily recalled 22 vials of Tirzepatide injections due to a “lack of assurance of sterility,” according to the official announcement. (Garcia, 10/20)
Becker's Hospital Review: Cancer Drug Shortages Worsen: 7 Notes From ASHP’s Q3 Report
Chemotherapy shortages increased in the third quarter even as the number of active U.S. drug shortages held steady at 225, according to ASHP’s latest quarterly report. Here are seven things to know: The rise in cancer drug shortages stems in part from flooding at a Pfizer manufacturing facility in India that produced generic chemotherapy agents for leukemia, Hodgkin lymphoma and colorectal, pancreatic and testicular cancers, among others, according to the report. Pfizer expects the disruption to last into 2028, the group said. (Jeffries, 10/20)
SCIENCE AND INNOVATIONS
Newsweek: AI Changing Orthopedic Surgery, Shortening Wait Times
A decade ago, having joint replacement often meant a three- to five-day hospital stay. Today, many patients have surgery and go home the same day. While ambulatory surgery centers have existed for over 50 years, medical advances now allow more orthopedic patients to have complex procedures as outpatients, too. (Tanner, 10/21)
The New York Times: Start-Up Claims To Use A.I.-Created Viruses To Treat A Patient
For the first time, scientists say they have used viruses designed by artificial intelligence to treat a human patient. Researchers announced on Tuesday that they had administered the virus, known as a phage, to a patient suffering from a deadly bacterial infection. Phages attack bacteria, and the hope is that this one will kill the microbes causing the infection. Radical Numerics, the start-up that created the viruses, posted a technical report about them on its website. But the company declined to provide information about the patient or the doctors running the trial, citing confidentiality requirements. (Zimmer, 10/20)
AP: What To Know When You Need An Organ Transplant
It’s not always patience and luck that get patients off the organ transplant waiting list and into the operating room. Unlike in many areas of medicine, experts say there’s a lot of variation in the U.S. transplant system. Knowing there are differences and what to ask might help. “I had to ask a lot of questions to figure out what it was that I could do to move the needle,” said Katherine Screws of Phoenix, who got a rare intestine transplant after she decided to get on the waiting list at more than one hospital to increase her chances. (Neergaard, 10/21)
MedPage Today: Acute Back Pain: Skip The Prescription Painkillers In First Line, Study Suggests
Patients with acute low back pain (LBP) who got opioids or gabapentinoids as initial therapy faced twice the risk of opioid use disorder (OUD) or overdose compared with other first-line treatments, nationwide Medicaid data showed. (Gever, 10/20)
Fox News: ADHD Linked To 70% Higher Death Rate, But Medication May Reduce Risk
People diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) face a roughly 71% higher overall risk of early death compared to those without the condition, according to a new review published in JAMA Network Open. However, taking prescription ADHD medication may offer a protective benefit, lowering overall risk of death, the review found. (Quill, 10/20)
The Wall Street Journal: Autism-Therapy Workers Say Big Chains Pressured Them To Boost Treatment Hours
Minutes after an autistic 3-year-old lay her head on a Squishmallow stuffed toy and closed her eyes, Abigayle Hosking was ordered to take the makeshift pillow away and rouse the sleepy girl. The child was scheduled for four more hours of autism therapy at the Centria Healthcare clinic in Michigan where Hosking worked until last year. Hosking said she felt terrible. “The younger kids, you know, I think they need a break,” she said. (Wilde Mathews, Weaver and McGinty, 10/20)
HEALTH INDUSTRY AND PHARMACEUTICALS
Stat: Mark Cuban's Cost Plus Drugs Tackles Expensive Rare Disease Treatments
Billionaire Mark Cuban has spent the last five years trying to make generic drugs like chemotherapy and antifungal ointment cheaper for Americans. But earlier this year, a very different type of medicine began arriving at his Dallas factory. (Mast, 10/21)
Stat: Launch Price Of New Medicines Dropped Very Slightly In 2025
Amid ongoing angst over prescription drug prices, a new analysis found the median net price for 202 newly launched medicines, when adjusted for inflation and manufacturer discounts, rose by 35% to $257,000 in 2025 from $190,000 in 2022. (Silverman, 10/20)
The New York Times: Why Drug Companies Are Rushing To Market Ketamine Medicines
How would you like your ketamine? In tablet form, or a thin film that melts in your mouth? Delivered as a nasal spray, or combined with a cancer drug to extend the antidepressant effects? In a gold rush accelerated by the Trump administration’s unlikely zeal for experimental psychedelic treatments, over a dozen companies are developing products based on ketamine, the generic anesthetic that in recent years has become a popular treatment for mental health conditions. (And, unfortunately, a ubiquitous recreational drug.) (Jacobs, 10/20)
Modern Healthcare: How CMS' Medicare, Medicaid Exclusion Powers May Cost Hospitals
Hospitals will likely spend more to protect themselves from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ expanded powers to kick them out of government health programs, which would be ruinous for many providers. Under a notice issued last week that immediately went into effect, CMS can remove healthcare organizations from these programs on its own authority. Previously, the Health and Human Services Department Office of Inspector General was the only agency with that power. (Kacik, 10/20)
Modern Healthcare: Why Hospitals, Health Plans Switch Digital Health Vendors
The stakes are getting higher for technology vendors working with health plans, employers and health systems. These organizations are increasingly entering into performance-based contracts with digital health companies and zeroing in on return on investment and measurable outcomes. About 55% of health plans and 46% of health systems tie vendors’ payment to prespecified outcomes, according to a survey published in September by the Peterson Health Technology Institute. (Famakinwa, 10/20)
Modern Healthcare: Centene To Exit ACA Markets In Delaware, New Hampshire In 2027
Centene unveiled its Affordable Care Act health insurance exchanges strategy for 2027, which calls for both retrenchment and expansion. The marketplace market share leader will no longer sell policies in Delaware and New Hampshire next year, a company spokesperson said in an email. Centene, which sells exchange plans under its Ambetter Health brand, will be in 1,740 counties across 27 states for 2027, according to a news release on Tuesday. That is 40 more than this year. The company counts 3.5 million exchange members. (Tepper, 10/20)
Modern Healthcare: Hackensack Meridian, Hunterdon Health To Merge
Hackensack Meridian Health and Hunterdon Health, both based in New Jersey, have signed a definitive agreement to merge. As part of the agreement, Hackensack Meridian said it plans to invest $200 million into capital projects that support Hunterdon facilities and programs. Hackensack also pledged to fund the $30 million rollout of its Epic electronic health record at Hunterdon. (Hudson, 10/20)
North Carolina Health News: Duke Endowment Makes Big Investment In NC Children’s Hospital
On a heavily wooded tract near the intersection of U.S. 1 and N.C. 540 — a 220-acre spot in southern Apex so void of infrastructure it shows up only as GPS coordinates on a map, the Duke Endowment announced a transformative $100 million grant Tuesday morning. The investment will help fund North Carolina Children’s, a collaborative effort between UNC Health and Duke Health to create an independent standalone health care system that, if true to their vision, will turn the southwest Wake County property into a destination for pediatric care. (Blythe, 10/21)
STATE WATCH
AP: California State Workers Strike Over Wages And Healthcare
California state workers will launch a one-day strike Wednesday, urging Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration to agree to a new contract that increases workers’ pay, ensures affordable healthcare access and allows more flexibility for remote work. SEIU Local 1000, the largest union for California government workers which represents more than 100,000 employees, including auditors, nurses and counselors, will picket in cities across the state for the first time since the union’s founding in 2004. Members overwhelmingly voted to authorize the strike earlier this month, accusing the state of failing to bargain in good faith after their contract expired in June. (Austin, 10/21)
Boston Globe: Quality Fell After Chains Like RegalCare Took Over Nursing Homes
The red-brick nursing home tucked off a busy road in Taunton used to be a rare jewel in a beleaguered industry, polished to a high sheen. Floors gleamed from daily scrubbing. Residents’ clothes came back fresh and neatly folded. Employees stayed for decades. In early 2020, the 100-bed home earned the federal government’s highest quality rating — five stars — and held it for more than two years. Then Eli Mirlis swept in from New Jersey and everything changed. (Lazar, Hagen and Nadolny, 10/20)
Verite News New Orleans: Ballot Measure To Replace New Orleans Homeowners’ Lead Pipes
Louisiana voters will decide whether water utilities should be explicitly allowed to use public funds to replace lead service lines on private property through a proposed constitutional amendment this election season. Early voting started Tuesday (Oct. 20) ahead of the Nov. 3 election with 10 proposed constitutional amendments on the ballot. One of the amendments is tailored to ensure the Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans can legally spend federal money earmarked for lead pipe replacement in the city. (Parker, 10/20)
AP: A Phoenix Woman Waited 3 Years For An Intestine Transplant. Here's Why
A car crash destroyed Katherine Screws’ small intestine, leaving her unable to eat, dependent on IV nutrition and often too sick to get out of bed. But the Phoenix woman clung to her hospital’s prediction that she could get an intestine transplant in about six months. That was way off. She wouldn’t get one until three years after the crash. It could have been longer if not for an unusual meeting with an organ procurement organization, or OPO, that taught the frustrated Screws how hospitals vary in which organs they accept or refuse — and she flew across the country for a better chance. (Neergaard, 10/21)
The Colorado Sun: What Surgeries Would Proposition 135 Ban? Colorado Hospitals Won’t Say.
If you are an adolescent boy going through puberty, you may develop a condition called gynecomastia. Basically, the haywire hormones of the early teen years cause boys to develop breast tissue. The condition is generally not medically harmful, and it often goes away with time. But, in some cases, it doesn’t go away or is too embarrassing, and teens opt for breast-reduction surgery. (Ingold, 10/20)
The Colorado Sun: Partner Of Colorado Man Who Died By Suicide Documents Failures Of Mental Health System
Jeff Trowbridge was taking down Christmas decorations on the morning he got the call that wrecked him. The love of his life, Ian Horner, was missing. One of Horner’s relatives had called to ask Trowbridge if he knew the license plate number on Horner’s car. Soon after, Trowbridge would learn that Horner, 33, died by suicide in the middle of the night. (Brown, 10/20)
The Baltimore Sun: How Does Sports Betting Affect States' Mental Health Services?
Legalizing sports betting is associated with an increase in the number of workers in a state receiving treatment for anxiety or depression, according to a recent Johns Hopkins study. (Hille, 10/20)
