Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Children's Enrollment In Medicaid, CHIP Fell By 2M Since Early 2025: Report
Fierce Healthcare: 2M Children Dropped Out Of Medicaid, CHIP Since January 2025
There are 2 million fewer children enrolled in either Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program compared to January 2025, according to a new report. The Children and Families at Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy operates a state-by-state enrollment tracker that identified the declines through April, and warned that enrollment drop-offs at this scale should alarm policymakers. Federal data finds a 4% decline, equating to about 1.5 million children, per the report. (Minemyer, 6/4)
KFF Health News: Millions Of Kids Could Lose Insurance As GOP Healthcare Cuts Start To Bite
More than 1 million children have lost insurance since President Donald Trump took office in 2025. Another million could lose it amid the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and new Medicaid eligibility rules. On WAMU’s Health Hub on June 3, KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner explained how fear and confusion complicate access to health coverage. (Rovner, 6/5)
KFF Health News: KFF Health News’ ‘What The Health?’: Medicaid Work Rules Surprise States
New rules out this week from the Trump administration for implementing work requirements for adult Medicaid recipients surprised many state officials. The rules make it more difficult for states to determine who should be exempt from the requirements, including by stipulating that having a serious condition such as HIV or cancer does not automatically excuse an enrollee from having to engage in 80 hours per month of paid work, volunteering, or school attendance. (Rovner, 6/4)
On the WIC program —
The Washington Post: House Bill Rolls Back Food Aid For Pregnant Women, Children
By a vote of 213-210, the House passed an appropriations measure to fund the Agriculture Department among other agencies. The bill, which the Senate has yet to consider, aims to cut about 1.5 percent from overall federal agriculture spending in fiscal 2027, according to Republicans. ... Under the legislation, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children — more commonly known as WIC — would lose $141 million in funding for fruit and vegetable benefits for the nearly 5.4 million children and pregnant and postpartum women enrolled, according to an estimate from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. (Alfaro, 6/4)
On prescription drug prices —
Stat: Supreme Court Backs Generic Drugmaker In 'Skinny Labeling' Case
The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that Hikma Pharmaceuticals did not infringe patents held by Amarin in a decision that makes generic drugmakers less vulnerable to lawsuits over so-called skinny labels. The ruling overturned a lower court decision that sided with Amarin. Generic drugmakers had argued that, if the Supreme Court also ruled in favor of Amarin, they would be discouraged from making and selling lower-cost versions of brand-name medicines, which would maintain higher prices for prescription drugs. (Silverman, 6/4)
Bloomberg: Roche Chair Accuses US Government Of Drug Price ‘Blackmail’
Roche Holding AG Chairman Severin Schwan accused the US government of using heavy-handed tactics over drug prices and warned it could have a negative long-term impact on Europe. The Swiss drug company agreed a pact with President Donald Trump’s administration to lower drug prices for some Americans in late 2025, in exchange for a three-year reprieve from threatened tariffs. Roche was one of several pharma companies that made similar pledges after being targeted by Trump’s Most Favored Nation (MFN) drug pricing policy. (Kinzelmann, 6/4)
On affordability —
Fierce Healthcare: Small Businesses Feel The Squeeze As Healthcare Costs Rise
As healthcare costs continue to rise, smaller businesses are particularly vulnerable to the pressure, according to a new Morgan Health report. For example, among employers with 50 or fewer employees, 30% said that healthcare costs are worsening their business situation, compared to 22% of employers with a greater number of employees. Because these smaller firms are not required to offer coverage, they may choose to adapt to the costs by dropping benefits altogether. (Minemyer, 6/4)
Bloomberg: Financial Independence Eludes Many Americans As 42% Lean On Parents
Almost half of Americans rely on their parents for financial support, including 33% of Gen X, as inflation and a volatile stock market strain household finances. According to a report from Northwestern Mutual, 42% of Americans age 18 and older say they are financially dependent on their parents. More strikingly, 20% of Americans believe they never will be independent. That holds true across generations, despite differences in age, career stage and financial circumstances. The insurer defines financial dependence as relying on parents to fund large portions of one’s lifestyle. (Joshua, 6/4)
