Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Loss Of Telehealth During Shutdown Puts Medicare Patients In A Tough Spot
NPR: Many Medicare Patients Can’t Get Telehealth During The Shutdown
A few weeks ago, when Vicki Stearn, 68, tried to schedule a virtual visit with her doctor, she was told Medicare — at least temporarily — stopped paying for telehealth appointments when the government shut down. So Stearn was offered a choice: Make an in-person appointment, or pay out of pocket for telehealth. "So I said, 'OK, well, when can I get an in-person appointment?' And it wouldn't have been until December." (Noguchi, 11/6)
Modern Healthcare: Government Shutdown Disrupts Some Pay For Safety-Net Hospitals
Five weeks into the lengthiest federal government shutdown in U.S. history, the healthcare system is mostly operating as usual but safety-net providers and others are feeling the squeeze. Medicare, Medicaid and the health insurance exchanges are not fully impacted by the shutdown that began Oct. 1 because the Health and Human Services Department has access to mandatory funding and other sources of money to keep them running. (Early, 11/5)
Fierce Healthcare: Amid Shutdown, Health IT Vendors Say Hospitals Are Cutting Back
Most healthcare IT vendors say they’ve had ongoing procurements paused as hospitals facing cashflow issues due to the shutdown reconsider their spending, Black Book Research recently reported. Citing a poll of 107 business development leaders offering IT and services to healthcare organizations, which was fielded in the final week of October, the market research group outlined signs that buyers are shifting their spend to “must-haves” and other offerings with near-immediate return on investment. Some respondents told Black Book they’ve already shifted their sales strategies to address their customers’ tightened budgets and new priorities. (Muoio, 11/5)
On SNAP benefits and ACA enrollment —
Bloomberg: Americans Sue Trump Administration To Fund SNAP Benefits
The Trump administration faces a new challenge in the battle over food assistance benefits amid a federal funding lapse — a lawsuit filed by recipients who say they’re in danger of going hungry. The proposed class-action suit comes as the administration has sent conflicting signals about whether it will comply with court orders to continue funding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, that serves 42 million low-income people. (Burnson, 11/5)
The Baltimore Sun: 311 Reports Phone Outages As SNAP Assistance Calls Spike
The Baltimore City phone system experienced intermittent outages and longer hold times Wednesday because of a high volume of residents calling for SNAP and food assistance, the Baltimore City Comptroller’s Office said. (Pryce, 11/5)
Kansas City Star: DSS Says Partial Food Aid Will Reach Missouri Families Soon
As the government shut down continues, Missouri recipients of federal food assistance will soon receive partial benefits for the month of November, according to the Department of Social Services. In a news release Wednesday afternoon, DSS announced that the state had received guidance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture which allowed for partial funding of this month’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. (Bauer, 11/5)
KFF Health News: Farmers, Barbers, And GOP Lawmakers Grapple With The Fate Of ACA Tax Credits
John Cleveland is ready to pay a lot more for his health insurance next year. He hasn’t forgotten the pile of hospital bills that awaited him after he had a seizure while tending to customers in his Austin, Texas, barbershop four years ago. Once doctors hurriedly removed the dangerous tumor growing on his brain, a weeklong hospital stay, months of therapy, and nearly $250,000 worth of medical expenses followed. The coverage he has purchased for years through the Affordable Care Act marketplace covered most of those bills. (Seitz, 11/6)
Modern Healthcare: Why Aetna, Carle Health, AultCare Quit The ACA Markets For 2026
Some health insurance companies suffered enough political drama and rising costs that they bailed on the exchanges for next year. At least six insurers, most notably CVS Health subsidiary Aetna, that sold marketplace plans this year aren’t participating during the 2026 open enrollment period, which began Saturday and ends Jan. 15 in most states. Ascension Personalized Care, the now-defunct insurance arm of St. Louis-based Ascension, was the sole carrier to quit the exchanges between 2024 and 2025, according to an analysis of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services data from the consulting firm Evensun Health. (Tepper, 11/5)
In related news on layoffs and health insurance —
The Washington Post: Layoffs Rise To Recession-Like Levels Through October, New Report Says
Layoffs accelerated in October, pushing 2025 job cuts to levels typically seen in recessions, according to newly released data from Challenger, Gray & Christmas, a private firm that tracks workplace reductions. (Bhattarai, 11/6)
