Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
More States Are Rolling Out New SNAP Work Requirements
Fox Business: New SNAP Work Requirements Take Effect In More States Under Trump-Backed Law
New work requirements are expanding across more states Sunday for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, the nation’s largest federal assistance program. Starting Feb. 1, adults between the ages of 18 and 64 without dependent children must work, participate in employment and training programs, or volunteer at least 80 hours per month to be eligible to receive SNAP benefits. Those who do not meet the requirement can receive benefits for only three months within a three-year period. (2/1)
On the high cost of health care —
NPR: Republicans Try A Timeworn Strategy: Attack Obamacare
At the beginning of the year, it seemed like a bipartisan deal to extend the Affordable Care Act enhanced subsidies was within reach. A three-year extension passed in the House, but talks have sputtered in the Senate. Many Republicans in Congress assert the reason for those stalled talks goes all the way back to the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in 2010. (Simmons-Duffin, 2/2)
The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer: Expected Rise In Uninsured Ohioans Could Signal New Stress For Providers, Poorer Public Health
The expiration of enhanced tax credits that helped hundreds of thousands of Ohioans afford health insurance has the health care industry bracing for the possibility that already challenged resources could be further stressed and public health could decline long term. (McGowan, 2/2)
The Baltimore Sun: Poll Shows Maryland Families Skip Medical Care Due To Cost
Maryland families are feeling the squeeze from rising health care costs, while many expressed confidence in steps the state is taking to provide relief, according to a new poll from the Chamber of Commerce-affiliated Health Means Everything Consumer Alliance. (Hille, 1/30)
MedPage Today: High-Deductible Health Plans And Cancer A Bad Mix
High-deductible health plans (HDHPs) were associated with worse survival outcomes among cancer survivors, according to a cross-sectional study. (Bassett, 1/30)
KFF Health News: When Health Insurance Costs More Than The Mortgage
When Noah Hulsman, who owns a skate shop in Louisville, Kentucky, learned he no longer qualified for federal subsidies to help him pay for his “gold” Affordable Care Act health plan, the 37-year-old opted for skimpier coverage. But the deductible is about a quarter of his yearly income. Loretta Forbes realized she would have to drop her plan after her monthly ACA marketplace premiums jumped tenfold in 2026. (Rayasam, 2/2)
KFF Health News: It’s 2026 And You’re Uninsured. Now What?
Health policy changes in Washington will ripple through the country, resulting in millions of Americans losing their Medicaid or Affordable Care Act coverage. But there are still ways to find care. Over the next decade, the GOP’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act is expected to slash nearly $1 trillion in spending from Medicaid, the state-federal program for people with low incomes and disabilities. The implementation of new work rules will cause some beneficiaries to lose their Medicaid coverage. (Rayasam, 2/2)
In related news about prescription drug costs —
The Washington Post: In Florida, Thousands Of HIV Patients May Lose Medication Access
Medications have kept Tori Samuel’s HIV at bay for decades. The part-time worker from Ocala, Florida, has thrived, marrying her husband and giving birth to three children, none of whom have the virus. But now she risks losing access as Florida prepares to drastically restrict eligibility for free medication, putting treatment potentially out of reach for thousands of residents A caseworker told Samuel, 43, that her family’s household income of just over $3,800 a month is too much to receive assistance for pills that cost $6,000 a month. (Ovalle, 2/2)
