Latest KFF Health News Stories
First Edition: Friday, Dec. 19, 2025
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Research Roundup: The Latest Science, Discoveries, And Breakthroughs
Each week, KFF Health News compiles a selection of health policy studies and briefs.
NEJM Evidence, CIDRAP Issue First ‘Public Health Alerts’ To Fill Data Gaps
The joint report discussed mpox and H3N2 influenza. The collaboration aims to provide “timely, evidence-based alerts that can help local and state health leaders act quickly to protect the health of people in their communities,” said Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) at the University of Minnesota.
Nebraska Medicaid Work Requirements Will Start May 1, Ahead Of Schedule
The Cornhusker State will be the first to fall in line with the Trump administration’s law that mandates 80 hours of work or community service each month, or part-time school enrollment for people 19 to 64 who have Medicaid coverage. States have until 2027 to implement that policy.
Study Shows High-Fat Cheese, Cream May Help Lower Dementia Risk
The researchers note that no difference was seen for low-fat milk products, or whole milk, and that what the cows eat is also important. Other lifestyle and health news looks at warning signs of dementia; blood tests for Alzheimer’s; “holiday heart syndrome;” and more.
Opinion writers discuss these public health issues.
Anti-Transgender Bill Passes House; RFK Jr. Announces Restrictions
Meanwhile in Texas, the Department of Public Safety is amassing a list of transgender Texans using data from their driver’s licenses, and the state has opened a public tip line designed to help enforce the state’s “bathroom bill.”
House OKs GOP Health Care Bill Without Extending ACA Subsidies
The vote was 216-211, but four Republicans have joined with Democrats in trying to force a vote on an extension of the ACA subsidies. Meanwhile, Affordable Care Act exchanges brace for chaos.
HHS Rescinds Millions In Grants Given To American Academy Of Pediatrics
The Trump administration said it is clawing back grants that “no longer align with the department’s mission or priorities.” The academy has been critical of how the Department of Health and Human Services under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has approached vaccine policy.
First Edition: Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
NY Health System, Union Strike Deal To Bypass Insurers, Reduce Red Tape
Members of the 32BJ Health Fund will receive more favorable pricing from the nonprofit Northwell Health system, which will become the preferred provider. This strategy bypasses an insurer’s role in administering the plan. Plus, the latest on the Brown University shooting.
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Will Pay $15M To Settle Case Over Flawed Data
Dana-Farber has admitted that scientists, working under inadequate supervision, used federal grant money to conduct research that led to papers with duplicated or manipulated images, Stat reported. But the agreement doesn’t include an admission of intentional fraud, Stat noted.
Opinion writers tackle these public health topics.
FDA Will Put Brain Tumor Warning On Depo-Provera Birth Control Shot
Pfizer, which makes the shot, is fighting a lawsuit from more than 1,000 women who claim the company knew about the risk of meningiomas but failed to warn patients. Meanwhile, former Vice President Mike Pence’s organization Advancing American Freedom has called for HHS Secretary RFK Jr.’s removal from office over his refusal to review the abortion pill mifepristone.
Dismantling Of USAID In Bangladesh Has Led To Surge In Child Prostitution
The sudden funding cuts in multiple countries forced the closure of thousands of schools and child protection programs. Without them, AP reported, many children as young as 10 have been forced into unwanted marriages and manual labor, and girls as young as 12 have been forced into prostitution.
CDC Makes It Official, Drops Hep B Shot Recommendation For Newborns
Babies whose mothers test positive for the virus, or whose status is unknown, should still get the birth dose, the CDC says, but others may delay the first shot until the child is at least 2 months old. However, doctors and hospital systems are likely to continue following the decades-old policy.
House To Vote On Gender-Affirming Care For Kids, Including Penalties
The two bills up for a vote include one that would criminalize providing certain gender-affirming procedures or medications, and one that would prohibit Medicaid funding for gender-affirming care, Axios reports. Also: House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) blocks a vote on ACA subsidies.
First Edition: Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Ohio Pediatricians Claim They Were Fired After Raising Safety Concerns
The two Cleveland pediatricians claim they were fired after alerting the hospital leaders to understaffing, vaccine shortages, and lab work delays. They have filed a lawsuit for wrongful termination and defamation. Also: Rural health care workers juggle multiple roles; and more.
FDA Green-Lights Libido-Enhancing Drug For Postmenopausal Women
The drug, Addyi, was first approved a decade ago for premenopausal women but comes with some unpleasant side effects. Also: a warning to retailers about tainted formula, a lawsuit over paraquat and Parkinson’s, and more.
