Morning Breakouts

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Hundreds Of Disability Advocates Urge NC Legislature To Repeal Medicaid Cuts

Morning Briefing

The state’s Department of Health and Human Services slashed reimbursement for Medicaid-covered services on Oct. 1, North Carolina Health News reported. Other health news is from Mississippi, Minnesota, New Jersey, California, and Montana. Plus: A nationwide shrimp recall widens.

White House Warns Of Repercussions For Using Artificial Food Dyes

Morning Briefing

At a health industry conference on Tuesday, White House adviser Calley Means announced that regulations might be imposed on food companies that don’t switch away from synthetics. Also: The soda industry pits MAGA against MAHA; experts weigh in on the seed oil scandal; and more.

Gilead To Keep States’ HIV Drug Prices Steady After Earlier Saying They’d Rise

Morning Briefing

The agreement provides relief to federally funded programs that provide free or low-cost drugs to around 110,000 low-income people nationwide. Other news is on the side effects of antidepressants; the cause of auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia; ivermectin as a cancer treatment; and more.

Private Equity Firms Blackstone, TPG To Buy Hologic For $13 Billion

Morning Briefing

Hologic — which makes mammography systems, breast imaging technology, and biopsy equipment — will go private in the deal. Other health industry news is on home infusion, death rates at U.S. dialysis centers, the shuttering of obstetric services at an Ohio hospital, and more.

Amid Shutdown, Health Care Lobbyists Tiptoe Around Topics To Pursue Wins

Morning Briefing

Health care advocates tread a delicate line when it comes to discussions about politically charged ACA subsidies, but they see opportunities to sway lawmakers on bipartisan issues such as telehealth. Meanwhile, moderate Republicans lean on House leadership to address expiring ACA subsidies.

ICE Detainees Claim They’re Served Low-Quality Meals, Are Left Hungry

Morning Briefing

USA Today reports on food quality at a Louisiana ICE hub, where detainees say they are subject to a diet of processed foods that are often expired and never fully sate their hunger. A Guardian report highlights ICE detention conditions of perpetual twilight under fluorescent lights.

A Record 154,000 NYC Students Were Homeless During The Last School Year

Morning Briefing

In New York, more than half of all children who are considered homeless under federal law are “doubled up,” sometimes packed into tiny apartments with three or four other families, The New York Times reported. Other health news from around the U.S. comes from Michigan, Wyoming, Colorado, Iowa, Utah, Arizona, New York, and the District of Columbia.

Kennedy Plans To Change Dietary Guidelines To Increase Saturated Fats

Morning Briefing

In contrast to the decades-long recommendation to limit foods high in saturated fats to less than 10% of a daily diet, RFK Jr. intends to encourage increasing consumption. Also: Americans’ opinions on what constitutes healthy food are changing; global cancer rates are on the rise; and more.

NC Settlement: Nursing Facilities Can’t Ban Those With Addiction History

Morning Briefing

Stat reports that the Americans with Disabilities Act is the basis of the settlement, which could set national precedent for those taking addiction medications. Other industry news is on Hartford HealthCare, Kaiser Permanente, Atrium Health, and more.

Hospital Workers Here On H-1B Visas Will Be Grandfathered In, Feds Say

Morning Briefing

Health care companies sued after President Trump announced he was attaching a $100,000 visa fee to foreign workers. Going forward, only new applicants are subject to the fee. Foreign workers seeking a change of status would be among those exempt from the fee.

Tylenol Maker Goes On Offensive, Says Autism Warning Shouldn’t Be On Label

Morning Briefing

“For over a decade, and as recently as August, FDA has fully evaluated the emerging scientific evidence and repeatedly concluded that the data do not support a causal association” between acetaminophen and neurodevelopmental disorders, Kenvue told U.S. regulators.

ICE Ramps Up Health Care Staff Amid Surge In Deaths At Detention Facilities

Morning Briefing

Twenty migrants have died in detention since President Donald Trump took office, compared with 24 deaths during all four years of the Biden administration. Plus, news outlets unpack the effects of the government shutdown on health care.

New Guidelines Led To Steep Decline In Peanut Allergies In Young Children

Morning Briefing

Between 2017 and 2020, there was a 43% drop in peanut allergies after the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases recommended early introduction of peanuts. The study also found that eggs overtook peanuts as the No. 1 food allergen in young kids, The New York Times reported.

Calif. Health Officials Concerned Over Three Unrelated Cases Of Clade 1 Mpox

Morning Briefing

The confirmed cases, one in Long Beach and two in Los Angeles, are in patients who have not traveled abroad. This is the first time the Clade 1 form, which causes more serious illness, has spread within the U.S. Also in the news: bacterial meningitis, mental health, addiction, and more.

Large Health Systems Vie To Be Lifeline For Struggling Rural Hospital In Florida

Morning Briefing

The three contenders — Tampa General Hospital, AdventHealth, and NorthStar Hospitals Inc. — each would keep DeSoto Memorial Hospital operating in DeSoto County. Additional health industry news is about mobile health clinics, the Kaiser Permanente strike, Medicare, Medicaid, and more.