Latest KFF Health News Stories
First Edition: Friday, March 21, 2025
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Editorial writers tackle these public health issues.
Cannabis Use Elevates Risk Of Heart Attack In Some Users, Study Finds
Healthy users younger than 50 are more likely to experience stroke, heart attack, or heart failure than people who don’t use the drug, Fox News reports. Also: MRI images show “brain rot” is linked to smartphone usage; the U.S. hits the lowest levels of happiness on record; and more.
NC Bills Would Raise Age For Tobacco Sales To 21, Up From 18
North Carolina Health News reports the House bill would also establish a tobacco retail sales permitting system. North Carolina and six other states still allow 18-year-olds to buy tobacco. Other news from around the nation comes from West Virginia, Florida, Connecticut, Illinois, New York, and California.
Study Shows Promise In Using Anti-Amyloid Therapy To Stall Alzheimer’s
The people involved in the study have rare genetic mutations, making it nearly certain they will develop Alzheimer’s. AP reports on how mass firings and funding restrictions at the NIH are affecting the next steps in the Alzheimer’s research. Other research is on hair loss treatments, treatments for pediatric brain tumors, and more.
State Officials Brace For Fallout If Massachusetts Insurer Collapses
Commonwealth Care Alliance provides health care to nearly 50,000 elderly, disabled, and low-income individuals. Also in the news: Veradigm, Cigna, Cone Health, Jefferson Health, and Hippocratic AI.
Abortion Clinics’ Safety A Top Concern As Factions Chart Ways Forward
As abortion-sympathetic states and localities look to shore up safety measures, opponents are ramping up efforts to shut down operations and are turning to the courts to upend state and city protections for clinics. Also, the feds plan to appeal a block on Trump’s trans military ban.
While Still High, US Drug Overdose Deaths Are Falling, Early Data Show
The Wall Street Journal charts a year-by-year look at overdose deaths and areas of the country hit the hardest. Also: The Trump administration has extended the opioid emergency declaration; U.S. Customs and Border Protection is seizing more egg products than fentanyl at the border this year.
Research Roundup: The Latest Science, Discoveries, And Breakthroughs
Each week, KFF Health News compiles a selection of the latest health research and news.
Trump Set To Order Education Department Shutdown; Millions Of Youths With Disabilities Left In Lurch
Formally closing the department requires an act of Congress, NBC News noted. But President Donald Trump can make it impossible for DOE employees to do their work, similar to what he has done at USAID. Of all the groups affected, children with disabilities, poor children, and students who receive federal financial aid will be the most severely affected.
First Edition: Thursday, March 20, 2025
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Opinion writers dissect these public health issues.
As Measles Cases Top 300, Health Official Warns Of Prolonged Outbreak
Although Texas has expanded its capacity for testing people who are sick, officials are still struggling to convince folks to get vaccinated. If the outbreak lasts more than a year, the U.S. could lose its measles-free status. More news comes from Ohio, Florida, New Hampshire, California, and Indiana.
Purdue Pharma, Sacklers Unveil New Settlement For OxyContin Lawsuits
The plan put forth Tuesday could see the Sackler family pay up to $7 billion. Also in the news: Merck prepares to close its manufacturing plant in Pennsylvania; Optum Rx, which includes UnitedHealth Group, has dropped the reauthorization requirements for 80 drugs; and more.
In First Wave Of 2,000 Planned Layoffs, Johns Hopkins Will Cut 200 In May
The layoffs come in the wake of the institution losing $800 million in federal grants. Also in industry news: DispatchHealth, UnitedHealthcare, patient access to health test results, and more.
Second Arrest Made In Texas Abortion Case
A medical assistant has been arrested in connection to a midwife who is accused of providing illegal abortions, reports AP. Also: Doctors plan to continue mailing abortion pills over state lines despite a recent indictment; Colorado plans to allow Medicaid coverage of abortion beginning in 2026; and more.
Lawmakers Look To ‘Site-Neutral’ Medicare Policies To Pay For Tax Cuts
Site-neutral Medicare reimbursements for outpatient care could help with the health care spending cuts. But hospitals are against the plan, which would require health systems to charge the same prices for services whether they are performed in a hospital or another location.
FDA Puts Infant Formula Under The Scope In Search Of Harmful Chemicals
The agency says it also will examine nutrients contained in formulas to ensure they “promote health and wellbeing during critical stages of development.” Meanwhile, as the White House saps the Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy, the HHS chief floats a plan to just let bird flu spread.
HIV Prevention At Risk In Latest Projected Federal Funding Cuts
The Department of Health and Human Services is considering drastically cutting the government’s funding for domestic HIV prevention. Meanwhile, experts worry that the days of rationing HIV drugs are back. Plus: more news on DOGE and funding cuts.
First Edition: Wednesday, March 19, 2025
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
