Morning Breakouts

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Feds End Pursuit Of Patient Records Identifying Transgender Minors In LA

Morning Briefing

The Justice Department has put on hold until 2029 its request for “documents sufficient to identify each patient (by name, date of birth, social security number, address, and parent/guardian information) who was prescribed puberty blockers or hormone therapy.”

NYC Rushes To Shelter Unhoused From Extreme Cold As Death Toll Rises

Morning Briefing

Eight people were found dead outside or later died at a hospital, New York City officials said. It wasn’t confirmed if they were homeless. USA Today reported that at least 34 people have died across the U.S. as frigid temperatures are settling in. Plus: News from Colorado, Maryland, Florida, and California.

Roche’s Entry Into Weight Loss Game Could Be A Difference-Maker

Morning Briefing

In a study, Roche’s experimental shot delivered weight loss that appeared to be better than Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and on par with Eli Lilly’s Zepbound, an analyst said. The results show the shot has the potential to be the best in its class, an official at Roche said.

CMS Proposes 0.1% Average Pay Raise For 2027 Medicare Advantage Plans

Morning Briefing

The increase is far below the 4%-6% bumps the industry expected, Stat reports, and comes alongside proposed restrictions on insurers’ coding practices. Other industry news is on a Kaiser Permanente strike in California and Hawaii, health system investments in pulsed field ablation, and more.

CDC Vaccine Databases, Crucial For Managing Outbreaks, Are Out Of Date

Morning Briefing

Researchers found that nearly 90% of the databases that are no longer being updated are related to vaccinations and that updates largely stopped in March and April, after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took the helm at the Department of Health and Human Services.

Sources: Patrol Chief, Some Agents To Exit Minneapolis After Nurse’s Killing

Morning Briefing

President Donald Trump will send border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota to take over, AP reports. News outlets also cover the life and death of intensive care nurse Alex Pretti, as well as the impact that immigration enforcement activity is having on those who need medical care.

Study Links Long-Term Alcohol Use To Increased Risk Of Colorectal Cancer

Morning Briefing

The new study suggests that those who drink heavily throughout their lifetime could be at a 91% higher risk of developing colorectal cancer. Meanwhile, health experts warn that research does not show that social isolation poses a greater threat to young adults than moderate alcohol consumption.

Not Just The Influencers: YouTube Clips From Doctors Also Lack Medical Proof

Morning Briefing

A study of 309 physician-generated videos — all relating to diabetes or cancer — found that two-thirds of them had low, very low, or no evidence to support their health claims.

Pediatrician Group Endorses Vaccines For 18 Diseases, In Break With CDC

Morning Briefing

The American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendations, released Monday, remain mostly unchanged from last year. The CDC now recommends all children get vaccinated against only 11 diseases. Meanwhile, more parents are declining vitamin K shots for their newborns.

HHS Halts $5B In Public Health Grants. Hours Later, It Reinstates Them.

Morning Briefing

Bloomberg News reports that the pause was in order to evaluate whether activities were in “alignment with administration and agency priorities.” Also: A New York Times report finds that genetic data of more than 20,000 U.S. children that was held at the National Institutes of Health was misused for “race science.”

VA Workers Say Vets Lost A Champion Of Their Care After Minn. Nurse Killed

Morning Briefing

Alex Pretti, 37, spent his workdays caring for critically ill veterans in Minneapolis. The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses is encouraging nurses to “seek peer or professional counsel as needed.” Meanwhile, Pretti’s slaying has sparked a Second Amendment debate and a vow among Senate Democrats to block funding for the Department of Homeland Security, a move that could lead to a government shutdown.

Huntsville, Ala., Hospital System May Have Monopoly Of City, Pending Deal

Morning Briefing

The nonprofit has agreed to acquire the only hospital not owned by them in Huntsville and the surrounding northern Alabama region, leaving residents with only one choice for care and putting antitrust officials to the test. Also in the news: the nurse strike in New York; an ambulance worker shortage in Minnesota; informed patient consent for AI use in health care; and more.