Latest KFF Health News Stories
Double-Digit Premium Increases May Be Headed To Obamacare Plans In 2026
A sharp drop is also expected in the federal subsidies that most consumers depend on to buy ACA plans. Also in the news: a lawsuit to block Obamacare changes, the challenge of tracking Medicaid patients’ work status, and more.
First Edition: Friday, July 18, 2025
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Maryland Draws From ACA Fund To Cover Abortion Care Expenses
Maryland has seen a surge of out-of-state patients whom they’ve been able to help by accessing funds sourced in fees paid by insurance companies that participate in the ACA marketplaces. Other states in the news: Connecticut, Missouri, California, Massachusetts, and Arkansas.
Black, Hispanic Kids Had Higher Covid Hospitalization Rates, Analysis Finds
The study shows that even after hospitalization rates decreased in 2022 and 2023 for all groups, rates among Black and Hispanic children remained consistently higher. In other news, mRNA can be delivered by capsule; new ways to improve organ donation; and more.
Research Roundup: The Latest Science, Discoveries, And Breakthroughs
Each week, KFF Health News compiles a selection of the latest health research and news.
8 In 10 US Counties Have ‘Health Care Deserts’
The research from Good Rx also shows that 87% of those in Wyoming, 74% of those in Vermont, and 70% of those in Montana live in a health care desert county, Newsweek reports. Other industry news is on Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, Geisinger Health System, Steward Health Care, and more.
988 LGBTQ+ Suicide Prevention Lifeline Will Go Out Of Service Today
In April, counselors fielded roughly 70,000 crisis contacts from LGBTQ youth, marking an all-time high. In 2024, the Trevor Project reported that half of LGBTQ young people who wanted mental health care said they were unable to access it.
Kennedy Ousts Two Top HHS Aides; NIH Overhauls Advisory Roles
Chief of Staff Heather Flick Melanson and Deputy Chief of Staff for policy Hannah Anderson served just months on the job. At the National Institutes of Health, advisory council appointees have been let go, and the director’s advisory committee has been disbanded.
Medicaid Cuts Could Mean 1,000 More Deaths Each Year, Report Indicates
Cuts also could lead to almost 100,000 more hospitalizations each year, according to the report published Wednesday in JAMA Health Forum. Also: The Trump administration speeds up the clawback of $7.8 billion in Medicare payments to hospitals.
Editorial writers delve into these public health issues.
First Edition: Thursday, July 17, 2025
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Mifepristone Access May Be Limited In West Virginia, Appeals Court Rules
A divided 4th Circuit Court found that GenBioPro’s argument regarding the abortion pill “falls well short of expressing a clear intention to displace the states’ historic and sovereign right to protect the health and safety of their citizens.”
Minnesota Nurses Association Set To Ratify Contract For 15,000 Nurses
The contract, which was reached after months of negotiations and averted a strike, addresses staffing, workplace safety, and fair wages. Meanwhile, some Baltimore nurses prepare to go on strike. Also in the news: the impact of federal cuts in Texas, go-bags for seniors’ hospital visits, and more.
Are Early Detection Cancer Blood Tests Ready For Patients? Study To Decide.
The National Cancer Institute-funded study, which will include up to 24,000 people, will screen for a variety of cancers. More news is on dogs detecting Parkinson’s; progress in the Influenza Vaccines Research and Development Roadmap Initiative; and more.
Doctors Warn Against ‘Coffee Enema’ Alternative Wellness Trend
Medical experts advise that the purported benefits of of the procedure lack scientific evidence and actually could be hazardous. In other public health news: Declining vaccine rates might signal a resurgence in infectious diseases; measles and covid cases climb; and more.
Report: Anti-Addiction Funding Withheld By Trump Administration
CDC sources tell NPR that the Trump administration has delayed and might cancel roughly $140 million in grants to fund fentanyl overdose response efforts, known as the Overdose Data To Action program or OD2A. Other health programs facing funding cuts are also in the news
‘Underwhelming’: Doc Groups Criticize Proposed Medicare Payment Increase
Separately, Medicare is proposing “efficiency” pay cuts that would hit specialists. Also: Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) wants to repeal some of the new Medicaid cuts; LGBTQ+ Americans may face a “Medicaid coverage cliff” from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Viewpoints: Amid Growing Federal Distrust, State Health Departments Should Step Up Vaccine Guidance
Opinion writers discuss these public health topics.
First Edition: Wednesday, July 16, 2025
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Mass Overdose Event In Baltimore Hospitalizes More Than 2 Dozen
The event, caused by a bad batch of an unspecified drug, prompted a surge in 911 calls. Experts think a potent batch of fentanyl might have caused the overdoses and that the specific blend is still out there. Other states making news: Iowa, New York, Texas, Ohio, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.
