Latest KFF Health News Stories
IVF Treatment Should Cost Less, Trump Says In Latest Executive Order
On average, a patient spends $15,000 on each round of in vitro fertilization, and many patients require multiple treatments, The Hill reported. Still, President Donald Trump is likely to get pushback from anti-abortion conservatives and also Senate Republicans, who have blocked consideration of IVF legislation several times in the past.
USDA Mistakenly Fires Officials Working On Bird Flu Response
The Department of Agriculture is scrambling to reverse the terminations. Meanwhile, many CDC scientists who worked in a lab program created to address embarrassing lab-safety failures, and improve outbreak responses, have been let go.
White House Backs Off Plan To Shut Down Covid Website, Discard Tests
The federal government will keep its stockpile of tests, and people may still order them through COVIDtests.gov. In other news, more Americans are skipping covid vaccines, complicating the path to herd immunity.
First Edition: Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: DOGE’s Slash-And-Burn Method Will Only Make Things Worse; Most Americans Want Vaccines
Opinion writers discuss these public health issues.
More People Search For Gambling Addiction Help As Sports Betting Grows
A new study suggests that the growing number of states legalizing sports gambling is cause for concern. Meanwhile, heart failure deaths are up, partly due to medical successes that enable people to live longer. Other news is on cancer treatments, the Senate Aging Committee, and more.
Missouri Judge Clears Way For Abortions To Restart
In November, voters approved enshrining abortion rights into the state constitution, but regulations on health centers were so strict that most didn’t meet them, AP reported. The latest ruling blocks those regulations. In other news, New Jersey has broadened elderly care outside of nursing homes.
Uncertain Times Delay Private Equity Investments In Home Care
Concerns about the economy and federal policy are causing investors to take a beat on investing in companies that provide in-home care. Also, states remove mental health questions from licensure forms so doctors won’t fear getting help. Other industry news: a medical oxygen shortage, medical delivery drones, and more.
Covid Vaccine Requirements Will Cost Schools Federal Funds, Per Trump Rule
Fifteen colleges would be affected by the executive order; K-12 schools nationwide no longer have such a requirement. Meanwhile, hospitals and medical providers are feeling the strain of the nation’s worst flu season in 15 years.
As ‘Disease Detectives’ Lose Their Jobs, Worry Escalates Over Bird Flu, Measles
“We’re heading in the wrong direction,” Caitlin Rivers, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, told The Washington Post. Meanwhile, a measles outbreak in Texas has doubled in size, and a fourth American was hospitalized in Wyoming with human bird flu.
White House Chops Funding For ACA Health Insurance Navigators By 90%
Explaining the cuts, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said the higher funding did not represent “a reasonable return on investment.” But The Hill reports that navigators were particularly effective in helping people enroll in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
HHS Purges Thousands Of Public Health Experts, Inspectors, And Others
Practically every Department of Health and Human Services agency lost workers, who were told via email that their jobs have been eliminated. The mass firings prompted the head of the FDA food division to resign in protest.
First Edition: Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
Each week, KFF Health News finds longer stories for you to enjoy. Today’s selections are on hospital food, Zolgensma, seed oils, PTSD, and more.
Colorado Gun-Control Bill Would Curb AR-15s, More In Effort To ‘Save Lives’
The bill — which would ban the manufacture and sale of semiautomatic rifles, shotguns, and pistols — hit a snag overnight, with state senators adding a major concession for people who complete a training course, The Colorado Sun reported. The lead sponsor of the bill, Democratic state Sen. Tom Sullivan, lost his son, Alex, in the 2012 Aurora theater shooting.
Health System Leaders Move To Improve Quality Of Ambulatory Care
According to Becker’s Hospital Review, outpatient care needs are projected to increase. This will require the same level of standardized safety protocols and rigorous reporting mechanisms.
Births Are Up. So Is Infant Mortality After Abortion Bans, Studies Show.
In states with abortion bans, infant mortality rates were 6% higher than expected. The studies suggested abortion bans significantly affect people struggling economically. Meanwhile, New York won’t extradite Dr. Margaret Carpenter in an abortion pill case. The doctor also is being fined by Texas.
Bird Flu Is Spreading Undetected To People, CDC Testing Results Indicate
Veterinarians who worked with cattle had antibodies in their system that showed they had the H5N1 virus, though they exhibited no symptoms and none knew they were working with sick animals, according to a report. Meanwhile, as states report more cases, people are urged to avoid dead birds.
Medicaid Changes Come Into Focus As House Begins Paring Budget
Looking to trim $880 billion, Republican lawmakers are considering block-granting Medicaid funding and establishing work requirements for beneficiaries, Modern Healthcare reports. As Politico points out, cutting Medicaid won’t be so simple.
Opinion writers tackle these public health issues.
