Latest KFF Health News Stories
Doctor Shortage Could Grow More Dire With Bill’s Limits On Med School Loans
If a $150,000 cap on direct federal unsubsidized loans stands, some fear fewer students will be able to afford medical school. Graduates carry an average debt of $212,341, the Association of American Medical Colleges found. Plus, Republicans take a swing at changes to the One Big Beautiful Bill.
NIH Halts Anti-DEI Policy That Was Required To Get New Research Grants
It’s unclear what prompted the change, which is effective immediately, Stat reported. In related news, a federal judge on Monday blocked the Trump administration from enforcing anti-DEI and anti-trans policies against groups that provide help for the LGBTQ+ community.
RFK Jr. Ousts Panel Of CDC Vaccine Advisers, Presumably Picks Successors
New members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices have not yet been identified, but they are expected to meet later this month. Separately, the FDA has approved Merck’s monoclonal antibody clesrovimab to protect infants from RSV.
3 Health Care Companies To Lay Off Hundreds Of Workers
The cuts are coming to Virginia Mason Franciscan (based in Tacoma, Washington), Prime Healthcare (based in Ontario, California), and Bayada Home Health Care (based in Moorestown, New Jersey). Plus: Affinia Healthcare is now fully accredited for its new family medicine residency program.
First Edition: Tuesday, June 10, 2025
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Risk Of Diabetes Is Higher With Sugary Beverages But Not Sugary Foods
A study, which spanned multiple continents, found that drinking sugar consistently led to higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, but consuming it from food sources showed no such link. In other lifestyle news: a BowFlex recall; dating apps’ effects on mental health; and more.
Dozens Sickened In 7 States From Salmonella Outbreak Linked To Eggs
Twenty-one people have been hospitalized in an egg recall that spans nine states: Arizona, California, Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Washington, and Wyoming. Other news comes from Washington, D.C., Michigan, Massachusetts, Utah, Missouri, California, Louisiana, and Florida.
Depressed? You Are Not Alone: Health Workers Report High Rate Of The Blues
Over one-fifth of health care and other service workers say they have been diagnosed with depression, a study had found. Also in the news: the Federation of American Hospitals; Adventist HealthCare; BayCare; and more.
Emergency Officials Unclear How — Or Even If — They Can Help In Disasters
Summer is approaching, bringing potentially deadly floods, tornadoes, and wildfires along with it. But recent staffing changes and policy directives at FEMA have left local emergency officials unsure what kind of help — medical, financial, or otherwise — they’ll be able to offer.
Doctors Implore AMA To Challenge Trump’s Health Agenda More Strongly
Cuts to Medicaid and NIH, along with trade tariffs, will make it harder to give Americans the kind and quality of care they need, doctors argue. “Quiet advocacy is insufficient,” one AMA member said.
As Measles Cases Close In On 30-Year High, WHO Warns US Must Act Now
With 1,168 confirmed cases across 33 states — more than four times as many cases as last year — the country is at risk of losing its disease-elimination status. U.S. leaders must focus on vaccine efforts to prevent it from becoming endemic, the WHO’s vaccine director says.
Viewpoints: Medicaid Work Requirements Will Create Chaos, And Cuts Will Lead To Excess Deaths
Opinion writers discuss Medicaid and other topics.
4 Members Of CDC Vaccine Advisory Panel Get Termination Notices
Stat reports that the panel, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, has been a target of health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Other vaccine-related news is on covid vaccine recommendations, “medical freedom,” and more.
First Edition: Monday, June 9, 2025
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
KFF Health News finds longer stories for you to spend some time with over the long weekend. Today’s selections are on infant testing, cancer, ultra-processed foods, and consumer health.
Opinion writers discuss these public health issues.
Denver ER Visits, Overdoses Drop Thanks To Mental Health Program
Denver’s THRIVE program, which aims to help those experiencing homelessness and addiction, has also helped to decrease jail bookings. Other news from around the nation comes from North Carolina, Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, Florida, and Illinois.
AMA To Allow AI Startup Access To Medical Journals’ Content In New Deal
The AI search tool allows clinicians to input patients’ clinical presentations and receive relevant academic articles from medical journals. This is the second deal the AI startup, OpenEvidence, has brokered this year with medical publications. Plus: “ghost networks;” the No Surprises Act; and more.
Gilead Pins Its Hopes On Breakthrough Twice-Yearly HIV Prevention Shot
The Wall Street Journal reports on the expected FDA approval of lenacapavir and what it might mean for Gilead’s future in the market. Other coverage of science and research-related news is on a mini-heart breakthrough at Stanford; a potential link between semaglutides and age-related macular degeneration; the prevalence of aggressive fatty liver disease; and more.
Four States Petition FDA To Remove Mifepristone Restrictions
The petition, filed by Massachusetts, New York, California, and New Jersey, aims to compel the FDA to recognize that mifepristone is safe and effective. More reproductive health news includes GLP-1 drugs and birth control; IVF; antibiotics during pregnancy; gut microbiota; menopause; and more.
