Latest KFF Health News Stories
FDA Raids Maker of Poppers, A Party Drug HHS Chief Suggests Causes AIDS
It is unclear whether Robert F. Kennedy Jr. knew about the raid. Also, the FDA is documenting injuries caused by nitrous oxide sold commercially, as inhaling it can cause dangerously low blood pressure. Other news links probiotic use to fever reduction in kids, discusses drug pricing, and more.
Uncertain Future For Rural Hospitals As Medicaid, Medicare Changes Loom
The future of a subsidy program for broadband internet also is uncertain. If changes to any of these programs are made, the effects will hurt rural hospitals that rely on telemedicine, remote patient monitoring, and other technologies to help their patients. Other news is on a charity care settlement, the nursing home industry, and more.
Measles Outbreak Swells To Almost 260 As Afflicted Try Nonclinical Treatments
At least 34 people have been hospitalized in the outbreak that began in Texas. Health experts fear folks are following advice such as using cod liver oil and are not seeking medical help soon enough.
Marines May Remove Troops With Skin Condition Affecting Mostly Black Men
The genetic skin condition, called pseudofolliculitis barbae, causes pain and scarring from shaving. Military.com reports that a new policy may mean that servicemembers who don’t respond to treatment and must stay on a shaving waiver may be let go “due to incompatibility with service.” Also: immigration; halting Agent Orange cleanup; removing mRNA vaccine references from grant applications; and more.
In Senate Hearing, Oz Steers Around Talk Of Medicaid Cuts
TV personality, heart surgeon, and CMS nominee Dr. Mehmet Oz touted three reforms to fix the U.S. health system: giving patients more information to navigate the system; using AI to ease paperwork burdens on doctors; and combating fraud, Politico reported. But he would not directly answer questions about the possibility of cuts to the Medicaid program.
First Edition: Monday, March 17, 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 sickle cell anemia, Xanax, microplastics, covid, and more.
Health Employers In Arkansas Banned From Using Physician Noncompetes
Arkansas is the latest state to limit noncompete agreements, Modern Healthcare reports, after Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed a bill voiding such provisions in physician contracts. Other news is from Maryland, Missouri, Connecticut, Michigan, North Carolina, Massachusetts, and California.
Texas Tech Med School Says It Won’t Consider Race For Admissions
Settling a lawsuit brought by a former applicant who alleged Texas Tech Medical School rejected him in favor of lower-performing students of color, the school said it wouldn’t consider a student’s race in future applications, and says it never did so. Also: calls for increased Medicare doctors’ pay.
Health Experts Say Covid Now Acts Like An Endemic Disease, Akin To Flu
Covid is now less deadly but is expected to continue experiencing waves, experts told The Washington Post. Separately, scientists suggest that the development of MIS-C complications in kids following a covid infection may be linked to reactivation of a latent Epstein-Barr virus.
Opinion writers examine these public health issues.
FDA Gives 2025-26 Flu Shot Guidance, Minus Input From Advisory Committee
After studying this year’s influenza information, the recommendation is that flu vaccines for next year be trivalent, reports CNN. Also in the news, Vermont reports its first measles case in a school-aged child; disease detectives search airplanes for pathogens; and more.
Dr. Oz’s Tax Payments For Medicare, Social Security Come Under Scrutiny
Senate Finance Committee Democratic staff allege the CMS nominee relied on a chancy tax exemption that allowed him to avoid paying $440,000 in taxes for the programs. That issue and his ties to the insurance industry are likely to come up today at his confirmation hearing.
HHS Girds For More Budget Cuts, Staff Reductions, Revised Policy Priorities
The Trump administration is planning sweeping changes in its effort to shrink the federal government, Politico reports. Disclosure of possible changes at the Department of Health and Human Services comes as separate federal judges ruled the Office of Personnel Management lacked legal authority to direct mass firings across government agencies.
First Edition: Friday, March 14, 2025
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Viewpoints: Cuts To NIH Will Have Long-Lasting Implications; Why Are So Few Getting The HPV Vaccine?
Editorial writers tackle these public health issues.
Research Roundup: The Latest Science, Discoveries, And Breakthroughs
Each week, KFF Health News compiles a selection of the latest health research and news.
Nearly 26 Years After Columbine High Massacre, Death Toll Rises By One
A coroner has determined that the cause of death for Anne Marie Hochhalter, who was paralyzed in the 1999 Colorado school shooting and died last month, was “best classified as homicide.” Hochhalter, 43, had sepsis related to the two gunshots she suffered. Her death raises the victim toll to 14, not including the two shooters.
Montana Judge Voids 2 Abortion Laws, Ruling They Added Unneeded Hardship
The laws, passed in 2023 and immediately halted by the courts, required those who use Medicaid to submit to unnecessary steps before receiving care, a district court judge determined. More abortion-related news comes from Wyoming, Kentucky, and Missouri.
North Dakota Might Ask Supreme Court To End Same-Sex Marriage
The resolution passed the Republican-led House last month but still needs Senate approval, which is not assured, AP reported. In other LGBTQ+ news, a federal judge questions the Pentagon’s transgender ban; President Donald Trump shares a link that included an image associated with the persecution of gay people during the Nazi regime; and more.
