Latest KFF Health News Stories
Study Suggests Disposable Vapes Have More Toxic Metals Than Cigarettes
A study by UC Davis found that some disposable e-cigarettes emit in a single day the same amount of lead as 20 packs of conventional cigarettes. More news is on nitrates in water linked to preterm births; heart attack deaths; and a cancer-fighting compound.
New York Judge Fired For Opposing Trump’s Order On Gender Identity
Administrative Judge Karen Ortiz, who worked for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, was let go a month after opposing an executive order decreeing male and female as two “immutable” sexes. Other states making news: Tennessee, California, North Carolina, Oregon, and Missouri.
Health Care Spending To Top One-Fifth Of GDP By 2033, CMS Report Predicts
National health expenditures will increase 5.8% a year on average from 2024 to 2033, at which point $8.6 trillion will be spent on health care, Modern Healthcare reports. More news is on: layoffs at UCSF Health; CVS’ overbilling ruling; and more.
Protesters In Wheelchairs Zip-Tied As Lawmakers Squabble Over Medicaid
The demonstrators, 34 of whom were arrested, oppose cuts to Medicaid and other programs that senators are considering. Congress is still hashing out health care-related provisions in the megabill, including a rural hospital relief fund, provider taxes, the effects of payments to states, and more.
CDC Nominee Susan Monarez Skirts Questions On RFK Jr. During Hearing
In Wednesday’s confirmation hearing, Monarez told members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee that she “values vaccines, public health interventions, and rigorous scientific evidence.” In other news: the NIH has stopped grant terminations.
Viewpoints: The Danger Of Medicaid Cuts May Be Overblown; Ending Support For LGBTQ+ Youth Is Cruel
Opinion writers discuss these public health topics.
ACIP Will Revisit Vaccine Schedule, Give HepB And MMR Another Look
The advisory panel has created three work groups to study shots that have already undergone rigorous scientific study, medical experts say. The panel today may discuss an RSV jab for infants.
First Edition: Thursday, June 26, 2025
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Opinion writers weigh in on these topics and others.
USDA Giving States $12M To Fight CWD In Animals, Prevent Spillover To People
The funds will be used to increase surveillance and testing for the fatal prion disease that affects cervids such as deer, elk, and moose. There has not been a documented human infection of chronic wasting disease. Plus: More cases of avian flu in mammals and wild birds.
Texas Led Nation In 2024 For Women Seeking Out-Of-State Abortions
A Guttmacher Institute study found that roughly 20% of the more than 150,000 people who traveled for abortion care lived in Texas, where abortions are illegal after six weeks. Other states in the news include California, North Carolina, and Mississippi.
Oz Signals Administration Looking To End Complicated Drug Rebate System
In a comment made Tuesday, CMS chief Mehmet Oz pushed for the elimination of the payments drugmakers send to pharmacy benefit managers after prescriptions are filled. Other industry news is about a sutureless peripheral nerve repair device, medical device recalls, and more.
International Doctors Can’t Start Medical Residencies Due To Visa Woes
Hundreds of foreign doctors find themselves in limbo just days from when they should be starting their medical residencies at U.S. hospitals. In other news: States sue the Trump administration over grant cuts; Colorado is buying overdose reversal kits; and more.
Slashing Medicaid Would Force States To Cut Provider Pay, Analysis Finds
States would have to find ways to cushion the blow from lost funding. House GOP moderates are warning that the Senate version of the bill cuts too deep for them to support. Meanwhile, a key GOP senator says Medicaid cuts could cause the GOP to lose control of the House and Senate in 2026.
At Fiery House Hearing, RFK Jr. Denies He Made False Promises Over Vaccines
Maryland Democratic Rep. Kim Schrier said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy “lied to the American people” and later added, “I will lay all responsibility for every death from a vaccine-preventable illness at your feet.” A combative Kennedy defended his advisory picks for ACIP and said, “None of them are anti-vax.”
First Edition: Wednesday, June 25, 2025
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
As States Sizzle And Heat-Related Illnesses Rise, Federal Response Falters
The Trump administration is slow-walking rules proposed during the Biden years that would protect workers from extreme heat. “We have a lot of reason to believe that it’s going to take a dire toll on people’s health,” one scientist says. More news is about #SkinnyTok, sobriety, and microplastics.
Texas Opts Out Of Federal Summer Lunch Program For Low-Income Kids
The Summer EBT program, which would have given qualifying families $120 per child to pay for summertime lunches in 2027, has been vetoed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who cited federal funding uncertainty. Other news comes from New York, Missouri, North Carolina, and Georgia.
VA To End Last Medical Research Project Involving Primates This Month
The VA’s spinal cord research project involving monkeys is wrapping up, marking the culmination of efforts by activists and lawmakers alike to end studies that harm dogs, cats, and primates. Also in the news: a drug to treat lung cancer, diabetes drugs and loss of vision, and more.
