GAO Report Indicates FDA Rarely Pulls Defective Medical Devices Off Market
The Government Accountability Office's new report says the FDA's understaffing means it has difficulty ensuring companies are taking critical steps to protect patients.
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The Government Accountability Office's new report says the FDA's understaffing means it has difficulty ensuring companies are taking critical steps to protect patients.
An unvaccinated child traveler starting showing symptoms of the virus soon after returning home from abroad. As South Carolina becomes the latest hot spot, disease experts criticize the Trump administration — specifically HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — for continued transmission.
Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat, said the legislation will help terminally ill patients "avoid unnecessary pain and suffering at the end of their lives." More news comes out of California, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.
The provision of the tax law enacted in July requires the government to stop making Medicaid reimbursements to a subset of the nation’s largest abortion providers, which Planned Parenthood says singled them out, The New York Times reports. The lawsuit will now return to a lower court.
The House will take up health care measures this week, but none of them will offer a straight, multiyear extension on enhanced Obamacare tax credits. Plus, more about the politics of Obamacare subsidies and what that could mean for U.S. health care.
Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Each week, KFF Health News finds longer stories for you to enjoy. Today's selections are on antibiotics, medically assisted death, acromegaly, organ donation, and more.
"I worry people may not fully appreciate the risk pertussis poses," said Dr. Howard Chiou, medical director for communicable diseases and immunizations at Oregon Health Authority's Public Health Division. Oregon has reported 1,475 cases so far in 2025, surpassing the previous record of 1,420.
An analysis shows that UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, and Cigna only partially disclosed price data, despite federal rules requiring full disclosure. The worry is that this could harm the nation's employers when it comes time to choose workplace coverage. Plus: CMS' new Medicare payment model focuses on digital health, chronic conditions, and prior authorizations.
This announcement comes after the Trump administration canceled more than 200 Biden-era mental health grants. The 65 new grant recipients are being encouraged to focus on "evidence-based student services," with more than half of the grant money going to rural communities.
Opinion writers tackle these public health topics.
Cannabis is currently a Schedule 1 substance, on par with heroin and LSD. Reclassifying it as a Schedule III drug would put it in the same category as mild prescription painkillers. The change would ease barriers to research, The Washington Post reports.
Dr. Vinay Prasad, the FDA's director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, is said to be making plans to unveil by the end of this year a plan to include the most serious warnings on the inoculations. Moderna and Pfizer have maintained that their shots are safe and effective.
Neither the Democrats' proposal — extending Obamacare subsidies for three years — nor the Republicans' plan — boosting health savings accounts — garnered enough votes to take the pressure off Americans facing higher health care costs. Lawmakers still have until next week to find a fix.
Each week, KFF Health News compiles a selection of health policy studies and briefs.
Editorial writers discuss these public health topics.
As of yesterday, South Carolina reported 111 measles cases, with 27 of those reported in less than a week. State epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell attributes the rapid increase to holiday gatherings and a low vaccination rate. Also: news from California, Massachusetts, Florida, Indiana, and elsewhere.
“All indications are that what we have identified in this and in earlier reports is just the tip of the iceberg in the nursing home industry,” New Jersey Comptroller Kevin Walsh said after his office released the report Wednesday.
Urologists and experts on the committee say the drug labeling should be revised so that doctors may prescribe it for more uses. Testosterone replacement therapy has gained popularity on social media as a way for young men to increase muscle mass. Plus, Meta cuts some reproductive health accounts.
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