Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026
KFF HEALTH NEWS ORIGINAL STORIES
KFF Health News: As Health Insurance Costs Soar, Healthcare Workers Also Feel The Pinch
Joshua and Ashley Durham run a family medicine practice, and for the first time in their lives, they have no health insurance. When the Durhams began their practice at the end of 2023 — he as a primary care physician and she as a pharmacist who handles the billing — the couple bought coverage for themselves and their two kids on the Affordable Care Act marketplace. But they said their monthly premiums for a similar health plan for this year rose several hundred dollars to nearly $1,600. (Norimine, 9/22)
KFF Health News: Insurance Coverage Lags As Cancer Science, Treatment Move Forward
Eighteen months after his initial diagnosis, chemotherapy hadn’t slowed 21-year-old Mason Henderson’s rare brain tumor, which had spread to his spinal fluid. So he left his home in southeastern Texas to spend three weeks in a clinical trial in New York City. But that failed, too, leaving a murky path for Henderson, whose cancer was so rare the World Health Organization had only given it a name in 2021. So early this year, Henderson’s doctors, evaluating his tumor’s deep genetic language, turned to a drug made by Merck and AstraZeneca called Lynparza. (Allen, 9/22)
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
Modern Healthcare: CMS Faces Lawsuit Over Medicaid Work Requirements, Frailty Rule
The American College of Physicians and the American Academy of Pediatrics have signed onto a lawsuit seeking to repeal key provisions of a Medicaid work requirements regulation. The plaintiffs allege that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ work requirements rule impermissibly restricts verification and exemption policies such as the parameters for the “medical frailty” exemption. The National Health Law Program and Democracy Forward lead the lawsuit, and the plaintiffs include six physician groups, five Medicaid enrollees and the city of Columbus, Ohio. (Early, 9/21)
The Wall Street Journal: Pharmaceutical Companies Push Trump Administration To Protect China Deals
Western pharmaceutical companies are urging the administration to allow them to keep doing deals with Chinese companies for promising drug candidates, despite a 2025 law restricting U.S. investment in Chinese technology. The group that represents pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer, Merck and Eli Lilly has been lobbying to make sure that the new rules the Treasury Department is writing, as part of that 2025 law, maintain the drugmakers’ ability to do deals in China. (Martinez and Lawrence, 9/21)
The Guardian: Brendan Carr Was A Member Of A Rogue Alcoholics Anonymous Group Some Labeled A ‘Cult’
Brendan Carr, the chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), was for about a decade a member of a rogue Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) group when he was in his late teens and 20s that some former members compared to a “cult”, according to a Guardian investigation. The Midtown group, which was based in the Washington DC area, attracted young people who were seeking help with addiction, sometimes at the urging of their parents. But while AA groups are traditionally a fellowship of people who come together to solve their drinking problem, former Midtown members say its one-time leader Michael Quinones – who died of cancer in 2007 – came to control nearly every aspect of their lives, including where they lived, worked and went to school. (Kirchgaessner, 9/22)
ON CAPITOL HILL
Roll Call: Lawmakers Bristle At Trump Effort For Tighter Control Of NIH
Key lawmakers are pushing back after reports revealed that the Trump administration is seeking even greater control over the National Institutes of Health grantmaking process. The effort, first reported by The Washington Post, includes potentially issuing an executive order or White House review of grants to weed out research contrary to President Donald Trump’s agenda. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, on Monday criticized the plan, saying that the Office of Management and Budget shouldn’t be involved in these decisions. (DeGroot, 9/21)
Fierce Healthcare: Sens' Bill Floats New Cyber Standards, $1.3B Hospital Support
Democratic senators have reintroduced their bid to tighten healthcare cybersecurity standards and direct $1.3 billion of federal funds toward updating hospitals’ protections and practices. The Health Infrastructure Security and Accountability Act was brought late last week by Sen. Mark Warner, D-VA, who serves as vice chairman of the Select Committee on Intelligence, and Sen. Ron Wyden, D-OR, ranking member of the budget committee. It treads much of the same ground as the same-named bill they had introduced in 2024, with the senators noting that cyberattacks against healthcare have only increased in frequency and sophistication in the two years since. (Muoio, 9/21)
Axios: Health Care Costs Stoke Midterm Battleground Races
The willingness to confront powerful health care interests is becoming a litmus test for candidates in congressional battleground races with six weeks to go before the midterm elections. (Owens and Bettelheim, 9/22)
Stat: What's Up Next In GOP Health Care Plans? Brian Blase Can Tell You
Brian Blase, president of Paragon Health Institute, has become a trusted adviser to Republicans in Congress, who passed sweeping changes to federal funding for health care last year. (Payne, 9/22)
IMMIGRATION CRISIS
AP: Man Shot By ICE, Detained In Texas With A Bullet In His Back Is Back In The Hospital, Attorney Says
A Venezuelan man shot by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer and taken to a detention center in Texas with a bullet still lodged in his back was back in the hospital by Monday night, the man’s attorney said. Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, 28, was making a DoorDash delivery in Austin on Sunday when his car was “sideswiped” twice by ICE officers in an unmarked truck, immigration attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch told reporters earlier Monday. He was shot and taken to a hospital, she said, but was released later Sunday into ICE custody with the bullet still inside him. (Wilder and Bedayn, 9/22)
The Washington Post: Immigrants With Final Deportation Orders Disappear From ICE Detainee Locator
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is erasing immigrants with final deportation orders from a searchable online database, leaving families and attorneys in the dark as they try to find out where someone has been taken. The new policy also bars immigration officers from sharing information about a detainee’s location with their attorneys or relatives by phone, according to two former Homeland Security officials briefed on the change. Immigration officials did not issue a public announcement about the new policy, which took effect Sept. 15. (Sacchetti and Bowman, 9/21)
The Guardian: Banished To Alien Lands: Trump’s Secret Deportation Deals
After a plane journey in shackles, an Iranian woman found herself in the middle of Africa in a country she did not know existed. She is one of thousands deported from the US on the back of shadowy deals made with dozens of countries. An in-depth investigation reveals the ‘show of force’ costing American taxpayers millions. (Loveluck, 9/21)
MILITARY HEALTH
Military.com: Air Force Tech Specialist Faces Potential Discharge Over A Prescribed ADHD Medication
A 16-year airman at Travis AFB told Military.com that a positive drug test due to a military-doctor prescribed medication puts his career in jeopardy. (Mordowanec, 9/22)
Military.com: Veterans Are Losing Weight And Lowering Their A1C With This Free VA Program
For veterans such as Chip Hanson, the Department of Veterans Affairs’ MOVE! program has delivered results that extend far beyond a number on a scale. The other participants said they had lower blood pressure, a substantial reduction in body weight and improved blood sugar levels. Alex Moreno, one of the veterans in the program, said that his average blood sugar fell from 6.0 two years ago to 5.4. (Reisdorf, 9/22)
MENTAL HEALTH
The New York Times: Sadness And Suicidal Behavior Among Teenagers Is Declining, C.D.C. Finds
A national survey has found that key mental health measures for teenagers have significantly improved from their worst levels during the pandemic. (Ghorayshi, 9/21)
PUBLIC HEALTH
NBC News: Drinking Finally Slows After Pandemic Spike — Especially For Millennials And Gen Z
Americans are drinking less for the first time since the pandemic, but alcohol use remains higher than it was before 2020, according to a study published Monday in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine. The decline in drinking rates, though modest at roughly 1%, is welcome news after heavy alcohol use spiked sharply during the pandemic, said senior study author Dr. Brian P. Lee, a liver transplant doctor at Keck Medicine of USC in Los Angeles. (Sullivan, 9/21)
HealthDay: Dengue Fever In Florida: First Death Reported In Tampa Outbreak
An elderly Tampa woman has died of dengue fever as Florida faces one of its worst outbreaks of the mosquito-borne illness in decades. The Florida Department of Health confirmed the death Friday but didn't share details, the Associated Press reported. The woman died Sept. 4, according to the Tampa Bay Times, which first reported the death. Most of this year's cases are in Hillsborough County, which includes Tampa. (Vohnoutka, 9/21)
MPR News: Bat Tests Positive For Rabies After Found In Downtown Minneapolis
State health officials say a bat found in downtown Minneapolis last week tested positive for rabies — and they’re trying to find anyone who may have been in contact with it. (9/21)
ABC News: 2nd Possible Measles Exposure Reported In Philadelphia At Airport
Philadelphia is facing a second possible measles exposure, the city's Department of Public Health warned over the weekend. Health officials said an individual with measles passed through Philadelphia International Airport and that the case is not connected to the recent exposure that occurred at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). (Kekatos, 9/21)
HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY
Modern Healthcare: CVS Health Subsidiary Omnicare Wins Approval For Bankruptcy Plan
CVS Health subsidiary Omnicare won approval of its bankruptcy plan last week. A federal judge for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas authorized the long-term care pharmacy services provider’s agreement with the Justice Department on Thursday. CVS Health agreed in July to pay $130 million to the Justice Department within two weeks of the final agreement, and another $310 million by the end of March 2028. (Tong, 9/21)
Modern Healthcare: ICHRAs Plans Boosted By Feds, Rebranded As CHOICE
The stars may finally be aligning for individual coverage health reimbursement accounts after more than half a decade of hype. Employers have been able to give workers funds to buy individual market health insurance plans through ICHRAs from insurers such as Centene and Oscar Health since 2020. But adoption remains limited. These plans, which lean on the Affordable Care Act of 2010’s exchanges, have also been hampered by the expiration of enhanced premium subsidies at the end of last year. (Tong, 9/21)
Modern Healthcare: InnovAge CEO: Health System Partners Fuel PACE Growth
More partnerships with health systems are on the drawing board for InnovAge, a large operator of Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly. The Denver-based company’s joint ventures with Tampa General and Orlando Health are helping it enroll more patients in PACE and keep them out of the hospital, said CEO Patrick Blair. The health systems made financial investments in co-branded PACE centers. Blair said in an interview the company would also be open to acquisitions of PACE programs as it looks to expand to other states. (Eastabrook, 9/21)
PHARMA AND TECH
MedPage Today: FDA Staff Find No Major Concerns With Galleri Multicancer Early Detection Test
FDA staff members had no major concerns or questions about the safety, accuracy, risks, or benefits of the Galleri multicancer early detection (MCED) blood test ahead of an advisors' meeting that will be held Wednesday. The prescription, qualitative in vitro diagnostic test from Grail is intended to screen for early detection of multiple types of cancer in adults ages 50 and older. (Bassett, 9/21)
Stat: What A Vote On Grail Cancer Detection Test May Mean For The Company, Patients
Shares in Grail, the company developing a blood test aimed at detecting many different types of cancer early, when they can be treated more effectively, surged 33% Monday after the Food and Drug Administration posted documents ahead of an advisory committee meeting that suggest the agency may take a favorable view of the test. (Herper, 9/21)
Stat: Alkermes’ Orexin Agonist Shows Potential To Treat ADHD In Early-Stage Trial
Drugs called orexin agonists have been hailed for their ability to treat rare sleep disorders, but with new data, Alkermes is showing for the first time that the new class of therapies may benefit people with ADHD. (Chen, 9/21)
Newsweek: Scientists Find Potential Way To Preserve Muscle During GLP-1 Weight Loss
GLP-1 medications have transformed obesity treatment, helping millions of people lose weight. But they come with a drawback that concerns doctors and users alike: people often lose a significant amount of muscle, or lean mass, alongside body fat. (Gray, 9/21)
Healthcare Dive: Mayo Clinic, Thermo Fisher Partner To Create Biomedical Database
Mayo Clinic and Thermo Fisher Scientific have founded Precure, a company focused on creating one of the world’s leading biomedical datasets. The company, which Mayo Clinic unveiled last week, will use molecular data generated from one million biospecimens, clinical information and other resources to create the dataset. (Taylor, 9/21)
STATE WATCH
CalMatters: California Sues Christian Groups Over Abortion Pill Reversal
California is suing two Christian anti-abortion nonprofits over a disputed treatment the groups call “abortion pill reversal” in a case that could reshape the nation’s ongoing battle over abortion rights. An Alameda County judge heard six weeks of arguments in the case, and will ultimately decide whether the First Amendment shields two anti-abortion groups that promote a disputed hormone treatment, or whether their claims violate false advertising laws. (Hwang, 9/21)
Mother Jones: The California Lawmaker Forcing Big Food To Clean Up Its Act
While DC dithers, Jesse Gabriel has quietly become America’s de facto food safety chief. (Black, 9/22)
CNN: A String Of Rare Childhood Cancer Cases In This California Suburb Has The Community On Edge
Residents of Ladera Ranch have tallied cancer cases and raised concerns about pesticides in parks and playing fields. Scientists say proving a cause is complicated. (Jones, 9/20)
MPR News: Minnesota’s Universal School Meals Program Draws More Students, Eases Family Costs
On the first day of school at Hoover Elementary in Coon Rapids, Gov. Tim Walz and Education Commissioner Willie Jett donned aprons and plastic gloves and stood in the cafeteria before a line of elementary students. “Do you want orange chicken?” Walz asked a student before spooning a serving of lunch onto his plate. The governor, a former teacher, has said the state’s universal school meals program, which he signed into law in 2023, is one of the proudest accomplishments of his eight-year tenure. (Shockman, 9/22)
Maryland Matters: Maryland Long-Term Care Insurance Rates Could Double
Thousands of Maryland seniors paying for long-term healthcare could face steep premium increases over the next several years if state officials approve the steep increases requested by four Maryland insurance companies last week. (Brown, 9/21)
Chicago Tribune: Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker Reveals 80-Pound Weight Loss
Gov. JB Pritzker disclosed Monday that he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes two years ago and has since lost 80 pounds using a GLP-1 drug. (Gorner, 9/21)
CLIMATE AND HEALTH
