Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
From KFF Health News - Latest Stories:
KFF Health News Original Stories
Indigenous Groups Are Exempt From Medicaid Work Rules, but Native Hawaiians Aren’t
Native Hawaiians will have to comply with the new work requirements in President Donald Trump’s signature One Big Beautiful Bill Act, despite facing significant obstacles to employment and healthcare.
Readers Wrestle With Healthcare Inequalities and Want a Word With Congress
KFF Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
What the Health? From KFF Health News: Anger Over Health Costs Clouds Midterms
Amid a campaign already focusing on affordability, anxious voters are unlikely to be assuaged by headlines about healthcare costs rising even more next year. And a lawsuit that could cut off access nationwide to the abortion pill mifepristone gets a hearing in federal court. Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, Sandhya Raman of Bloomberg Law, and Amanda Seitz of KFF Health News join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Rovner also interviews Lauren Sausser, who wrote the latest KFF Health News “Bill of the Month.”
Here's today's health policy haiku:
NO MORE BAND-AID SOLUTIONS
Our healthcare system,
— Anonymous
important to all of us,
needs a new approach.
If you have a health policy haiku to share, please Contact Us and let us know if we can include your name. Haikus follow the format of 5-7-5 syllables. We give extra brownie points if you link back to an original story.
Opinions expressed in haikus and cartoons are solely the author's and do not reflect the opinions of KFF Health News or KFF.
Summaries Of The News:
9/11 Anniversary
For First Time, 9/11 Ceremony Pays Tribute To As Many As 9,000 People Who Died From Illnesses Since The Attacks
CNN: Why There Will Be A New Moment Of Silence At This Year’s Ground Zero Ceremony
A seventh moment of silence at the September 11 ceremony at Ground Zero will honor those lost to diseases and other health effects from 9/11. Many first responders and survivors say it's a validation they’ve long fought for. (Dominus, 9/10)
U.S. News & World Report: 25 Years Later, Ground Zero's Toxic Legacy Is Still Claiming Lives
Federal data shows deaths from illnesses linked to 9/11 have far surpassed the original attack death toll. Representatives for more than 9,000 people who died after 9/11 have filed claims with the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, and more than 6,000 of those have received compensation so far. (Comen, 9/11)
The Washington Post: Cancer’s Toll On 9/11 Survivors Is Accelerating 25 Years Later
When Mariama James returned to her Lower Manhattan apartment on the evening of Sept. 11, 2001, it was covered in dust. She’d left the windows open that warm day, and the clouds of toxic material released when the twin towers collapsed had rushed in. “Everything was blanketed in white, like after a good snow,” James said. A few years later, James developed skin cancer. In 2013, James’s mother, Juanita, who was on her way to work in the financial district on the morning of the attacks and covered in the dust, was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer. She died in 2023. (Wu and Hacker, 9/9)
The New York Times: 9/11’s Dust And Ash Coated Their Childhood. Is It Still Making Them Ill?
Much of the research on exposure to the World Trade Center residue has focused on emergency workers, but people there when they were young say their health is at risk, too. (Goldstein, 9/8)
NBC News: Dementia Is Taking A Toll On Sept. 11 Responders. A Federal Health Program Doesn’t Cover It.
When the World Trade Center Health Program was created in 2011, Stephen Stolarik was among the first to sign up. As a volunteer firefighter, he was at ground zero two days after the attacks, helping with recovery and cleanup efforts. Over the years, the federal program, which gives free healthcare to Sept. 11 responders and survivors, has covered his care for the post-traumatic stress disorder he developed, linked to his time there. (Lovelace Jr., Kopf and Llamas, 9/10)
Medical Xpress: Where 9/11 Responders Live May Influence Frailty, PTSD And Depression Decades Later
Twenty-five years after the September 11 terrorist attacks, researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have found that environmental conditions where World Trade Center responders live may influence their long-term physical and mental health. Published in Nature Communications, the study found an association between responders exposed to higher temperatures and greater levels of air pollution and an increased risk of frailty, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression as they aged. In contrast, living in greener environments was associated with lower risks of all three conditions. (9/11)
The New York Times: After Causing Delays For 9/11 Health Claims, Social Security Pledges To Do Its Job
A federal fund for those who became sick or died after being exposed to toxic dust from the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks has been stymied in recent months by the Social Security Administration, which has not turned over key data required to resolve claims, according to lawyers, advocates and officials involved in the work. The reason for the inaction is unclear. But since the start of President Trump’s second term, the administration has made sweeping cuts to the agency, leading to complaints from citizens that basic services are long-delayed or nonexistent. (Barrett, 9/8)
Also —
The Washington Post: They Survived 9/11. Then They Devoted Their Lives To Helping Others.
A group of friends who worked in finance at the World Trade Center changed their lives after the attacks, something psychologists call post-traumatic growth. (Penman, 9/9)
The New York Times: The Man Who Approved 9/11 Victims’ Checks Paid a Price
Kenneth Feinberg says the nearly three years he spent running the Sept. 11 compensation fund changed his life view forever. (Livni, 9/10)
The Washington Post: The Little-Known Tale Behind One Of The Only Planes Allowed To Fly After 9/11
A South Florida man was bitten by a deadly snake. The medicine he needed was in California. (Dennis, 9/8)
Reflections on the crashes of Flight 93 in Pennsylvania and Flight 77 at the Pentagon —
Pennsylvania Capital-Star: Remembering Flight 93 Through The Lens Of Healing
My name may have been on the deed to that land near Shanksville, but the land itself didn’t belong to me anymore. It belonged to the grieving families and would need to be protected and preserved. What I really had no way of knowing was that the backbone of my work would be about healing. (Tim Lambert, 9/9)
The New York Times: My Dad Died On Flight 93. I Miss The Way America Responded.
As we mark 25 years, I find myself grappling with a different kind of grief — not for my father, but for the country we shared in his memory. We often treat our current polarization as an inescapable reality of modern democracy. But having lived through the profound solidarity of September 2001, I know that our capacity for connection runs much deeper than our propensity for division. We cannot, and should not, wait for another national tragedy to remind us of who we are to one another. (Charlie Greene, 9/9)
Pasadena Star News: 25 Years After 9/11, A Southern California Doctor’s Legacy Lives On
You can find three places at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank where the memory of Dr. Yeneneh Betru is enshrined: a framed collage along a ground-floor wall contains photos of the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial in Arlington, Virginia, where Betru’s name is inscribed on a bench; a somber-faced bas-relief portrait hangs outside the center’s Intensive Care Unit; and a crape myrtle tree in front of the hospital was planted in his honor a year after the worst terrorist attacks in U.S history killed 2,977. And Betru is there in Dr. Steven Taback’s memories, too. (Rivera, 9/10)
TSA announces changes to its airport security policies —
The New York Times: TSA May Allow Passengers With PreCheck To Bring Water Through Checkpoints
T.S.A. PreCheck members may soon be able to bring larger bottles of water through security at select airports, in a major shift to longstanding rules. The T.S.A. restricted the amount of liquids passengers could carry on after a foiled plot to blow up planes over the Atlantic Ocean using liquids in drink bottles.(Castro-Root and Chung, 9/10)
The Washington Post: TSA To Allow Gate Access Without Tickets At Some Airports
The Transportation Security Administration said it was offering gate access to people without plane tickets as an “exclusive benefit” to “our most trusted travelers,” meaning PreCheck members and people with Known Traveler Numbers, which are issued to travelers approved for expedited security screening. Gate access was restricted after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. (Walsh, 9/9)
Outbreaks and Health Threats
Cyclosporiasis Outbreak Linked To Iceberg Lettuce To Be Declared Over, Insiders Say
The Washington Post: Federal Officials Poised To Declare End Of U.S.’s Largest Known Cyclosporiasis Outbreak
Federal officials are poised to declare the end of the nation’s largest known cyclosporiasis outbreak after thousands of people became sick after eating shredded iceberg lettuce, according to two people familiar with the matter. The update may come as soon as later Thursday, according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation. However, the timing is not guaranteed. In mid-July, Taylor Farms voluntarily recalled products from the market as federal officials began linking its lettuce from central Mexico to a cyclosporiasis outbreak. (Roubein, 9/10)
In other outbreaks and health threats —
CIDRAP: CDC Warns Of New Salmonella Outbreak Linked To Broccoli Sprouts
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) yesterday announced a new Salmonella outbreak linked to broccoli sprouts produced by Evergreen Fresh Sprouts. So far at least 22 people in four states have been sickened, and two patients have been hospitalized. No deaths have been linked to this outbreak. The sprouts were sold to food co-ops, restaurants, food service customers, and grocery stores in Idaho, Montana, and Washington. Sixteen people in Washington state have been sickened, four in Montana, and one each in Idaho and Utah. (Soucheray, 9/10)
The New York Times: Legionnaires’ Outbreak In The Bronx Kills One And Infects 4 Others
An outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in the South Bronx has killed one person and infected four others, New York City health officials announced on Thursday evening. The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is investigating the potential cluster in parts of Melrose and Morrisania, it said in a news release. (Freeman, 9/10)
WUSF: Florida Investigates Possible Hillsborough Death Related To Dengue As Cases Hit 95
The Florida Department of Health said Thursday it was looking into whether dengue fever was responsible for the reported death of a woman in Hillsborough County, where locally acquired cases surged to 95 of the 111 recorded statewide since July. (Mayer and Sheridan, 9/10)
The Washington Post: Rabies Cases Increased 17 Percent In July And August, CDC Says
Rabies cases in the United States from July to August increased 17 percent compared to the same period last year, following several “high-profile rabies outbreaks” and exposure events, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday. (Wang, 9/10)
CIDRAP: Repeat COVID Infections Tied To Higher Odds Of New Health Conditions
Adults who reported having COVID-19 at least twice were significantly more likely to be diagnosed as having a new medical condition than those who reported never having been infected, according to a study published this week in Canada Communicable Disease Report. It’s well known that preexisting conditions can increase the risk of severe COVID. The new research suggests that the relationship between COVID and chronic illness may run in both directions. (Bergeson, 9/10)
The Guardian: Texas Reports First Equine Infection Of New World Screwworm On Ranch Horse
A horse in southern Texas has been infected with the New World screwworm, marking the first US equine infection as health authorities race to contain an outbreak of the flesh-eating parasite. The pest was discovered on the hind limb of a working ranch horse in Presidio county, according to a statement on Thursday from US Equestrian Foundation. (Ede-Osifo, 9/10)
CIDRAP: Turkey Farms In Dakotas, Minnesota Hit With H5N1 Avian Flu
Since September 1, the US Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has noted seven H5N1 avian flu detections in commercial poultry operations, in North and South Dakota, Minnesota, and Idaho. (Soucheray, 9/10)
On vaccines and measles —
The Baltimore Sun: Maryland Issues Vaccine Guidance After Federal Changes
Officials from the Maryland Department of Health issued a vaccine schedule for children and adults Thursday for the first time. A state law changed on July 1 to permit the department to set its own vaccine recommendations, as federal guidance shifts under the Trump administration. (Wilson, 9/10)
Chicago Tribune: Illinois Issues Its Own Flu, COVID-19, RSV Vaccine Guidance
Illinois is issuing its own guidance about flu, COVID-19 and RSV vaccinations for this fall – amid continuing confusion over federal vaccine recommendations. (Schencker, 9/10)
STLPR: Religious Exemptions To Vaccination Rising Among Missouri’s Children
More Missouri parents are opting their kindergarten-age children out of vaccinations for nonmedical reasons, according to state health department data. Vaccination rates have been dropping statewide for several years. At the same time, religious exemptions – in which a parent or guardian declines to vaccinate their child with some or all required immunizations on the basis of sincerely held religious beliefs – are on the rise. (Fentem, 9/10)
Chicago Tribune: Officials Warn Of Possible Measles Exposure At Union Station
City officials are warning of a possible measles exposure at Union Station after someone with the highly contagious illness passed through the West Loop hub late last month. (Kenny, 9/10)
On Ebola —
NPR: Caring For Children With Ebola Is An Unprecedented Challenge
An Ebola treatment unit in the city of Butembo, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, has 30 beds. Tonight, they're all full. "I don't know how this is going to slow down," says Dr. Rupa Narra, a U.S. pediatrician who arrived in August to work for Doctors Without Borders. "It's the most devastating thing I've ever seen in my life." (Bouscaren, 9/10)
Science And Innovations
Anthropic Says It Thwarted Use Of Its AI Tools To Devise Biological Weapons
CNN: Anthropic Says It Blocked Possible Attempts To Use AI To Develop Bioweapons
Anthropic says it has blocked multiple accounts that used the company’s artificial intelligence models in ways that could support the development of biological weapons. In a report published Thursday, the AI company known for its Claude model said it considers biological misuse one of the “most serious risks” to artificial intelligence models. (McPhillips, 9/11)
CNBC: OpenAI, Anthropic Researchers Ramp Up Calls For Slowdown Amid AI Fears
OpenAI and Anthropic researchers are ramping up calls for an AI slowdown and warning of existential risks to humanity after the resignation of a researcher at Anthropic fueled fresh scrutiny. (Nicol-Schwarz, 9/10)
Axios: How AI Makes Biological Research More Dangerous
This week's dire warnings about unchecked artificial intelligence destroying humanity are refocusing attention on how models already are being used in dangerous bioscience experiments — and the lack of safeguards. There's growing alarm about emerging risks from advances like AI-designed viruses. But it's hard to erect guardrails when there's no ironclad way of even knowing how some AI systems will act. (Bettelheim and Owens, 9/11)
On the use of AI in healthcare —
Fierce Healthcare: CMS, FDA Officials Lay Out AI Agenda As Clinicians Debate Risks
Federal healthcare agencies are accelerating efforts to expand artificial intelligence's role in healthcare, with clinical AI emerging as a top strategic priority for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. At a healthcare AI event hosted by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Stephanie Carlton, deputy administrator at CMS, outlined the agency's evolving AI strategy as it aims to establish clearer pathways for AI market access and regulation while also exploring reimbursement frameworks for AI-enabled technologies. (Landi, 9/10)
CIDRAP: Oversight, Standards Needed For Ethical Integration Of AI Into Public Health Systems, Physicians Say
In its current state, industry-driven artificial intelligence (AI) can’t be ethically or responsibly implemented in public health systems, write physicians in the American Journal of Public Health. In the commentary yesterday, Terry Adirim, MD, MPH, of the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, and Amy Molten, MD, of Tufts University School of Medicine, said that, without stronger governance, AI poses risks to patients—especially those from historically marginalized groups such as children, racial minorities, indigenous people, older adults, homeless or incarcerated people, undocumented families, rural residents, and people with disabilities. (Van Beusekom, 9/10)
WP Intelligence: Tech Companies Are Pushing AI In Medical Records. Here’s What To Expect
Health systems are increasingly relying on AI tools, including those that are integrated with patients' medical histories. That raises privacy concerns. (Adams, 9/9)
Stat: To Find The Limits Of AI's Ability To Change Medicine, Start In An ER
The building that houses the Brigham and Women’s Hospital emergency department opened in 2022. But by 2025, it was already too small. One early September evening, the emergency room had 59 patients — 152, if you counted everyone in the waiting room. (Trang, 9/9)
Modern Healthcare: Medtronic’s Jim Peichel On AI, Robotics And Future Of Surgery
Medtronic is exploring new ways to use artificial intelligence, robotics and other emerging technologies to transform how care is delivered, the company’s chief technology officer said. The company, one of the world’s largest medical technology firms, has emerged as a new competitor in soft-tissue surgical robotics after the Food and Drug Administration authorized its Hugo robotic-assisted surgery system in December for urologic surgical procedures. (Dubinsky, 9/10)
Also —
The New York Times: A.I. Data Center Pollution Poses Health Threat, Former E.P.A. Officials Warn
A group representing more than 800 former employees of the Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday sounded the alarm over the health consequences of data centers. It warned that Trump administration policies to weaken pollution safeguards and speed up approvals of the facilities threatened to exacerbate those health harms. (Tabuchi, 9/10)
Administration News
Trump Administration's No-Bond Detainment Policy For Immigrants Blocked A Ninth Time
The Washington Sun: Appeals Court Compares ICE Detention To Japanese Internment In Scathing Ruling
A federal appeals court compared the Trump administration’s no-bond immigrant detention policy to the mass internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, in a scathing decision on Thursday. In the 2-1 ruling, 4th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Nicole Berner argued that the administration had asked the court to “interpret certain amendments” made to federal immigration laws in 1996 in order to eliminate bond hearings for individuals in Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention. (Monnin, 9/10)
ProPublica: U.S. Absent From Group Discussing Wartime Protections For Civilians
Three years ago, the Defense Department led an ambitious international effort to better protect civilians during combat, a movement built on the bloody lessons of Afghanistan and Iraq. The Pentagon created a network with European partners, driving the creation of shared standards. Civilian harm experts described the moment as a “unique opportunity” for American leadership by example. (Allam and Rose, 9/10)
The Washington Post: RFK Jr. Uses Military Aircraft As He Campaigns For GOP In Midterms
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was given access to military aircraft for his travels across the country, including as part of Republicans’ push ahead of the midterm elections, according to four people who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss his travel. Kennedy flew aboard a military jet as he joined Iowa GOP candidates in that state last month, two of those people said. He has sparingly used this more costly form of transport for other trips since he became health secretary, several people said, although they declined to specify those trips. (Roubein, Diamond and Ba Tran, 9/10)
The Hill: Surgeon General Nominee Held Soda, Pharma Industry Stocks
President Trump’s surgeon general nominee reported investments in the tobacco company Philip Morris International as well as beverage companies Monster Beverage Corp., Coca Cola Co. and Pepsi Co., according to financial disclosures released Thursday. Nicole Saphier disclosed these investments in an ethics agreement, where she pledged to completely or partially divest from those companies, as well as shed stock holdings with a host of pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry leaders — including Eli Lilly, Biogen, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Merck, AbbVie and more. (Weixel, 9/10)
KFF Health News: KFF Health News’ ‘Letters To The Editor’: Readers Wrestle With Healthcare Inequalities And Want A Word With Congress
Why can members of Congress remain on full taxpayer-funded salaries during prolonged medical absences while millions of working Americans cannot afford to get sick? Sen. Mitch McConnell’s current extended medical absence brings that disparity into sharp focus. He has missed dozens of Senate votes while continuing to receive his $174,000 taxpayer-funded salary. (9/11)
In military health news —
Healthcare Dive: Veterans Affairs Taps Amwell For Telehealth Revamp
The Department of Veterans Affairs has selected Amwell to facilitate telehealth delivery across the agency. Amwell’s platform, which mainly offers virtual health visits, will help veterans connect with VA providers or other specialists in clinic. It will also support other telehealth services, such as virtual care delivery and care coordination within VA hospitals. (Vaidya, 9/10)
Military.com: Trump Order Could Cut VA Disability Claim Times By 30 Days
President Donald Trump signed an executive order this week aimed at speeding veterans' access to their benefits. Implementation will require the Defense Department and the Department of Veterans Affairs to share military records faster, a change the VA projects could cut disability-claim processing times for recently separated service members by 20 to 30 days. (Gramegna, 9/11)
Military Times: Navy Not Doing Enough To Study Long-Term Brain Damage In Aviators, Lawmakers Say
House lawmakers released key findings Tuesday from an investigation into the Navy’s response to aviators dealing with flight-related brain injuries. The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform said the Navy has not done enough to research and mitigate potential neurological damage for Navy pilots despite being aware of documented mental health concerns and suicides within the F/A-18 community. (Ceder, 9/9)
Military.com: Mother Of Marine Who Enlisted After 9/11, Died From Addiction Calls For Mandatory Civilian Reintegration Plan For Veterans
Sandra Pedroso lost her son to the "invisible wounds of military service," dedicating herself to making sure others don't experience the same loss. (Mordowanec, 9/11)
More from Capitol Hill —
Modern Healthcare: Congress Faces Key Healthcare Legislation Deadlines In December
The last major healthcare bills Congress passed were to cut more than $1 trillion from the health system with last summer’s tax law and to extend a raft of expiring programs. With the exception of taking a whack at pharmacy benefit managers, lawmakers have left every other important healthcare proposal on the shelf while feuding over immigration, war powers and other issues with little bearing on the health sector. (McAuliff, 9/10)
Modern Healthcare: Congress Urged To Overhaul No Surprises Act By Unions, Employers
A group of nearly 70 employers, unions, patient advocates and other organizations is calling on Congress to rework the No Surprises Act of 2020. The letter, led by left-leaning advocacy group Families USA and cosigned by 67 organizations, asked congressional leaders to address concerns about the law’s Independent Dispute Resolution process. Under the No Surprises Act, IDR arbitrators determine appropriate out-of-network reimbursement rates, with claims predominantly filed by providers or their aligned companies. (Tepper, 9/10)
KFF Health News: KFF Health News’ ‘What The Health?’: Anger Over Health Costs Clouds Midterms
Affordability is top of mind for most voters this fall, and the high cost of healthcare is near the top of affordability complaints. And the news keeps getting worse: All indications are that insurance premiums will go up and benefits will go down in 2027. Meanwhile, a U.S. appeals court this week heard arguments in a case that could severely limit the availability of the abortion pill mifepristone, not just in states with abortion bans but also in those where abortion is still legal. (Rovner, 9/10)
Cancer
Lifesaving Chemotherapy For Kids May Cause Elevated Risk Of Future Cancers: Study
Stat: Lifesaving Childhood Chemotherapy Raises Risk Of Cancer Later In Life
Platinum-based chemotherapy — in particular cisplatin and carboplatin — are a lifeline for children with certain cancers. These treatments, for instance, transformed the prognosis of hepatoblastoma, a rare cancer of the liver that is the most commonly diagnosed in childhood, from a five-year survival rate of 20% to more than 80% for localized tumors. (Merelli, 9/10)
Stat: Cancer Medicines Running Low Across The U.S., Survey Finds
An ongoing shortage of cancer medications continues to force leading cancer centers around the U.S. to seek work-around strategies to treat patients and a majority also report that clinical trials have been disrupted, according to a new survey. (Silverman, 9/10)
Stat: Leukemia Drug Data Suggested A Different Way To Treat Diabetes. A New Biotech Will Test That Idea
When Kura Oncology decided to take aim at a protein involved in cell division and signaling, researchers reported a bonus finding: Targeting the protein, menin, didn’t just control the growth of leukemia cells, it also helped control blood sugar levels in animal studies. The biotech on Wednesday announced that it is turning that insight into a new company. (Wosen, 9/9)
On alcohol and cancer —
Fox News: Alcohol-Attributable Cancer Deaths In The US Have Doubled Since 1990, Study Finds
Annual U.S. cancer deaths tied to alcohol consumption more than doubled over a three-decade period, according to a recent study led by researchers at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. The findings, published in The Lancet Regional Health — Americas and presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting in Chicago, revealed that alcohol-attributable cancer deaths jumped from 11,361 in 1990 to 23,126 in 2023. (Quill, 9/10)
In other pharma and tech news —
The Wall Street Journal: Exclusive: Cheap Biologic Drug Alternatives Stall, Threatening U.S. Healthcare Savings
Ninety percent of the expensive, widely used biologic drugs facing patent expiration by 2034 have no lower-cost alternatives in development, according to a new report by the Association for Accessible Medicines, a trade group representing generic drugmakers. This means Americans could miss out on nearly $200 billion in healthcare savings over the next decade with 118 popular biologic drugs going off patent, according to the association’s estimates. These drugs are highly complex medicines manufactured inside living cells and often end up being multibillion-dollar blockbusters for drug companies. (Martinez, 9/10)
MedPage Today: Preschoolers With Cystic Fibrosis Get Close To Normal On Alyftrek
In cystic fibrosis, vanzacaftor-tezacaftor-deutivacaftor (VTD; Alyftrek) showed great potential for modifying the progression of disease in young children, according to the TIMBERLINE study. Assessing safety and tolerability of VTD in 67 children age 2-5 years old already on an existing triple combination cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) modulator, investigators found 96% of the children had adverse events, mostly mild (52%) or moderate (39%) in severity. Another 3% had serious adverse events, none considered related to VTD. (Lou, 9/10)
Stat: Novartis, Novo Nordisk Drug Flops Will Likely ‘Pop A Hole In The Balloon’ Of Field
The back-to-back failures of cardiovascular drugs from Novartis and Novo Nordisk made headlines earlier this month. They could also have a chilling effect across the industry. (DeAngelis and Feuerstein, 9/11)
The Washington Post: Why Scientists Are Starting To Worry Popular Supplements Could Harm The Aging Brain
People tend to think about supplements the way they think about food: Things that are inherently good or bad for you. Green beans are good. Potato chips are bad. Vitamin D and fish oil belong, presumably, on the green-bean side of the ledger. But the aging brain may change the calculation, putting some of America’s most popular supplements under new scrutiny. (Eunjung Cha, 9/10)
Stat: Gifts From Pharma Companies Keep On Giving, A New Study Finds
For years, drugmakers have offered free meals, samples, gifts, and speaking fees to physicians, a widely studied issue due to concerns such largesse may unduly influence prescribing habits. But to what extent have interactions between doctors and pharmaceutical representatives changed behaviors over time? (Silverman, 9/10)
State Watch
Newsom Signs Chatbot, Social Media Laws To Protect California Kids' Mental Health
CalMatters: California Enacts Laws Restricting Chatbots, Protecting Kids Online
California teens will be barred from “addictive” social media products and limited in their interactions with chatbots under two of the 13 bills signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom today to protect kids online. (Lecher, 9/10)
On Medicaid —
The Texas Tribune: More Than 200,000 Texans Are Waiting For Medicaid Approval
Vanessa Melendez had been going back and forth with the state over her family’s Medicaid and food assistance applications for months when the Houston mom learned she was pregnant with her third child. She submitted a new application for Medicaid for Pregnant Women, which covers care during pregnancy and for 12 months after giving birth, last December. And then she waited. (Huff and Keemahill, 9/10)
Politico: Oz’s Medicaid Fraud War Room Is Prompting ‘Aggressive’ State Crackdowns
One autism therapy provider in Nebraska recently lost half its staff and has a growing wait list of children who can’t access services. A small Colorado practice is losing out on tens of thousands of dollars as it continues treating a child whose care was suddenly denied. An autism clinic in New York has stopped accepting Medicaid patients. They say they are suffering because of the Trump administration’s crackdown on Medicaid fraud, even though none of the providers have been found guilty of fraud. (Hooper, 9/10)
CalMatters: Medi-Cal Assisted Living Waiver Leaves Rural Seniors Behind
Last summer, siblings Roselie and John Aiello decided it was time for Roselie to leave her home of 73 years. Raised on a cattle ranch in the small town of Mount Shasta, Roselie spent her life working as a butcher and handling animals, assisting her father until his death. When her three brothers moved away, she stayed at home on the ranch, with its winding dirt roads and green pastures. But over the years, the hard manual labor left her bones weak and her back curved, slowing her pace. (Blough, 9/8)
KFF Health News: Indigenous Groups Are Exempt From Medicaid Work Rules, But Native Hawaiians Aren’t
Native Hawaiians will need to comply with new work requirements to qualify for Medicaid after being excluded from exemptions carved out for other Indigenous groups, an omission that clinicians fear will exacerbate the challenges the marginalized population already faces in getting healthcare. In 43 states and the District of Columbia, President Donald Trump’s signature One Big Beautiful Bill Act will require most adults to work, go to school or enter a training program, or volunteer for at least 80 hours a month. Native Americans and Alaska Natives are exempt from the mandates, which take effect in January. (Mizuo, 9/11)
More health news from across the U.S. —
Chicago Tribune: Judge Denies Bid To Block Illinois Aid-In-Dying Law
A federal judge on Thursday denied disability rights advocates’ request to block an Illinois law going into effect this weekend that lets terminally ill patients obtain prescription medication to end their lives. (Gorner, 9/10)
Verite News: Louisiana Ranks Low In Annual Family, Child Well-Being Report
Louisiana needs investment, legislation and coordination to improve children’s lives, panelists said Tuesday (Sept. 8) at the “Families Count: Child and Family Well-Being in New Orleans” forum hosted by Verite News and sponsored by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The foundation’s vice president, Leslie Boissiere, said Louisiana’s 2026 Kids Count Data Book results were mixed, ranking the state 48th nationally in overall child well-being despite gains since 2019. Louisiana had the nation’s largest improvement in education, but declining child health and high rates of child poverty remain, the results show. (Barney, 9/10)
ProPublica: School Voucher Programs Don’t Offer Much Choice To Kids With Disabilities
It’s after 6 p.m. by the time Angela Johnson hurries home from work. Her 12-year-old daughter, Amelia, is at their house outside of Pensacola, Florida, with a nurse trained to care for medically fragile children. Amelia, who was born with a rare genetic anomaly, has endured many surgeries and requires a brain shunt and a feeding tube. The nurse starts caring for Amelia as soon as a bus from the public school drops her off. Johnson loves much about the school. But as a physical therapist, she also recognizes its limitations. The district’s physical and occupational therapists have to travel from school to school. The classroom teacher can become overburdened. (Berry Hawes and Smith Richards, 9/11)
The New York Times: DNA From Cigarette Leads To Arrest In Unsolved Murder
An arrest in Washington State came about after a cigarette butt was flicked away during a traffic stop. (Walker, 9/11)
Reproductive Health
Texas Judge Rules Against Alaskan Surrogate Seeking Custody
The Texas Tribune: Surrogate Isn’t The Parent Of The Child She Carried, Texas Rules
A Texas judge has ruled against an Alaskan surrogate in her bid to obtain custody over a medically fragile baby she birthed in Dallas. According to a Wednesday filing, attorneys for the surrogate McKenna West are now asking the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene after Texas’ unfavorable decision. (Langford, 9/10)
Healthcare Dive: Half Of U.S. Hospitals Lack Maternity Wards As Medicaid Cuts Loom: Report
Hospitals are increasingly shutting down their maternity wards, with nearly half of all U.S. hospitals lacking obstetric services as Medicaid cuts loom, according to a new report from the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center. Over 700 hospitals shuttered their maternity wards between 2010 and 2024, according to the report. Rural areas were hit the hardest, with more than 57% of rural hospitals lacking a birthing ward in 2024. (Health, 9/10)
AP: Olivia And Tom Walton Pledge $100M To Cut US Maternal Mortality Rate
Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America, a bipartisan campaign founded by philanthropists Olivia and Tom Walton, announced a $100 million pledge Thursday to make giving birth in the United States safer. The five-year commitment aims to cut the maternal mortality rate in the United States in half by 2031. (Gamboa, 9/10)
AP: Lindsay Clancy’s Lawyer Asks Judge To Avert A Second Trial
Lindsay Clancy shouldn’t be tried a second time for killing her three young children because prosecutors don’t have enough evidence, her lawyer told a judge Thursday, saying the court should decide she’s not guilty by reason of insanity. Eleven of 12 jurors were ready to clear Clancy of criminal responsibility last Friday, but their deadlock forced the judge to declare a mistrial, leaving the case unresolved. (Willingham and Casey, 9/10)
More healthcare industry developments —
Modern Healthcare: Conifer Health Solutions Layoffs To Impact 1,000 Employees
Tenet Healthcare’s revenue cycle management subsidiary Conifer Health Solutions will lay off hundreds of employees later this year. Conifer will eliminate 1,037 jobs effective Nov. 2, due in part to the company’s plans to restructure after its contract with CommonSpirit Health ends Oct. 30, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification filed last week in Texas. (Hudson, 9/10)
The CT Mirror: Several On Saint Francis Hospital's Community Board Resign
Multiple members of a board overseeing Saint Francis Hospital have resigned, according to a spokesperson for the hospital’s parent company, Trinity Health of New England. The resignations came after reports of serious patient safety and quality concerns at Saint Francis, including an incident in 2026 that left a patient dead. (Golvala, 9/10)
The Colorado Sun: Denver Judge Closes Courtroom For Children’s Hospital Contempt Hearing
A judge in Denver took the unusual step Thursday of closing her courtroom to the public — including the media — as doctors from Children’s Hospital Colorado testified about their decisions to no longer write prescriptions for young transgender patients. (Ingold, 9/11)
The Hill: Only Half Of US Hospitals Fully Follow Federal Price Transparency Rules
Even though compliance rates have reached a record high, only about half of U.S. hospitals are in full compliance with federal price transparency rules, according to a report released Thursday. The nonprofit group Patient Rights Advocate (PRA) released its eighth hospital price transparency report in which it found 49.4 percent of hospitals it reviewed were in compliance with the federal hospital price transparency rules that have been in place since 2021. (Choi, 9/10)
Healthcare Dive: Half Of Medicare Advantage Stars Thresholds Harder To Reach In 2027
Earlier this week, the CMS released draft cutpoints, the thresholds the agency uses to convert MA plans’ quality and performance scores into a 1 to 5 star rating, as part of the preview process before regulators announce official results in early October. About 50% of cutpoints got harder, 33% were unchanged and 17% actually got easier, according to analysis by the Newton Smith Group, an MA consultancy. (Parduhn, 9/10)
Weekend Reading
Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
The New York Times: How A.D.H.D. Changes As You Age
Researchers are learning more about the ways symptoms can emerge, disappear and evolve. (Smith, 9/10)
The Washington Post: Seniors Are Taking To Social Media To Talk About Sex. Younger People Are Noticing.
Older influencers are finding big audiences on social media with frank discussions about the joys and complications of sex after 60. (Battle, 9/9)
Verite News: It’s Dangerously Hot Inside Some New Orleans Homes, Even With Air Conditioning, Study Says
A study published in the Journal of Urban Health in June found that even when New Orleans residents had air conditioning units, they struggled to keep the temperature in their homes under 80 degrees overnight. (Parker, 9/8)
The Washington Post: She Lost Her Sight. Bill Ackman, Her Billionaire Father, Bet On A New Treatment.
In a first, cell parts were transferred from the leg of Bill Ackman’s 26-year-old daughter to her eyes to help restore her vision. (Dwoskin, 9/6)
The New York Times: The Best $20,000 This CFB Coach Spent Wasn’t On His Roster. It Was On A Sleep Physician
Sleep science is part of the "next wave" of performance enhancement, says Memphis coach Charles Huff. (Feldman, 9/10)
The New York Times: Scientists Discover The Earliest Evidence Of Drug Use In Really Old Teeth
A hunter-gatherer who lived in Indonesia as early as 25,000 years ago may have regularly sucked on betel nuts to release their psychoactive properties. (Ferreira, 9/9)
Editorials And Opinions
Viewpoints: 9/11 First Responders Still Grapple With The Aftereffects; Small Businesses Face Dire Healthcare Costs
Stat: The Ongoing Crisis Of Sept. 11-Related Cancers And Other Illnesses
Retired New York City police officer John Aris sat in my office recently waiting for the results of his latest CT scan. Seven years earlier, I had removed part of his right lung because of cancer. Since then, every follow-up appointment has carried the same anxiety. Before I had even closed the examination room door behind me, I offered the words he had hoped to hear: “No cancer.” (Raja Flores, 9/11)
Bloomberg: Healthcare Costs Have Small Businesses In An Impossible Bind
The healthcare affordability crisis is crushing everyone, but it has become downright calamitous for small businesses. Survey after survey after survey shows that employers expect healthcare costs to rise nearly 10% on average in 2027, a figure that could be twice as high for small firms. (Lisa Jarvis, 9/11)
The Washington Post: What Health Officials Should Learn From Pennsylvania’s Measles Fracas
States will need to be better prepared to defend their determinations of measles deaths. (Amesh Adalja, 9/11)
Stat: Pro-Vaccine Advocacy Should Be Celebratory And Joyful
On April 12, 1955, America threw a vaccine party. That morning, Thomas Francis Jr. — who had overseen trials of polio vaccines developed by Jonas Salk — held a press conference to announce the results. Only it wasn’t a press conference. It was an event. (Adam Zimmerman, 9/11)
Bloomberg: China Can Invent New Drugs. Paying For Them Is Harder
China now rivals the US as a global center for pharmaceutical innovation. But its health insurance system struggles to keep pace with the cost of breakthroughs, leaving many patients unable to access top new drugs. (Juliana Liu, 9/10)