Thursday, November 5, 2026 - KFF Health News

From KFF Health News - Latest Stories:

KFF Health News Original Stories

Midterm Voters Split on Abortion and Trans Healthcare Ballot Questions

The nationwide blue wave in the midterm election didn’t necessarily carry over to ballot measures on abortion and transgender issues. ( Bram Sable-Smith , 11/5 )

Trump Administration Delays Awards Slated To Improve Rural America’s Health

State leaders who scrambled to win and begin spending their first-year shares of Republicans’ five-year, $50 billion fund are in the dark about how much they’ll receive in the Rural Health Transformation Program’s second year after a federal office notified states that more time is needed to make allocations. ( Sarah Jane Tribble and Arielle Zionts and Bram Sable-Smith , 11/5 )

Listen to the Latest ‘KFF Health News Minute’

The "KFF Health News Minute" brings original healthcare and health policy reporting from our newsroom to the airwaves each week. ( 11/5 )

Democrats’ Election Rout Is Poised To Dramatically Reorder Federal Health Policy

Democrats’ retaking of Congress doesn’t change President Donald Trump’s control of the veto pen — making the new majority’s aspirations to reverse changes to Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, and other safety net programs an uphill climb. ( Stephanie Armour and Amanda Seitz , 11/4 )

Here's today's health policy haiku:

CONSIDER THIS

Single nonprofit:
Public way to pay for all.
It's better healthcare.

— Bill Semple

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 are solely the author's and do not reflect the opinions of KFF Health News or KFF.

Summaries Of The News:

Administration News

Medicare Finalizes Doctor Payment Rates And Outpatient Reimbursements For 2027

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued final rules Wednesday that will reduce Medicare payments to physicians next year. Hospital outpatient departments and ambulatory surgical centers will see 2.3% reimbursement rates. And another rule expands Medicare's ability to exclude providers from the program.

Modern Healthcare: CMS Cuts Medicare Physician Payments For 2027

Doctors will see reductions to their Medicare payments for 2027 under a final rule the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued Wednesday. The conversion factor used to calculate physician payment rates would drop 2.31% for most physicians and 1.83% for those who participate in an advanced alternative payment model. CMS also finalized an array of proposals that would restructure how providers are paid for their time and update certain codes, which the agency said in a news release would help cut down on duplicative payments. (Early, 11/4)

Modern Healthcare: CMS Finalizes 2.3% Medicare Hospital Outpatient Pay Bump For 2027

Hospital outpatient departments and ambulatory surgical centers are set for 2.3% Medicare reimbursement hikes next year under a final rule issued Wednesday. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services also finalized modified versions of two controversial policies that would reduce rates for medications purchased under the 340B Drug Pricing Program and speed a complicated financial recoupment and redistribution process to rectify prior 340B cuts that were undone in court. (Early, 11/4)

Modern Healthcare: CMS Rule Widens Medicare Powers, Boosts Home Health Pay For 2027

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services published a final rule Wednesday expanding its ability to exclude providers from Medicare. The agency has cited the policy as an anti-fraud tool, but critics have said it will harm good actors in the program. “These changes will help protect seniors, safeguard taxpayer dollars and preserve access to the care beneficiaries need,” CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said in a news release. (Early, 11/4)

Other news from the Trump administration —

The New York Times: Trump Administration Moves To Oust Arbitrators As Doctor Payouts Soar

The federal government plans to end contracts with two arbitration firms that settle medical billing disputes under the No Surprises Act, a consumer protection law that has come under scrutiny for high payouts for doctors. Congress passed the law in 2020 to protect patients from surprise bills when they saw a doctor who did not have a contract with their health plan, such as in emergencies. The law, which took effect in 2022, calls for health care providers and insurers to settle on a price and when they cannot, for arbitrators to review an offer from each side, and pick one. (Sanger-Katz and Kliff, 11/4)

KFF Health News: Trump Administration Delays Awards Slated To Improve Rural America’s Health

Federal leaders overseeing a $50 billion rural health fund missed a critical deadline to announce how much they’ll give states next year, alerting state leaders to the delay with a mass email. A 12-sentence message from Alina Czekai, director of the federal Office of Rural Health Transformation, said officials “discovered an additional administrative process requirement.” The Rural Health Transformation Program, which President Donald Trump touted as an “unprecedented” investment to “revitalize hospitals in our cherished rural communities,” calls for federal regulators to award states shares of $10 billion a year for five years. (Tribble, Zionts, and Sable-Smith, 11/5)

Modern Healthcare: The Medicaid Work Requirements Court Ruling, Explained

A court ruling relaxing a key aspect of Medicaid work requirements could alleviate pressure on states and providers, but critical questions about federal enforcement remain. Last Thursday, U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts decided that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services impermissibly narrowed the “medical frailty” exemption from work requirements. (Early, 11/4)

An update about Joe Biden's cancer fight —

The Times: Joe Biden’s Cancer ‘Incredibly Taxing On The Body,’ Says Son Hunter

Joe Biden’s cancer treatment is “incredibly taxing on the body”, his son has said after the former president’s disease spread to his bones. The 83-year-old was diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer in May 2025, four months after he left office after a single term in the White House. Biden’s son Hunter told Times Radio: “It is hard. Stage-four metastatic bone cancer can be treated by hormone therapy, and it is. Right now, everything looks good but it is also painful and it’s also incredibly taxing on the body. “I complain more about it than he does, though. He was just out here. I’m in California and he came out and spent the last week with me. He’s doing great. I just worry about him all the time.” (Kendix, 11/2)

Elections

Democrats Vow Swift Action On Reinstating ACA Subsidies, Medicaid Funding

Democrats have made bringing down healthcare costs one of their top priorities, The Washington Post reported, but their efforts could be blocked by President Donald Trump, who maintains veto power.

The Washington Post: Democrats Aim To Restore ACA Subsidies And Medicaid Funding Next Year

Newly empowered congressional Democrats are aiming to fulfill their pledges to quickly attempt to revive generous Affordable Care Act subsidies and reverse Republicans’ Medicaid cuts when Congress convenes next year, according to two Democratic aides and another person familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share internal deliberations. (Roubein, 11/4)

Bloomberg: Top Democrat To Target ‘Corporate Chokehold’ On Healthcare

A top Democratic lawmaker is promising to target the healthcare industry with his party’s newly minted congressional majority. Healthcare companies, including large insurers and drugmakers, scrambled to cut deals with President Donald Trump’s administration last year to avert regulatory action and tariffs in a highly unpredictable environment. Pfizer Chief Executive Officer Albert Bourla touted the pharma deals during an earnings call on Tuesday, lauding the stability they brought for investors. (Cohrs Zhang, 11/4)

MedPage Today: Investigating RFK Jr., Fixing Surprise Billing Law May Be On Agenda For New Congress

Changes to laws on surprise billing and price transparency as well as investigations of HHS officials could be on the menu when the Democratic-controlled Congress assumes office next year, analysts say. "We're heartened to see a number of people elected who are likely to be public health champions," Bruce Mirken, communications co-chair at Defend Public Health, said in a phone call. (Frieden, 11/4)

Democrats' other healthcare priorities —

NBC News: 5 Healthcare Fights Democrats Could Take On After Midterms Sweep

Democrats’ victories in the midterm elections could have a major impact on Americans’ healthcare, from how much people pay for health insurance and prescription drugs to what coverage is available to them, according to health policy experts and former White House advisers. If the Democrats and President Donald Trump are willing to work together, that is. With control of the House and Senate, Democrats will hold significant leverage to restore the enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies, reverse cuts to Medicaid and push for changes they say would make healthcare more affordable. (Lovelace Jr., 11/5)

Axios: Democrats' Big Challenge On Health Care Costs

Americans made it very clear on Tuesday that health care is too expensive. The challenge for Democrats is to agree on the quickest way to deliver some relief. (Owens, 11/5)

Fortune: How Abdul El-Sayed Would Build Medicare For All, From A Wealth Tax To A Fed-Style Governing Board

Near the end of his victory speech in Detroit early Wednesday, Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed returned to the line that carried his campaign: “It shouldn’t be this hard to see a doctor in the richest, most powerful country in the world.” (LaForge, 11/4)

Democratic Takeover And Ballot Initiatives To Reshape Health Policies Nationwide

While the 2026 election results will undoubtedly shift healthcare policy, analysts debate if those changes will be significant or incremental, while also examining the likely winners and losers. News organizations also dive into health-related ballot measures.

Fierce Healthcare: What Does A Democratic Blue Wave Mean For Healthcare Policy?

Tuesday’s forecast-busting blue wave puts wind in the sails of Democrats who have promised a stark departure from Trump-era healthcare policy—though whether or not the shifts will be incremental or seismic hinges on intra-party debates and the president’s veto. As of noon Wednesday, Democrats had flipped seven seats in the Senate and 21 in the House, setting the party up for comfortable majorities as unexpected battleground races continue to be tallied. (Muoio, 11/4)

Stat: Midterm Elections 2026: Health Policy Winners And Losers

Regaining control of both the Senate and House Tuesday night put Democrats in position to stymie and possibly reverse parts of President Trump’s health care agenda, and delivered a potentially fatal blow to health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Make America Healthy Again movement. (Cirruzzo, 11/4)

KFF Health News: Democrats’ Election Rout Is Poised To Dramatically Reorder Federal Health Policy

Democrats’ decisive sweep of the U.S. House and Senate in Tuesday’s elections will reshape the direction of federal health policy — setting the stage for oversight investigations, a legislative push to reverse cuts to the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid, and a focus on lowering costs such as insurance premiums and drug prices. The conclusive string of victories sets up Democrats to argue that voters — who said in preelection surveys that healthcare affordability was a top concern — have given them a clear mandate to overturn historic cuts President Donald Trump and Republicans made to public healthcare programs. (Armour and Seitz, 11/4)

Voters weighed in on abortion and trans health —

KFF Health News: Midterm Voters Split On Abortion And Trans Healthcare Ballot Questions

Voters’ sweeping support of Democratic candidates in Tuesday’s midterm election didn’t translate into similarly clear outcomes for ballot initiatives on abortion access and transgender issues. In Missouri, a state that President Donald Trump carried by an 18-point margin in 2024, voters rejected a proposal to ban both abortion and gender-affirming healthcare for transgender minors. (Sable-Smith, 11/5)

The Texas Tribune: Nathan Johnson Won’t Sue Out-Of-State Abortion Pill Providers

Less than 24 hours after a historic sweep of Texas’ statewide elected offices by Democrats, the state’s attorney general-elect Nathan Johnson said Tuesday he will not continue Ken Paxton’s practice of suing doctors in other states for sending abortion medication to patients here. (Langford and Klibanoff, 11/4)

Politico: Abortion Resurfaces As A Decisive Issue Amid Blue Wave

Anti-abortion leaders who spent tens of millions boosting Republicans in the midterms have a message for the party following Tuesday’s blue wave election: It’s your own damn fault. Voters overwhelmingly rejected an anti-abortion ballot measure in Missouri, approved pro-abortion rights referendums in Nevada and Virginia, and flipped the House and Senate to Democratic control by electing candidates in Georgia, Maine, Michigan, Ohio, Texas and other battlegrounds who ran on protecting or restoring access to the procedure. (Ollstein, 11/4)

The 19th: Abortion As A Proxy For Political Distrust In 2026 Elections

Even as abortion was not a top issue for voters in the midterm elections, Americans repeatedly rejected ballot initiatives and candidates they perceived as anti-abortion — a sign that reproductive rights have become a stand-in for broader questions of trust in lawmakers. (Luthra, 11/4)

Election updates from the states —

The Colorado Sun: Voters Reject Initiative That Would Have Forced Colorado Police, Prosecutors To Work More Closely With ICE

Colorado voters Tuesday rejected a ballot measure that would have amended the state constitution to force police and prosecutors to work more closely with federal immigration agents. (Dolven, 11/4)

Verite News New Orleans: Voters Approve Amendment For Lead Pipe Removal Funding

Louisiana voters approved a measure to allow water utilities to spend taxpayer money to remove toxic lead pipes from private property. The vote paves the way for the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans to use federal money to replace homeowners’ lead lines in New Orleans. Constitutional Amendment No. 7 carved out a narrow exception to the state’s gift clause, which prohibits public money from being donated to private entities except under certain circumstances. (Parker, 11/3)

Looking ahead —

Stat: What’s Next For MAHA Movement After Republican Midterm Losses

Reports of the Make America Healthy Again movement’s demise have been exaggerated. Or have they? The fate of the young coalition, helmed by health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., hangs in the balance after Tuesday’s midterm election swept many of its allies out of office. MAHA was already fracturing over issues like pesticides, and factored little into key races. (Cueto, 11/4)

Stat: Bernie Sanders To Have Major Role In FDA User Fee Debate

Democrats’ landslide victory in the midterm elections may have significant implications for the upcoming negotiations over a key funding source for the Food and Drug Administration, in part by empowering a major critic of the program. (Manto, 11/4)

After Years Of Partisan Health Policy Hits, Medical Experts Are Having A Moment

South Carolina pediatrician Annie Andrews, Michigan physician and epidemiologist Abdul El-Sayed, California physician Richard Pan, and Ohio's former health director and physician Amy Acton are just a few among the many democrats with medical or science backgrounds whom voters elected on Tuesday. News outlets report on the public health push behind the blue wave and how these candidates' backgrounds may influence health policy.

Bloomberg: Public Health Experts Cheer ‘Revenge Of The Nerds’ Midterm Rout

Tuesday night’s blue wave flipped both chambers of Congress for the Democrats, ushering in a new class of medical experts to federal and state offices after vaccine policy and health funding were upended by the Trump administration. It’s a “revenge of the nerds moment,” said Stanford University infectious disease physician Abraar Karan. South Carolina pediatrician Annie Andrews and Michigan physician and epidemiologist Abdul El-Sayed helped Democrats capture the Senate. In the House, physician Richard Pan won California’s 6th district, campaigning as a “public health hero” who would stand up to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. In Ohio, the state’s former health director and physician Amy Acton became its first Democratic governor in 20 years. (Nix and Cohrs Zhang, 11/4)

Stat: Health Care As A Top Midterm Issue: Why Doctors, Scientists Did So Well

Democratic physicians, nurses, and scientists won dramatic victories across the U.S. on Tuesday, part of the sweeping blue wave that saw Democrats regain control of Congress in midterm elections that spotlighted health care, public health, and trust in science. (Oza and Todd, 11/4)

NPR: It Was A Big Night For Doctors To Win Seats In Congress, Riding The Blue Wave

The U.S. Senate will soon have a practicing physician who's a Democrat for the first time since 1938, with the election of Dr. Annie Andrews, a pediatrician, in South Carolina. Her win — among many other physician candidates Tuesday night — marks a dramatic shift when it comes to doctors with political power across the country. Historically, doctors have been elected to Congress more often as Republicans, not Democrats. But that changed this cycle. (Simmons-Duffin, 11/4)

Stat: The Midterms Could Shape The Future Of Health AI

Tuesday’s midterm elections highlighted the negative sentiment around artificial intelligence across the country, with voters roundly rejecting the data centers required to power the technology on dozens of ballot measures across several states. The results echo polling that shows many Americans believe AI does more harm than good. (Aguilar, 11/5)

Public Health

Nearly 1 in 3 Patients Misrepresent Symptoms To Get Antibiotics: Survey

According to CIDRAP, 28% of adults surveyed and 27% of caregivers have either exaggerated or fabricated symptoms of an illness — some have done both — at some point in order to get an antibiotic prescription for them or their child.

CIDRAP: More Than A Quarter Of Americans Have Misrepresented Symptoms To Get Antibiotics, Surveys Show

Efforts to promote antibiotic stewardship in doctor’s offices and other outpatient settings often butt up against the pressure that clinicians sometimes feel to prescribe antibiotics to patients who believe they need them for an illness, regardless of whether their symptoms are caused by a bacterial infection. In these scenarios, patients might emphasize how sick they feel, how they need to get better quickly so they can return to work, or how antibiotics have helped them with a similar illness in the past. (Dall, 11/4)

The Washington Post: Can Hormone Therapy Lower The Risk Of Alzheimer’s And Dementia?

Neurobiologist Anna Marseglia had long studied the forces that shape the aging brain. But as she entered her 40s, amid a fierce cultural debate over hormone therapy, she found herself increasingly curious about estrogen. (Cha, 11/5)

The Washington Post: Many Diagnosed With A Peanut Allergy Don’t Realize They May Not Have It Anymore

Peanuts, and peanut butter in particular, are some of the most ubiquitous elements of a child’s diet, and so when a kid is allergic to them, it can be a unique vexation for parents. It means no PB&Js for lunch — but also an endless list of logistics, from having to check in with the parents any time their kid goes over to a friend’s house to communicating with school officials. (Wolfson, 11/4)

Newsweek: More Muscle Is Seen As Healthier. Scientists Just Complicated That Idea

More lean body mass may not mean better metabolic health for everyone, a new study has found. Research involving 59,269 adults suggests that where fat is stored in the body may be an important factor in understanding the relationship between fat-free mass and metabolic health. In particular, fat around internal organs and fat within muscle tissue appeared to largely shape associations with metabolic syndrome and elevated blood sugar. (Fleur Afshar, 11/4)

The Washington Post: The Six Steps Every Person Should Take If They’re Aging Solo

Planning for long-term care looks very different when you don’t have immediate family or adult children to step in as caregivers. (Singletary, 11/5)

In obituaries —

The New York Times: Beverly Whipple Has Died. She Introduced The G-Spot To The Mainstream

Beverly Whipple, a nurse, psychologist and sex educator whose 1982 book about the G-spot encouraged a generation of women to search for their erogenous zones, died on Monday at her home in Voorhees, N.J. She was 85. (Epstein, 11/4)

Health Industry

Medline Plans Price Hikes, Layoffs As Inflation Worries Loom

The healthcare supplier plans price hikes for January after reaching the conclusion that inflation will continue cutting into profits through 2027, Modern Healthcare reported. Meanwhile, the company is laying off 304 workers, according to a notice filed with the state, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Modern Healthcare: Medline Plans January Price Hikes As It Decides Inflation Isn’t Going Away Soon

Medline Industries will pass higher price increases on to hospitals and other customers in January after concluding that inflation, which has already cut into its profit, will last through 2027. The Northfield-based healthcare supplier reported third-quarter sales growth and raised its 2026 guidance this morning, while announcing a $1 billion share repurchase program and plans to invest in capacity in 2027 and beyond. (Asplund, 11/4)

Chicago Tribune: Northfield-Based Medline Laying Off 304 Workers

Northfield-based medical supply company Medline is laying off 304 workers, according to a notice filed with the state — a reduction that comes almost a year after it became a publicly traded company. (Schencker, 11/4)

More news from the health sector —

Stat: Doctors Love AI Chatbots. Should Health Systems Block — Or Buy In?

Earlier this year, Patrick Woodard had to have a talk with one of the hundreds of clinicians that work at Monument Health, where he is chief information officer. The South Dakota and Wyoming-based health system had decided to block access to OpenEvidence, the popular free artificial intelligence tool, and Woodard had gotten a few objections. (Palmer, 11/5)

Modern Healthcare: PBM Transparency Rules Push CVS, Optum, Cigna To Adapt

Employers, pharmacies and alternative pharmacy benefit managers succeeded in their push to force market-leading drug middlemen to transform their business practices. How much that matters is less clear. Critics spent years of political capital urging enforcement agencies and federal and state lawmakers to stop perceived abuses. PBMs’ lobbying efforts failed to stem that push. (Tong, 11/4)

Modern Healthcare: CVS Health Q3 Earnings Lifted By Aetna Medicare Gains

Aetna’s Medicare business helped propel CVS Health in the third quarter, but the company’s results were overshadowed by the healthcare behemoth’s announced breakup. CVS Health recorded $2.17 billion in net income, a 154% jump from the year-ago period. The company logged $1.68 diluted earnings per share, reversing a $3.13 per share loss when CVS Health disclosed a $5.7 billion goodwill impairment last year. The company raised its yearly outlook to at least $8.20 per share, up from a range of $7.90 to $8.10. (Tong, 11/4)

Modern Healthcare: CommonSpirit Health To Sell 3 Hospitals To Altru Health

Altru Health System has signed a definitive agreement to acquire three North Dakota hospitals from CommonSpirit Health. The deal involves CHI St. Alexius Health hospitals in Bismarck, Turtle Lake and Garrison in the state. It is expected to close early next year, pending regulatory approval, according to a Wednesday news release. (Hudson, 11/4)

Chicago Tribune: Roseland Community Hospital Files For Bankruptcy

Roseland Community Hospital filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy on Wednesday following years of financial struggles. The filing in federal bankruptcy court is intended to allow the safety-net hospital to restructure its debt while continuing to operate normally, the Far South Side hospital said in a news release. (Schencker, 11/4)

Modern Healthcare: Inova Health System’s J. Stephen Jones Eyes Growth Without Big M&A

Bigger isn’t necessarily better at Fairfax, Virginia-based Inova Health System. President and CEO Dr. J. Stephen Jones said he isn’t interested in major mergers and acquisitions. To him, growth at the nonprofit health system should be mostly organic, and deals shouldn’t be large multistate affairs. Instead, Inova is putting more than $2 billion into a two-site project spanning roughly 1.4 million square feet that will replace Inova Alexandria Hospital. (Hudson, 11/4)

KFF Health News: Listen To The Latest ‘KFF Health News Minute’

The "KFF Health News Minute" brings original healthcare and health policy reporting from our newsroom to the airwaves each week. (11/5)

Also —

The Daily Southtown: Orland Park's Treasure Chest Foundation Expands Nationwide

The new executive director of the Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest Foundation, a nonprofit based in Orland Park, is using her background in both business and theater to help bring more toys and joy to children with cancer. (Neumann, 11/4)

Outbreaks and Health Threats

Pennsylvania Logs Sixth Measles-Related Death

A 21-year-old unvaccinated Jefferson County woman died after postpartum complications, a funeral director told The Washington Post. It marks at least the sixth death in Pennsylvania, CIDRAP explains, and the second measles-associated death reported in the United States this week. Also in the news: covid, Cyclospora, Ebola, and more.

The Washington Post: Sixth Person Dies In Pennsylvania Measles Outbreak

Pennsylvania health officials on Wednesday reported a sixth measles-associated death this year, as the state confronts the nation’s largest measles outbreak. (Sun, 11/4)

CIDRAP: Pennsylvania Reports Another Measles-Related Death, The 2nd In Jefferson County

An unvaccinated resident of Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, tested positive for measles and has died, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) today. Jefferson County is about 90 miles northeast of Pittsburgh and lost another resident to measles complications back in September. No other information about this most recent death is being released, said the DOH, citing privacy for the deceased and the family. (Boden, 11/4)

Fox 59: Indiana Measles Cases Surpass 100, Concerning Public Health Experts

The total number of confirmed measles cases this year is spiking as we near winter. Indiana has now recorded more than 100 known cases for the first time in the 21st century. (O'Hara, 11/2)

who13.com: Measles Cases Hit 50 In Iowa With New Exposure Sites Identified

Officials have confirmed 50 cases of measles across the state as health officials investigate a potential northern Iowa exposure site. (Kauffman, 11/4)

On covid and cyclospora —

CIDRAP: Metformin Given Within A Week Of COVID-19 Slashes Risk Of Long COVID, Death By 53%, Paper Notes

Long COVID—or new-onset symptoms or worsening health conditions after SARS-CoV-2 infection—can lower quality of life. Finding a way to prevent it would be a welcome relief for those worried about the long-term effects of the viral infection. A study published last week in the Journal of Medical Virology finds that US COVID-19 patients prescribed metformin, a medication that treats prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, within six days of COVID-19 infection were less likely to develop long COVID or die. (Holohan, 11/4)

CIDRAP: Cyclospora Outbreaks In Recent Years Tied To $374 Million In Bagged-Salad Sales Losses

US consumers bought fewer bagged salads during Cyclospora outbreaks from 2018 to 2022, contributing to roughly $374 million in retail losses, according to a new study published in Risk Analysis. Researchers at the University of Florida and The Ohio State University found that weekly bagged-salad purchases declined by an average of 3.9% during the study period. Declines were seen in states with active outbreaks, as well as in spillover areas that shared media markets with affected areas. (Bergeson, 11/4)

On global health threats —

AP: Kenya Releases 5 Ebola Patients As No New Infections Are Reported

Kenya on Tuesday released five Ebola patients after they tested negative for the virus and showed no symptoms, leaving only two patients undergoing supportive care. Health officials expressed optimism over the country’s progress in containing the outbreak, with no new infections reported. The Ministry of Health said the five patients had recovered and were discharged following negative test results. It also announced the release of 46 people who had been identified as contacts of the first Ebola patient and placed under quarantine for 21 days. (Musambi, 11/3)

CIDRAP: WHO Highlights Major Progress As 63 Nations Report Eliminating At Least 1 Neglected Tropical Disease

The World Health Organization (WHO) today reported major progress against neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), with 63 countries having eliminated at least one NTD by June 2026, up from 42 at the end of 2020. The report is considered a “midterm assessment” of the 2021 to 2030 NTD road map, and, while progress has been made, several diseases will still not meet 2030 targets. “Elimination of neglected tropical diseases is one of the standout success stories of global health," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, in a press release. (Soucheray, 11/4)

State Watch

3M Settles PFAS Groundwater Contamination Suit, Agrees To Pay Out $7.35B

Minnesota-based chemical manufacturer 3M has settled lawsuits over its use of “forever chemicals” in firefighting foam and other consumer products. The company will have to pay up to $7.35 billion over nine years to as many as 120,000 people harmed by the exposure, AP reported.

AP: 3M Agrees To $7.35 Billion Settlement Over PFAS Groundwater Contamination

Chemical manufacturer 3M will pay up to $7.35 billion to settle lawsuits by people who say they were sickened by groundwater contamination from compounds used in firefighting foam and other consumer products. The St. Paul, Minnesota-based company announced the settlement Tuesday. It will pay the money over nine years to as many as 120,000 people who say they were harmed by exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known collectively as PFAS. The chemicals contaminated groundwater near military bases, airports and other locations where the foam was used to extinguish fires. 3M did not admit liability for the contamination under the agreement. (Boone, 11/4)

More news from across the nation —

AP: Indiana Carries Out First Of 3 Executions Taking Place On A Single Day In US

An Indiana man who admitted killing his girlfriend’s two children was executed early Thursday in the first of three lethal injections scheduled for the same day in the U.S. ... Florida and Alabama were also set to carry out executions Thursday, which would mark the second time this year that three people in the U.S. would be put to death on the same day. (Chandler and Fischer, 11/5)

North Carolina Health News: What North Carolina Medicare Enrollees Should Expect In 2027

An estimated 40,000 North Carolinians on Medicare will lose their existing plans at the end of the year, adding another layer of uncertainty to an open enrollment period marked by changing prescription drug costs, shrinking coverage options and rising out-of-pocket expenses. (Fredde, 11/5)

Boston Globe: Repeal Of Recreational Weed Sales In Massachusetts Fails In A Rout

Puff, puff, didn’t pass. It was a night of relieved exhaling for weed consumers and industry workers across Massachusetts, as voters decisively shot down Question 8, a ballot initiative that would have dismantled the state’s recreational cannabis industry. (Gerber, 11/4)

Iowa Public Radio: College Football In Iowa Will Start Earlier In 2027. Heat Will Be Even More Concerning

On a blistering Saturday in early September, a University of Iowa band member collapsed before halftime at a home game at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City. That same day, Sept. 5, 2026, a Husker football player vomited on the field during the University of Nebraska’s home opener in Lincoln. The player, Jahsear Whittington, was referred to flippantly online as “another victim of week 1.” (Grundmeier, 11/4)

Health Policy Research

Research Roundup: The Latest Science, Discoveries, And Breakthroughs

Each week, KFF Health News compiles a selection of health policy studies and briefs.

HealthDay: Study: Cutting Less Healthy Tissue May Lower Cancer Recurrence Risk

Doctors removing cancers surgically might not need to cut away lots of healthy tissue to make sure they’ve gotten all the tumor, a new study says. For one form of childhood cancer, the chances it might come back can be lowered with less healthy tissue removal than previously thought, researchers reported recently in JAMA Surgery. (Thompson, 11/4)

MedPage Today: Novel Therapy Lands Speedy Approval For Wart-Like Airway Disease Caused By HPV

The FDA granted accelerated approval to doruxapapogene ralaplasmid and lalikinogene sifuplasmid (Voceryq) to reduce the frequency of surgical papilloma excisions in adults with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP), the agency announced late on Friday. As the first FDA-approved recombinant plasmid DNA-based immunotherapy, doruxapapogene ralaplasmid-lalikinogene sifuplasmid targets the wart-like growths that characterize RRP. The growths are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) and develop in the airways, particularly around the larynx. (Rudd, 11/2)

MedPage Today: De-Escalated Treatment For HPV-Related Throat Cancer Gets Long-Term Supporting Data

More than 90% of patients are alive without evidence of disease at 5 years. (Bankhead, 11/3)

HealthDay: GLP-1 Drugs Show Promise In Reversing Prediabetes And Heart Risks

Cutting-edge weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Zepbound are helping people reverse prediabetes and avoid heart attack and stroke more effectively than standard diabetes medications, a new study says. (Thompson, 11/4)

San Francisco Chronicle: UCSF Researchers Test Cilostazol To Prevent A Second Stroke

UCSF researchers this week will begin enrolling patients in a study testing whether an existing drug can help prevent a second stroke. People who’ve suffered from one ischemic stroke, the most common type of stroke, have a roughly 10% chance of having another stroke in the next five years — making the prevention of a second stroke critical. (Ho, 11/2)

Medical Xpress: Lung Antibodies Can Be Measured In Exhaled Breath

For the first time, researchers have successfully measured antibodies against specific respiratory viruses in exhaled air. The new study, involving the Karolinska Institutet, was published in eBioMedicine. The method may make it easier to study the immune system in the small airways of the lungs. (Bjorklund, 11/4)

Editorials And Opinions

Viewpoints: States Could Lead Way In Healthcare Reform; If We Can't Fix Pain, We Must Accompany Patients In Suffering

Editorial writers discuss these public health issues.

Chicago Tribune: How Illinois Can Take The Lead In Lowering Healthcare Costs

Over the next two years, Illinois should pursue an agenda that lays the groundwork for the next major national healthcare reform. (Merrill Goozner, 11/5)

Stat: When Doctors Can’t Fix Pain, They Must Address Suffering

John (not his real name) was in his mid-60s, a VA patient with chronic back pain. After three surgeries by three different surgeons over about five years, he was no better off; his lumbar spine was littered with arthritis and titanium implants. He had made the rounds again, to physical therapists, chiropractors, and pain providers, and now he was in my office. The last thing he needed was more surgery. (Stephen Doran, 11/5)

Los Angeles Times: Do Doctors Really Choose To Die Differently?

Many doctors who have witnessed suffering in end-of-life care say they would not want any "heroics." But when the time comes, they might understand their patients' choices a little better. (Nathan Gray, 11/5)