Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
From KFF Health News - Latest Stories:
KFF Health News Original Stories
Knee Pain? Ragged Cartilage? Research Suggests Surgery’s Not the Best Answer
A Finnish study followed patients for 10 years after they had a popular knee surgery. For many, the pain continued or even worsened.
Lawmakers Look To Make Abortion Shield Laws Less Dependent on Who’s Governor
California’s laws still leave extradition decisions related to reproductive rights and gender-affirming care to its governor. But as states with abortion bans target California physicians who prescribe abortion pills across state lines, Democrats want to lock in protections for doctors, no matter who the next governor is.
Here's today's health policy haiku:
A CRISIS OF OUR OWN MAKING
Children are stranded
— Ross Burnett
by heartless, repugnant ICE.
Mental health damaged.
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:
Outbreaks and Health Threats
Quick-Spreading Cyclosporiasis Outbreak Possibly Tied To Salad Greens
The New York Times: ‘Lettuce Or Salad Greens’ Identified As Potential Source Of Cyclospora Outbreak
In a news release issued Monday, health officials in Michigan identified a possible source of an outbreak of cyclosporiasis, an illness resulting from infection with the parasite cyclospora, which is transmitted through food and water contaminated with feces. “Current results point to lettuce or salad greens as a potential source for this outbreak,” officials said via the release, though they cautioned that the source was not yet definitive, and that other food items could not be ruled out. They also did not specify a grower or supplier. (Callahan, 7/13)
The Washington Post: Authorities Investigate Taco Bell And Lettuce In Multistate Cyclosporiasis Outbreak
Federal and state health officials are investigating whether Taco Bell restaurants played a role in one of the largest U.S. outbreaks of a gastrointestinal illness caused by a parasite that contaminates fresh produce, according to two individuals familiar with the investigation. ... Some people who became ill told investigators they had eaten at Taco Bell, the person said. But others who became sick had not eaten there, suggesting the outbreak extends beyond the chain. (Sun, 7/14)
ABC News: Cyclosporiasis Cases In Michigan Surpass 2,600, Health Officials Say
Reported cases of cyclosporiasis, an intestinal illness caused by a parasite, have surpassed 2,600 in Michigan, the state's health department said on Monday. Cases jumped by more than 1,000 since Friday for a total of 2,642 reported since June 22, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). At least 44 people have been hospitalized. Michigan typically sees about 50 cases per year. Most cases have been reported in southeastern Michigan, including Wayne County, where Detroit is located, according to MDHHS. (Kekatos, 7/13)
U.S. News & World Report: The Cyclosporiasis Outbreak Is Spreading Faster Than The CDC Can Track
The federal government may be in the process of learning that it’s hard to control what you choose not to observe. In this case it’s cyclospora, a parasite that can infect humans and cause what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention refers to as “explosive bowel movements.” The CDC says it knows of 843 cases of cyclosporiasis across 31 states. But a look at data collected by state shows that’s a significant undercount. (Knox, 7/13)
WRAL.com: Two North Carolinians Share What It's Like To Test Positive For Diarrhea-Causing Cyclospora
Christina Serafino thought she had food poisoning when she woke up feeling sick on Father’s Day. Three weeks later, the Wake County woman learned she was battling Cyclospora, a microscopic parasite that can cause weeks of severe gastrointestinal illness. “I have never been so exhausted in my life,” Serafino said. “I tried to come to work one day and they were like, ‘You look terrible, go home.” ... Ray Watkins of Wake County found himself in a similar situation as Serafino last summer. “I’m a pretty big guy. I’m about 230 pounds normally, and I got down to about 215 to 210 pounds," he said. (Hayba, 7/13)
Medicaid
HHS Scrapping Threat To Punish Hospitals That Provide Trans Care For Minors
NPR: Trump's HHS Backs Off Most Radical Effort To Stop Healthcare For Trans Youth
The Trump administration is abandoning its most aggressive attempt to end gender-affirming care for youth nationally, according to an official document obtained by NPR. The document shows that the Department of Health and Human Services will not be finalizing a proposed rule that would have blocked all Medicaid and Medicare funding for hospitals that provide pediatric gender-affirming care. (Simmons-Duffin, 7/13)
More news about Medicaid funding and cuts —
Politico: Abortion Opponents Press Congress To Defund Planned Parenthood — Again
As House Republicans attempt to push through a party-line bill this week, anti-abortion activists and their allies in Congress are lobbying for their own preferred money-saver: reviving the ban on Medicaid reimbursement for Planned Parenthood that Congress recently allowed to expire, allowing the network of clinics to regain access to hundreds of millions in annual funding. Several groups, including Americans United for Life, Live Action, Students for Life Action and the National Right to Life Council, will hold a press conference on Capitol Hill on Thursday to demand GOP leaders include the measure in their party-line bill, and will then fan out to lobby individual offices. (Ollstein, 7/13)
Modern Healthcare: Trump's Tax Law Squeezes State Medicaid Budgets
The deepest cuts to the healthcare system from President Donald Trump’s 2025 tax law don’t start until next year, but it is starting to become clear how states will grapple with them. The tax-cut law signed last July will spark some $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts, according to nonpartisan congressional budget estimates, and the administration has proposed cutting deeper by tightening rules around state Medicaid funding. As they enact their 2027 budgets, states as diverse as California, Idaho, Kentucky, North Carolina and Oregon are beginning to do the belt-tightening analysts and the government predicted. (McAuliff, 7/13)
Tradeoffs: States Want To Bring Medicaid Behind Bars. Federal Changes Are Making That Harder.
Cody Coughenour landed in jail at least half a dozen times by the time he was 47 years old. First, it was alcohol. Then, when he was 26 years old, his mother died of a meth-induced heart attack. The overwhelming grief led him to the same methamphetamines that killed his mother. “What people are running away from, that’s what they’re going to run into,” he said. Each time Coughenour got out of jail in Washington state, the list of things he was supposed to do to get back on his feet felt overwhelming. He knew that addiction treatment and therapy should be near the top. But to pay for that care, he needed health insurance. (Wernau, 7/14)
CIDRAP: Changes To Medicaid Could Have Severe Consequences For Americans With HIV
Without Medicaid, Deedee Burris, 53, of Chicago might not be here, or at least he'd likely be a lot less healthy. Burris was diagnosed with HIV in 1995, and, for much of the past 15 years, he's been enrolled in Medicaid, a public insurance program that is jointly funded by the federal and state governments. It's provided Burris with affordable, consistent treatment that turned a fatal condition into a chronic illness. "It plays a big role. You're able to get your medication, you're able to go to your doctor's visits, your ER [emergency room] visits," he said. (Boden, 7/13)
State Watch
Idaho Will Vote On Abortion Rights In November
AP: Idaho Is The 4th State With Abortion Rights On The 2026 Ballot
Idaho voters will decide whether to roll back the state’s abortion ban, the secretary of state told the group behind the initiative in a letter Monday, joining three other states where abortion will be directly on the ballot on Nov. 3. Voters in Virginia and Nevada — both states where abortion is already legal through at least 24 weeks of pregnancy — are considering state constitutional amendments to create a right to abortion. And in Missouri, which in 2024 became the first state to use a constitutional amendment to undo an abortion ban, voters are being asked to override that to bring back an abortion ban, with limited exceptions. (Mulvihill, 7/13)
More health news from across the U.S. —
Verite News: Louisiana Takes Steps To Bring Its HIV Exposure Law In Line With Modern Science
Louisiana lawmakers took steps to modernize a state law that criminalizes intentionally exposing others to HIV, increasing protections for people living with the virus. Louisiana has one of the most punitive HIV exposure laws in the country. Before the state’s law was updated, public health experts and advocates for people living with HIV said the law was too broad, prohibiting exposure “through any means or contact.” The provision allowed people to be threatened and prosecuted for actions that couldn’t transmit the virus. (Parker, 7/13)
KFF Health News: Lawmakers Look To Make Abortion Shield Laws Less Dependent On Who’s Governor
When Gov. Gavin Newsom, using his executive power, refused to extradite a physician accused of prescribing and mailing abortion pills to a Louisiana woman, he said California would “not ever” allow “extremist politicians” to punish its doctors. Newsom, who is considering a run for president, has long championed reproductive rights, but state lawmakers in the Democratically controlled California legislature know future governors might not have the same political beliefs. (Fortiér, 7/14)
Axios: Central States Buck U.S. Fertility Decline
Despite a decades-long decline in U.S. fertility rates, a corridor of central Plains states — including North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas — continues to post higher rates than the rest of the country on average. (Jennings, 7/14)
Jackson Hole Community Radio: Measles Outbreak Prompts ‘State Of Emergency’ In Teton County, Wyoming
A third adult in Teton County has been diagnosed with measles, marking the first state’s first outbreak of 2026 and prompting the county to declare a “state of emergency.” (Boyd-Fliegel, 7/13)
On the immigration crisis —
The Washington Post: ICE Officer Shoots And Kills Man In Maine, Prompting State Investigation
A federal immigration officer fatally shot a man Monday in Maine, leading the state’s attorney general to launch an investigation and fueling backlash to President Donald Trump’s crackdown. The office of Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey said initial reports indicated a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot the man when he attempted to flee in his vehicle during an enforcement operation in the small coastal city of Biddeford. ... Authorities did not identify the man who was killed, but the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition said he was a 26-year-old Colombian national. Ruben Torres, the group’s director of advocacy and policy, said the man had a Social Security number and was authorized to work in the United States. (Hesson, Reynolds, Slater, Schaffer and Oakford, 7/13)
Administration News
HHS Watchdog Says Anti-Fraud Effort Added $5.56 Billion To Its Coffers
The Hill: $5.56B Recovered, 1,200 Barred In HHS Fraud Crackdown
The federal watchdog for the Department of Health and Human Services generated $5.56 billion in expected recoveries and projected savings over a six-month period, according to a report issued Monday, and barred just over 1,200 individuals and companies from federal programs. The HHS Office of Inspector General, in a semiannual report to Congress, said it returned $12.70 for every dollar it spent between October 2025 through March 2026. The Trump administration often cites rampant waste, fraud and abuse as justification for deep program cuts. (Weixel, 7/13)
Politico: CBO Is Looking At How Fighting Health Care Fraud Could Help GOP Boost Defense Spending
The Congressional Budget Office, a nonpartisan legislative scorekeeper, is examining whether giving the federal government more fraud-fighting resources could help pay for a new spending package. Republicans are making a last ditch attempt before the election to pass another party-line budget bill. President Donald Trump has asked them to include $350 billion in new defense spending. (King, 7/13)
In related news about Defense Department funding —
Roll Call: Defense Funding To Research Troops’ Brain Injuries Shrank Since 2025
Funding for Defense Department medical research into traumatic brain injuries has dropped by more than three-quarters in the last three fiscal years, even as the problem continues to plague U.S. servicemembers. (Donnelly, 7/13)
More Trump administration news —
The Washington Post: Emails Detail Confusion In State Department Over Trump Plan To Destroy Contraceptives
Newly disclosed emails reveal confusion at the State Department during the Trump administration’s push last year to destroy almost $10 million worth of family planning commodities in a Belgian warehouse that were intended for distribution in some of the world’s poorest nations. U.S. diplomats in the region were left in the dark about the supplies sitting in the warehouse in Geel, while a senior official privately shared erroneous information that suggested some of the contraceptives could be used to induce abortions. (Taylor and Kelly, 7/14)
Healthcare Dive: ‘The System Is Undeniably Broken’: More Insurers Sue CMS Over Medicare Advantage Stars
SCAN Health Plan and Alignment Healthcare both filed lawsuits against the CMS last week after regulators refused to recalculate industry-wide MA scores using the same methodology as for Clover Health. (Parduhn, 7/13)
The Hill: States Sue Department Of Education Over Alleged Unlawful Termination Of Mental Health Grants
A group of more than a dozen state attorneys general is suing the Department of Education (DOE) for what they claim to be the unlawful termination of congressionally approved mental health grants for public school students. The lawsuit filed on Friday was done so “protectively” essentially to back up a prior lawsuit filed by states in which a federal judge issued an injunction on a plan by the department to terminate the grants. The grants in question were awarded for a five-year project period, with funding doled out year-by-year through continuation grants. (Choi, 7/13)
Updates from Capitol Hill —
Fierce Healthcare: Payers Urge Lawmakers To Reject NSA Enforcement Bill
A payer-backed group has launched a campaign challenging a bill that would build on the No Surprises Act. The Coalition Against Surprise Medical Billing (CASMB) announced on Monday that its "six-figure" campaign urges lawmakers to reject the No Surprises Act Enforcement Act, or H.R. 4710. This legislation, they argue, would "reward the actors misusing the [independent dispute resolution] process." (Minemyer, 7/13)
Politico: Democrats Divided On Whether To Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent
Top House Democrats used a Monday evening leadership meeting to debate whether to vote for legislation on the floor this week that would make daylight savings time permanent. The bill, known as the Sunshine Protection Act, advanced overwhelmingly in the House Energy and Commerce Committee earlier this year as part of a package to reauthorize surface transportation programs. House GOP leaders have chosen to bring it up as a standalone measure in a sign of momentum for the long-debated legislative proposal. (Rogerson and Brugger, 7/13)
Pharmaceuticals
Federal Appeals Court Overrules Dismissal Of Tylenol-Autism Lawsuits
The New York Times: Appeals Court Revives Lawsuits Tying Tylenol Use In Pregnancy To Autism And A.D.H.D.
A U.S. appeals court on Monday reversed a trial judge’s decision to dismiss lawsuits against the makers of Tylenol, reviving hundreds of cases filed by families who claim that their children developed autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder after their mothers took Tylenol during pregnancy. The judges, all Democratic appointees, ruled that the lower court overstepped by excluding scientific evidence presented by expert witnesses on behalf of the plaintiffs. That expert testimony, the judges argued, was valid evidence about a scientific question that they said was still under dispute. (Ghorayshi, 7/13)
News from the FDA —
FiercePharma: FDA Proposes To Simplify Registration Of US Drug Manufacturing
In an initiative to increase the efficiency of drug manufacturing in the United States, the FDA has proposed a streamlined pathway for registering production facilities that operate under a “hub-and-spoke” model. The new rule would cut red tape, allowing manufacturing entities that have equivalent production units at different locations to register as a single establishment instead of having each unit register and gain clearance separately. (Dunleavy, 7/13)
The Examination: FDA Authorized Zyn Nicotine Pouches Without Knowing What They Were Made Of, Says Former Agency Scientist
A toxicologist says the agency failed to consider whether the pouch material could shed microplastics. (Chapman and Kranhold, 7/14)
More pharma and tech developments —
HealthDay: Adderall Misuse Falls Sharply Among Young Adults, Study Finds
Half as many young adults are misusing Adderall, Ritalin and other ADHD medications these days to help them remain alert at study or work, a new evidence review says. Misuse of ADHD stimulant meds among adults under 30 fell from 7.5% in 2016 to 3.7% in 2023, researchers report in the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology. (Thompson, 7/13)
Stat: AIDS Activists Slam Biden R&D Deal With Gilead Over HIV Prevention Drug Patents
After more than a year of squabbling, a group of AIDS activists obtained an R&D agreement that was at the heart of a settlement between the U.S. government and Gilead Sciences over patents for HIV prevention drugs. But in their view, the deal shows the Biden administration missed a “historic” opportunity to invest in — and expand access to — HIV prevention tools. (Silverman, 7/13)
The New York Times: Agitation In Dementia Can Be Helped By Medical Cannabis, Study Suggests
A combination of THC and CBD eased symptoms in an especially frail population: patients with advanced dementia near the end of their lives. (Belluck, 7/14)
MedPage Today: Study Dampens Hope For GLP-1s As Insulin Off-Ramp In Type 2 Diabetes
Adding a GLP-1 receptor agonist was not associated with a lower likelihood of discontinuing existing basal insulin therapy among veterans with type 2 diabetes compared with other glucose-lowering agents, a target emulation trial found. (Monaco, 7/13)
Kansas City Star: How A Vibration Plate Affects Digestion, Skin Itching And Lymphatic Flow
Vibration plate popularity keeps growing, and so does the list of questions about what these buzzing platforms actually do for the body. Here are direct answers to the biggest ones, drawn from researchers, doctors and fitness experts. (Agate, 7/13)
KFF Health News: Knee Pain? Ragged Cartilage? Research Suggests Surgery’s Not The Best Answer
Thousands of Americans who undergo a common knee surgery might be making their problems worse rather than better. Researchers who followed patients for 10 years after they received either the actual procedure, arthroscopic knee surgery to trim degenerative cartilage tears, or merely “sham surgery” — a skin incision — for knee pain, found that the surgery provided little or no benefit and was, in fact, associated with accelerated osteoarthritis and higher rates of reoperation. That generally meant a total knee replacement. (Rosenthal, 7/14)
Global Watch
Ebola Cases In Congo Are Grossly Undercounted, WHO Says
France 24: DR Congo Ebola Outbreak's True Scale Could Be Four Times Bigger Than Official Toll, WHO Says
The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that a deadly Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo could be four times bigger than official figures suggest. According to the DR Congo's latest official figures, the haemorrhagic fever has infected more than 1,960 people and killed over 700 since it was detected two months ago. But WHO emergencies director Chikwe Ihekweazu told reporters in Geneva that its modelling indicated "the scale of the outbreak is at least two to four times the number of cases that we have found." (7/14)
Reuters: WHO Says It Has Less Than Half Funding Needed To Fight Ebola
The World Health Organization has received less than half the funding it needs to fight the Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a WHO official said on Tuesday, urging donors not to abandon the country at a critical stage of the epidemic. The global health agency has received about 40% of its $115 million appeal to tackle the Bundibugyo outbreak, for which there is no proven treatment or vaccine. At least 1,926 people have been infected and 702 have died, government data show. ... He repeated estimates that the true number of Ebola cases in Congo is at least double, and possibly over four times, the official tally. (7/14)
CIDRAP: Africa CDC Calls For More Protection For Health Workers As Deadly Ebola Outbreak Shows No Sign Of Slowing
The leader of the Africa Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (Africa CDC), is calling for stronger protections for first responders, including more gear and enhanced safety protocols in light of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which is officially entering its second month and showing little signs of slowed transmission. (Soucheray, 7/13)
Also —
Reuters: Exclusive: US To Block Citizens In Congo From Immediate Travel Home, Citing Ebola
The Trump administration on Monday said it is blocking American citizens in the Democratic Republic of Congo from traveling to the U.S. on commercial flights, according to a White House official. The order, which is being taken under a transportation authority known as Title 49, will place U.S. citizens in Congo or those who have recently left on a “do-not-board” list until they have spent at least 21 days in a third country, the person said. (Hunnicutt, 7/13)
The Washington Post: Second American Infected With Ebola Is Responding Well To Treatment In Germany
A second American infected with Ebola while working in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been transferred to Germany for care and is responding positively to treatment, his employer, an evangelical Christian organization said. Samaritan’s Purse said its employee arrived Monday at Frankfurt University Hospital. “He has responded well to treatment, is in stable condition, and is receiving excellent medical care in the hospital’s special isolation unit,” the group said in a statement. (Sun, 7/13)
Editorials And Opinions
Viewpoints: How Health Systems Can Protect Patients From 'Deepfake' Docs; Writing Fat Emergency Checks For Ebola Is The Wrong Strategy
Stat: How To Get Rid Of Deepfake Doctors
Imagine a patient who arrives at her doctor’s clinic furious. She shows her doctor a video of him — white coat, plausible exam room, familiar cadence — endorsing an over-the-counter hormone supplement for menopausal symptoms, dismissing standard therapies as “pharma scams,” and offering a discount code. (Henry Bair, 7/14)
The CT Mirror: Distance From The Ebola Threat Is An Illusion
The distance between the dense forests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the commuter hubs of Connecticut has never been shorter. In our hyperconnected global economy, health security is assuredly a matter of self-interest. (Sebaga Kombo and Howard P. Forman, 7/13)
The Hill: Federal Funding And Science Doubled Life Expectancy. We Can’t Do More With Less.
Today’s life expectancy is due in no small measure to sustained U.S. governmental support for critical vaccine research and humanitarian aid. These efforts have halted the spread of serious disease and saved millions of lives here at home and around the world. (Lyndon Haviland, 7/12)
Kansas City Star: Insulin Saves Lives. No American With Diabetes Should Have To Go Without It
Insulin, the lifesaving medication, must be made more affordable for all. That is why the INSULIN Act matters. It is bipartisan legislation that would help make the lifesaving medication more accessible and affordable for more Americans by limiting the out-of-pocket cost at $35 a month for people with private insurance. The bill would ensure people are not forced to ration their medication because they cannot afford it. (Don Feltham, 7/13)
The Washington Post: Low Testosterone Isn’t Always A Bad Thing
Testosterone levels do not reveal a man’s overall health, masculinity or social worth, as some have suggested. And no matter how much Cabinet secretaries boast about the president’s testosterone levels, or how many men use medically questionable testosterone replacement therapy or attend Silicon Valley testosterone parties, higher testosterone is not an unambiguous good. In fact, the most traditionally manly men — husbands, dads, hard workers, soldiers — often have low testosterone. This paradox can be explained by the hormone’s overarching biological function in men. (Adar B. Eisenbruch and James R. Roney, 7/13)