HHS Archives - Page 2 of 27

GOP Mulls More Health Cuts

Episode 440

April 2, 2026

Despite public opposition to the cuts they made to federal health programs in 2025, Republicans reportedly are considering more cuts to help pay for the war in Iran. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court ruled that Colorado cannot ban “conversion therapy” for LGBTQ+ minors. Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Sandhya Raman of Bloomberg Law join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Elisabeth Rosenthal, who wrote the last two “Bill of the Month” stories.

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Letters to the Editor

Readers Sound Off on Wage Garnishment, Work Requirements, and More

KFF Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.

April 1, 2026

A sheet of paper says "Medicaid Eligibility" with a stethoscope resting on top.

Trump’s Hunt for Undocumented Medicaid Enrollees Yields Few Violators

Federal health officials have ordered states to reverify the immigration status of hundreds of thousands of Medicaid enrollees. After seven months, findings from five states show the reviews have uncovered few immigrants without legal status who are improperly receiving benefits.

By Phil Galewitz

March 31, 2026

What the Health? From KFF Health News

A Headless CDC

Episode 439

March 26, 2026

The Trump administration faces the challenge of naming a new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who can both satisfy the Make America Healthy Again movement and get confirmed by the Senate. Meanwhile, a new Senate bill to rescind the approval of the abortion pill mifepristone is again elevating the abortion debate, which some Republicans would prefer to stay on the back burner until after the midterms. Shefali Luthra of The 19th, Lizzy Lawrence of Stat, and Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Bloomberg News join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss the news. Also this week, Rovner interviews Georgetown University Law Center’s Katie Keith about the state of the Affordable Care Act on its 16th anniversary.

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Jay Bhattacharya speaks while sitting at a table with his nameplate, and two water bottles, in front of him.

CDC’s Acting Chief Promises a Return to Stability in a Tumultuous Moment

Jay Bhattacharya, head of the National Institutes of Health and interim leader of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told the CDC staff, “I know that it has been such a difficult year.”

By Céline Gounder

March 25, 2026

A hand holds up a sign next to traffic in an intersection that says "CDC protects us, we must protect CDC"

Demoralized CDC Workforce Reels From Year of Firings, Funding Cuts, and a Shooting

Thousands of employees are gone and last summer’s shooting resonates still at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters and among the large public health community in Atlanta.

By Jess Mador, WABE

March 25, 2026

A shadow of a young boy is cast against the pavement. The boy is holding an adult's hand out of frame.

‘They Tricked Me’: A Father Was Chained After He Went to ICE To Reunite With His Kids

The administration has largely converted the HHS Office of Refugee Resettlement into an arm of immigration enforcement, detaining children longer while helping immigration officers arrest their parents or other family members. One father was chained when he went to an ICE office to discuss being reunited with his son and daughter.

By Claudia Boyd-Barrett, Renuka Rayasam, and Amanda Seitz

March 24, 2026

An image of several brain scans on a screen.

Psychiatrists’ Use of Biomarkers Could Open a New Window Into Mental Health Diagnoses

The world’s largest professional psychiatry organization is preparing for the day when biological indicators can help diagnose and treat mental illness.

By Jamie Ducharme

March 17, 2026

A partially used blister pack of pills is shown on a countertop

Birth Control Skepticism, Teen Fertility Take Center Stage at Trump’s Women’s Health Summit

Amid falling birth rates and presidential approval numbers, the Department of Health and Human Services convened doctors, tech executives, and influencers to discuss women’s health. Panelists criticized reliance on birth control pills to treat health problems and encouraged doctors to talk with girls about whether they want to have babies.

By Amanda Seitz

March 16, 2026

What the Health? From KFF Health News

RFK Jr.’s Very Bad Week

Episode 437

March 12, 2026

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had another tough week. In addition to Kennedy having rotator cuff surgery, the nomination of his ally to become surgeon general is teetering, the controversial head of the FDA's vaccine center is resigning next month, and a new survey shows Americans trust government health officials less than they do former Biden official Anthony Fauci. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, and Shefali Luthra of The 19th join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.

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A woman holds a sign that says "MAHA Moms" as she sits on stage at a news conference at the Health and Human Services Department in Washington. Two young girls sit beside her. The insignia for the FDA is seen blurred in the foreground.

Republicans Fret Over RFK Jr.’s Anti-Vaccine Policies While MAHA Moms Stew

A top GOP pollster has said anti-vaccine policies could create risks for the Trump administration in the midterm elections. But backing away from those policies — and other initiatives that have been high on the Make America Healthy Again to-do list — threatens to upset a key voting bloc.

By Amanda Seitz and Stephanie Armour

March 12, 2026

Two photos shown side by side: On the left, a young boy has a bloody gauze in his mouth. On the right, a hand holds an extracted tooth.

More Kids Are in ERs for Tooth Pain. Trump Cuts and RFK Jr.’s Anti-Fluoride Fight Aren’t Helping.

Dentists, hygienists, and researchers say a shortage of rural dental care professionals and worsening oral hygiene since the covid-19 pandemic mean more kids are ending up in the emergency room for tooth decay.

By Farrell Brenner and Angela Y. Zhang

March 10, 2026

California governor Gavin Newsom stands before an American flag

Newsom Picks a Dogfight With Trump and RFK Jr. on Public Health

Scientists are cheering California Gov. Gavin Newsom as he builds a public health bulwark against health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s anti-vaccine stance and President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the World Health Organization. Still, federal cuts have sapped morale and left local health departments less prepared for outbreaks.

By Angela Hart

March 9, 2026

The Week in Brief

The NIH Workforce Is Its Smallest in Decades. Here’s the Work Left Behind.

Get our weekly newsletter, The Week in Brief, featuring a roundup of our original coverage, Fridays at 2 p.m. ET.

By Rachana Pradhan and Katheryn Houghton

March 6, 2026

Bill Cassidy sits behind the dais in a Senate hearing room. He is speaking while holding both his glasses and a pencil in his left hand.

This Doctor-Senator Who Backed RFK Jr. Now Faces a Fight for His Job — And His Legacy

A year after Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican, warily cast the vote ensuring Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s ascension to Health and Human Services secretary, his life’s work — in medicine and in politics — is unraveling.

By Amanda Seitz

March 6, 2026

A collage showing the faces of Sylvia Chou, Marc Ernstoff, Alexa Romberg in the top row. The bottom row shows Daniel Dulebohn, Jennifer Troyer, and Philip Stewart.

The People — And Research — Lost in the NIH Exodus

Government data shows the National Institutes of Health lost about 4,400 people — more than 20% of its staff — as the Trump administration slashed the federal workforce. Hear from six scientists on why they walked out the door and the work they left behind.

By Rachana Pradhan and Katheryn Houghton

March 6, 2026

A woman looks out her window. Blurred greenery is seen in the foreground.

As More Americans Embrace Anxiety Treatment, MAHA Derides Medications

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has criticized the broadening use of anxiety medications, claiming they’re harmful. Doctors and researchers say the MAHA movement is misrepresenting drugs that have been proved to safely treat chronic anxiety and point to broader social changes to explain their increased use.

By Phillip Reese

Feb. 23, 2026

What the Health? From KFF Health News

Turnarounds and Shake-Ups

Episode 434

Feb. 19, 2026

The twists and turns continue at the nation’s health agency, where this week’s announcements included notice that the FDA will review Moderna’s new flu vaccine after all and that a handful of top agency officials are getting new jobs. Those developments and others can be traced to a White House looking to shake things up before the midterms — and win over voters on health care. Tami Luhby of CNN, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post join KFF Health News’ Mary Agnes Carey to discuss these stories and more.

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A photo of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at his confirmation hearing in a Senate hearing room.

RFK Jr. Made Promises in Order To Become Health Secretary. He’s Broken Many of Them.

Before being confirmed to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told U.S. senators he would not cut funding for vaccine research or change the nation’s official vaccine recommendations. He did both.

By Amanda Seitz

Feb. 13, 2026

A photo of a White House event: President Trump sits at a table. To the right of him is Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Mehmet Oz sits to Kennedy's right. All three men have microphones across from them.

Trump Team’s Planned ACA Rule Offers Its Answer to Rising Premium Costs: Catastrophic Coverage

Sweeping changes to the Affordable Care Act marketplace next year have been proposed by the Trump administration that focus on making more insurance plans available with higher annual out-of-pocket costs but lower premiums.

By Julie Appleby

Feb. 13, 2026

Trump 2.0

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