Latest KFF Health News Stories
Blue States That Sued Kept Most CDC Grants, While Red States Feel Brunt of Trump Clawbacks
The Trump administration’s cuts of public health funds to state and local health departments had vastly uneven effects depending on the political leanings of where someone lives, a new KFF Health News analysis shows.
FTC Has Long Said Products Must Back Up Health Claims. A MAHA Lawsuit Would Upend That.
Xlear, a maker of xylitol gum, has sued the Federal Trade Commission, saying the onus should be on government to prove that ingredients don’t live up to advertised claims. RFK Jr.’s “medical freedom” allies have rallied to the cause.
As Measles Exploded, Officials in Texas Looked to CDC Scientists. Under Trump, No One Answered.
Trump officials sowed fear and confusion among CDC scientists, slowing their response to the measles outbreak in West Texas. Cases surged and sparked new outbreaks across the U.S. and Mexico. Together, these linked outbreaks have sickened more than 4,500 and killed at least 16 in the U.S. and Mexico.
Kennedy Takes Aim at Vaccine Injury Compensation Program
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Muchos de sus seguidores se oponen a las vacunas y creen que son peligrosas, a pesar de la evidencia científica que demuestra lo contrario.
Kennedy’s Anti-Vaccine Strategy Risks Forcing Shots Off Market, Manufacturers Warn
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is targeting the government’s Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, without which manufacturers might cease producing shots.
Chronically Ill? In Kennedy’s View, It Might Be Your Own Fault
In their zeal to “Make America Healthy Again,” top Trump administration officials depict patients and the doctors who treat them as partly responsible for whatever ails them.
Are 5 Million Nondisabled Medicaid Recipients Watching TV All Day? That’s Unsupported
CNN pundit Scott Jennings said almost 5 million nondisabled Medicaid recipients “simply choose not to work” and “spend six hours a day socializing and watching television.” But a recent analysis found only about 300,000 cited a lack of interest in working as the reason they were unemployed.
Vested Interests. Influence Muscle. At RFK Jr.’s HHS, It’s Not Pharma. It’s Wellness.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. lambasted federal agencies he accused of being overly influenced by the pharmaceutical industry. But he and other “Make America Healthy Again” notables have their own financial ties to the vast and largely unregulated $6.3 trillion global wellness industry that ethicists say raise red flags.
Kennedy’s HHS Sent Congress ‘Junk Science’ To Defend Vaccine Changes, Experts Say
A look inside the Department of Health and Human Services document citing vaccine misinformation that could influence congressional perceptions.
Para apoyar el cambio en la política nacional sobre las vacunas contra covid-19, el HHS envió a legisladores un documento que cita estudios controversiales, y tergiversa otros.
What Are ‘Improper’ Medicaid Payments, and Are They as High as a Trump Official Said?
The vast majority of improper payments stem from documentation mistakes and do not fit the definition of waste, fraud, or abuse. They also typically stem from health care providers’ actions, not beneficiaries’ abuse.
‘We Dissent’: NIH Workers Protest Trump Policies That ‘Harm the Health of Americans’
A letter signed by more than 300 National Institutes of Health workers — some still working, others who were fired this year — is an extraordinary public rebuke of actions taken under Director Jay Bhattacharya and health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Las mujeres embarazadas que desarrollaron covid-19 han sido más proclives a enfermar gravemente y ser hospitalizadas.
RFK Jr. Says Healthy Pregnant Women Don’t Need Covid Boosters. What the Science Says.
Despite opposition by the leader of the Department of Health and Human Services, existing evidence on the safety and efficacy of getting a covid vaccine during pregnancy all points the same way: The shots are important for maternal and fetal health.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Bill With Billions in Health Program Cuts Passes House
The House narrowly passed a budget reconciliation bill, including billions of dollars in tax cuts for the wealthy along with billions of dollars in cuts to health program spending. But the Senate is expected to make major changes to the measure before it can go to President Donald Trump for his signature. This week’s panelists are Julie Rovner of KFF Health News, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico.
RFK Jr. Exaggerates Share of Autistic Population With Severe Limitations
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said this month that “autism destroys families,” adding that “most cases are now severe” and describing children who will never work, play baseball, write poetry, or go on a date. Medical experts and people on the autism spectrum say Kennedy’s portrayal was skewed.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Can Congress Reconcile Trump’s Wishes With Medicaid’s Needs?
When Congress returns next week, it will be writing a budget reconciliation bill that’s expected to cut taxes but also make deep cuts to Medicaid. But at least some Republicans are concerned about cutting a program that aids so many of their constituents. Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, Tami Luhby of CNN, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss this story and more. Also, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Rae Ellen Bichell about her story on how care for transgender minors is changing in Colorado.
Measles Misinformation Is on the Rise — And Americans Are Hearing It, Survey Finds
Attitudes about a debunked link between measles vaccines and autism haven’t budged that much. But there’s a sharp partisan divide over whether the vaccine is safe.
On Autism, Kennedy Turns Against Science and Reality
During his first news conference as Health and Human Services secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on April 16 ticked off things he thinks kids with autism will never do, including paying taxes, holding a job, and going on a date. Kennedy’s comments go against science and reality.
