Latest KFF Health News Stories
The Covid Contrarian Clubhouse Makes Its Mark on Trump’s Washington
Get our weekly newsletter, The Week in Brief, featuring a roundup of our original coverage, Fridays at 2 p.m. ET.
What To Know About the CDC’s Baseless New Guidance on Autism
A reshaped CDC website suggesting that vaccines cause autism has appalled the medical community.
US Cancer Registries, Constrained by Trump Policies, To Recognize Only ‘Male’ or ‘Female’ Patients
Under Trump policies, cancer registries in 2026 will have to classify sex data strictly as male, female, or unknown, a change scientists and advocates say will harm the health of one of the nation’s most marginalized populations.
What the Health? From KFF Health News: The GOP Circles the Wagons on ACA
Republicans are solidifying their opposition to extending pandemic-era subsidies for Affordable Care Act plans and seem to be coalescing around giving money directly to consumers to spend on health care. Meanwhile, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continues to leave his mark on the agency, with the CDC altering its website to suggest childhood vaccines could play a role in causing autism. Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post, 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 those stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Avik Roy.
Complaints About Gaps in Medicare Advantage Networks Are Common. Federal Enforcement Is Rare.
Health systems drop out of Medicare Advantage plans all the time. Yet government documents obtained by KFF Health News show that federal regulators rarely warn plans that their networks of health providers are so skimpy they violate legal requirements.
A Small Texas Think Tank Cultivated Covid Dissidents. Now They’re Running US Health Policy.
Fueled by covid backlash, a libertarian author created the Brownstone Institute in 2021. In recent months, people with ties to the group have catapulted to the highest levels of U.S. government, exercising significant authority over access to vaccines and scientific research.
FDA’s Plan To Boost Biosimilar Drugs Could Stall at the Patent Office
Drug industry officials and analysts praised the FDA’s plans to streamline regulation of “biosimilars,” which are cheaper alternatives to biologic drugs. But patents that block such drugs from the U.S. market are getting harder to fight.
Represión de Trump empuja a inmigrantes víctimas de violencia doméstica a las sombras
Además de ser más vulnerables a la violencia sexual, los inmigrantes enfrentan múltiples desafíos de salud física y mental, según los investigadores.
Listen: New Federal Guidelines Could Weaken Consumer Protections Against Medical Debt
The Trump administration has taken another step to weaken protections for Americans with medical debt, issuing rules that undercut state efforts to keep these debts off consumers’ credit reports.
What the Health? From KFF Health News: The Government Is Open
The record-long federal shutdown is over after a small group of Democrats agreed to a deal with most Republicans that funds the government through January — but, notably, does not extend more generous Affordable Care Act tax credits. Plus, new details are emerging about how the Trump administration is using the Medicaid program to advance its policy goals. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join KFF Health News’ Emmarie Huetteman to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Julie Appleby, who wrote the latest “Bill of the Month” feature.
ICE Crackdown Heightens Barriers for Immigrant Domestic Violence Victims
Immigrant victims of domestic violence have long encountered hurdles when seeking help from police and courts. The Trump administration’s immigration crackdown has made victims without legal status even more afraid to report abuse, advocacy groups say.
Readers Take Congress to Task and Offer Their Own Health Policy Fixes
KFF Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
Health Care Costs Jump to the Fore as Candidates Jockey To Be California Governor
During a California gubernatorial debate, candidates promised to protect people’s access to health care and fight back against Trump administration cuts. With the contest a year away, polling shows voters want the next governor to minimize out-of-pocket health care costs, increase mental health care, and expand caregiving services.
As Health Companies Get Bigger, So Do the Bills. It’s Unclear if Trump’s Team Will Intervene.
As health systems, doctor groups, and insurers merge into ever-bigger giants, patient care gets more expensive. Yet the Trump administration has sent mixed signals about its willingness to intervene — and shown some disdain for Biden officials’ more aggressive approach.
Shutdown Has Highlighted Washington’s Retreat From Big Ideas on Health Care
As voters feel financial pressure from runaway health care costs and crave innovations that would provide relief, the standoff in Congress has been firmly rooted in the status quo — keeping an existing provision of the Affordable Care Act alive.
Journalists Shed Light on Opioid Settlement Cash, New Medicaid Work Requirements
KFF Health News journalists made the rounds on national and local media recently to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
Wielding Obscure Budget Tools, Trump’s ‘Reaper’ Vought Sows Turmoil in Public Health
Through shrouded bureaucratic maneuvers, White House budget director Russell Vought and DOGE have quietly upended outbreak response, HIV treatment, and dementia care in communities across America.
Los extranjeros que solicitan visas para vivir en Estados Unidos podrían ser rechazados si tienen ciertas afecciones médicas, como obesidad o diabetes, según una directiva emitida el jueves 6 de noviembre por la administración Trump.
Immigrants With Health Conditions May Be Denied Visas Under New Trump Administration Guidance
The Trump administration has directed visa officers to consider common health ailments, including obesity and diabetes, when would-be immigrants seek visas to enter the U.S.
En los últimos 17 años, este fondo ha entregado casi $2.200 millones a estados, territorios, grandes ciudades y entidades para preparar los sistemas de salud ante futuras pandemias, ciberataques o tragedias con múltiples víctimas.
