The Week in Brief: August 14, 2026
Hospital Prepayment Requirements Add New Wrinkles to Patients’ Financial Responsibility
By Julie Appleby
Hospitals and other medical providers are increasingly asking for payment before providing care, collecting more of what patients might owe as rising insurance deductibles add to Americans' financial pressures.
People With Disabilities Say Medicaid’s Limits on Income Stifle Career Advancement
By Natalie Krebs, Iowa Public Radio
Special Medicaid programs in many states allow disabled people to work while receiving benefits, and most limit how much participants can earn and the assets they can hold. Some Iowans are pushing lawmakers to remove those limits, which they say can dampen their career prospects.
Patients Wary of Governments, Companies Pushing AI as a Rural Healthcare Solution
By Arielle Zionts and Darius Tahir and Oona Zenda
The $50 billion federal Rural Health Transformation Program is set to flood rural America with new AI health tools. That’s despite little evidence on whether health-related AI can improve access to care and patient health in those communities.
Hospitals Say They Found a Tool To Help Reduce Childbirth Risks: Wristbands
By Andrew Jones
North Carolina and other states have embraced “I Gave Birth” wristbands as a way to encourage women to seek help when they have postpartum complications. They’re gaining steam as the Trump administration’s cuts to Medicaid threaten postpartum care.
Many States Cover Doula Care, but Access to a ‘Birthing Bestie’ Is Often Out of Reach
By Rachel Spears
Virginia Medicaid started covering doula care four years ago. But logistical and administrative challenges leave many expectant parents without the support of a doula.
A Federal Policy Is Complicating How Organizations Battle the Opioid Crisis
By Scott Maucione, WYPR
Drug test strips are credited with saving lives, but a new policy will limit how funds can be used for them. Advocates of harm reduction strategies who responded to a mass overdose in Baltimore say distributing them will get harder. Federal officials say the strips enable drug use.
Trump’s Vaccine Agenda
President Trump is trying to unilaterally change the number and schedule of childhood vaccines in the U.S., though it remains unclear how much of an impact his orders will have. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Maya Goldman of Axios, and Sandhya Raman of Bloomberg Law join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss this story and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Paula Andalo, who wrote the latest “Bill of the Month.”
Years After He Quit Smoking, a Lung Cancer Scan Saved His Life
By Paula Span
Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, and older adults are at higher risk. But only about a quarter of patients eligible for screening are up to date.
Same Knee Surgery, Twice the Price: Hospital Monopolies Push Up Healthcare Costs
By Peter Whoriskey
A federal disclosure rule is offering new insight on the effect of healthcare monopolies on pricing, following a wave of U.S. mergers.
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Readers Speak Out on Work Requirements, Federal Data Grab, Opioid Payback Cash
KFF Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
Journalists Cover Cyclospora and Measles Outbreaks, and Changing Health Policies
KFF Health News journalists made the rounds on national and local media recently to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.