The Week in Brief: Feb. 7, 2025
Measles Outbreak Mounts Among Children in One of Texas’ Least Vaccinated Counties
Amy Maxmen
With hospitalizations and at least nine confirmed cases, health officials race to contain a growing outbreak in a community with low vaccination.
On the Front Lines Against Bird Flu, Egg Farmers Say They’re Losing the Battle
Kate Wells, Michigan Public
Tools used to contain previous bird flu outbreaks aren’t working this time, experts say. The virus has sickened at least 67 people in the U.S. and killed one, with egg producers begging for a new approach. “I call this virus a terrorist,” said one egg farmer, who lost 6.5 million birds to H5N1 in two weeks.
California Housing Officials Recommend State Protect Renters From Extreme Heat
Molly Castle Work
State officials say homes should be able to be cooled to a safe indoor air temperature of 82 degrees. The legislature will now take up the report.
Little Tracking, Wide Variability Permeate the Teams Tasked With Stopping School Shootings
Cheryl Platzman Weinstock
Several states require schools to assemble teams of law enforcement and education officials to identify students who could become mass shooters and intervene before it’s too late. But some experts say the efforts often face a lack of guidance and significant pressure, putting them at risk of maligning innocent students.
Biden Rule Cleared Hurdles to Lifesaving HIV Drug, but in Georgia Barriers Remain
Rebecca Grapevine, Healthbeat
A new rule requires insurers to improve coverage of PrEP, which can prevent HIV, but Georgians face challenges getting the drug.
Some Incarcerated Youths Will Get Health Care After Release Under New Law
Renuka Rayasam and Oona Zenda
It’s common for young people leaving jails and prisons to end up back behind bars, often after lapses related to untreated mental health issues or substance abuse. A new law is aimed at getting them on Medicaid before they’re released. But the government coordination required to make it happen is significant.
Wash, Dry, Enroll: Finding Medicaid Help at the Laundromat
Phil Galewitz
State Medicaid and Affordable Care Act programs have long struggled to connect with lower-income Americans to help them access care. Now some are trying an alternative approach: meeting them at the laundromat.
Across the South, Rural Health Care Has Become ‘Trendy.’ Medicaid Expansion Has Not.
Lauren Sausser
State legislatures nationwide, including several in the South, are spending millions to improve rural health outcomes and access. For years, though, most Southern states have refused billions of federal dollars to provide public health insurance to more low-income adults. That isn’t likely to change with Trump back in office.
Indiana Governor Appoints Business Leader To Shake Up Health Care
Samantha Liss
Gloria Sachdev, a pharmacist by training, has spent years taking on the health care establishment in Indiana, working to pull down high hospital prices and make information public to patients. Now, in a newly created position in the governor’s Cabinet, she’s no longer fighting from the outside.
Officials Seek To Dismantle Appeals Board for Montanans Denied Public Assistance
Katheryn Houghton
The Montana health department says the Board of Public Assistance is redundant and a bureaucratic hurdle that helps few people. Current and former board representatives say the rare cases in which the panel helps people are important.
For California Farmworkers, Telehealth Visits With Mexican Doctors Fill a Gap
Victoria Clayton
The MiSalud app enables Spanish-speaking users in the U.S. to meet virtually with health professionals in Mexico via a smartphone app. At Taylor Farms in Salinas, California, the novel program has been a hit.
Chaos Continues in Federal Health System
The Senate has yet to confirm a Health and Human Services secretary, but things around the department continue to change at a breakneck pace to comply with President Donald Trump’s executive orders. Payment systems have been shut down, webpages and entire datasets have been taken offline, and workers — including those with civil service protections — have been urged to quit or threatened with layoffs. Meanwhile, foreign and trade policy changes are also affecting health policy. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Julie Appleby, who reported the latest “Bill of the Month” feature, about a young woman, a grandfathered health plan, and a $14,000 IUD.
Journalists Analyze Issues of the Day: RFK Jr., Bird Flu, L.A. Fires
KFF Health News journalists made the rounds on national and local media recently to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.