The Week in Brief: Friday, April 10, 2026
Trump’s Personnel Agency Is Asking for Federal Workers’ Medical Records
Amanda Seitz and Maia Rosenfeld
The administration is asking insurers that cover federal employees and retirees to hand over details about their medical visits, their pharmacy claims, and more.
Farm Bureau Health Plans Beat the ACA on Prices With an Age-Old Tactic: Rejecting Sick People
Michelle Andrews
Fourteen states now allow health coverage through state farm bureaus. Though they generally share many features of Affordable Care Act marketplace plans, they aren’t insurance. Neither are they typically subject to federal or state health insurance requirements, and the benefits may be less generous or predictable than those of Obamacare plans.
This Northern Cheyenne Doula Was About To Start Getting Paid — Then Medicaid Cuts Hit
Katheryn Houghton
Montana was on track to start reimbursing doulas, who support new and expectant parents, through Medicaid this year. But state officials halted that plan amid a budget shortfall. Other such services deemed optional under Medicaid are at risk nationwide as states brace for federal cuts.
States Face Another Challenge With Medicaid Work Rules: Staffing Shortages
Sam Whitehead
Some states already don’t have enough staff to quickly process Medicaid applications and answer enrollees’ phone calls. Researchers say they may not be prepared to handle new Medicaid work rules, predicting people will lose coverage as a result.
Urgent Care Clinics Move To Fill Abortion Care Gaps in Rural Areas
Kate Wells
When the only clinic that offered abortions in Michigan’s rural Upper Peninsula closed, an urgent care facility stepped in to fill the gap. Now, others are considering similar moves as brick-and-mortar clinics close in blue states.
These Women Had Their Breasts Removed To Thwart Cancer. Then Came the Pain.
Brett Kelman and Amy Maxmen
Post-mastectomy pain syndrome, or PMPS, is estimated to afflict tens of thousands of U.S. women each year. And yet it is not well understood and is inconsistently treated.
Immigrant Seniors Lose Medicare Coverage Despite Paying for It
Vanessa G. Sánchez, El Tímpano
Rosa María Carranza has worked and paid taxes for more than two decades, but a provision in the GOP's One Big Beautiful Bill Act will make her and an estimated 100,000 other lawfully present immigrant seniors ineligible for Medicare. Now Carranza’s once secure retirement is in question.
Can I Opt Out of Having My Doctor Take Notes With AI?
Katherine Ruppelt, Nashville Public Radio and Cara Anthony and Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio
Your doctor might ask to have an AI tool listen during your next appointment. If you opt in, you will likely get more of your doctor’s attention. But the technology is not perfect. Here’s what to know.
For Many Patients Leaving the ICU, the Struggle Has Only Just Begun
Paula Span
A long stay in intensive care can bring physical, cognitive, and mental health challenges that can take months or longer to resolve.
Watch: As AI Makes More Health Coverage Decisions, the Risks to Patients Grow
Darius Tahir and Hannah Norman
Major health insurers and even Medicare are using artificial intelligence to make coverage decisions. But class action lawsuits have accused insurers of using AI to wrongfully withhold treatment, and new research illuminates the risks.
Abortion Pills, the Budget, and RFK Jr.
This week, the Trump administration won a court battle to delay a ruling on access to the abortion pill mifepristone, angering its own anti-abortion allies. Meanwhile, the president’s budget arrived on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers are unlikely to agree to its proposed cuts to Health and Human Services programs. Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Maya Goldman of Axios join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.
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Journalists Capsulize Weight Loss News and ACA Premium Pressures
KFF Health News journalists made the rounds on national and local media recently to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.