The Week in Brief: Friday, Jan. 31, 2025
Most Insurance Covers IUDs. Hers Cost More Than $14,000.
Julie Appleby
The Affordable Care Act requires most insurance plans to cover preventive care, including many forms of contraception, without cost to patients — but not if they’re “grandfathered” plans, which predate the law.
Drawn-Out Overhaul of Troubled Montana Hospital Leaves Lawmakers in Limbo
Mara Silvers, Montana Free Press
Unsure how to help the troubled psychiatric facility, legislators look to shore up other parts of the state’s mental health system.
Trump’s Order on Gender-Affirming Care Escalates Reversal of Trans Rights
Julie Appleby
The Jan. 28 executive order directs federal regulators to cut insurance coverage for hormonal or surgical treatments that help in young people's gender transitions and cut federal funding for medical professionals or institutions that provide such care. It will likely be challenged in court.
RFK Jr. in the Hot Seat
President Donald Trump’s choice to lead the vast Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., faced sharp questioning from senators this week, particularly over his history of vaccine denialism. Meanwhile, the Trump administration’s second week has been even more disruptive than its first, with an on-again, off-again funding freeze that left many around the country scrambling to understand what was going on. Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Nicholas Bagley, a University of Michigan law professor, who explains how the federal regulatory system is supposed to operate to make health policy.
Recapping the RFK Jr. Hearings: A Live Discussion With KFF Health News Journalists
KFF Health News reporters break down the biggest takeaways from Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s confirmation hearings for secretary of Health and Human Services.
Trump’s Funding ‘Pause’ Throws States, Health Industry Into Chaos
Phil Galewitz
A sweeping Trump administration order threw the nation’s health system into disarray Tuesday, as states and the health industry tried to make sense of what looked like a freeze on federal Medicaid funding.
Trump Administration’s Halt of CDC’s Weekly Scientific Report Stalls Bird Flu Studies
Amy Maxmen
An unprecedented freeze on the agency’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report sparks new concerns about political meddling in science.
Led by RFK Jr., Conservatives Embrace Raw Milk. Regulators Say It’s Dangerous.
Stephanie Armour
Controversy over raw milk reflects the push-pull the Trump administration faces in rolling back regulations and offering consumers more choices. For now, the CDC still recommends against consuming raw milk and the FDA bans its interstate sale.
Sports Betting Is Coming to Missouri. A Fund To Help Prevent Problem Gambling Will Follow.
Zach Dyer
Can a $5 million compulsive-gambling fund help Missouri avoid the mistakes of other states that have legalized sports betting?
Montana Eyes $30M Revamp of Mental Health, Developmental Disability Facilities
Sue O'Connell and Mike Dennison
The moves under consideration include relocating a residential facility for people with developmental disabilities, renovating the state’s psychiatric hospital, and opening a new unit of the hospital in Helena.
Telehealth Companies Boost Ad Spending While Taking on More Complex Medicine
Darius Tahir
Telehealth startups including Ro and Nurx are spending millions to promote themselves as easy dispensers of medicines. Some companies offer care for birth control, sexual dysfunction, and more complex conditions, including behavioral health disorders and obesity.
The ‘Shkreli Awards’ — For Dysfunction and Profiteering in Health Care
Dan Weissmann
The Lown Institute, a health care think tank, holds a contest every year for the most outrageous stories of greed in health care.
Schools Aren’t as Plugged In as They Should Be to Kids’ Diabetes Tech, Parents Say
Phil Galewitz
With continuous glucose monitors, students with Type 1 diabetes no longer have to visit the school nurse for a finger prick. But some parents say it falls to them to keep an eye on blood sugar levels from home or work — even though they may not be able to quickly reach their child when something’s wrong.
Listen to the Latest ‘KFF Health News Minute’
The "KFF Health News Minute” brings original health care and health policy reporting from our newsroom to the airwaves each week.
Reporter Assesses Rise in Vaccine Exemptions, Gives Other Stories To Watch in 2025
KFF Health News Southern correspondent Sam Whitehead made the rounds on local radio recently to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of his appearances.
Readers Offer Their Takes on the Opioid Crisis, Family Doctor Shortage, and Vaccine Policies
KFF Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.