The Week in Brief: Friday, June 20, 2025
‘Not Accountable to Anyone’: As Insurers Issue Denials, Some Patients Run Out of Options
Lauren Sausser
Health insurers issue millions of prior authorization denials every year, leaving many patients stuck in a convoluted appeals process, with little hope of meaningful policy change ahead. For doctors, these denials are frustrating and time-consuming. For patients, they can be devastating.
Have Job-Based Health Coverage at 65? You May Still Want To Sign Up for Medicare
Michelle Andrews
Patient advocates say they frequently hear from people who thought they didn’t need to sign up for Medicare when they turned 65 because they had group health coverage. That delay sometimes forces people to cover medical expenses themselves.
Trump Team’s Reworking Delays Billions in Broadband Build-Out
Sarah Jane Tribble
A Trump administration reworking of a $42 billion broadband expansion program will trigger delays as millions of rural Americans wait for promised connections and the telehealth services they bring.
‘MAGA’ Backers Like Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ — Until They Learn of Health Consequences
Phil Galewitz
A new poll finds that most adults oppose the GOP bill that would extend many of President Donald Trump’s tax cuts while reducing spending on domestic programs including Medicaid. Most Trump backers support the plan until they learn that millions would lose health coverage and local hospitals would lose funding.
Q&A: What Does the Budget Bill Mean for Your Health?
Julie Rovner
KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner answers listeners’ questions about how the “One Big Beautiful Bill” could affect health care in Washington, D.C., and beyond.
Nurse Practitioners Critical in Treating Older Adults as Ranks of Geriatricians Shrink
Jariel Arvin
The number of nurse practitioners specializing in geriatrics has more than tripled since 2010.
The Prescription Drug Playbook, Part I
Dan Weissmann
In Part 1 of a two-part series on dealing with the high price of prescription drugs, a father explains the strategies he used to get his daughter the medicine she needs to treat her epilepsy.
A Revolutionary Drug for Extreme Hunger Offers Clues to Obesity’s Complexity
Claire Sibonney
A new drug is helping families who’ve spent years padlocking fridges, chaining garbage cans, and hiding food as their children with Prader-Willi syndrome deal with unrelenting hunger. But additional progress — and a broader understanding of obesity — is now under threat as the government dismantles the pipeline for promising new research.
With Property Seized and Federal Funding Uncertain, Montana Asbestos Clinic Fights for Its Life
Aaron Bolton, MTPR
The Center for Asbestos Related Disease in Libby, Montana, closed in May after a court judgment allowing BNSF Railway to seize its assets. Now, the clinic’s federal funding is in jeopardy, too.
Journalists Assess RFK Jr.’s Remaking of Vaccine Committee and Trend of Kids Caring for Elders
KFF Health News journalists made the rounds on national or local media recently to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.