The Week in Brief: Friday, March 28, 2025

He Had Short-Term Health Insurance. His Colonoscopy Bill: $7,000.
By Julie Appleby
After leaving his job to launch his own business, an Illinois man opted for a six-month health insurance plan. When he needed a colonoscopy, he thought it would cover most of the bill. Then he learned his plan’s limited benefits would cost him plenty.

Their Physical Therapy Coverage Ran Out Before They Could Walk Again
By Jordan Rau
Health plans limit physical or occupational therapy sessions to as few as 20 a year, no matter the patient’s infirmities. The limits persist despite federal rules banning insurers from setting annual dollar limits on the care they will provide.

‘I Am Going Through Hell’: Job Loss, Mental Health, and the Fate of Federal Workers
By Rachana Pradhan and Aneri Pattani and Oona Zenda
Since the Trump administration began firing federal workers, they say they feel overwhelmed, have obtained or considered seeking psychiatric care and medication, and are anxious about paying their bills. And soon, their health insurance will run out.

With Few Dentists and Fluoride Under Siege, Rural America Risks New Surge of Tooth Decay
By Brett Kelman
The anti-fluoride movement has more momentum than ever. In rural counties with few dentists, tooth decay could surge to levels that have not been seen in decades, experts warn.

Current, Former CDC Staff Warn Against Slashing Support to Local Public Health Departments
By Jess Mador, WABE
Public health and science researchers are concerned about the Trump administration’s cuts to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Reductions in staff and budgets could undermine the nation’s ability to respond to threats, they say.

The Ax Falls at HHS
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has announced a proposed reorganization for the department — which, counting those who already have left the agency, amounts to about a 25% cut in its workforce. And its planned “Administration for a Healthy America” will collapse several existing HHS agencies into one. Meanwhile, the department continues to cut billions in health spending while the nation faces measles outbreaks in several states and the continuing possibility of another pandemic, such as bird flu. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Maya Goldman of Axios, and Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss the news.

Bill That Congressman Says Protects Medicaid Doesn’t — And Would Likely Require Cutting It
By Julie Appleby
U.S. Rep. Nick LaLota, a Long Island Republican, told his constituents that he voted for the House-passed GOP budget resolution because it protects Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security. However, the bill charges a committee with making cuts that likely can’t be attained without slashing Medicaid.

Many People With Disabilities Risk Losing Their Medicaid if They Work Too Much
By Tony Leys
As politicians demand that more Medicaid recipients work, many people with disabilities say their state programs’ income and asset caps force them to limit their work hours or turn down promotions.

Montana Examines Ways To Ease Health Care Workforce Shortages
By Sue O'Connell
Bills before the legislature would license community health workers and make it easier for some other health professionals licensed in other states to do business in Montana.

The Colorado Psychedelic Mushroom Experiment Has Arrived
By Kate Ruder
With the first licenses for providing psychedelic mushrooms issued, excitement and questions build about the fungi’s potential, affordability, and safety in the Centennial State.

Journalists Demystify Bird Flu, Medicaid Work Requirements, and Reproductive Health Research
KFF Health News journalists made the rounds on national and local media recently to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.