The Week in Brief: Friday, Oct. 16, 2026
7 Takeaways From an Investigation Into Financial Aid at Texas Hospitals
By Melanie Evans, Tradeoffs and Jo Craven McGinty, Tradeoffs and Ryan Levi, Tradeoffs and Oona Zenda and Lydia Zuraw
Hospitals can prevent medical debt by preemptively wiping out a patient’s bill. But a Tradeoffs analysis finds that few nonprofit facilities in Texas use this tool to the maximum benefit of patients.
Next Governor To Face Thorny Choices After California’s Rapid Medicaid Expansion
By Christine Mai-Duc
Medi-Cal, the nation’s largest Medicaid program, was in trouble even before the GOP’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Rapid expansion, spiraling costs, and billions in federal funding cuts will mean tough challenges for California’s next governor. On the campaign trail, the two men running for the job have offered few answers.
Early Voting Begins
As early voting begins in some states, the Trump administration is working to keep its crackdown on healthcare fraud, waste, and abuse in the headlines. Also, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has unveiled a new initiative to identify vaccine injuries. Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Sandhya Raman of Bloomberg Law, and Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Sun join KFF Health News’ Mary Agnes Carey to discuss these stories and more. Also, KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner interviews Dan Weissmann, host of the podcast “An Arm and a Leg.”
People Say These Peptides Hurt Them. Their Stories Are Muffled in MAHA’s Push for Medical Freedom.
By Amy Maxmen
People who have taken experimental peptides, such as BPC-157, complain of migraines, eye pain, fatigue, and more. Learning whether these popular but unproven drugs are to blame may become harder if Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fulfills a promise to make them more accessible.
The Sometimes-Awkward Art of Asking for a Second Opinion
By Cara Anthony and Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio
A doctor has recommended a course of action that is invasive, expensive, or somehow different from what you'd prefer. Is it OK to get a second opinion? The answer is yes. Here’s how to make the ask a little less awkward.
Aging Life Care Managers Can Be a ‘Godsend’ for Families
By Paula Span
These service providers, formerly known as geriatric care managers, can arrange a move to a senior living facility, deal with Medicare and Medicaid, recommend doctors, drive a client to the dentist, and much more.
After Booting 760K People From ACA Plans, Trump Administration Has Added Some Back
By Julie Appleby
The Trump administration has provided few details about its process for canceling hundreds of thousands of Affordable Care Act marketplace enrollments — even as the next stage of the anti-fraud effort is underway.
Fears About Kids’ Online Safety Unite Democrats and Republicans
By Darius Tahir
Amid a decline in youth mental health, momentum builds for a federal crackdown on social media companies over protections for kids.
Journalists Go Behind Health Headlines From Georgia, Michigan, and Russia
KFF Health News journalists made the rounds on national and local media recently to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.