The Week in Brief: Friday, Sept. 18, 2026
The Drugs and Devices Have Been on the Market for Years. But FDA-Ordered Studies Still Aren’t Done.
By David Hilzenrath
To get drugs and devices out faster, the FDA lets companies conduct studies of safety or efficacy after the products are approved. In many cases, such “postmarket” studies are behind schedule or overdue, records show.
A Generation of Kids Suffer as Trump Destabilizes Immigrant Families
By Claudia Boyd-Barrett
Children in immigrant families are facing health threats from President Donald Trump’s policies: separation from parents detained or deported by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, economic and housing instability, withdrawal from health and nutrition programs, and an overarching environment of fear.
States Bet Big on Rural Health Startups, With a Silicon Valley Twist
By Sarah Jane Tribble
States are spending rural health dollars on tech startups, betting that untested companies will succeed where doctors have vanished and hospitals have collapsed. Louisiana’s call for innovative technology drew more than 200 pitches, seeking from $250,000 to $3 million in seed money.
Outcome of Suit Against Department of Labor Could Boost Skimpy Employer Health Plans
By Julie Appleby
The case was brought by a marketing company that wants to define as employees people who download an app and agree to have their internet activity tracked so they can buy into its employee health plan. Such plans are generally exempt from some state and Affordable Care Act rules.
Cost-Saving Medicaid Meal Deliveries Threatened by Cuts, Policy Uncertainty
By Priyanka Dayal McCluskey, WBUR
An experiment to provide meals to some Medicaid recipients shows food can be cost-effective medicine. But even as federal officials tout the power of nutrition, Medicaid budget cuts could lead states to think twice about covering healthy food for sick residents. One has already reconsidered.
The Meltdown in Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance
By Dan Weissmann
Stat reporter Bob Herman joins “An Arm and a Leg” to discuss the impact of surging health insurance costs on businesses and their workers.
3 Common Drugs Older Adults Might Be Overusing
By Paula Span
Not all older people need benzodiazepines, antibiotics, or daily aspirin — and taking them can carry increased risks.
California Eyes Prison Heat Protections That Fall Short of Workplace Standards
By Erin Rode, Capital & Main
California is crafting weaker heat protections for prisons than other workplaces, citing billions in costs to cool aging institutions as climate and health risks increase. It’s a second-class standard, health and safety advocates say, and would leave correctional workers more susceptible to heat illness.
Sticker Shock at the Doctor’s Office Could Motivate Midterm Voters
By Julie Rovner
Steep jumps in health insurance premiums and deductibles are top of mind for many voters heading into midterm elections. KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner explains how rising costs may shape competitive races. She also distills plans from candidates on both sides of the aisle to bring costs down.
The Health Risks of AI
Reports from a top AI company that it found and stopped attempted uses of its product to manufacture a potential bioweapon caught the attention of lawmakers in Washington this week. Meanwhile, President Trump wants to send $500 checks to about a million Obamacare enrollees. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Tami Luhby of CNN, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Sabrina Corlette of the Georgetown University Center on Health Insurance Reforms.
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Journalists Detail Data on Suicide, Primary Care Shortages, and Gun Violence
KFF Health News journalists made the rounds on national and local media recently to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.