First Edition: Monday, April 28, 2025
April 28, 2025
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
When Hospitals Ditch Medicare Advantage Plans, Thousands of Members Get To Leave, Too
By Susan Jaffe
April 28, 2025
KFF Health News Original
Breakups between health providers and Advantage plans are increasingly common. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has allowed whole groups of patients to leave their plans.
When They Don’t Recognize You Anymore
By Paula Span
April 28, 2025
KFF Health News Original
People with dementia often forget even close family members as the disease advances. “It can throw people into an existential crisis,” an expert said.
RFK Jr. Exaggerates Share of Autistic Population With Severe Limitations
By Louis Jacobson, PolitiFact
April 28, 2025
KFF Health News Original
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said this month that “autism destroys families,” adding that “most cases are now severe” and describing children who will never work, play baseball, write poetry, or go on a date. Medical experts and people on the autism spectrum say Kennedy’s portrayal was skewed.
Montana Hospitals Preserve Medicaid Expansion, Fend Off Regulations
By Mike Dennison
April 25, 2025
KFF Health News Original
Get our weekly newsletter, The Week in Brief, featuring a roundup of our original coverage, Fridays at 2 p.m. ET.
Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
April 25, 2025
Morning Briefing
Each week, KFF Health News finds longer stories for you to enjoy. Today’s selections are on prison, autism, brain health, and more.
NIH Has Whacked $2.3B In Research Grants Since Trump Took Office
April 25, 2025
Morning Briefing
Stat analyzed the funding cuts that have taken place and noted that the changes appear to be “the beginning of the end of the federal-academic partnership that has been propelling American biomedical innovation to untouchable heights for close to eight decades,” per scientific leaders.
HHS Backtracks On Autism Registry
April 25, 2025
Morning Briefing
NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya caused a firestorm of confusion when he announced plans to create a registry. Instead, HHS will commence a $50 million research effort into the causes of autism and improved treatments, STAT reports. Meanwhile, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s speech at the Rx and Illicit Drug Summit was punctuated by protests.
FDA Commissioner Makary Says He Will Leave Access To Mifepristone As Is
April 25, 2025
Morning Briefing
During an appearance at the Semafor World Economy Summit on Thursday, Makary stated that he would reexamine the issue if new data emerged regarding the safety of the drug, Bloomberg reported. In other news, the ACLU and NFPRHA are suing the Trump administration for withholding Title X funds; the Pentagon will resume gender-affirming care; and more.
USDA Scraps Rule That Would Have Curtailed Salmonella-Tainted Poultry
April 25, 2025
Morning Briefing
Under a Biden administration effort, companies would not have been able to sell turkey or chicken meat that exceeded an acceptable level of the bacteria, which is known to cause food poisoning. Also, researchers are sounding the alarm about the U.S. measles vaccination rate.
Senator’s Probe Of 340B Program Finds ‘Transparency And Oversight Concerns’
April 25, 2025
Morning Briefing
Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana doctor, released a report Thursday detailing “much-needed” reforms to the drug pricing program. Also: A House Democrat demands to know how the CDC will respond to Freedom of Information Act requests after relevant staff members were put on leave.
Closing Of Rockledge Hospital In Fla. Leaves More Than 60,000 Without ER
April 25, 2025
Morning Briefing
Orlando Health, citing poor conditions and neglect, shuttered the hospital and its emergency room on Wednesday, Central Florida Public Media reported. Meanwhile, businesses in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, have expressed worry over the loss of customers amid Crozer Health Hospitals’ closure.
Idaho Joins List Of States Making Ivermectin Available Over The Counter
April 25, 2025
Morning Briefing
The deworming medication commonly used in animals was embroiled in controversy during the early days of the covid-19 pandemic. The drug has not been shown to protect against covid. Still, having a human version readily available might help prevent people from taking toxic doses of the veterinary version, some experts say.
First Edition: Friday, April 25, 2025
April 25, 2025
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
What ‘Fertilization President’ Trump Can Learn From State Efforts To Expand IVF Access
By Sarah Kwon
April 25, 2025
KFF Health News Original
State-level efforts to regulate fertility coverage reveal the gauntlet of budgetary and political hurdles such initiatives face — obstacles that have led to millions of people being left out even when mandates become law.
Moms in Crisis, Jobs Lost: The Human Cost of Trump’s Addiction Funding Cuts
By Aneri Pattani
April 25, 2025
KFF Health News Original
In many cases, the money flowed to addiction recovery programs that help rebuild lives by driving people to medical appointments and court hearings, crafting résumés and training them for new jobs, finding them housing, and helping them build social connections unrelated to drugs.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Can Congress Reconcile Trump’s Wishes With Medicaid’s Needs?
April 24, 2025
Podcast
When Congress returns next week, it will be writing a budget reconciliation bill that’s expected to cut taxes but also make deep cuts to Medicaid. But at least some Republicans are concerned about cutting a program that aids so many of their constituents. Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, Tami Luhby of CNN, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss this story and more. Also, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Rae Ellen Bichell about her story on how care for transgender minors is changing in Colorado.
Prominent Abortion Doctor Retires, Shutters Colorado Clinic After 50 Years
April 24, 2025
Morning Briefing
Dr. Warren Hern, who provided late-term abortions for women “in the worst moments of their lives” and who faced constant threats, opened his private clinic in 1975. More news comes from Texas, Florida, New York, and California.
