Journalists Describe Drivers of High Health Costs and Spell Out the Science of Protein
February 7, 2026
KFF Health News Original
KFF Health News journalists made the rounds on national and local media recently to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
Newsom Tries To Thread Needle on Immigrant Health as Ambitions Turn National
By Christine Mai-Duc
February 6, 2026
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.
Con ICE usando datos de Medicaid, hospitales y estados están en medio de una encrucijada: informar o no a sus pacientes inmigrantes
By Phil Galewitz Amanda Seitz
February 6, 2026
KFF Health News Original
Ponerlos al tanto de estos riesgos podría disuadirlos de inscribirse en el Medicaid de Emergencia, que ofrece atención médica de urgencias a inmigrantes que no califican para la cobertura regular de Medicaid.
A Dose Of Upbeat And Inspiring News
February 6, 2026
Morning Briefing
Today’s stories are on making art accessible for people with disabilities, mental health care for veterans, giving hope to breast cancer survivors, and more.
Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
February 6, 2026
Morning Briefing
Each week, KFF Health News finds longer stories for you to enjoy. Today’s selections are on Guardian Caps, near-death experiences, dissociative identity disorder, and more.
CDC Ordered To Revoke $602M In ‘Woke’ Health Funds From Blue States
February 6, 2026
Morning Briefing
The health programs facing cuts include HIV prevention efforts in Illinois, health disparity mitigation in Colorado, and LGBTQ studies in California. The Trump administration also moved to eliminate job protections from as many as 50,000 federal workers.
RFK Jr. Claims Dietary Changes Can Cure Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder
February 6, 2026
Morning Briefing
Scholars quickly pointed out that although scientists are studying whether diet “might be helpful” in patients with schizophrenia, “no credible evidence” exists to support the claim made by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
After Long Wait, Texas Is Training Doctors On Permitted Abortions
February 6, 2026
Morning Briefing
The Life of the Mother Act passed last year requires the state board to provide guidance to doctors on when they can legally intervene and terminate a pregnancy to protect the life of the patient. Plus: Several doctors who led the pandemic response in their states are now running for office.
HHS Requests Inquiry of Johns Hopkins Over Alleged ‘Sex-Rejecting Procedures’
February 6, 2026
Morning Briefing
The Health and Human Services Department’s general counsel, Mike Stuart, said he has referred the Baltimore-based hospital and health system to the Office of Inspector General. In other news from Baltimore, the Justice Department is investigating the city’s health department over allegations that it holds racially segregated trainings, CBS News reported.
World Trade Center Health Program Receives Full Funding Through 2040
February 6, 2026
Morning Briefing
The program has helped more than 150,000 people get long-term care and medical monitoring after being exposed to toxins after the 9/11 attacks. Also, the latest news about the immigration crisis.
Morning Briefing for Friday, February 6, 2026
February 6, 2026
Morning Briefing
Behind on your reading? Catch up on this week's KFF Health News stories with The Week in Brief, delivered every Friday to your inbox. Sign up here !
TrumpRx Website Opens For Business
February 6, 2026
Morning Briefing
The government-run portal allows people to search for meds — about 40 were available at launch — and either buy them through manufacturers’ direct-to-consumer sites or get coupons to use at certain pharmacies. Uninsured people and those who “self-pay” for prescriptions are most likely to benefit from the website, but experts remain skeptical that the platform will meaningfully affect affordability.
First Edition: Friday, Feb. 6, 2026
February 6, 2026
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Effective but Underprescribed: HIV Prevention Meds Aren’t Reaching Enough People
By Zach Dyer
February 6, 2026
KFF Health News Original
PrEP has been available for more than a decade, but billing mistakes, lack of awareness, and lingering stigma keep many people from getting the lifesaving HIV prevention medication.
With ICE Using Medicaid Data, Hospitals and States Are in a Bind Over Warning Immigrant Patients
By Phil Galewitz Amanda Seitz
February 6, 2026
KFF Health News Original
The Trump administration’s move to give deportation officials access to Medicaid data is forcing hospitals and states to consider alerting immigrant patients that information from emergency medical coverage applications could be used in efforts to remove them from the country.
What the Health? From KFF Health News: HHS Gets Funding, But How Will Trump Spend It?
February 5, 2026
Podcast
Congress has passed — and President Trump has signed — the annual spending bill for the Department of Health and Human Services. But it’s unclear whether the administration will spend the money as Congress directed. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss that story and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Renuka Rayasam about a new reporting project, “Priced Out.”
Blaze Destroys Part Of Pa. Hospital; 77 Patients Flee To Safety In Frigid Temps
February 5, 2026
Morning Briefing
Lehigh Valley Hospital-Dickson City appeared to sustain major damage Wednesday night as firefighters worked into Thursday in single-digit temperatures to put out hot spots. The orthopedic section of the building appeared to be “a total loss,” an emergency official said. The Times-Tribune of nearby Scranton reported that any closure of the hospital would only worsen the strained local health care landscape.
Several Fall Ill In Las Vegas Airbnb, An Alleged Bio Lab Linked To Federal Case
February 5, 2026
Morning Briefing
Police found a “possible biological laboratory,” including “refrigerators with vials containing unknown liquids.” Two people became very ill after being exposed to the area. The federal case involves the alleged manufacturing and distributing of misbranded medical devices at a warehouse in California. More news is from Idaho, Utah, Texas, Louisiana, and New York.
