UnitedHealth Group’s Credit Rating Downgraded From ‘Stable’ To ‘Negative’
June 12, 2025
Morning Briefing
Moody’s and S&P Global noted their downgrades were unusual for the insurance giant and expressed optimism that the company will overcome multiple operational difficulties, Modern Healthcare reported.
Study: Alcohol-Related Liver Disease Deaths Doubled Between 1999-2022
June 12, 2025
Morning Briefing
The report in JAMA Network Open noted that the pandemic “further exacerbated these trends.” Also in the news: recalls due to fungal contamination and mold, climate disasters and their effects on babies’ brains, and more.
Democratic Governors Scale Back State-Funded Health Care For Immigrants
June 12, 2025
Morning Briefing
The cuts, which would freeze or pare down funded health care for undocumented immigrants, have been largely attributed to budget restraints. The governors in question come from California, Illinois, and Minnesota. Other news comes out of Ohio, Texas, Illinois, North Carolina, and Colorado.
RFK Jr. Picks Covid Skeptics For CDC Vaccine Advisory Panel
June 12, 2025
Morning Briefing
News outlets dig into the histories of the new members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and find immunization skeptics and nonspecialists among the group. One has experience in epidemiology. One promoted hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin to treat covid-19.
First Edition: Thursday, June 12, 2025
June 12, 2025
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Readers Endorse Doctor Migration and Shun ‘Elderspeak’
June 12, 2025
KFF Health News Original
KFF Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
Listen: With Vital Health Research Defunded, Who’s Losing Out?
By Rae Ellen Bichell
June 12, 2025
KFF Health News Original
From Florida to California, National Institutes of Health grant cuts have halted research studies on HIV, vaccines, and health equity — affecting red and blue states alike.
Proposed PFAS Reclassification Isn’t Backed By Science, Experts Warn
June 11, 2025
Morning Briefing
A group of 20 scientists has warned that narrowing the definition of what constitutes “forever chemicals” could be detrimental, lead to more lax laws, and is entirely politically and economically motivated. Also in the news: climate mandate reversals, “dirty dozen” list, and more.
All Of USAID’s International Workforce Will Be Eliminated By Sept. 30: Report
June 11, 2025
Morning Briefing
In a cable sent Tuesday and obtained by The Guardian, the State Department said it will “assume responsibility for foreign assistance programming previously undertaken by USAID” starting June 15. Plus: What NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya told a Senate panel Tuesday about recent budget cuts.
Anti-Vaxxers Won’t Have A Place On CDC’s Advisory Panel, RFK Jr. Says
June 11, 2025
Morning Briefing
The Health and Human Services secretary will announce on X the “highly credentialed physicians” who will replace the 17 committee members he just fired. More are calling for Kennedy’s resignation as frustration grows.
Congressional Report Alleges Organ Procurement Numbers Are Miscounted
June 11, 2025
Morning Briefing
The bipartisan report alleges that organ procurement organizations use a loophole to boost ratings and stay certified. In other news: UnitedHealth faces whistleblower claims; CVS and Cigna settle lawsuit; many physicians would consider assisted suicide for themselves; and more.
LAPD’s ‘Less Lethal’ Methods Used At Protests Still Cause Harm, Cost State
June 11, 2025
Morning Briefing
News outlets break down the health effects rubber bullets and tear gas have on people, and how the use of such methods could open up governments to civil liability claims. Other states making news: Texas, Louisiana, Oregon, Alabama, Florida and South Carolina.
After Staff Layoffs, FDA Says It Will Use AI To Improve Drug Approval Efficiency
June 11, 2025
Morning Briefing
Officials at the FDA say they want to speed up approvals for new drugs and devices using tech like the new “Elsa” AI system. More news is on other uses of AI in health care, Eli Lilly refusing to work with telehealth firms over copycat drug sales, and more.
Morning Briefing for Wednesday, June 11, 2025
June 11, 2025
Morning Briefing
We’d like to speak with personnel from the Department of Health and Human Services or its component agencies about what’s happening within the federal health bureaucracy. Please message us on Signal at (415) 519-8778 or get in touch here.
House GOP Alters Portions of Megabill That Jeopardized Quick Senate Passage
June 11, 2025
Morning Briefing
SNAP is among the provisions being revised after Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) complained about it. Meanwhile, states are working to cushion the blow the GOP tax bill will have on their budgets.
First Edition: Wednesday, June 11, 2025
June 11, 2025
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
What Are ‘Improper’ Medicaid Payments, and Are They as High as a Trump Official Said?
By Louis Jacobson, PolitiFact
June 11, 2025
KFF Health News Original
The vast majority of improper payments stem from documentation mistakes and do not fit the definition of waste, fraud, or abuse. They also typically stem from health care providers’ actions, not beneficiaries’ abuse.
Four Ways Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ Would Undermine Access to Obamacare
By Julie Appleby
June 11, 2025
KFF Health News Original
The combination of the House-passed spending and tax bill and the Trump administration’s regulatory action could change Affordable Care Act enrollment and the cost of insurance. The result, according to the Congressional Budget Office, is that millions of people may become uninsured.
