House Republicans Nix Hundreds Of Billions In Potential Medicaid Cuts
May 7, 2025
Morning Briefing
Meanwhile, the House GOP might miss its self-imposed Memorial Day deadline for making Medicaid cuts in the budget bill. Also, Republicans have targeted a Medicaid loophole used by nearly every state to increase federal matching funds.
WeightWatchers Files For Bankruptcy Protection To Ease Shift To Telehealth
May 7, 2025
Morning Briefing
Their overall revenue has declined 10%, while their weight-loss medication revenue has increased 57% year over year. Also in the news, the Joint Commission suffers layoffs; elevated medical costs affect insurers through Q1; AI beat doctors in empathy test; and more.
Florida Set To Ban Fluoride In Public Drinking Water
May 7, 2025
Morning Briefing
Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who likened fluoride to “forced medication,” said he intends to sign the bill. Meanwhile in Utah, dentists brace for an influx of dental decay as the first-in-the-nation fluoride ban goes into effect. Also in the news: Nebraska, Connecticut, Tennessee, Illinois, and Hawaii.
First Edition: Wednesday, May 7, 2025
May 7, 2025
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Watch: How the FDA Opens the Door to Risky Chemicals in America’s Food Supply
By David Hilzenrath Hannah Norman Oona Zenda
May 7, 2025
KFF Health News Original
To a great extent, the FDA leaves it to food companies to determine whether their ingredients and additives are safe. Some chemicals and additives are tied to health risks while others are absent from product labels. Watch this video explainer to learn more.
As Republicans Eye Sweeping Medicaid Cuts, Missouri Offers a Preview
By Bram Sable-Smith
May 7, 2025
KFF Health News Original
Congressional Republicans are looking to cut at least $880 billion from a pool of federal funding that includes Medicaid — and the program is likely to take a major hit. A previous budget crunch in Missouri offers a window into how cuts ripple through people’s lives.
Trump Policies at Odds With ‘Make America Healthy Again’ Push
By Stephanie Armour
May 7, 2025
KFF Health News Original
On the surface, President Donald Trump embraced the MAHA movement with a pledge to end the nation’s high rates of chronic disease. But the broader Trump agenda may prove to be the biggest barrier this effort confronts.
LA County Declares Communitywide Hepatitis A Outbreak
May 6, 2025
Morning Briefing
Last year’s numbers were triple those of the year before, and this year is on track to double the total number of cases from last year. Meanwhile, North Dakota has reported its first measles case since 2011. Other news follows a salmonella outbreak, bird flu, and covid.
Only Hospital In Middle Key, Florida, Receives Funding For Another Year
May 6, 2025
Morning Briefing
Local governments agreed to continue funding Baptist Health Fishermen’s Community Hospital in Marathon, one of three hospitals in the Florida Keys. Other states making news include North Carolina, South Carolina, and Arizona.
Morning Briefing for Tuesday, May 6, 2025
May 6, 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.
FDA, EPA Are Tasked With Speeding Up US Pharma Manufacturing Process
May 6, 2025
Morning Briefing
President Donald Trump’s executive order limiting regulatory hurdles is intended to scale back the time it takes to get plants running. “We don’t want to be buying our pharmaceuticals from other countries because if we’re in a war, we’re in a problem, we want to be able to make our own,” he said.
FDA’s Top Drug and Food Safety Inspector Retires Amid Steep Cuts
May 6, 2025
Morning Briefing
Michael Rogers, who announced his retirement Monday, has worked at the FDA for 34 years. Also on Monday, FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary announced various changes to the department. Also in the news: Labcorp, Function Health, Abbott Laboratories, and Johnson & Johnson.
Trump Blocks Some Gain-Of-Function Research Funding, Promotes Oversight
May 6, 2025
Morning Briefing
The latest executive order is aimed at preventing possible pandemics as scientists study viruses and other pathogens, the White House says. Separately, Harvard has been told it won’t receive any new research funding from the government.
Taking Unusual Stance, Justice Dept. Urges Dismissal Of Abortion Pill Case
May 6, 2025
Morning Briefing
The lawsuit, which aims to restrict access to mifepristone, was to be heard in the Texas courtroom of Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a Trump appointee who opposes abortion. One legal expert said President Donald Trump might be acting cautiously on abortion ahead of the midterm elections.
Health Care Union Elects A New Leader
May 6, 2025
Morning Briefing
Yvonne Armstrong will replace George Gresham as president of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East. Other health industry news is about telemarketers using an Obamacare loophole, the effects of a UnitedHealth cyberattack, and more.
Nearly 23% Of Patients On Long-Acting Painkillers Become Addicted To Opioids
May 6, 2025
Morning Briefing
The new numbers, released Monday, are far higher than those in drugmakers’ marketing materials, Bloomberg reports. Other public health news is on marijuana’s effect on fetal development, heart disease risk after the shingles vaccine, a popemobile-turned-mobile clinic, and more.
First Edition: Tuesday, May 6, 2025
May 6, 2025
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
At Social Security, These Are the Days of the Living Dead
By Darius Tahir
May 6, 2025
KFF Health News Original
In recent weeks, Social Security has been plagued by problems related to technology, system errors, and even the marking of living people as dead.
Despite Historic Indictment, Doctors Will Keep Mailing Abortion Pills Across State Lines
By Rosemary Westwood, WWNO
May 6, 2025
KFF Health News Original
When a New York physician was indicted for shipping abortion medications to a woman in Louisiana, it stoked fear across the network of doctors and medical clinics who engage in similar work. But some physicians vowed not to stop.
