Private Equity Sycamore Might Take Over Walgreens, Carve It Into Three
February 28, 2025
Morning Briefing
The deal is not yet finalized. Other news includes: tariffs on the pharmaceutical industry and what it means for medicine; Pfizer putting emphasis on merit in the face of DEI overhaul; and more.
HPV Vaccine Uptake Greatly Improved Cervical Cancer Prevention: CDC
February 28, 2025
Morning Briefing
The study shows an almost 80% drop in rates of cervical precancers among women ages 20-24 from 2008 to 2022, correlating to vaccine uptake. Simultaneously, an mRNA pancreatic cancer vaccine is showing promise in a small, early-stage trial.
Doctors Call Out RFK Jr. Over Inaccurate Measles Information
February 28, 2025
Morning Briefing
“This is not usual,” one doctor said. “Any death of a child is one death too many, especially when it comes to vaccine preventable illnesses,” said another. Meanwhile, as cases crop up in Kentucky and New Jersey, the Trump administration and Texas officials are mum about vaccines available to prevent the disease.
Pentagon Bars Openly Transgender Troops From Serving Their Country
February 28, 2025
Morning Briefing
Meanwhile, The New York Times says the actual number of transgender troops serving is more than two-thirds lower than previously estimated. Other news includes Iowa and Missouri pushing to limit transgender rights and care; medical groups opposing Trump’s definition of “sex;” and more.
Wyo. Governor Signs Legislation That Effectively Ends Surgical Abortions
February 28, 2025
Morning Briefing
The new law requires clinics providing procedural abortions to be licensed as ambulatory surgical centers and will likely force the only such clinic to close, Wyoming Public Radio reported. Plus: Montana lawmakers have shelved an abortion travel ban.
Flu Vaccine Manufacturers In A Tight Spot After Canceled FDA Meeting
February 28, 2025
Morning Briefing
An HHS spokesman said the FDA will “make public its recommendations to manufacturers in time for updated vaccines to be available for the 2025-2026 influenza season.” It’s possible it might use the recommendations of a WHO panel that meets today to pick the strains for next season’s shots.
Morning Briefing for Friday, February 28, 2025
February 28, 2025
Morning Briefing
Have you experienced Rx sticker shock? The podcast “An Arm and a Leg ” is collecting stories from listeners about what they’ve done to get the prescription drugs they need when facing sticker shock. If you’re interested in contributing, you can learn more and submit your stories here .
First Edition: Friday, Feb. 28, 2025
February 28, 2025
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
A Runner Was Hit by a Car, Then by a Surprise Ambulance Bill
By Sandy West
February 28, 2025
KFF Health News Original
A San Francisco man had friends drive him to the hospital after he was hit by a car. Doctors checked him out, then sent him by ambulance to a trauma center — which released him with no further treatment. The ambulance bill? Almost $13,000.
Future of Cancer Coverage for Women Federal Firefighters Uncertain Under Trump
By Kylie Mohr
February 28, 2025
KFF Health News Original
In the waning days of the Biden administration, the Labor Department added ovarian, uterine, cervical, and breast cancer coverage for wildland firefighters. It’s unclear whether the new protections will stick under Trump.
What the Health? From KFF Health News: House GOP Plan Targets Medicaid
February 27, 2025
Podcast
The House passed a budget plan that likely would result in major cuts to the Medicaid program. But the plan now faces a battle in the Senate, where even Republicans seem reluctant to dramatically reduce a health program that covers roughly 1 in 5 Americans. Meanwhile, federal judges and the Trump administration continue to differ over whether the administration has the authority to unilaterally cancel programs approved and funded by Congress and to fire federal workers. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Victoria Knight of Axios join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.
Research Roundup: The Latest Science, Discoveries, And Breakthroughs
February 27, 2025
Morning Briefing
Each week, KFF Health News compiles a selection of the latest health research and news.
Malpractice Standards Change From ‘Medical Custom’ To ‘Evidence-Based’
February 27, 2025
Morning Briefing
The American Law Institute’s guidelines — which it approved last year but now are published — pointed out that medical decision-making has changed in the past 40 years “away from subjective judgments and reliance on authorities toward a formal analysis of evidence,” MedPage Today said.
Planned Parenthood Wins Appeal In Medicaid Fraud Case
February 27, 2025
Morning Briefing
The ruling overturns a decision by Texas U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, who ruled in 2023 that Planned Parenthood must return millions of dollars it received from Texas and Louisiana’s Medicaid programs, Politico reported. Plus: more news from Connecticut, Florida, North Carolina, California, Texas, and Washington, D.C.
FDA Scraps Panel Meeting That Advises On Vaccines For Next Season’s Flu
February 27, 2025
Morning Briefing
The committee typically meets in the spring to decide which strains to include in shots for the next winter wave. Meanwhile, a child has died in the Texas measles outbreak. Also, the WHO reports the Global Measles and Rubella Laboratory Network is on the verge of collapse after the U.S. withdrew funding.
White House Reconsidering Moderna’s Bird Flu Vaccine Contract
February 27, 2025
Morning Briefing
The administration also told Vaxart Inc. to halt its research on an oral Covid vaccine, Bloomberg reports. In related news, the policy to cull poultry caught in H5N1 bird flu outbreaks will not be changed after all, but the poultry industry will see a $1 billion infusion to fight outbreaks.
Trump Administration Ends Nearly All USAID Programs
February 27, 2025
Morning Briefing
The announcement came hours before the administration was to restart payments on foreign aid grants, NPR reports, but Chief Justice John Roberts temporarily paused that lower court order Wednesday evening, allowing the White House more time to make the payments. Also in the news: NIH funding, VA funding, and an EPA move on climate regulations.
Eli Lilly To Spend Billions Shifting Its Drugmaking To US
February 27, 2025
Morning Briefing
This move will help shore up the U.S. pharmaceutical supply chain, which currently relies heavily on foreign sources for key raw ingredients. Also in the news: prescription drug legislation, uses of AI in health tech, and more.
