Medicaid Funding Cuts For Planned Parenthood Put On Hold — For Now
July 8, 2025
Morning Briefing
A provision in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which President Donald Trump signed into law Friday, imposes a one-year ban on state Medicaid payments to health care nonprofits that received more than $800,000 in federal funding in 2023 and also offer abortions. A judge on Monday halted cuts to Planned Parenthood; the provision can still be enforced against other providers.
CDC Curtails Bird Flu Updates, Making It Harder To Spot State Outbreaks
July 8, 2025
Morning Briefing
The U.S. ended its emergency designation for bird flu last week, a person familiar with the situation told Bloomberg. Starting this week, bird flu stats will be updated monthly and won’t include infection rates for animals. “We are letting our guard down,” said one infectious-disease expert.
Study Shows US Kids’ Physical, Mental Health Deteriorated Over Past 17 Years
July 8, 2025
Morning Briefing
The study, published Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, showed a generalized decline in kids’ health, with more obesity, chronic diseases, and mental health problems like depression. Plus: A link between glucose and Alzheimer’s.
Centene Withdraws Earnings Forecast, Triggering Possible Credit Downgrade
July 8, 2025
Morning Briefing
S&P Global Ratings is considering whether to reclassify Centene Corp.’s credit ratings to junk, which would strongly impact its borrowing power. Centene, the top seller of ACA health plans, is suffering from financial uncertainty due to federal crackdowns on Affordable Care Act enrollments.
HHS’ Order To Remove Health Websites Was Illegal, Judge Rules
July 8, 2025
Morning Briefing
U.S. District Judge John Bates vacated directives from the Department of Health and Human Services and the Office of Personnel and Management. However, he denied a broader request to prevent HHS from blocking references to gender. The government is “free to say what it wants,” he said, “including about ‘gender ideology.’ But … it must abide by the bounds of authority and the procedures that Congress has prescribed.”
First Edition: Tuesday, July 8, 2025
July 8, 2025
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
In a Nation Growing Hostile Toward Drugs and Homelessness, Los Angeles Tries Leniency
By Angela Hart
July 8, 2025
KFF Health News Original
A new care center for homeless people on Los Angeles’ infamous Skid Row embraces the principle of harm reduction, a more lenient approach to drug use and addiction. County officials say criminalization only worsens homelessness.
Workplace Mental Health at Risk as Key Federal Agency Faces Cuts
By Aneri Pattani
July 8, 2025
KFF Health News Original
Efforts to decrease alarmingly high rates of suicide among construction workers and prevent burnout in health care workers are in jeopardy after the firing of hundreds of employees at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
Journalists Assess Health Impacts of Trump’s Megabill, Who Will Feel Them, and When
July 5, 2025
KFF Health News Original
KFF Health News journalists made the rounds on national and regional media this week to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
States Brace for Reversal of Obamacare Coverage Gains Under Trump’s Budget Bill
By Julie Appleby
July 3, 2025
KFF Health News Original
States that run their own health insurance marketplaces fear an end to automatic Obamacare reenrollment under the tax and spending megabill would have an outsize effect on their policyholders.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Trump’s Bill Reaches the Finish Line
July 3, 2025
Podcast
The House on Thursday moved to approve the largest-ever cuts to federal safety net programs, the last step before the measure goes to President Donald Trump’s desk. After the Senate very narrowly passed the bill, House GOP leaders ushered it past resistance from conservatives wary of adding trillions to the federal debt and moderates concerned about its cuts to Medicaid. Meanwhile, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has continued to pursue his anti-vaccine agenda, despite promising that he would not. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Maya Goldman of Axios, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.
Trump Signs Megabill Into Law, Setting Up Historic Medicaid Cuts
July 3, 2025
Morning Briefing
The $4.5 trillion tax and immigration bill cleared the House Thursday after a chaotic overnight and morning in Congress. The legislation contains $1.2 trillion in cutbacks to Medicaid and food stamps. The CBO forecasts that 11.8 million Americans would become uninsured by 2034 under the bill’s provisions. Check back with KFF Health News for more coverage of this breaking news.
Medtech Companies Expand US Production To Meet Increased Demand
July 3, 2025
Morning Briefing
These expansions include millions of dollars to increase domestic manufacturing by adding new facilities and increasing capacity at existing facilities. In other news: Regeneron gets FDA green light on blood cancer drug; FDA issues alert about Abiomed blood pump controller; and more.
Iowa Has Launched Its New And Improved Behavioral Health Program
July 3, 2025
Morning Briefing
The overhaul, which was signed into law by Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds in May 2024, replaces the old system with a more centralized safety net system. Other states in the news include Florida, California, and Texas.
Research Roundup: The Latest Science, Discoveries, And Breakthroughs
July 3, 2025
Morning Briefing
Each week, KFF Health News compiles a selection of the latest health research and news.
Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
July 3, 2025
Morning Briefing
Each week, KFF Health News finds longer stories for you to enjoy. Today’s selections are on terminal cancer, NIH cuts, PFAS, aging, the Slim-Fast founder, and more. Happy July Fourth weekend!
Morning Briefing for Thursday, July 3, 2025
July 3, 2025
Morning Briefing
The Morning Briefing will not be published Friday or Monday in observance of July Fourth. Look for it again in your inbox on Tuesday, July 8.
