At Fiery House Hearing, RFK Jr. Denies He Made False Promises Over Vaccines
June 25, 2025
Morning Briefing
Maryland Democratic Rep. Kim Schrier said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy “lied to the American people” and later added, “I will lay all responsibility for every death from a vaccine-preventable illness at your feet.” A combative Kennedy defended his advisory picks for ACIP and said, “None of them are anti-vax.”
Slashing Medicaid Would Force States To Cut Provider Pay, Analysis Finds
June 25, 2025
Morning Briefing
States would have to find ways to cushion the blow from lost funding. House GOP moderates are warning that the Senate version of the bill cuts too deep for them to support. Meanwhile, a key GOP senator says Medicaid cuts could cause the GOP to lose control of the House and Senate in 2026.
International Doctors Can’t Start Medical Residencies Due To Visa Woes
June 25, 2025
Morning Briefing
Hundreds of foreign doctors find themselves in limbo just days from when they should be starting their medical residencies at U.S. hospitals. In other news: States sue the Trump administration over grant cuts; Colorado is buying overdose reversal kits; and more.
Oz Signals Administration Looking To End Complicated Drug Rebate System
June 25, 2025
Morning Briefing
In a comment made Tuesday, CMS chief Mehmet Oz pushed for the elimination of the payments drugmakers send to pharmacy benefit managers after prescriptions are filled. Other industry news is about a sutureless peripheral nerve repair device, medical device recalls, and more.
Morning Briefing for Wednesday, June 25, 2025
June 25, 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.
First Edition: Wednesday, June 25, 2025
June 25, 2025
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
California’s Much-Touted IVF Law May Be Delayed Until 2026, Leaving Many in the Lurch
By Sarah Kwon
June 25, 2025
KFF Health News Original
California lawmakers are poised to approve a six-month delay in implementing the state’s in vitro fertilization law, pushing its start to January 2026. The plan to postpone, which has drawn little attention, is part of the state budget package and has left patients, insurers, and employers in limbo.
What RFK Jr. Isn’t Talking About: How To Make Vaccines Safer
By Arthur Allen
June 25, 2025
KFF Health News Original
Vaccines are under fire from the top of the Trump administration. Federal programs to monitor them and make them safer have always been underfunded.
5 Takeaways From Health Insurers’ New Pledge To Improve Prior Authorization
By Lauren Sausser Phil Galewitz
June 24, 2025
KFF Health News Original
Dozens of health insurance companies pledged on Monday to improve prior authorization, a process often used to deny care. The announcement comes months after the killing of UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson, whose death in December sparked widespread criticism about insurance denials.
As States Sizzle And Heat-Related Illnesses Rise, Federal Response Falters
June 24, 2025
Morning Briefing
The Trump administration is slow-walking rules proposed during the Biden years that would protect workers from extreme heat. “We have a lot of reason to believe that it’s going to take a dire toll on people’s health,” one scientist says. More news is about #SkinnyTok, sobriety, and microplastics.
Morning Briefing for Tuesday, June 24, 2025
June 24, 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.
Medical Debt Would Surge 15% Under Bill’s Medicaid, ACA Cuts, Report Says
June 24, 2025
Morning Briefing
Think tank Third Way estimates the Republicans’ Big, Beautiful Bill will cause an extra 5.4 million people to incur medical debt by as much as $22,800. Meanwhile, hospitals are urging Congress to protect their funding. So far, GOP senators are waving off their concerns, Modern Healthcare reports.
Telehealth Scripts Contribute To Continued Rise In Abortion Numbers
June 24, 2025
Morning Briefing
A recent report finds that 2024 saw a rise in abortion numbers across the country despite restrictions and outright bans in multiple states. Telehealth-prescribed pills account for a quarter of all abortions. Also, NBC reports on a crisis pregnancy center support group that has advised its members to avoid giving ultrasounds to women suspected of having ectopic pregnancies.
GOP Sen. Cassidy Criticizes Vaccine Advisers, Says They Shouldn’t Meet Yet
June 24, 2025
Morning Briefing
In a post on X late Monday, Louisiana’s Bill Cassidy, a physician, said the new members of ACIP — handpicked by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — “do not have significant experience studying microbiology, epidemiology, or immunology.” Cassidy also said a CDC director should be in place to approve any recommendations. The previous CDC director, Mandy Cohen, left office in January.
VA To End Last Medical Research Project Involving Primates This Month
June 24, 2025
Morning Briefing
The VA’s spinal cord research project involving monkeys is wrapping up, marking the culmination of efforts by activists and lawmakers alike to end studies that harm dogs, cats, and primates. Also in the news: a drug to treat lung cancer, diabetes drugs and loss of vision, and more.
Texas Opts Out Of Federal Summer Lunch Program For Low-Income Kids
June 24, 2025
Morning Briefing
The Summer EBT program, which would have given qualifying families $120 per child to pay for summertime lunches in 2027, has been vetoed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who cited federal funding uncertainty. Other news comes from New York, Missouri, North Carolina, and Georgia.
First Edition: Tuesday, June 24, 2025
June 24, 2025
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
‘We Need To Keep Fighting’: HIV Activists Organize To Save Lives as Trump Guts Funding
By Amy Maxmen
June 24, 2025
KFF Health News Original
While Congress fails to stave off cuts to HIV care, community leaders in Mississippi and beyond race to limit the damage.
