A Dose Of Upbeat And Inspiring News
May 19, 2025
Morning Briefing
Today’s stories are on mental health, an in-flight emergency, cancer, organ transplants, and more.
Joe Biden And His Family Are Reviewing Cancer Treatment Options
May 19, 2025
Morning Briefing
Former President Biden’s office announced Sunday that he has prostate cancer that has spread to his bones. The statement said his cancer is “hormone-sensitive, which allows for effective management.” Politicians on both sides of the aisle reached out to send well-wishes.
After Medicaid Concessions, House GOP Hardliners Let Megabill Advance
May 19, 2025
Morning Briefing
The tax bill survived a committee vote Sunday night. It would make Medicaid work requirements happen “as soon as possible,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said. The measure still faces uncertainty as it comes up for votes in the full House and the Senate. Plus, the effects this “big, beautiful bill” would have on health care providers and patients.
Morning Briefing for Monday, May 19, 2025
May 19, 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: Monday, May 19, 2025
May 19, 2025
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Trump’s DOJ Accuses Medicare Advantage Insurers of Paying ‘Kickbacks’ for Primo Customers
By Julie Appleby
May 19, 2025
KFF Health News Original
The Department of Justice alleges that several major health insurers paid brokerages “hundreds of millions of dollars in kickbacks” to get agents to steer consumers into their Medicare Advantage plans, allegations the insurers strongly dispute.
Rural Patients Face Tough Choices When Their Hospitals Stop Delivering Babies
By Arielle Zionts
May 19, 2025
KFF Health News Original
More than 100 rural hospitals have stopped delivering babies since 2021, including a South Dakota hospital that serves small towns, farming communities, and a Native American reservation. Patients there now travel at least an hour to give birth.
Housing, Nutrition in Peril as Trump Pulls Back Medicaid Social Services
By Angela Hart
May 19, 2025
KFF Health News Original
About half of states have broadened Medicaid, the state-federal low-income health care program, to pay for social services such as housing and nutritional support. The Trump administration, however, views these experiments as distractions from the core mission to provide health care.
Los hospitales que atienden partos en zonas rurales están cada vez más lejos de las embarazadas
By Arielle Zionts
May 19, 2025
KFF Health News Original
Más de un centenar de hospitales rurales han dejado de atender partos desde 2021, según el Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform. El cierre de los servicios de obstetricia se suele achacar a la falta de personal y la falta de presupuesto.
Trump retira servicios sociales de Medicaid, y pone en peligro la nutrición y la vivienda
By Angela Hart
May 19, 2025
KFF Health News Original
Sin hogar ni alimentos saludables, las personas corren el riesgo de enfermarse más, quedarse sin hogar y experimentar aún más dificultades para controlar afecciones crónicas como la diabetes y las enfermedades cardíacas.
Journalists Unpack Drug Prices, Threats to Medicaid, and the Fluoridation of Water
May 17, 2025
KFF Health News Original
KFF Health News journalists made the rounds on national and local media recently to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
Flawed Federal Programs Maroon Rural Americans in Telehealth Limbo
By Sarah Jane Tribble
May 16, 2025
KFF Health News Original
Get our weekly newsletter, The Week in Brief, featuring a roundup of our original coverage, Fridays at 2 p.m. ET.
First-Ever Personalized Gene-Editing Treatment Saves Baby’s Life
May 16, 2025
Morning Briefing
The Philadelphia boy was born with a rare genetic disorder called CPS1 deficiency. Half of all babies with the disorder die in the first week, The New York Times notes. Also making news: measles, prion diseases, and night owls.
UnitedHealth To End Commissions On Sales Of Medicare Drug Plans
May 16, 2025
Morning Briefing
As of now, commissions on renewals will continue to be paid. Also, Leapfrog has served a cease-and-desist after Tenet Healthcare Corp. filed a lawsuit alleging that the safety grades process was bought and paid for. Other news is on upcoding practices in outpatient care, updated industry standards for antibiotic manufacturing, and more.
Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
May 16, 2025
Morning Briefing
Each week, KFF Health News finds longer stories for you to enjoy. Today’s selections are on infectious-disease detectives, Powassan virus, the LA wildfires, Pope Leo XIV, and more.
HHS Hedges On Covid Vaccine Advice For Children, Pregnant Women
May 16, 2025
Morning Briefing
It’s not clear if the recommendation for covid shots will be lifted entirely, or whether patients simply will be advised to consult with their doctors, The Wall Street Journal reports. Regardless, the change could mean insurers become less likely to cover the shots. Plus, the MAHA movement’s latest push.
Senators Express Dissatisfaction With House Megabill Draft, Medicaid Cuts
May 16, 2025
Morning Briefing
Some GOP senators are concerned that trims to Medicaid and other programs would hurt their states. They have already pegged provisions in the House measure that they’re targeting for revisions, NBC News reports. Also in the tax bill: a $1 billion tax break on gun silencers.
DOD Adds Gender Dysphoria Screening To Troops’ Annual Checkups
May 16, 2025
Morning Briefing
The order is intended to identify transgender service members, who will then be removed from their ranks in the U.S. military. Plus: drug production, antismoking programs, firefighter cancer study, and more.
Florida Becomes Second State To Ban Fluoride In Public Water
May 16, 2025
Morning Briefing
Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the legislation yesterday, joining Utah. The bill does not mention fluoride specifically and is intended to allow more medical freedom, according to The Hill. Other news comes from Texas, Kentucky, California, Georgia, and Michigan.
