Facing A Crisis, UnitedHealth Turns To Its Former CEO To Shape It — Again
May 21, 2025
Morning Briefing
Stephen Hemsley returns to his old job at a difficult time for the company. Other industry news is on Oak Street Health, Prime Healthcare, Optum Health, and more.
Future Covid Shots Limited To Adults 65+, Those At Risk Of Severe Illness
May 21, 2025
Morning Briefing
Revised FDA guidelines also require placebo testing on updated covid vaccines. The new plan has pediatricians concerned for young ones in their care, but one MAHA influencer says the new rules aren’t restrictive enough.
First Edition: Wednesday, May 21, 2025
May 21, 2025
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
3 Things To Watch on Mental Health in Trump’s Early Budget Proposals
By Aneri Pattani
May 21, 2025
KFF Health News Original
President Donald Trump’s budget office says he’ll continue to fund the new 988 suicide prevention hotline, but documents sent to Congress offer clues — amid some mixed messages — about the administration’s approach to two pressing public health issues: mental health and addiction.
Trump Won’t Force Medicaid To Cover GLP-1s for Obesity. A Few States Are Doing It Anyway.
By Lauren Sausser
May 21, 2025
KFF Health News Original
Late last year, South Carolina Medicaid approved a class of medications known as GLP-1s to treat obesity, placing it among the few state programs covering these effective but expensive drugs. But access remains limited, even for patients covered by Medicaid, because of stringent prerequisites that must be satisfied before starting the drug.
Questions, Conspiracy Theories Swirl Over Biden’s Cancer Diagnosis
May 20, 2025
Morning Briefing
As The Wall Street Journal wonders why Biden’s cancer went undetected, and as President Trump’s allies suggest those in Biden’s circle schemed to conceal the news, health experts explain why the diagnosis might have been missed. Also: colorectal cancer, glioblastoma brain cancer, and more.
WHO Adopts New Pandemic Treaty Without The US
May 20, 2025
Morning Briefing
The treaty, which has been in negotiations for more than three years, was adopted in Geneva on Tuesday. One of its main goals is to improve equitable access to vaccines, Stat reported.
VA Makes It Easier For Veterans To Get Medical Care From Private Providers
May 20, 2025
Morning Briefing
The Department of Veterans Affairs will nix a requirement that any referral for private medical care be reviewed by another VA doctor. Other health industry news is on Ascension, Lifepoint Health, AdventHealth Orlando, and more.
23andMe Agrees To Sell Data To Drug Developer Regeneron Pharmaceuticals
May 20, 2025
Morning Briefing
The bankrupt genetic-testing firm will hand over its entire data bank, including DNA samples of around 15 million people. Regeneron has said it will abide by 23andMe’s privacy policy, allowing customers to request deletion of their data. Also: Mayo Clinic looks to extend donor heart preservation; J&J’s antitrust violation; and more.
Nebraska Receives First USDA Waiver To Ban Soda, Energy Drinks From SNAP
May 20, 2025
Morning Briefing
Gov. Jim Pillen, a Republican, said “There’s absolutely zero reason for taxpayers to be subsidizing purchases of soda and energy drinks.” Nebraska’s waiver takes effect Jan. 1. More news comes from Colorado, Florida, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New York, and California.
Medical Cannabis Eases Symptoms of Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Study Finds
May 20, 2025
Morning Briefing
The data come from Minnesota’s Office of Cannabis Management. Also in the news: UTI meds, “menstrual cycle syncing,” and a possible height gene.
Morning Briefing for Tuesday, May 20, 2025
May 20, 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.
Medicaid Work Requirements Could Be Instituted In Early 2027
May 20, 2025
Morning Briefing
As GOP leadership works to mend internal divisions to get its One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed, President Trump plans to visit Capitol Hill to shore up support. Wall Street’s worries over a burgeoning debt might complicate their efforts, Politico reported.
Bipartisan Take It Down Act That Bans ‘Revenge Porn’ Becomes Law
May 20, 2025
Morning Briefing
It is now illegal to publish or threaten to publish real or AI-generated intimate images of a person without their consent. Tech sites and companies also must take down such images within 48 hours of notice from a victim and try to delete duplicate content.
First Edition: Tuesday, May 20, 2025
May 20, 2025
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Trump Exaggerates Speed and Certainty of Prescription Drug Price Reductions
By Louis Jacobson, PolitiFact
May 20, 2025
KFF Health News Original
According to the timeline in the May 12 executive order, prescription drug price reductions would not happen “almost immediately,” but rather could take months or years. And extending the savings to Americans outside federal health insurance programs such as Medicare would likely require congressional action.
This News Might Ruin Your Appetite — And Summer
By David Hilzenrath
May 20, 2025
KFF Health News Original
Fresh studies expose a gap in the FDA’s assessments of foods: Widely used additives could damage the mix of bacteria in your gut, causing health problems.
How Trump Aims To Slash Federal Support for Research, Public Health, and Medicaid
By Elisabeth Rosenthal
May 20, 2025
KFF Health News Original
One thing experts agree on: The damage from the funding cuts will be varied and immense.
