‘If They Cut Too Much, People Will Die’: Health Coalition Pushes GOP on Medicaid Funding
By Christine Mai-Duc
April 3, 2025
KFF Health News Original
As House Republicans mull a massive $880 billion cut from federal programs likely including Medicaid, constituents, disability advocates, and health care providers are joining forces to lobby GOP members in California — including those who represent rural, deeply conservative pockets that stand to lose the most.
Trump’s DEI Undoing Undermines Hard-Won Accommodations for Disabled People
By Stephanie Armour
April 3, 2025
KFF Health News Original
From halting diversity programs that benefit disabled workers to making federal staffing cuts, the Trump administration has taken a slew of actions that harm people with disabilities.
What’s Lost: Trump Whacks Tiny Agency That Works To Make the Nation’s Health Care Safer
By Arthur Allen
April 3, 2025
KFF Health News Original
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has helped improve health care safety in a country where thousands die of medical errors each year. It was effectively dissolved Tuesday.
Prosecutors To Seek Death Penalty For Mangione In UnitedHealthcare Slaying
April 2, 2025
Morning Briefing
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi accused Luigi Mangione, 26 — on trial in the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson — of committing a “cold-blooded assassination.” President Donald Trump has restored the use of federal executions, which had been on hold since mid-2021 under the Biden administration.
LA County Forms New Homeless Agency Despite Mayor’s Disapproval
April 2, 2025
Morning Briefing
According to the Los Angeles Times, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors approved a plan Tuesday to move more than $300 million in funds from the existing homeless services agency. Other news is from Massachusetts, Georgia, Colorado, Illinois, and North Carolina.
Study: Exposure To Phthalates May Impact Brain Development In Infants
April 2, 2025
Morning Briefing
The study, published Wednesday in the journal Nature Communications, looked at moms’ phthalate exposure and newborns’ brain development. Other health news is on a promising new drug in the fight against ovarian cancer, the impact of “cold-water immersion” on your body’s cells, and more.
HHS Guts Health Agencies, Ousts 5 NIH Directors In Broad Reduction In Force
April 2, 2025
Morning Briefing
During a day of widespread layoffs, NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya told employees he plans to “implement new policies humanely,” while FDA Commissioner Marty Makary touted his “impeccable credentials” in an email to his charges. News outlets break down what programs were affected by Monday’s purge and what’s next.
23 States Sue Trump Administration Over $11B In Health Funding Cuts
April 2, 2025
Morning Briefing
AP reports that the attorneys general involved in the lawsuit say the funding cuts will result in “serious harm to public health.” In related news about the Trump administration and DOGE: rural internet access, a kidney donor held by ICE, and more.
‘Liberation Day’ Arrives; Some In GOP Try To Stop Tariffs On Canadian Drugs
April 2, 2025
Morning Briefing
An analysis recently published in JAMA found that the tariffs would likely result in price hikes on a “wide range of medications, from antibiotics to mental health treatments,” the lead author said. In related news, Mark Cuban says his Cost Plus Drugs will be forced to raise prices if tariffs take effect.
House Panel Discusses Vulnerability Of Aging Medical Devices
April 2, 2025
Morning Briefing
Alabama Republican Rep. Gary Palmer noted that even though the hardware can last up to 30 years, software tends to become outdated more quickly, potentially exposing patients to risk and hospitals to cybersecurity threats. New York Democrat Yvette Clarke wondered how these issues can be addressed after government departments have been gutted.
Wisconsin High Court Keeps Liberal Tilt With Abortion Rights On Docket
April 2, 2025
Morning Briefing
Liberal Judge Susan Crawford bested conservative Judge Brad Schimel for a seat on the court. Separately: Wyoming makes it harder for people to obtain procedural abortions; funding freezes limit contraception access nationally and globally; and more.
Morning Briefing for Wednesday, April 2, 2025
April 2, 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, April 2, 2025
April 2, 2025
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
How Much Will That Surgery Cost? 🤷 Hospital Prices Remain Largely Unhelpful.
By Daniel Chang
April 2, 2025
KFF Health News Original
Health care price transparency is one of the few bipartisan issues in Washington, D.C. But much of the information that hospitals and health plans have made available to the public is not helpful to patients, and there’s no conclusive evidence yet that it’s lowering costs or increasing competition.
Hit Hard by Opioid Crisis, Black Patients Further Hurt by Barriers to Care
By Melba Newsome
April 2, 2025
KFF Health News Original
The rate of overdose deaths from opioids has grown significantly among Black people. Yet, even after a nonfatal overdose, this group is half as likely to be referred to or get treatment compared with white people. Advocates and researchers cite implicit bias, insurance denials, and other systemic issues.
Nearly 2,000 Scientists Call Out Trump For ‘Assault On US Science’
April 1, 2025
Morning Briefing
The scientists — all of whom are elected members of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine — signed a letter warning that President Donald Trump’s actions have created a “climate of fear,” The Washington Post reported. Plus: Harvard’s funding is in jeopardy.
Doctors Will No Longer Be Required To Record Patients’ Sexual Orientation
April 1, 2025
Morning Briefing
The electronic health record rules — which also included taking data on gender identity — were set to be enforced by Jan. 1, 2026. Stat reports that providers can still gather the information if they want to. Plus: updates on lab-developed tests, health care fraudsters, and military combat fitness.
Feds Freeze Family Planning Funds From Planned Parenthood
April 1, 2025
Morning Briefing
Nine of the nonprofit’s affiliates got word Monday that the Trump administration is withholding Title X funds. Separately, a federal judge has ruled it is a violation of the First Amendment and the right to travel if Alabama’s attorney general tries to punish anyone who aids in out-of-state abortions.
Hospitals Reportedly Receive Extortion Threats Over Alleged Oracle Hack
April 1, 2025
Morning Briefing
Fierce Healthcare says the incident — in which patient data was reportedly stolen from servers sometime after Jan. 22 — has not yet been announced by Oracle Health but was reported Friday in an information security publication called Bleeping Computer. That publication said a hacker is demanding millions in cryptocurrency.
