State Officials Brace For Fallout If Massachusetts Insurer Collapses
March 20, 2025
Morning Briefing
Commonwealth Care Alliance provides health care to nearly 50,000 elderly, disabled, and low-income individuals. Also in the news: Veradigm, Cigna, Cone Health, Jefferson Health, and Hippocratic AI.
NC Bills Would Raise Age For Tobacco Sales To 21, Up From 18
March 20, 2025
Morning Briefing
North Carolina Health News reports the House bill would also establish a tobacco retail sales permitting system. North Carolina and six other states still allow 18-year-olds to buy tobacco. Other news from around the nation comes from West Virginia, Florida, Connecticut, Illinois, New York, and California.
Cannabis Use Elevates Risk Of Heart Attack In Some Users, Study Finds
March 20, 2025
Morning Briefing
Healthy users younger than 50 are more likely to experience stroke, heart attack, or heart failure than people who don’t use the drug, Fox News reports. Also: MRI images show “brain rot” is linked to smartphone usage; the U.S. hits the lowest levels of happiness on record; and more.
Research Roundup: The Latest Science, Discoveries, And Breakthroughs
March 20, 2025
Morning Briefing
Each week, KFF Health News compiles a selection of the latest health research and news.
Trump Set To Order Education Department Shutdown; Millions Of Youths With Disabilities Left In Lurch
March 20, 2025
Morning Briefing
Formally closing the department requires an act of Congress, NBC News noted. But President Donald Trump can make it impossible for DOE employees to do their work, similar to what he has done at USAID. Of all the groups affected, children with disabilities, poor children, and students who receive federal financial aid will be the most severely affected.
First Edition: Thursday, March 20, 2025
March 20, 2025
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
In New York, Providers Must Put Patient Costs on the Table
By Michelle Andrews
March 20, 2025
KFF Health News Original
The governor’s fiscal year 2026 budget revises a law designed to limit unexpected bills that can put people at risk for unfair medical billing practices and reduce medical debt. Consumer groups say it doesn’t go far enough.
Amid Plummeting Diversity at Medical Schools, a Warning of DEI Crackdown’s ‘Chilling Effect’
By Annie Sciacca
March 20, 2025
KFF Health News Original
Enrollment of underrepresented groups at medical schools fell precipitously this academic year after the Supreme Court’s 2023 ban on affirmative action. Education and health experts worry the Trump administration’s anti-DEI measures will only worsen the situation, even in states like California that have navigated bans on race-conscious admissions for years.
FDA Puts Infant Formula Under The Scope In Search Of Harmful Chemicals
March 19, 2025
Morning Briefing
The agency says it also will examine nutrients contained in formulas to ensure they “promote health and wellbeing during critical stages of development.” Meanwhile, as the White House saps the Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy, the HHS chief floats a plan to just let bird flu spread.
Lawmakers Look To ‘Site-Neutral’ Medicare Policies To Pay For Tax Cuts
March 19, 2025
Morning Briefing
Site-neutral Medicare reimbursements for outpatient care could help with the health care spending cuts. But hospitals are against the plan, which would require health systems to charge the same prices for services whether they are performed in a hospital or another location.
Purdue Pharma, Sacklers Unveil New Settlement For OxyContin Lawsuits
March 19, 2025
Morning Briefing
The plan put forth Tuesday could see the Sackler family pay up to $7 billion. Also in the news: Merck prepares to close its manufacturing plant in Pennsylvania; Optum Rx, which includes UnitedHealth Group, has dropped the reauthorization requirements for 80 drugs; and more.
As Measles Cases Top 300, Health Official Warns Of Prolonged Outbreak
March 19, 2025
Morning Briefing
Although Texas has expanded its capacity for testing people who are sick, officials are still struggling to convince folks to get vaccinated. If the outbreak lasts more than a year, the U.S. could lose its measles-free status. More news comes from Ohio, Florida, New Hampshire, California, and Indiana.
Second Arrest Made In Texas Abortion Case
March 19, 2025
Morning Briefing
A medical assistant has been arrested in connection to a midwife who is accused of providing illegal abortions, reports AP. Also: Doctors plan to continue mailing abortion pills over state lines despite a recent indictment; Colorado plans to allow Medicaid coverage of abortion beginning in 2026; and more.
In First Wave Of 2,000 Planned Layoffs, Johns Hopkins Will Cut 200 In May
March 19, 2025
Morning Briefing
The layoffs come in the wake of the institution losing $800 million in federal grants. Also in industry news: DispatchHealth, UnitedHealthcare, patient access to health test results, and more.
HIV Prevention At Risk In Latest Projected Federal Funding Cuts
March 19, 2025
Morning Briefing
The Department of Health and Human Services is considering drastically cutting the government’s funding for domestic HIV prevention. Meanwhile, experts worry that the days of rationing HIV drugs are back. Plus: more news on DOGE and funding cuts.
First Edition: Wednesday, March 19, 2025
March 19, 2025
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Indiana Lawmakers Seek To Forbid Hospital Monopolies, but One Merger Fight Remains
By Samantha Liss
March 19, 2025
KFF Health News Original
Union Health has made a new bid to buy its only rival hospital in Terre Haute, Indiana. The system passed one hurdle after lawmakers watered down a bill that threatened the proposed deal. That means the merger will now face a likely showdown with Indiana’s new governor.
