Arizona’s Abortion Ban Is Struck Down And Abortion Rights Enshrined
March 7, 2025
Morning Briefing
With the passage of Prop. 139 and a Maricopa County Superior Court judge’s ruling, the abortion ban is over “permanently and forever,” reports AZ Mirror. Also, late-stage pregnancy loss is more common in the south; 19% of men surveyed suffer from ED two years after covid infection; and more.
CMS Warns It May Soon Update Policies To Prevent ‘Mutilation’ Of Trans Kids
March 7, 2025
Morning Briefing
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services sent a special alert to hospitals across the country Wednesday, Fierce Healthcare reported. Plus: California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, makes waves for speaking out against trans athletes in women’s sports.
Unvaccinated New Mexico Resident Infected With Measles Has Died
March 7, 2025
Morning Briefing
Officials have not confirmed measles as the cause of death. All cases of measles in New Mexico involve people who either aren’t vaccinated or whose vaccine status is not known. Meanwhile, some worry that HHS Chief Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is not taking the outbreak seriously.
Idaho House Swiftly Passes Medicaid Work Requirement Bill
March 7, 2025
Morning Briefing
The bill was debated Thursday for less than 10 minutes, the Idaho Capital Sun reported. Every Republican voted yes, and every Democrat voted no. The bill now heads to the state Senate for a hearing. In other news: Pennsylvania officials say weight loss drugs might lead to more than $1 billion in new Medicaid costs this year.
First Edition: Friday, March 7, 2025
March 7, 2025
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Medicaid Advocates Say Critics Use Loaded Terms To Gain Edge in Congressional Debate
By Phil Galewitz
March 7, 2025
KFF Health News Original
As policymakers in Washington debate potentially steep funding cuts to Medicaid, Republicans are using terms such as “money laundering” and “discrimination” to make their case. Language experts and Medicaid advocates say their word choice is misleading and designed to sway the public against the popular program.
Marty Makary, Often Wrong as Pandemic Critic, Is Poised To Lead the FDA He Railed Against
By Arthur Allen
March 7, 2025
KFF Health News Original
Should Marty Makary take the reins at the FDA, transitioning from gadfly to the head of an agency that regulates a fifth of the U.S. economy, he would have to engage in the thorny challenges of governing.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': The State of Federal Health Agencies Is Uncertain
March 6, 2025
Podcast
The Supreme Court opined for the first time that Trump administration officials may be exceeding their authority to reshape the federal government by refusing to honor completed contracts, even as lower-court judges started blocking efforts to fire workers, freeze funding, and cancel ongoing contracts. Meanwhile, public health officials are alarmed at the Department of Health and Human Services’ public handling of Texas’ widening measles outbreak, particularly the secretary’s less-than-full endorsement of vaccines. Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, and Stephanie Armour of KFF Health News join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.
Research Roundup: The Latest Science, Discoveries, And Breakthroughs
March 6, 2025
Morning Briefing
Each week, KFF Health News compiles a selection of the latest health research and news.
Viewpoints: Is Trump’s Nominee To Lead The FDA, Dr. Marty Makary, Up To The Job?
March 6, 2025
Morning Briefing
Opinion writers tackle these public health issues.
Staff Cuts And ‘Major Changes’ Coming To VA; Funding Cuts Blocked At NIH
March 6, 2025
Morning Briefing
Veterans Affairs plans to slash about 80,000 jobs. Secretary Douglas Collins said in a video on social media that the cuts would not reduce health care or benefits for veterans or their beneficiaries. Even so, Collins said, vets should “get used to it now,” The Washington Post reported.
Over 1,000 Acute Care Hospitals To Split $700 Million In Opioid Settlement
March 6, 2025
Morning Briefing
Drug manufacturers and distributors were accused of misrepresenting prescription opioids, improperly handling some orders, or filling scripts for dubious medical purposes. Per the settlement, they deny any wrongdoing. In other news, Americans borrowed about $74 billion last year to pay for health care.
Aspirin Appears To Stop Some Cancers From Metastasizing, Researchers Find
March 6, 2025
Morning Briefing
A study on mice with melanoma found that aspirin lowered TXA2 levels, which freed up T cells and allowed them to fight cancer more effectively. However, the lead scientist stressed that long-term aspirin use is associated with many health risks and urged patients to discuss it with their doctors.
Study Suggests Bacterial Vaginosis, Or BV, Is Actually An STD
March 6, 2025
Morning Briefing
The infection has long been treated as a women’s issue, but a clinical trial in Australia showed that treating both partners eliminated reinfection, CNN reports. In other women’s health news, brain changes during pregnancy may be linked to PPD; menopause hormone therapy may be tied to Alzheimer’s; and more.
Florida Demands Personal Information In Drug Prescription Data Probe
March 6, 2025
Morning Briefing
Data requested by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation in January includes names of patients, dates of birth, and names of doctors, sparking concerns about government overreach and patient privacy. Other news comes from South Carolina, Texas, Pennsylvania, Oregon, and California.
NIH Nominee Sidesteps Questions Over Vaccines, Research, Funding Cuts
March 6, 2025
Morning Briefing
Dr. Jay Bhattacharya said during his confirmation hearing that he supports childhood vaccinations but that more research is needed to convince parents shots won’t cause autism. He declined to weigh in on President Donald Trump’s efforts to block funding for biomedical research.
GOP Can’t Attain Budget Goal Without Cuts To Medicaid, Medicare, Or CHIP
March 6, 2025
Morning Briefing
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office released an analysis Wednesday. Other coverage from Capitol Hill and the White House is on high-deductible health plans, price transparency, Medicare Advantage lawsuits, and more.
First Edition: Thursday, March 6, 2025
March 6, 2025
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
