$1.2T Spending Package Boosts HHS, Funds Bipartisan Health Care Measures
February 4, 2026
Morning Briefing
The one-year funding bill, which gives Health and Human Services $20 billion more than the administration had requested, provides a five-year extension of the Acute Hospital Care at Home program and a two-year extension for Medicare telehealth flexibilities, Fierce Healthcare reported. It also introduces reforms to pharmacy benefit manager practices.
Bhattacharya Gives Senate A Glimpse Of Changes Being Made At NIH
February 4, 2026
Morning Briefing
Some of the reforms underway include centralized peer review, a new analytic office, stronger oversight, and a unified funding strategy to better align investments with national health priorities, MedPage Today reported. Plus, news about the FDA’s drug voucher program.
NIH Director Contradicts RFK Jr.’s Theory That Vaccines Cause Autism
February 4, 2026
Morning Briefing
“I have not seen a study that suggests any single vaccine causes autism,” Jay Bhattacharya, the director of the National Institutes of Health said, emphasizing that there has been no link found between the MMR vaccine and autism, but that other vaccines are “less well studied.”
First Edition: Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026
February 4, 2026
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
When the Doctor Needs a Checkup
By Paula Span
February 4, 2026
KFF Health News Original
The physician workforce is aging fast, and some hospitals now require that older clinicians undergo testing for cognitive decline. Many have resisted.
Listen: Many Tents Are Gone, but Washington’s Homeless — And Their Health Problems — Aren’t
By Angela Hart
February 4, 2026
KFF Health News Original
Sweeps of encampments scatter homeless people, as medications are tossed and street medicine providers scramble to reconnect with their patients. KFF Health News senior correspondent Angela Hart discusses the aftermath on the Jan. 28 edition of WAMU’s “Health Hub.”
Listen to the Latest ‘KFF Health News Minute’
February 3, 2026
KFF Health News Original
The “KFF Health News Minute” brings original health care and health policy reporting from our newsroom to the airwaves each week.
Under New State Law, Texas Man Sues California Doctor Over Abortion Pills
February 3, 2026
Morning Briefing
A Texas law that took effect Dec. 4 allows private citizens to sue anyone who manufactures, distributes, mails, or provides abortion medication to or from the state. Plus: The issue of recreational pot won’t appear on Florida’s ballots after petition signatures fell short.
Researchers Discover How To Turn Off Chronic Inflammation
February 3, 2026
Morning Briefing
Researchers at the University College London have found that promoting tiny, fat-derived molecules called epoxy-oxylipins can help regulate a type of immune cell linked to chronic inflammation. Plus: why men develop heart disease earlier than women; the gap in hypertension control in the U.S.; and more.
Emerging Bat-Borne Virus Found In Suspected Nipah Virus Patients’ Swabs
February 3, 2026
Morning Briefing
Bangladeshi researchers are uncovering a worrying co-circulation of the dangerous bat-borne virus Pteropine orthoreovirus (PRV) and NiV, which has led to the recommendation that patients with NiV-like illness also be scanned for PRV. Plus: The fallout from foreign aid cuts, and more.
Measles Reported At Crowded ICE Site In Texas; Doctors Seek Urgent Action
February 3, 2026
Morning Briefing
One San Antonio-based physician implored the state to take “an immediate, unified command-and-control of the measles outbreak.” He emphasized that “this is a public health emergency,” given workers who come and go from the facility can spread the disease.
RFK Jr. Unveils $100M Faith-Based Plan To Stem ‘Spiritual Disease’ Of Addiction
February 3, 2026
Morning Briefing
The Safety Through Recovery, Engagement and Evidence-Based Treatment and Supports (STREETS) initiative expands the role of religious organizations in helping people who are both homeless and mentally ill or addicted, The New York Times reported. More administration news is about animal testing, NIH workers, a Planned Parenthood lawsuit, and more.
HHS Aggressively Rolling Out AI, Data Show, But Transparency Is Missing
February 3, 2026
Morning Briefing
A year into President Trump’s revamped federal AI plans, new data show that while the Department of Health and Human Services’ use of AI tools is up by 64%, only two of the 467 use cases identify adverse impacts, appeal processes, and incorporate feedback from users and the public, achieving “high-impact” status. Both are in the pre-deployment phase.
Morning Briefing for Tuesday, February 3, 2026
February 3, 2026
Morning Briefing
Tomorrow is the final day to enter our Health Policy Valentines contest! We want to see your clever, heartfelt, or hilarious tributes to the policies that shape health care. Submit your poem — whether conventional, free-form, or haiku — by noon ET on Wednesday, Feb. 4. Click here for the rules and to enter!
First Edition: Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026
February 3, 2026
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
NIH Grant Disruptions Slow Down Breast Cancer Research
By Martha Bebinger, WBUR
February 3, 2026
KFF Health News Original
The Trump administration has made the future of federal funding for cancer research uncertain. At one groundbreaking breast cancer research lab, work that could save lives has slowed significantly.
If You’re Pregnant and Uninsured, Medicaid Might Be Your Answer
By Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio Cara Anthony Emily Siner, Nashville Public Radio
February 3, 2026
KFF Health News Original
Prenatal care can make a huge difference to the long-term health of both the parent and baby. Every state offers health coverage to lower-income pregnant women who might otherwise go uninsured.
Si estás embarazada y no tienes seguro de salud, Medicaid podría ser la solución
By Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio Cara Anthony Emily Siner, Nashville Public Radio
February 3, 2026
KFF Health News Original
Todos los estados ofrecen cobertura de Medicaid a las mujeres embarazadas que cumplen con ciertos requisitos de ingresos. Pero cambia dependiendo del estado.
