California’s Much-Touted IVF Law May Be Delayed Until 2026, Leaving Many in the Lurch
By Sarah Kwon
June 25, 2025
KFF Health News Original
California lawmakers are poised to approve a six-month delay in implementing the state’s in vitro fertilization law, pushing its start to January 2026. The plan to postpone, which has drawn little attention, is part of the state budget package and has left patients, insurers, and employers in limbo.
5 Takeaways From Health Insurers’ New Pledge To Improve Prior Authorization
By Lauren Sausser Phil Galewitz
June 24, 2025
KFF Health News Original
Dozens of health insurance companies pledged on Monday to improve prior authorization, a process often used to deny care. The announcement comes months after the killing of UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson, whose death in December sparked widespread criticism about insurance denials.
As States Sizzle And Heat-Related Illnesses Rise, Federal Response Falters
June 24, 2025
Morning Briefing
The Trump administration is slow-walking rules proposed during the Biden years that would protect workers from extreme heat. “We have a lot of reason to believe that it’s going to take a dire toll on people’s health,” one scientist says. More news is about #SkinnyTok, sobriety, and microplastics.
Morning Briefing for Tuesday, June 24, 2025
June 24, 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.
Medical Debt Would Surge 15% Under Bill’s Medicaid, ACA Cuts, Report Says
June 24, 2025
Morning Briefing
Think tank Third Way estimates the Republicans’ Big, Beautiful Bill will cause an extra 5.4 million people to incur medical debt by as much as $22,800. Meanwhile, hospitals are urging Congress to protect their funding. So far, GOP senators are waving off their concerns, Modern Healthcare reports.
Telehealth Scripts Contribute To Continued Rise In Abortion Numbers
June 24, 2025
Morning Briefing
A recent report finds that 2024 saw a rise in abortion numbers across the country despite restrictions and outright bans in multiple states. Telehealth-prescribed pills account for a quarter of all abortions. Also, NBC reports on a crisis pregnancy center support group that has advised its members to avoid giving ultrasounds to women suspected of having ectopic pregnancies.
GOP Sen. Cassidy Criticizes Vaccine Advisers, Says They Shouldn’t Meet Yet
June 24, 2025
Morning Briefing
In a post on X late Monday, Louisiana’s Bill Cassidy, a physician, said the new members of ACIP — handpicked by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — “do not have significant experience studying microbiology, epidemiology, or immunology.” Cassidy also said a CDC director should be in place to approve any recommendations. The previous CDC director, Mandy Cohen, left office in January.
VA To End Last Medical Research Project Involving Primates This Month
June 24, 2025
Morning Briefing
The VA’s spinal cord research project involving monkeys is wrapping up, marking the culmination of efforts by activists and lawmakers alike to end studies that harm dogs, cats, and primates. Also in the news: a drug to treat lung cancer, diabetes drugs and loss of vision, and more.
Texas Opts Out Of Federal Summer Lunch Program For Low-Income Kids
June 24, 2025
Morning Briefing
The Summer EBT program, which would have given qualifying families $120 per child to pay for summertime lunches in 2027, has been vetoed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who cited federal funding uncertainty. Other news comes from New York, Missouri, North Carolina, and Georgia.
First Edition: Tuesday, June 24, 2025
June 24, 2025
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
‘We Need To Keep Fighting’: HIV Activists Organize To Save Lives as Trump Guts Funding
By Amy Maxmen
June 24, 2025
KFF Health News Original
While Congress fails to stave off cuts to HIV care, community leaders in Mississippi and beyond race to limit the damage.
Push To Move OB-GYN Exam Out of Texas Is Piece of AGs’ Broader Reproductive Rights Campaign
By Annie Sciacca
June 24, 2025
KFF Health News Original
Following a petition from Democratic state attorneys general, the American Medical Association adopted a position that medical certification exams should not be required in person in states with restrictive abortion policies. The action’s success was hailed as a win for Democrats trying to regain ground after the fall of Roe.
Senate Official Halts GOP’s Plan To Make States Share Cost Of SNAP
June 23, 2025
Morning Briefing
The Republicans’ megabill became much clearer over the weekend after the Senate parliamentarian — the rules referee — clarified which parts of the bill could stay or had to go. A 10-year moratorium on enforcing state and local AI laws was retained; the moratorium is a condition for receiving billions in federal funds for broadband expansion, a critical need in rural areas lacking telehealth services.
Health Insurers Pledge To Trim Prior Authorization Process Over 18 Months
June 23, 2025
Morning Briefing
They aren’t ending prior authorization, but they are vowing to take half-a-dozen steps they say will make it less onerous, including setting up a standard electronic request form for doctors and reducing the scope of services for which it is needed, The Washington Post reported.
Medical Groups Mobilize As A Check On RFK Jr.’s New Vaccine Advisers
June 23, 2025
Morning Briefing
Medical organizations and experts are collaborating on ways to protect vaccine integrity and ensure insurance coverage should ACIP’s recommendations deviate from long-standing public health practice. Plus, a look at the conundrum facing insurance companies.
Despite Healthy Status, Georgia Man Dies Within 30 Days Of ICE Arrest
June 23, 2025
Morning Briefing
The Guardian tracks the case of a Mexican-born detainee whose family has raised concerns about the baffling circumstances surrounding the father’s death. Plus, news outlets examine the repercussions of federal funding and research cuts.
Texas Broke Law For Decades, Trapped People With Severe Disabilities In Nursing Homes, Federal Judge Rules
June 23, 2025
Morning Briefing
Once there, they didn’t receive the services they needed because they weren’t adequately screened, and many couldn’t argue for their transfer, disability advocates told The Texas Tribune. The ruling stems from a class-action lawsuit filed in 2010.
A Dose Of Upbeat And Inspiring News
June 23, 2025
Morning Briefing
Today’s stories are on type 1 diabetes, lupus, breast cancer, hearing aids, and more.
