Work Requirements and Red Tape Ahead for Millions on Medicaid
By Jess Mador, WABE
August 4, 2025
KFF Health News Original
Work requirements are coming for the millions of Americans on Medicaid, due to the Republican tax and spend bill that President Donald Trump signed into law July 4. Currently, Georgia is the only state with a work requirement. Eligible Georgians say it’s very hard to get the system to confirm they qualify, putting their benefits at risk.
Sorting Out Covid Vaccine Confusion: New and Conflicting Federal Policies Raise Questions
By Michelle Andrews
August 4, 2025
KFF Health News Original
Should you get vaccinated? Will your insurer pay for it? And will you still be able to find a vaccine? KFF Health News tries to sort out where things stand.
Aclarando la confusión sobre las vacunas contra covid-19
By Michelle Andrews
August 4, 2025
KFF Health News Original
Las agencias dentro del Departamento de Salud y Servicios Sociales responsables de especificar quién debe vacunarse no están necesariamente sincronizadas, emitiendo recomendaciones en apariencia contradictorias.
Journalists Distill $50B Rural Health Fund and Newsmaking Diagnoses
August 2, 2025
KFF Health News Original
KFF Health News journalists made the rounds on national and local media recently to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
Cosmetic Surgery Chains Are on the Rise. So Are Allegations of Injury and Death.
By Fred Schulte
August 1, 2025
KFF Health News Original
Get our weekly newsletter, The Week in Brief, featuring a roundup of our original coverage, Fridays at 2 p.m. ET.
CMS Reportedly Will Allow Voluntary Coverage Of Weight Loss Drugs
August 1, 2025
Morning Briefing
The Washington Post says it has obtained documents that detail the five-year experiment involving state Medicaid programs and Medicare Part D plans. Plus: CMS has bumped up Medicare payments for inpatient services and long-term care.
California To Drop Health Insurance Of DACA Recipients Due To Policy Changes
August 1, 2025
Morning Briefing
Covered California said it will end coverage of more than 2,300 DACA enrollees by Aug. 31. In other state news: Wildfire smoke wreaks havoc on the Midwest; measles cases grow; and more.
Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
August 1, 2025
Morning Briefing
Each week, KFF Health News finds longer stories for you to enjoy. Today’s selections are on parenting, mental health, nutrition and fitness, the screwworm, and more.
Pharma Companies Have 60 Days To Lower Drug Prices In US, Trump Says
August 1, 2025
Morning Briefing
In line with President Donald Trump’s “most favored nation” model, letters were sent Thursday to 17 of the world’s biggest drug companies demanding price cuts for Americans and direct-to-consumer sales options. Meanwhile, the administration is testing the efficacy of a rebate system for safety-net providers that participate in 340B rather than discounting prices upfront.
Trump Withholds Millions In Medical Research Funding From UCLA
August 1, 2025
Morning Briefing
The administration has accused the University of California, Los Angeles of continuing to engage in race discrimination. Separately, a Senate Appropriations Committee voted in favor of increasing the NIH budget by $400 million.
CDC Tells Outside Experts Their Input On Vaccine Policy Is No Longer Needed
August 1, 2025
Morning Briefing
Subcommittee members who offer policy recommendations have been excluded from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ working groups. Other news is about HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s focus on preventive care and vaccine harm, lower kindergarten vaccine rates, and more.
Another Bonus Of Weight Loss Drugs: They May Prevent Erectile Dysfunction
August 1, 2025
Morning Briefing
Researchers saw significant increases in testosterone levels for men with obesity or Type 2 diabetes while taking GLP-1 medications, The Hill wrote. Also in the news: vaping, PFAS, junk food, and more.
Morning Briefing for Friday, August 1, 2025
August 1, 2025
Morning Briefing
Behind on your reading? Catch up on this week's KFF Health News stories with The Week in Brief, delivered every Friday to your inbox. Sign up here !
First Edition: Friday, Aug. 1, 2025
August 1, 2025
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Deep Staff Cuts at a Little-Known Federal Agency Pose Trouble for Droves of Local Health Programs
By Sarah Jane Tribble Henry Larweh
August 1, 2025
KFF Health News Original
The workforce of a federal agency that oversees billions in grants for primary health care, HIV/AIDS, maternal and child health services, and workforce training has been slashed, sparking fears of what’s to come.
This Test Tells You More About Your Heart Attack Risk
By Paula Span
Updated August 1, 2025
Originally Published August 1, 2025
KFF Health News Original
Coronary artery calcium scans can offer a more precise estimate of a patient’s chances for major cardiac events. Some cardiologists say it remains underused.
Una prueba que ofrece información clave sobre el riesgo de infarto
By Paula Span
August 1, 2025
KFF Health News Original
Se trata de una tomografía computarizada breve e indolora que indicaría si se estaba desarrollando calcificaciones y placa en las arterias que llegan al corazón.
What the Health? From KFF Health News: Next on Kennedy’s List? Preventive Care and Vaccine Harm
July 31, 2025
Podcast
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the secretary of Health and Human Services, is eyeing an overhaul of two more key entities as part of his ongoing effort to reshape health policy. And President Donald Trump signed an executive order last week that would enable localities to force some homeless people into residential treatment. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, and Shefali Luthra of The 19th join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also, Rovner interviews Sara Rosenbaum, one of the nation’s leading experts on Medicaid, to mark Medicaid’s 60th anniversary this week.
Health Officials Warn Of Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreak In NYC
July 31, 2025
Morning Briefing
The city’s health department is investigating a cluster of cases that has killed one person and sickened more than 20 others. Separately, researchers have noted a surge in pediatric cases of influenza-associated acute necrotizing encephalopathy.
